Just got a 69 C10 350 4BL to fix up (have questions)

[veener88]

Hey,

Well two weeks ago a house down the road that is next to our properly line had a garage sale because the grandmother that lived there passed away. Well in the garage my father saw a 1969 Chevy Custom C10 in the garage and offered him $250 for it and it is #5 conditions. A bit of body rust and the rocker panels and corners were rotted out. When parked 3 years ago the engine ran and only has 57K on it. Well he called us back and he took the offer. So picked it up and now it in our shop.

Well today I got under the hood. I found out it does not have a spin of filter it has a cartage filter when I got under her and no one has them in stock. I do have the Napa part number though FIL1143 so I got that today and with some work today I got the engine to fire up and just run on starting fluid. I just wanted to some fresh oil into the block and now it is going to get pulled in a few weeks. About every oil seal is shot on it and that was before it was parked it is just coved in oil.

What I am wondering about mostly is the engine in this sucker. I have been a Ford guy for most of my life but I am going more Chevies now. What I have under the hood is a 350 with a 4bl carb. Needless to say the barrels on this carb are huge. This carb makes the 4bl carb on my 78 Lincoln 462 look small.

My first question on this motor is whenever I look for the specs for this engine I cannot find them but I keep on coming across info on the 300hp 350CI that was in the Vett and Camaro. Is this the same engine just toned down a bit? I have to say I find the exhaust very restrictive on the truck. The pipe is very small. I do not think it is even 2". When I look at the carb I know that thing is meant to feed a lot of HP.

Over all what I am looking for in this truck. I want the body all back to stock. So I need some body part mostly a bed. The cab is in good shape all but the corners and rocker panels. Most of the trim is in good shape. The engine I want it stock to a point. I want the internal all stock except for hardened valves so I do not have to add lead and maybe a cam change. For the exhaust I would like it to be stock when I go to a show but for having some fun driving I would like to open it up if I could. I know I will have to adjust the carb each time I do this. I know to get some power to the road I might have to do a rear end gear swap also.

Over all from the outside and inside the truck I want it all OEM and under the hood I want it all OEM looking for shows but some added fun for when not doing them.

From reading it looks like I am very lucky with it being a custom with the grill and trim not being pitted at all. They just need a good buffing and they are good to go.

I am just wondering where I can try to find some info on this truck and where I can find some good places for parts and ideas for it. Thanks for any help on this. Also is there any tips for this truck? I pulled the seat and the tank tonight and in the next few weeks I want to have to down to the frame. I have to say out of all the stuff in my shop this has to have the easyest tear down that I will have to day. That is saying something when my 29 Model A is more of a paint then this truck.

Thanks for any help or tips.

[Aarons72s]

Well first off welcome to the board and congradulations on your find. It sounds like you dont have the original motor. I think 67 or 68 was the last year for cartridge filters, I may be wrong. Your best bet would be to buy a new gm crate motor. You can get them from the dealer for around $1500.00, for a stock replacement and they go up from there. For a great vendor try gmcpauls, a site vendor. There are also many other great vendors on here.
I hope to see picks of your ride. Ask any question you need an answer to and we all will try are best to help you out. Good luck with your new project.
Aaron

[veener88]

The engine should be original. This is a one owner truck and they stated it was never replaced. Also all the autoparts stores I went to listed the cartridge filter as an option for it just Napa is the only one that has it though. I guess I will know for sure when I get it pulled out in a few weeks to check the numbers.

[veener88]

I have some pics that I took with my Cell today.















This is the worst place of the rust on the cab.

[GMCMAX]

Our 69 came with cartridge filter on the 350, was like a fram CH200PL. Dad put a newer long block in it and the new one was not drilled for the filter bolt, had to get the adapter for the spin on.

[Aarons72s]

That is cool. I learn something every time I am on here. Just thought 68 was last year. Thanks for corecting me. She definently looks all original. You even still have the sheet metal around the exhaust manifold for the heat riser tube. Most of those are long gone and rusted away. I also see what you mean that the engine is covered in oil. If you can get me a better pic of the area in pic 8. Looks like the rust in the back floor pan is almost as bad as mine. I can probably give you some more advice once I get a clearer pic of that area. She still looks pretty solid for being up in the rust belt. You are off to a great start.
Aaron

[veener88]

Thanks Aarons72s. I hope this are a little better to see. This is realy the only place on the truck that is rusted though this bad. I am a little nervus on the corners because I have never welded metal were I do not have a seam. Any tips would be great. Just wondering what is the best way to cut out this metal? I have a good jigsaw that cuts metal very nice.

[projectking]

Looks like a great find! The best tool in my opinion for cutting panels off of a car/truck is a cut off wheel used in a die grinder. You can get a cheapo die grinder from harbor freight for under $20 on sale.
With cab corners the patches go up to the body line, I cut mine to go below the line to make it easier to fill/shape.
Where are you at in Northern Il??

[veener88]

Ok I have a good dremil so that will work then. Those corners are more then high enough.

I live in the Mchenry area.

BTW I am going to have to get a mig welder now for sure. I have used them in the past just never had my own. For this kind of body work and other work that I might need to do is there any must haves in a welder?

[7387chevys]

Nive find........I take it you dont want your money back?
Shane

[projectking]

I use miller welders but others are ok too, use .023 wire for sheetmetal and use a shielding gas as opposed to a flux core wire. Weld spots at a time or you will warp the metal with too much heat. Here is a site with a lots of good info http://www.autobody101.com/ in the forums there is a welding section. Jon

Oh I have a good article in a Hot Rod mag that I will try to find for you too.

[veener88]

Wow 7387chevys how did you guess that?

Thanks projectking that website looks like it is going to be a ton of help. I have not done body work in a long time so that is going to be great reading.

[Aarons72s]

Ok veener I think I got some bad news for you. Your back cab floor looks almost as bad if not worse than it was on my orange and white. The avaliable back floor pans are only like 5" wide. I ended up putting a whole back floor pan from a scrap truck. You may want to check out the whole floor pan from goodmark. But be sure to look for the one with the supports already installed. I bet you got rust all the way across your rear floor support from driver to passenger side. It is work to change a floor pan but if the rest of your cab is sound then you should be all right. My orange and white came from indinapolis so they were exposed to similar amounts of salt and winter weather. You also want to look under your dash up to the top of the fire wall. Mine had rust from where the a pillar and fire wall seemed together.
I hope I aint scareing you but you need to find this stuff out before continueing. I have enclosed some pics of what I had to deal with.
Aaron

pic1. shows the rust on the back floor drivers side of my cab.
pic2. Shows where the back floor has rusted thru on the passenger side.
pic3. Shows what I replaced in my floor. Green=new floor orange= old floor.

[veener88]

Well thanks for the good info there. Yea in the driver side it goes about a foot into the cab. Right now on the tear down it only looks bad around the back so far but I will see as I go. I do know many of the suports under the cab are shot so if I have to do a new floor but they are pre welded in for me that might not be a bad thing. I do not have any holes in the middle back of the floor though like yours.

[Aarons72s]

Veener88 that green line is how far the patch for the back floor pan goes in the cab. Yah goodmark has the floorpan avaliable with the supports welded in.
If you dont have the rust holes in the middle you are lucky. You may want to go under the truck and see if the support is rusted thru on the underside. I fyou need morre help in this area just ask or pm me.
Aaron