Husbands-*1969 C10 manual 3speed - camper special project

[JHarman69c10]

Ok let me start off by saying hi I'm Lindsay... Aka wife of grumpy old man that just got a grumpy old truck. I apologise for any newbie behavior I'm more at home in a Ford explorer forum. Anywho I'll be posting questions and pictures of husband's 1969 Chevy c10 manual shift 3 speed long bed camper special. (Is it still a camper special if it doesn't have the camper?) Anyway so husband picked up this truck for $1000 (his grandfather had an almost exact match) and is currently restoring it.
So far he's got it running and gotten lights to work... That was an adventure to say the least. Previous owners really screwed with the wiring. Cosmetically it's not 2 bad, just a few typical spots. Undercarriage is a little rusty but not a lost cause at all... Well one control arm is Swiss cheese, and it needs a new radiator support. So it needs some love. Right now the biggest thing is getting it Functioning and protecting it for the winter (we live in Upstate Western NY and winter is coming allong with an ass ton of salt. And truck is husband's daily driver.)

So my top questions I hope you guys can answer, give advice, or point me in the direction of decent prices for parts...
1.) Hazzard knob... Pretty sure it's busted off in there (see picture) what do we have to do to get it out and make hazzards function again?

2.) Heater core and all components, previous owner disconnected everything instead of fixing the problem

3.) Need a new steering wheel and bearing (previous owner tried to pull the steering wheel without an actual puller .. looks like he took a hammer and chisel to it) so the wheel on there is not original nor does it fit properly.. I don't want to break the bank on a steering wheel so ideas?

4.) White cloudy ring around the windshield? Wtf is it and why? and can I make it go away!?

5.) Original Oil bath air cleaner ?.. like original looks like a tiny UFO.

6.) Parking break lines

7.) converting drum breaks to disc breaks

8.) New dash pad

9.) Suspension... Coil vs leaf

[Grumpy old man]

Let's make it perfectly clear ,NOT the wife of this Grumpy old man !

Become a subscribing member it will serve you well with finding replacement parts . All the guys/girls in here are very helpful and will assist in any way they can . Let me answer a few questions and others will be along shortly

Yes, it's still a camper special without a camper
You have a coil spring rear suspension and it looks like you need a new left trailing arm .
The windshield is shot and you'll need a new one and a new gasket

[JHarman69c10]

Yep I know it's coil husband was wondering which is better coil or leaf?

Been looking into the trailing arm and windshield.

How the heck do I become a subscribing member?
Thanks. ��

[Grumpy old man]

coil vs leaf ? depends on what your plans are for the truck ,Hauling heavier weight Leaf or cruising more comfortable ride Coil , Switching over is a bit of work and the coil suspension you already have should be fine and parts are easily available .

to subscribe go to the blue banner at the top of the page and tap on subscribe .

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by JHarman69c10

Yep I know it's coil husband was wondering which is better coil or leaf?

Been looking into the trailing arm and windshield.

How the heck do I become a subscribing member?
Thanks. ��

to the board.

Click on the word "Subscribe" in the menu bar above and it will explain all of the subscription options.

Cloudiness in the windshield can't be removed. It is in between the two pieces of glass.

As far as coils vs leafs it depends what you are going to use the truck for. Leafs will generally haul more and be a little more stable and coils generally ride better....

LockDoc

[jocko]

Welcome. Can you post a picture of the SPID? It’s the sheet pasted inside the glove box. Am curious why you believe it to be a Custom Camper. (note the term Camper Special didn’t exist in Chevs until 73 - but same difference as a Custom Camper - same RPO, just an option name change after 72. Also note that occasionally “Special Camper” even appears on the SPID, but it’s still a Custom Camper until 73).

C10 Custom Campers aren’t common, but do exist. This one lacks the nameplates, so if it is indeed a Custom Camper, someone went to some effort to replace the nameplates with the basic C10s. Is only a Custom Camper if it has Z81 on the SPID.

[JHarman69c10]

Oh, no idea. The guy that sold it told husband it was a camper special. I'll snag a picture later when he gets Home.

[S_Gibson]

Welcome, I'm a newbie to this board also. Truck looks nice. I've actually enjoyed working on mine thus far.

I just bought the intermediate parking brake cable from Amazon for about $10. The front one was fairly new and the 2 rears were in good shape. I bought the connectors and a release handle from Rock Auto. I notice the Parking brake cables and supplies very are easy to find.

Nearly all the parts I've needed for the electrical and brakes have been easy to find through Amazon, Rock Auto and the local parts stores. If not the guys on this forum have a ton of knowledge.

[cypressbog]

Originally Posted by JHarman69c10

1.) Hazzard knob... Pretty sure it's busted off in there (see picture) what do we have to do to get it out and make hazzards function again?

2.) Heater core and all components, previous owner disconnected everything instead of fixing the problem

3.) Need a new steering wheel and bearing (previous owner tried to pull the steering wheel without an actual puller .. looks like he took a hammer and chisel to it) so the wheel on there is not original nor does it fit properly.. I don't want to break the bank on a steering wheel so ideas?

