where to start???

[draggin49]

Well I am towing home my new project.1969 c10 short bed . Only 48, 000 original miles, car still is in its original paint/interior.decided its only original paint/interior once and I kinda dig the character the truck has. Truck was in good working order when parked but has been sitting.

Im gonna do suspension mods but want to leave the rest original .got an idea in my head of the finished look im shooting for.

Can any experienced guys give me some pointers / checklist of where to start/what to tackle when it comes to a vehicle that is complete but has been sitting for awhile.

Once its running/drives/stops ill do the full air ride setup, just want to make it mechanically sound first. Figure plenty of good tips from guys who have been there done that.
Thanks so much!!!!


Luke
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[Mr Chevorlet]

I haven't done any air ride suspensions on these trucks but I am sure someone will speak up. Show us some pictures of your truck.

[draggin49]

Oh the air ride is not a problem,a friend does custom air ride setups so that aspect im not worried about .mainly just all the aspects to address/tackle / how to when dealing with a car that has been sitting for some time.

Like where to start with the motor etc, gas tank, lines, hoses etc before I try and fire it make it run.
Am I gonna likely have issues with gaskets?
I know fuel tanks that have sat for long periods of time can be a nightmare. My 1949 ford had that.ended up putting a new one in after it kept sucking stuff through.

Radiator ?
Carb etc?
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[draggin49]

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[draggin49]

I apologize for the cobwebs/dirt. Those were snapped when I stopped by the old owners house.itll be home this weekend.ill do a really thorough cleaning in/out/and under the hood. Its just been sitting but the truck is surprisingly straight.
The steps, bumper guard are going ASAP!!! Lol
Not sure which wheels those are , gonna go with some plain painted steel wheels with some good looking caps
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[buckskins4ever]

Welcome to my world...lol. I can tell you you will have alot to get. Your best start for Air Ride is to go through a RIDETECH dealer. Dont get sold into buying small. You want to make sure to buy at least a 5 gallon 8 port air tank, 200 psi pump, use electric switches with gauges, and one of their 2 solenoid blocks to meter air. Bags are your choice, you can use double convoluted or single cylinder style bags. Last but not least.....Prepare to spend at least $2000 on this setup.

[Tuff Gong]

congrats on the new truck. I love it! Looks to be really straight and rust free.

[firedog]

Do a search on Dino he has done several builds using a original trucks and just upgrading the suspension. You might even take a look at 72blackbeauty his truck was a low milage truck that he only lowered and put some wheels on it.

[draggin49]

Thanks firedog, ill do some searches on what you mentioned.haha I learned that a nice air ride setup isnt cheap.went all out on my 1949 ford, but buying the better products paid off in the long run.will be nice to be able to remove cab/bed .on my chopped 49 ford being a car was tough and having to re-fab the floor /trunk from scratch was a pain.

Im running 2 tanks , 2 viar compressors with a 4 link cantilever setup. Sucks cuz there is no easy kit for a shoebox ford so it was kinda rough.

I figure replace the belts/hoses. Maybe upgrade to an msd ignition, I have some stuff left from my 1969 camaro .

Any suggestions with the gas tank? I know when they sit it can get nasty.my shoebox original tank was like that.

Ive seen the wheels i have on other c10/c20's , I want to swap to regular plain 15"steelies with some caps.
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[buckskins4ever]

Originally Posted by draggin49

Thanks firedog, ill do some searches on what you mentioned.haha I learned that a nice air ride setup isnt cheap.went all out on my 1949 ford, but buying the better products paid off in the long run.will be nice to be able to remove cab/bed .on my chopped 49 ford being a car was tough and having to re-fab the floor /trunk from scratch was a pain.

Im running 2 tanks , 2 viar compressors with a 4 link cantilever setup. Sucks cuz there is no easy kit for a shoebox ford so it was kinda rough.

I figure replace the belts/hoses. Maybe upgrade to an msd ignition, I have some stuff left from my 1969 camaro .

