5 Year Restoration Posted All At Once...... 1969 CST/10

[Olin]

I've lurked on this site for years, haven't posted much, but watching your trucks go together has been an inspiration.

To start, I lack the skills, space, tools, and time to do this restoration myself, but I found a shop in WA that let me be a part of the entire planning and procuring process. Not the way everyone wants to do it, but it's what worked for me.

My truck is a 1969 CST/10 long bed 2 wheel drive that my parents bought in the mid-80s for my Dad's daily driver and to put a camper in the back and tow motorcycles to the dry lakes in SoCal. So many good memories.

We left CA in 1991, and moved to a small town in KS. Prior to leaving CA my Dad rebuilt the engine, I was the gofor, and slapped a Macco paint job on it.

My Dad died in 1997 from cancer. He was actually my step-Dad, but he raised me from the time I was 2 and adopted me when I was 5 around the same time they bought this truck. He'll always be Dad in my book. I had 2 step-sisters, but one of them passed from cancer in 2019.

The truck was willed to me and it stayed as he left it until I blew the motor on my way home from my freshman year at Kansas State in 1999. I was 100 miles from home and 100 miles from school, so I had it towed home, put in a shed and there it stayed until 2017.

In July 2017 I had it pulled from the shed and shipped to Bremerton WA where Finish Line Speed Shop was located at the time. He's since moved the shop to Ellensburg WA.

What started out as a medium scale build turned into a full scale restomod when we confirmed the engine block was cracked in numbers 3 and 4. From that point things got away from me....

Highlights:

383 stroker, roller cam, aluminum heads and a Holley Stinger FI (435 hp, 430 ft lbs of torque)
5 speed manual
Positraction rear
QA1 Full Suspension
Power Disc Brakes all around
Power Steering
Frame/Bed Shortened, and Stiffened
Vintage Air
All new Trim/Bright Work
Billet CST/10, 383 and Glove Box Badges, Rad Machining
Every Light is LED
Mishi Aluminum Radiator/Fans
Con2r Custom Steering Wheel
Hydraulic Hood Hinges
TMI Full Interior
Dakota Digital Dash
Pioneer Apple Car Play Stereo with one 10" Sub
Headers
Stainless Steel Exhaust, Dual Black Widow 250s
Bedliner everywhere, in the bed/under the bed, in the cab/under the cab

[Olin]

Arriving in Bremerton July 2017.

[Olin]

August 2017, Tear Down

[Olin]

January 2018, New Engine

[Olin]

January 2018, More New Engine

[Olin]

April/May 2018, Frame/Bed Work

[CG]

Great looking ride, I really like the wheels. Kinda remind me of the old Hot Wheels. I should have gone to Goodguys, went for a ride east of the Mts instead. Maybe next year.

[Olin]

Originally Posted by CG

Great looking ride, I really like the wheels. Kinda remind me of the old Hot Wheels. I should have gone to Goodguys, went for a ride east of the Mts instead. Maybe next year.

Thanks. The wheels were a really tough choice. I decided pretty early to go 18s so I could have some sidewall. When I saw those I thought they’d look just right.

It was a good show. Lots of cool cars and the weather was warm but not super hot like we’re in now.

[tutone]

First, sorry for the loss of your Dad, second, you guys did a beautiful job on the truck. Funny how a sentimental attachment will prod you onward.

[1971Stepside]

Nice. Seemed really easy when you post it like this LOL. Great looking truck. You should be proud.

[Olin]

Originally Posted by tutone

First, sorry for the loss of your Dad, second, you guys did a beautiful job on the truck. Funny how a sentimental attachment will prod you onward.

Originally Posted by 1971Stepside

Nice. Seemed really easy when you post it like this LOL. Great looking truck. You should be proud.

Thanks guys.

My Dad was 43 when he died from cancer, and I'll be 42 in about a month. About 2 years into this build, my older sister died of cancer at 43 as well. She was about 2 weeks younger than her Dad when she passed. Crazy set of circumstances. She had seen the truck when it was completely torn apart in 2018, but never got to see it finished.

You're 100% right on the sentimental attachment comment. It would have been much faster and less expensive to buy a completed truck.

I thought it would be cool to post everything at once and I went back through and added the month and year to each post for reference. I thought everyone would appreciate the immediate gratification of seeing it all done at once.

I don't have the truck yet, it still needs wipers, headliner, seat belts and some other miscellaneous finishes. I'm supposed to drive it home after the C10s on the Capital in Olympia 8/13. Can't begin to describe the excitement to drive my truck for the first time in 23 years.

[OneBad71]

Beautiful Truck ! On the undercoating you did, was it done at a shop or using cans ?

[Olin]

Originally Posted by OneBad71

Beautiful Truck ! On the undercoating you did, was it done at a shop or using cans ?

I appreciate it.

If I remember correctly, he has the equipment to spray bedliner at his shop.

[OneBad71]

Okay, Thank you