Just started my first project

[ttgallaher42]

My dad had this 1967 truck as a project but it has sat since he passed away in 2008. Now I am trying to rebuild it on a minimum budget. Any advise? Thanks this looks like it will be a great resource for help.

[ttgallaher42]

here is the only picture I have right now

[1968aj]

get it running driving and stopping. then work on as you can. a lot of people lose interest when they try to do it all at once.

[ttgallaher42]

I am taking the fenders and hood off slowly everyday after work and going to take them to a guy for body and paint work piece by piece, while thats off at his place planning on pulling the motor out and going through everything in the motor and transmission. Then looking to upgrade brakes and maybe building a custom bed ( its a '93 now lol.)

[68bowtie]

can you post a picture of the glove box sticker? curious about the side trim holes and the big back window...

[swamp rat]

The biggest problem is going to be the cab, i'm sure there will be hidden cancer you cant see right now, make sure your body guy is willing to work the cab too.

[ttgallaher42]

I saw the VIN numbers explinations, but is there anything else you can tell from this?

[hugger6933]

Don't tear it down too far too fast you should get it running and driving and enjoy it while you make a plan. Now if the motor needs rebuild/replacement. Taking off the front to send out is ok but if your really wanting to have something to start with the cab needs to be done first so you don't spend all that time and money then need to find a cab cause of problems.
The problem with a starter project is people dive in too far on the first one then don't know how or lose the drive to get it back together. I understand on this one you have special attraction to it because of your father. Look, there are lots of guys on here that are willing to help. I don't know where you are in TN and it takes forever to drive it one side to the other[like 8 or 9 hours] But I'm a little over an hour southwest of Memphis so if you need me I'll do what I can to help. I own a body shop and rebuild late model wrecks for a living and do old trucks and muscle cars for fun.

[EARNHARDT#3]

Originally Posted by 68bowtie

can you post a picture of the glove box sticker? curious about the side trim holes and the big back window...

Yeah makes me wonder if it was a custom. Looks like the bed is drunk and needs to go home

[Grumpy old man]

Bet rid of that bed and find a stock step side or fleet side year correct bed , you don't want to spend any money painting it when it just doesn't belong there . as others have said :

Mechanical first -- get it running and stopping and clean frame and all then

paint and body-- always easier when the truck is clean and can move under it's own power

interior last this includes all gaskets /glass and trim -- you'll end up with a much better end product when your not cleaning grease and bondo dust /over spray off all your new parts ...

Take your time and have patience !

[ttgallaher42]

Funny story about the bed. We would drive it when we first got it without one. I was probably 14 and my dad had lost his licence several years before this. We get pulled over no tags title insurance or licence. Explained we had just made some adjustments and needed to see how it worked out and since we were close to the house and still beside our farm he was actually pretty cool. After that
My dad seed to think if it had a bed on it it wouldn't stick out as much( I always thought it made it worse cause it's freaking purple. Besides the truck was loud and old and as a 14 year old running the road beside the farmlike a drag strip it was pretty bad ass..) well one night he took it out down the highway which he usually took back roads and on his way home. Passed a THP. So she hammered did when he hit our road and almost made it in the drive before the cop turned on the road so he decided to try and take a right and go through a bean field and hit the road about 1/2 mile on the other side. Well the bed wasn't bolted down yet tips over and jams up in the back wheel and he gets stuck and caught.

That being said I want to find the correct year stepside bed with a nice wood flooring but if it stays a purple '93 for awhile that's perfectly fine with me.
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[In The Ten Ring]

It's going to take a lot more time, effort, money, and most importantly, dedication thn you expect. My truck had been sitting in my garage for 8 years and I figured I could get it running quickly. I probably could have but I am one of those "do it right now, not later" types and I had to get the fuel tank cleaned, fuel lines replaced, and carb rebuilt. While I was doing all of that, I figured it was best to fix the rust issues "while I was at it." I am still not ready to put it back together but I am very, very close and most of the front clip rust has been fixed.

It has taken me 3 years (so far) and I'd have to count up the bill but I am very pleased with how far she has come.

So that's my advice. But you may be better off finding a new truck or new cab, based on rust. I wanted to keep my cab but it's so rusty and has so much bondo, that I decided to get another cab after the truck is running.

[ttgallaher42]

Thanks for all the input everyone! I'll take anything you want to throw out there. Wife is out of town and it was finally nice on a saturday so I could make some progress, slowly but surely. I need a shop or atleast a concrete pad!

[ttgallaher42]

Uodate

[ttgallaher42]

Had the motor out and built. 350 converted to 385 stroker, forged stroker crank, forged Hbeam rods, and flat top pistons. RHS heads, Holley Sniper EFI, and disk brakes all around.

[Barnfind46]

Sounds great! Gotta see picks of this handy work! Any progress is progress!

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by ttgallaher42

Had the motor out and built. 350 converted to 385 stroker, forged stroker crank, forged Hbeam rods, and flat top pistons. RHS heads, Holley Sniper EFI, and disk brakes all around.

-
So much for the "Minimum Budget" build....

LockDoc

[In The Ten Ring]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

So much for the "Minimum Budget" build....

LockDoc

"Min. budget build"? Is there such a thing?

[ttgallaher42]

I know tell me about it. Took the block to a local shop for the machine work and got talked into doing it right. which wasn't had to do...

[ttgallaher42]

updated pictures

[Auroch]

Originally Posted by ttgallaher42

Had the motor out and built. 350 converted to 385 stroker, forged stroker crank, forged Hbeam rods, and flat top pistons. RHS heads, Holley Sniper EFI, and disk brakes all around.

Did you do any work around the engine bay area, treat the rust, make sure the firewall is in good condition? Having the engine out gives you the opportunity to make sure the foundation is in good shape. Killer engine man. I'll be curious to see what exhaust system you choose, that thing needs to sing!

[ttgallaher42]

Originally Posted by Auroch

Did you do any work around the engine bay area, treat the rust, make sure the firewall is in good condition? Having the engine out gives you the opportunity to make sure the foundation is in good shape. Killer engine man. I'll be curious to see what exhaust system you choose, that thing needs to sing!

I did some spot work, I should have taken it down to bare and painted it,. Everything is solid and did some light sanding/scraping and a few coats of black on the frame and firewall

Looking going with Flowmaster super 40 maybe super 44. Haven't decided - should have it by this weekend or next.

[UniqueOdyssey68]

Looks nice!
Like others said, work on it sections at at time, while truck is still together and driving. Save $$$. I made the big mistake of doing the opposite..19 years later, it's still going back together in small pieces.
Enjoying driving it while you work on it is the best thing you can do.