$500 trucks are still out there

[jdl71]

Answered a CL ad a couple of weeks ago on a Sunday morning. 66 Chevy truck $500. Pretty skeptical, but I called and it was close, so I went and looked at it.

Look closely, it's there:



Guy says he bought it 5 or 6 years ago, trailered it home, and there it sat. He had quite a few projects, and actually some neat stuff like a 69 Riviera, an old Willys pickup, and a couple of Impalas among other things. Says brakes are locked up, and it probably last ran in 1992 or so.











It's a 64, not a 66, which is what I wanted anyway, 230, 3speed and has a title. He starts fiddling around trying to get it started and I told him not to bother and handed him the money. It has 4 flats, is down in the woods and has locked up brakes. Fortunately we have an old school tire shop/wrecker service in town so the next day and $75 later it is in my driveway.







There was at least 6 inches of stuffing, pine cones, acorns and rat turds in the floor. Got out the leaf blower, power washer, removed seat, chucked the camper shell and finally get it cleaned out enough to put it in my shop.





The engine seems to have some compression, and has some oil in it so I bought a battery from the junkyard, an electric fuel pump, some fuel line and a couple gallons of gas and for the first time since about 1992 she comes to life.

First start - YouTube

[Big Fenders]

I think you got quite a deal!!
Bob

[XLCOR_65]

Fantastic!! Congratulations on a great find!

[TJ's Chevy]

Nice truck! Bought my 64 GMC for $500 as well.

[jdl71]

Originally Posted by TJ's Chevy

Nice truck! Bought my 64 GMC for $500 as well.

Yeah I saw that. You're my mentor, Lol.

[jdl71]

A little carb cleaner and tweaking with the trusty screwdriver:

YouTube

[jdl71]

After I decided that the engine was not going to need immediate attention I moved on to getting it to move under its own power. No matter how much I adjusted the clutch, it would not go in to any gear. My first clue might have been the bellhousing cover already off and in the bed, or perhaps the extra throwout bearing I found. Up on jack stands it went and I pulled the shaft, trans, clutch assy and flywheel. The clutch disc still seemed to have plenty of material, but the flywheel looked like crap, the pressure plate was plenty rusty and the throwout bearing was seized up. After a trip to my local Napa, I came home with a new clutch kit, a freshly resurfaced flywheel, and a nice pretty driveshaft with new u joints and carrier. I also picked up a gallon (the only way they sell it) of SAE 90 mineral oil and drained the molasses that was in the trans and refilled. I spent last Saturday afternoon in the shop and by dinner time I was shifting gears. (still up on jackstands, but a step forward anyway). On a side note, I needed some new bushings for the shifter linkage at the trans and saw several threads on here where some folks were using bronze bushings of some sort. While at the parts store I was glancing at the "Help" aisle and saw a package of assorted door hinge pin bushings. Brought it home and found that 2 of them are the perfect size! Threw on some bias plys I had laying around that will hold air and got the brakes unstuck, but not yet working. Next on the list is getting a radiator that will hold some water as the one in there now looks like someone used it for target practice from inside the engine compartment somehow, and getting the gas tank cleaned out. Then I will hopefully be able to let it run for more than 30 seconds and go for a spin around the driveway.

[jayoldschool]

your video is "private"

[Mikes66ChevyC10]

Nice find!! Congrats!

[Lowl!f3]

Sounds like my story. I paid $800. Been sitting since 1975.
4 flats and 3 held air.
Started it up and it ran Great. Those old inlines are beasts. Mines a 230 also.
However I'm about to put an 06 vortec in mine soon.

[markeb01]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing the pics and the story!

[canadian_diesel1964]

That's awesome!!

[1963c-10]

Great deal and nice find. Nice to know its no longer sitting out in the woods to rot away.

[sambrutay]

great story. plan to hear more.

[jjzepplin]

WOW! All I can say is WOW!

[ljackson]

nice find. I paid $300.00 for mine. There are still some out there. Lots got crushed when the scrap prices were up.

[jdl71]

Originally Posted by jayoldschool

your video is "private"

Sorry. Should be fixed.

[jdl71]

Originally Posted by ljackson

nice find. I paid $300.00 for mine. There are still some out there. Lots got crushed when the scrap prices were up.

That is truly a nice score.

[4shongo]

Nice truck, can't beat that price!!!

[ColinsChopShop]

I bought my 1961 Chevy Apache last spring for $400 and when I got it home I was able to get it running within 30 minits

[par4tom]

This is a really cool story...

Now, if someone will just ship those $500 trucks to California...sigh!! Hard to find for less than $5,000!!!

Great job on this story, keep em coming!

[Clyde65]

Same here! if they resemble a truck, they want $5k, if they run! now THAT is worth another $2K!

[jdl71]

And we here in the midwest always wish the CA and TX trucks would get shipped here so we didn't have to deal with the rust.

[HumphreyMurdoch]

Thats an awesome deal! I see you're by Jeff City, you ever been to Schollmeyer Auto Salvage? I haven't been in years, but I imagine they've got quite a few Chevy trucks in that yard.

[jdl71]

Pulled the gas tank and sender out last night and dumped out what was left of pre ethanol 20+ year old gas. The bottom of the tank didn't look rusty just kind of sludge covered so I poured some fresh gas in, sloshed it around and dumped it out. Repeated until what came out of the tank resembled what was going in. The sock or screen or whatever you call it on the sender I tried cleaning off with carb cleaner, but I think it's pretty much toast. Let the truck sit outside last night with the windows down to air out and took a few pics first thing this morning:







One with "little" brother:



Today I reinstalled tank and sending unit and put the seat back in the wife recovered on Sunday with some material I got from Wal Mart on clearance. I hate the saddle blanket seat covers and they are way too expensive I think. My foam and springs are in decent shape there was just the usual butt sized spot missing in the cover. I don't think it looks too bad for $4 worth of material: