Project GOLDMINE - '70 CST/10 SWB 402BB

[67_C-30]

Might as well get a build thread started for newly '70 CST/10. I have been wanting another SWB fleetside since the minute I sold my red '69, and I have finally found what I always wanted. It's not a fully loaded truck, but it has most of the good stuff. It is a CST with the BB, TH400, A/C, P/S, P/B, body molding and black interior. The SPID matches the VIN tag, and is in very good shape and legible. The body is a little rougher than I would have hoped, but I have bunch of rust free, dent free sheet metal wearing factory paint that I have been hoarding to use for something special. This is my something special!

All of the engine codes, casting numbers, and date codes and everything checks out original. The stamped engine code is T0504TBG - meaning the engine was built at Tonawanda on May, 4th and the TBG designates it as 1970 402 truck engine. The engine casting number is 3969854 designating it as a '69 -'72 396/402 block. The date code is D 22 0 -meaning it was casted April 22nd, 1970. The blue sticker on the driver's door has a production date of 5 - 1970, so everthing is consistent. The engine had an alumninum intake and Edelbrock carb on it, but I went and got the factory stuff to go back on it.


THE PLAN

I plan on making this a very nice truck, but it will a driver. A trailer queen is useless to me. I'm sticking with the gold and white (hence the GOLDMINE name), but I may do a white 2 tone to throw a little more color to it. As I said before, I'm probably going to add a few desirable factory options (buckets, tach, maybe tilt) that should have been there anyway.


Frame:
I am planning on taking the body off the frame, but its not going to be a full blown "every nut and bolt" restoration. I'm going to clean the frame throroughly and paint it with chassis black paint to deter rust and to look fresh. I am probably going to rebuild the front end and add disc brakes, but I will stick with 6 lugs to appear stock. I'll replace the rubber brake lines and service the rear axle while I'm there.

Engine & trans:
I plan on pulling the engine down and freshening it up (probably the trans too) to keep from having to do it after it is painted and risk messing up the paint. I'm going to stay absolutely stock appearing, but I might bump the comprerssion up to 9 - 9.5 : 1 and go with a little better cam. I want a stock sounding smooth idle, but there are good cams available that sound stock.

Body:
The cab is pretty good, but will need a little attention. The cowl, floor, and inner rockers are nice, but the cab corners and rockers have some rust. I am going to fix everything correctly. I have 2 doors, 2 fenders, and a hood that rust free, dent free, and still have original paint that I can use for it. The drive's doors is pretty nice so it may stay, but the passengers door has a rust spot on the rear corner, so I'll replace it. Both fenders have issues, and I'll probably just replace them because the ones I have are so good. The hood has a sizeable dent, so I'll replace it too.

Bed:
The bedsides are both kinda rough and the floor is wavy. At this point I think I'm going to go ahead and buy a new bed piece by piece from Goodmark. I want a truck with a perfect, shiny, inside bed floor, so unless I find a mint bed, I think this will be the way I go.

Interior:
I'm going to stay totally stock appearing, but I may add a few factory options like a tach, maybe buckets, and a tilt - all of which I already have - which makes it that much more tempting. Either way, its going to be done with all factory stock stuff.

I'm excited about getting started on it. I've always a SWB BB truck, and I finally found one. I'm going to get it running, shake it down, and probably drive it a little while while buying parts. Here's a few pics as it sits now: