'67 Chev modified with lots of TLC

[passthebuck]

Here's a cool story about our trucks that appeared in Friday's local newspaper here in Winnipeg.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/aut...-1074535c.html

Winnipeg Free Press

Sunday, February 23rd, 2003

Dressed up pick-up

'67 Chev modified with lots of TLC

Friday, February 21st, 2003

CLASSIC CRUISING / LARRY D'ARGIS

BY the late '50s, pick-up truck sales had really taken off. Once viewed as utilitarian and primarily a work vehicle, the pick-up was becoming more of a multi-purpose means of transportation.

In the '60s, truck manufacturers started listening to buyers and began providing additional optional equipment, so the pick-up could be tailored to its owners particular needs. Automatic transmissions, power steering and brakes, as well as air conditioning, provided far greater comfort and ease of operation than ever before. The pick-up also reaped another beneficial feature and that was style. For General Motors, the 1967 Chevrolet trucks were described as possessing the "most significant cab and sheet metal styling change in Chevrolet history." This reflected the importance of an attractive appearance in a light-duty truck, as many were now being purchased for personal transportation and as a recreational vehicle when outfitted with a camper.

Today, the post-war pick-ups are as popular as ever. With the abundant availability of reproduction and restoration parts, many pick-ups have been transformed into fair-weather cruisers and show vehicles.

For Nathan Salk of Altona, a pick-up was his choice of vehicle from the beginning. While Salk was attending high school in 1998 he purchased a pair of '67 Chevrolet C10 pick-up trucks. Using one truck as a parts donor he was able to save the other as the basis for his restoration project. Starting with the frame, Salk wanted to get the truck's ride height lower for better handling, so he swapped the front steering spindles for units from a '75 Chevy half-ton. The new spindles afforded a 2 1/4-inch drop in front height and also gave the truck disc brakes as a bonus. For the rear a '75 Chev half-ton rear axle, with 3.73 final drive ratio, was mounted above the rear leaf springs, bringing the rear of the truck down substantially. This is similar to the rear differential placement you'd find in a car but required the rear frame rails to be notched for proper suspension travel. To add to the new stance, a set of low-profile B.F. Goodrich Comp T/A radials were installed on 17-inch by 8-inch wide Eagle alloy wheels.

The 127-inch wheelbase, long-box truck was fairly rust-free, but it had its share small dents that had to be removed before Ron's Autobody in Altona applied the new metallic-blue paint finish. Salk installed a new rear roll pan and replaced the rotted wood in the pick-up box with new maple planks and a set of new metal bed strips he purchased from Chevy Duty pick-up parts in Kansas City. The truck also features a power antenna that has been frenched or sunk into the body.

For power, Salk chose a 350 cubic inch Chevrolet V8 from an early 80's half-ton and turned it over to Miller Engines in Winkler. With the block machined and overbored .030", Salk assembled it with 9.25:1 compression pistons, high performance camshaft, ported and polished cylinder heads, Crane roller rocker arms, and a complete Accel ignition system. Topping it off is an Edelbrock aluminum intake manifold and 750 c.f.m. four-barrel carburetor. For the exhaust, Hooker headers direct the spent gases from the engine to a custom dual exhaust system with Thrush Turbo mufflers. The engine is backed by a Saginaw four-speed manual transmission that was salvaged from a '74 Camaro in a local wrecking yard.

The custom theme is carried over to the cab of the truck with the addition of a set of bucket seats from a '91 Bonneville and a custom-fabricated centre console. The console houses a set of Auto Gauge gauges and the Pioneer stereo system. To make the truck safer, the original fuel tank was removed from its factory location behind the seat and replaced with a fuel cell that mounts under the pick-up bed. Relocating the tank also made room for the Rockford-Fosgate power amplifier and dual sub-woofer speaker enclosure. Optional equipment includes, power steering, power front disc brakes, chrome front bumper and tinted glass.

Finished in the spring of 2001, Salk, a member of the Legends Car Club, now thoroughly enjoys his summer cruising pick-up. "It's like anything you build, you plan it, but don't really know how it's going to turn out," says Salk. Sporting a clean and pleasant design the '67 to '72 Chevrolet pick-ups are much sought after restoration candidates. Lending themselves nicely to either a stock or modified build up, their numbers continue to grow within the classic and collector vehicle hobby.

Do you have a classic car story to tell? Send us an e-mail, we may choose to feature your car in an upcoming issue.

car-poll@freepress.mb.ca


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