Clock is Ticking - Where to Start?

[bluec10]

I grew up with a 68 C-10 farm truck. Nothing special - a basic truck with a 250 and three on the tree. I spent hours in that truck with my dad and was very attached to it.

When he retired from farming he gave me the truck. By then, it was just too far gone to restore. I harvested as many parts that I could and started looking for another truck. As luck would have it, my dad found a 69 GMC at an estate sale and I bought it. Only 34,000 original miles, moulding package, and had a poker straight body. I fixed the rusty cab corners and rockers and have kept it going for 25 years.

I’m 56 and am starting to feel that the restoration project is entering the “now or never” stage. I love working on it, but I’m feeling overwhelmed about where to start. Do I rebuild the 4-bolt small block I’ve been saving or look at an LS swap? Engine first or body first?

Many of you know what I’m talking about - where did you start?

[geezer#99]

Brakes, suspension and steering first.
No need for more go if you can’t keep it on the road or stop safely.

[Steeveedee]

^ What he said.

[dmjlambert]

For me it was rebuild engine and brakes first. I had a local engine guy rebuild the 350, and a local transmission shop rebuild the transmission. I did not need any suspension work and steering worked although it was power steering and the power steering box leaked enough to be annoying. I drove it. I got around to replacing the seals on the power steering box with help from a post by Tx Firefighter. I also got around to using disc/drum brakes and rally wheels from a 71 that I bought from a member here on the parts forum, and got that done.

My intention was to have an old truck as a daily driver and I have not cared to touch the body other than to patch parts that were letting rain in, but I feel when I do some good stuff to the body I'm going to use the paint methods landarts shows in this thread and touch it up. Keep as much as I can of the original paint and blend in color match paint. This is an inspiring thread, I recommend have a look. https://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vbo...d.php?t=795414

It depends on your goals, so give us a feel on whether you want to have gleaming new fancy paint, or mostly original paint and polish what's there? Do you want to do burn outs and race, or want daily driver and work truck?

[Already Gone]

Well you've been driving the truck for 25 years so I'm sure you have good handle on its strengths and weaknesses. Obviously you've kept it up or it'd be behind or buried in a barn somewhere. Do you have any definitive plans or things you want to do with the truck for the next 25 years? If you don't plan on doing some tripping with it and just gonna use it as you have been then that should help u decide your plan. I'd rebuild the 350 and make sure its mechanically sound and decide what's next after that..

[Rick Bollinger]

For me and my 68 I started on fixing stuff the PO messed up. Starting with the cooling system and the mechanical side of it. kept snowballing for till I finally took it all the way down for a complete restoration. A word of warning on that it is verry intimidating and at times over whelming to do a complete tear down. I know why you see so many projects sitting or for sale. If you decide to do a complete restoration yourself including engine, transmission, suspension and body. And you doing the work plan on spending 30k and three years minimum to do a good quality build. And I'm not talking a show truck just a solid build presentable truck. Ask me how I know. Here is where I am at now. But the bed is done and cab is in primer. And am I thankful I bought all my sheet metal before everything went crazy.