Canada, Chevy’s, Craftec Covers and an Englishman abroad

[disasterbus]

Canada, Chevy’s, Craftec Covers and an Englishman abroad………….

In about a month I will be leaving the distinctly mediocre summer weather in England and heading off for a family holiday in Canada.
What I’d really like to do, and what I’m hoping you guys can give me some advice on, is that while I’m over I’d like to source some parts for my 1964 Chevy C-10.


The truck had a fairly recent frame off resto before it left Texas, which is where it spent most of it’s life, and doesn’t need much doing. But there are always things you want to do to improve it and put your own mark on it.
So I figured this trip was a great opportunity to stock up on a few of the parts that are harder to get in the UK.

The trip is going to involve a bit of touring around as I have done similar trips to the US - road trips along the PCH in California, along some of Route 66 through California, Arizona and Nevada, from NYC up to the coast to the Canadian border and around Florida. I get bored staying in one place too long and a road trip is a great way to see more of a country!
Anyway, the plan for this trip is Vancouver first, over to Vancouver Island, then Whistler, Kamloops, Banff and back to Vancouver.

I’ll be with my wife and 2 boys (21 and 16) so looking for some ideas please for:
a) things we really should see or do on that route (they are pretty easy going and love road trips, outdoor stuff like hiking, mountain biking etc)
b) things to keep me happy – any car shows in July?, great scrap yards full of Chevy trucks to explore and hunt out those hard to find parts, hot rod shops and suppliers of Chevy parts.

A few of the things I’m after for my truck:

I think these wheels are Rally wheels from LMC, somehow during being shipped over to England the hub caps went missing so I’d like some replacements


I’d also like to hunt down an original steering wheel for my truck, and stock up on service items like brake shoes, air filters, spark plugs etc (which you can get in England but they tend to be expensive).

One of the things I really want is a Craftec load bed cover – like this:



I’ve had one on order over here for about 4 months, it was supposed to be here this week but I got a message from the supplier saying they had just received the order from the US and their supplier over there had sent one for the wrong model, so it won’t fit my truck. Is there a dealer for these Craftec Truck Covers in Vancouver?

I know what you’re thinking – that won’t fit in your luggage!
You’re right, assembled it won’t but Craftec ship it in a box 60” long. The longest parts are the aluminium frame which comes in sections so my plan (actually a plan I stole from Rian and Martin on here) is to use a ski bag. I’ll find a builder’s merchants and buy a 60” piece of 4” diameter plastic pipe, wrap the aluminium sections in bubble wrap and put them in the pipe (so they won’t get bent) and bring the pipe back in a ski bag with my luggage. The cover and fittings can all get stashed in a suitcase.
I could order one from England direct from Craftec but shipping is $178 plus taxes, so I’d rather get one when I’m over and bring it back myself.