Any suggestions with the gas tank? I know when they sit it can get nasty.my shoebox original tank was like that.

Ive seen the wheels i have on other c10/c20's , I want to swap to regular plain 15"steelies with some caps.
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Sounds like you got the Air Ride figured out.
Are you wanting to take the tank out of the cab?? If so you have to go through Boyds and get a custom aluminum. They sell it with sending unit, rollover valve, and a couple other ports, one for fuel pull/drain.

[treveiger]

Nice looking truck! I really dig those front grill guards. Best thing to do if it's been sitting is replace oil and fluids. Also drain the fuel tank and if it doesn't have a fuel filter put one in, change the plugs. Then go around the truck and look it over for things like chewed up wires or anything in that order. Basically just go through the whole truck and make sure its in operating condition.
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[draggin49]

forgot to even look where the factory tank is on my c10.
Lol, where is it located, I saw the filler but didnt look under for the tank
Im guessing to lay frame the whole way its not possible with stock gas tank location?

Heres a shot of the trunk of my chopped /airbagged 1949 ford before we coated it with POR15


Had to fab a whole new floor and flush mounted the gas tank in the trunk cuz the car practically lays body
[IMG]http://i70.photobucket

She was extra plain when i got her



^^ shes waiting to go in the paint booth.hopefully in the next 2 months.that one ill be a bit more of a show car

[treveiger]

The gas tank is in the cab behind the bench seat. I don't see why you couldn't lay it down sense the tank is in the cab.
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[draggin49]

Thanks treveiger,
After I clean it up ill do all the items you mentioned and make my list of items I need like belts /hoses etc.
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[draggin49]

Now under the hood should I clean it up but skip repainting any items?
So itll have similar aplearance/patina as the exterior?
What do you guys think?
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[draggin49]

Oh nice, behind the seat.yep the gas tank should be no issue than when it comes to air ride/laying frame.
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[71sixgun]

If it's been sitting a while, I would grab a shopping cart at the auto parts store and get plugs, wires, filters, oil, filter. I would probably change the tranny fluid and differential fluid as well. If you have a fuel filter in the carb, change that out and try starting it with some fresh gas and see what happens. Good luck with it, it looks like a nice original truck!!

[DjS71]

Couldn't hurt to throw a rebuild kit at the carb along with all of your belts, hoses, filters, thermostat, radiator cap and ignition parts. Pay particular attention to all of your vacuum lines and anything with a diaphragm, cheap to replace them all for peace of mind, don't want to be running in circles because it doesn't run quite right. You don't necessarily need an MSD setup but an HEI would perk things up a bit. Thats what I did with my '71, it had been sitting for 4 or 5 years.

I had to pull the tank and have it cleaned and coated because of rust, I switched to a see through filter inline from the pump to the carb so i could see when it got garbled up and ditched the little stone filter in the carb body.

Good luck

[elks]

I would say with the engine the first question is: Does the motor turn free? If so then You need to go through each system and clean/fix.

If the motor turns free then I go through a list(if it does not turn free it will likely need to be opened up)...

I always start with cleaning the fuel system first. Drain the gas tank drain all the lines if it looks rust, use an electric pump to pump fresh gas through system. Replace the filters, etc. I will also take the carb off drain it of any old gas and inspect it. I have found that most of the time they do not need rebuilt, but if you have the time it never hurts...

Once the fuel system is all cleaned up, then I go on to the oil/lube system. Drain it clean it etc. If it is really bad then I drop oil pan (not always easy) and pull valve covers. Sometimes both are fine other times they are caked with thick sticky crude. I clean accordingly and put back together. Many time when a vehicle sits the gaskets will dry out, become brittle, etc. Means a leak before long so I replace with new gaskets. Once I get the old oil out and cleaned I put in new oil and most of the time will run a cleaning agent/or other additive. It the motor has sat a long time, and you drop the pan, be sure to manually prime the oil pump.

With the oil system out of the way check the coolant system for cracked hoses rusted clamp, etc. Drain it and replace. It is not a bad Idea to check the thermostat at this point, sometime they are all gunked up and sticky.

