Son's 68 c10 Short Bed

[Camaroguy]

Okay, so here's the backstory. I bought this 1968 c10 short bed about 7 years ago. The truck had been frame off restored in 2005 and daily driven for a while. It was then sold and left to sit outside for a couple of years and then sold to me. I am the 4th owner of the truck and it appears to have spent all of its life in New Mexico. When I bought it, I lowered it, put wheels and tires on it, swapped the original 327 for a 330 hp GMPP crate 350. I also added fuel injection and redid the interior. I drove the truck for a few years with the plan all along of it becoming my son's truck when he was old enough. I told him I would get the truck mechanically sound and a good driver but he would be responsible for working on it and getting it ready for paint. Fortunately, my dad owns a hot rod shop (Wild West Street Rods) and he does exceptional paint and body work. Well, my son turned 15 yesterday. He and I spent a day this past weekend pulling everything off of it we could in anticipation of it heading down to the shop.

The plan is to do paint and body work and get it back together. I am hoping to start putting it back together by the end of the summer.

This is a low dollar build. I am wanting him to have a nice, driver-quality truck that he put a little sweat equity into.

Today is day 1, and they have the bed off of it.

[Camaroguy]

One of the bigger challenges with this truck is going to be how to sort out the inside of the bed. There is a big plate welded on the front of the floor in place of the original floor. Also, the front panel had a plate of metal welded to it. I assume both were done to cover damage or rust. The entire inside of the bed was also covered in bed liner.

So half of yesterday was spent trying to heat up and scrape off the bed liner with little success. Going to have to come up with another plan. I ordered a new panel for the front of the bed and will probably order a front section of the floor and new tubs as well.

[Camaroguy]

He is almost finished cutting out the flat panel that was added to the front of the bed floor.

[Camaroguy]

He got the front of the bed floor cut out.

[68bowtie]

Nice truck. What color is he going with?

[Camaroguy]

Originally Posted by 68bowtie

Nice truck. What color is he going with?

Thanks! I am pretty sure he's going to do it in Toyota Calvary Blue. It's a solid light blue that leans gray. He doesn't want two-tone so it will be solid with most of the trim on it.

[Camaroguy]

This truck had a little rust in the bottom of both doors. I was able to spend part of the day on it yesterday and got the passenger side door fixed.

[Camaroguy]

One more picture of him pulling it in. This is exciting for me. Seeing my boy growing up and expressing an interest in this. I ordered the front section of the bed floor yesterday as well.

[HONDAWASAKI]

Originally Posted by Camaroguy

One more picture of him pulling it in. This is exciting for me. Seeing my boy growing up and expressing an interest in this. I ordered the front section of the bed floor yesterday as well.

That really is fantastic! I hope my kids get the bug at some point!

[RRR18]

Awesome!!!
Something that he (and you) will remember for a lifetime.
Love the house pic!

[Camaroguy]

Originally Posted by HONDAWASAKI

That really is fantastic! I hope my kids get the bug at some point!

Originally Posted by RRR18

Awesome!!!
Something that he (and you) will remember for a lifetime.
Love the house pic!

Thank you both.

[Camaroguy]

I was able to spend a couple of hours at the shop today and got the rust cut out and patched on the driver's door. This one was worse than the passenger side. I still need to clean up the welds but it's all good now.

This truck is actually pretty solid. I'm really impressed at how good all the sheet metal fits.

[Camaroguy]

Yesterday, he got the passenger door completely stripped both inside and out. Only two spots on the door needed any filler, and the front spot is from the rust repair. It's crazy how good this door is. I hope the rest of the truck is half as nice.

[cj847]

Originally Posted by Camaroguy

Thanks! I am pretty sure he's going to do it in Toyota Calvary Blue. It's a solid light blue that leans gray. He doesn't want two-tone so it will be solid with most of the trim on it.

I like the color. Is it a non metallic, base, clear? Is it water based?....I noticed it is late model. Thanks.

[Camaroguy]

Originally Posted by cj847

I like the color. Is it a non metallic, base, clear? Is it water based?....I noticed it is late model. Thanks.

Thanks, I like it too. It's a non metallic. I'm not sure what the actual Toyota color is, but if it's water base, I will have the paint store mix something to mirror it. We normally do base/clear but have recently done some higher end stuff in single stage and have been really happy with the results. Might consider that with this one.

[Camaroguy]

Originally Posted by cj847

I like the color. Is it a non metallic, base, clear? Is it water based?....I noticed it is late model. Thanks.

Two years ago, we ended up parked in the Griot's Garage booth in Del Mar at Goodguys. Parked with us was the Lincoln which belonged to the owner's son. The car had recently been completed by Jrod Customs and had probably the deepest black paint I had ever seen. Anyway, the paint was a single stage. Every since then, I've been pretty intrigued by it.

The first two pics are of the Lincoln the third is of one of my dads.

[Camaroguy]

Both doors are in the first coat of primer.

[Camaroguy]

Today, he got the back of the cab stripped and the back glass pulled. There's a little rust in both cab corners. I should be able to patch them without any issue.

[Camaroguy]

Another day spent stripping paint. Slow going.

[Camaroguy]

Here are a couple more pics of the truck before we started on it. Uploading these for my benefit more than anything. The second pic is when I finished the seat about two years ago. I cut the brackets placing the seat as low and as far back as I could.

[Camaroguy]

Passenger side door jamb is stripped.

[Camaroguy]

Jambs are done.

[Camaroguy]

One fender is stripped.

[MDPotter]

These trucks are great father/son projects. My dad and I just finished his 64 and now we're working on my 68.

What are you using to strip it?

[Camaroguy]

Originally Posted by MDPotter

These trucks are great father/son projects. My dad and I just finished his 64 and now we're working on my 68.

What are you using to strip it?

Awesome, they are definitely fun. I did my 67 Camaro with my dad when I was in high school and another 68 c10 to sell a couple of years ago.

For the most part, he's using a die grinder with a sanding disc. That's why it's taking so long. He can't get himself into too much trouble with it though.