4.) White cloudy ring around the windshield? Wtf is it and why? and can I make it go away!?

5.) Original Oil bath air cleaner ?.. like original looks like a tiny UFO.

6.) Parking break lines

7.) converting drum breaks to disc breaks

8.) New dash pad

9.) Suspension... Coil vs leaf

1. Replace the knob with a good one when you have steering wheel off.

2. Heater core and all components can be sourced from a variety of board vendors.

3. Many people buy Grant brand wheels for several reasons. Cheaper than original and smaller in circumference giving more belly room.

4. Windshield seals went bad. Must replace windshield.

5. You can change out the oil bath air cleaner, but keep it because not every truck came with one.

6. NAPA should be able to help with the parking brake cables.

7. Conversions are fairly straight forward. Use forum search area to find like posts.

8. Dash pad is readily available by any board vendor.

9. Coils and tracking bars for a sport truck. Leafs if it's going to hawl stuff.

[Ol Blue K20]

From the pic I would say that turn signal switch doesn't have the replaceable knob. You probably need a new switch.

[old51sedan]

Wondering what the heck you had been up to traveling out of state when she said she was the wife of Grumpy!!! Didn't take you long to reply, HAHAHA

[old51sedan]

I also have a 69 with good heater & etc. I'm getting it painted and going to be pulling out the complete heater etc. as I just ordered Vintage air for the truck. May be able to help you with that if you don't find one locally.

[Grumpy old man]

Originally Posted by old51sedan

Wondering what the heck you had been up to traveling out of state when she said she was the wife of Grumpy!!! Didn't take you long to reply, HAHAHA

I should have just let it run for awhile ...

[CaptRMW]

Those swing arms on the rear of your truck will likely take someone straight to the scene of the serious accident. I would not drive it around the block until both swing arms were changed.

[VWNate1]

WELCOME and nice old truck .

[Ironhorse]

Just stopped in to say Welcome Aboard. You have found the best possible truck website on the net to answer all your questions. The guys & gals, got some other ladies here also, have a wealth of knowledge and are great about sharing. Nice looking rig to start with. By becoming a paid member you will find it is the best $25 you will ever spend on your truck.

[Ol Blue K20]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

Just stopped in to say Welcome Aboard. You have found the best possible truck website on the net to answer all your questions. The guys & gals, got some other ladies here also, have a wealth of knowledge and are great about sharing. Nice looking rig to start with. By becoming a paid member you will find it is the best $25 you will ever spend on your truck.

I agree about the $25.00 being money well spent.

[JHarman69c10]

Ok here is a picture of the glove box tag.

[JHarman69c10]

Oh believe me I told him not to drive it till it was 100% road Worthy.... But he's a combat veteran and "he's got this"... Pretty sure he's just sick of driving my 08 mountaineer 2 work every day.
Also apparently we now need a water pump.
Definitely going to do the membership. Anything to get help fixing this old girl without breaking the bank.

[jocko]

Well, you’ve got a nice truck and sounds like your husband is enjoying it. Not that it matters now, but the seller was incorrect in stating that it was a custom camper - and this tends to happen a lot, unfortunately. It’s akin to “Cheyenne Super-itis”... Hopefully that wasn’t a big selling point, and you all just bought it because you like it. Looking forward to the progress!

[JHarman69c10]

Originally Posted by jocko

Well, you’ve got a nice truck and sounds like your husband is enjoying it. Not that it matters now, but the seller was incorrect in stating that it was a custom camper - and this tends to happen a lot, unfortunately. It’s akin to “Cheyenne Super-itis”... Hopefully that wasn’t a big selling point, and you all just bought it because you like it. Looking forward to the progress!

Nope he got it because it's pretty much identical to the one his grandfather had when he was a kid. Funny old truck smell and everything.

Quick question how do I find out engine size ?
Husband isn't so good with technology so I am parts finder.

Also manuals which is better Haynes or Chilton?

[jocko]

I’d recommend the factory service manual rather than Chilton’s or Haynes. Also check out member hatzie’s signature - I believe he has a ton of manuals linked there for reference. I’d also invest in one of those large, laminated, color wiring diagrams, might have to google to find them - but they are available. Someone on here has a hi-resolution wiring diagram for download as well, sorry I don’t remember who it was - but you can google just on this site by selecting the 67-72 radio button above before searching.

EDIT: Here are hatzie’s links, he’s my hero for doing this: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=558016
And here are some wiring diagrams: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=185665

[special-K]

With the VIN showing 6cyl (CS not CE) and no engine option showing on the SPID, it would have come with a 250. Whether that is what is still in there is another story

[VWNate1]

....You post some good photos of it, preferably the passenger side .

The standard engine was the 250CID in these .

I see it has a bigger clutch, heavy springs and slightly wider wheels/tires than the regular light duty rigs .

make sure he gets LT tires and not 'p' so it'll handle, drive and last properly .

[VWNate1]

There's a bit of art to tuning the i6 engine, once he gets it dialed in you'll find it very peppy and easy to drive with good fuel economy although it might run out of breath above 65 MPH .