With the coolant done then I go through the electrical. I new plugs or atleast pull the old and clean, then look over all wires etc. I seldom find that I need to replace plug wires, but if you have the money go for it... Ad far as painting...

As far as painting and cleaning, it is up to you. I have a rule to cleaning and painting everything I take off my truck when I do. I do it for protection and appearance. Some day I will fully restore my truck. In the mean time I clean and paint when needed.

Also look at the belts for wear etc.

[Hawghauler]

All good points, but don't forget the brakes. Flush the system first, then look for leaks. Usually you'll be replacing or rebuilding the cylinders, pads/shoes, and checking drums/discs for excessive wear. Inspect brake lines for crush, rust, or cracked rubber.

There are some alternatives for fuel tanks. There are threads for underbed chevelle/camaro tanks, or after market aluminum/poly tanks. Replacing the original in-cab tank is relatively inexpensive. You might want to replace fuel lines as well, as they rust as much as the tank will. Minimize the amount of rubber on the fuel line, steel doesn't cause fires. If you are going to drag frame, in cab would work best, but safety and odor concerns make under bed tanks a good option, and done properly can still leave enough room to drop frame quite a bit.

Personally, I would replace all the rubber, belts, and ignition as a standard proceedure. None of it is expensive, and the failure of even a vacuum line can be a drag once you are on the road.

New battery cables will save you some hassles, and there are threads on alternator rebuilds, and starter replacements if needed. If you need a starter, look to the corvette high torque replacement, as it spins the motor faster and costs close to the same as the factory one.

If you are already planning to replace the distributer, take the opportunity to prime the oil (with the old distributer and with new oil), as mentioned above. Your valve cover gaskets will likely need replacing, and it's a good idea, as stated above, to check for sludge from there. The next likely leak point will be the pan gasket. These are the thickest gaskets, and the ones most likely to dry up and shrink.

Overall, it looks like a nice rig, and will be a fun project. I hope you'll keep up updated with pics so we can all enjoy it with you!
Enjoy!

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by Hawghauler

All good points, but don't forget the brakes. Flush the system first, then look for leaks. Usually you'll be replacing or rebuilding the cylinders, pads/shoes, and checking drums/discs for excessive wear. Inspect brake lines for crush, rust, or cracked rubber.

snip

I started at the top and couldn't believe nobody said flush the brakes. Finally here way the bottom Hawghauler mentioned brakes.
First check for visible leaks. Then have your friend get in the cab and "dynamite" the brakes. Have him/her use both feet and push as hard as he/she can on the brake pedal while you run around looking for leaks.

For something sitting long I would just go ahead and replace all wheel cylinders and calipers if it has disks. Being an original '69 it probably has drums up front. I believe it is about $15/wheel to just replace each wheel cylinder with new. While you're at it get new rubber hoses up front.

Flush the system after you replaced all the stuff in and around the wheels. Use a turkey baster or similar and suck the old brake fluid out of the master. Don't let the level drop below the ports in there. Fill it with new. Then go to each corner and bleed until all you get out is clear brake fluid.

After all that your brakes are as good as they will ever be.

[draggin49]

Awesome guys, this is a huge help.I wrote out all the tips/items to cover on paper so ive got a checklist for this weekend while I work on it.
I found out I have tows left on my AAA card so im covered on that.
Any suggestions on a new ignition/hei ?
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[yuccales]

That's a pretty straight looking truck!

[elks]

For me he asked about the engine... So I went that route.

For ignition, I have went to hei on everything I have owned, Jeeps, Blazer, Truck, etc. If I can figure out how it is done. In the older chevys they mack good sense and are easy to install.

But for now get systems up and running. You might be pleasantly surprised at how well it might run once it is cleaned up and started...

for me I always do what I have to first then go from there, I ma cheap... If you have the money then replacing parts is fine...

[draggin49]

Good point elks,many of the existing items may be fine.may as well try them and see.
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