72 C10 Build

[raggedjim]

Keep on plugging away! You should have one solid cab when you get done.

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by loudchevy

Spot on

Cab is coming along nicely

Originally Posted by raggedjim

Keep on plugging away! You should have one solid cab when you get done.

Thanks, Scott and Roger. It’s getting there, so close to being finished with this part of the repairs.





Time to cut out the floor for our high hump conversion, easy peasy, it bolted right in. I’ve got a small amount of rust in the left tulip, cowl area, and thought it’d be a good idea to throw some kitty hair (U-Pol Fiberal Lite) there. We’ll see if I leave that alone in the future.

[Lost in the 60's]

Just found this link in the Camaro thread. When I first started reading I was like, HEY, find me a cab that nice out there and I"ll run out and grab it !!! Wasn't long before I was back pedaling on that, really quick... I was under the impression that you had clean, minimal rust vehicles out there.
Just a quick reference to the damage on the right rear of the cab. Having some experience in crash repair and frame work, that damage appears to have been from the cab being pushed into the bed...hard... Hope you have done a tape pull on the frame to check for a diamond from previous hits.
A retired truck driver loading a 8k truck on a trailer backwards and using a vehicle that weighs about 1/3rd the combo as the TV... not a big deal to us, eh ? At least the bed on the C30 looks like it compensated for the engine weight behind the trailer axles...
I was an owner/operator for 38 years and had a few "this will be OK" hauls myself. I brought this 2.5 ton truck home from Pagosa Springs, CO to Stillwater, MN. In December 2011... via Wolf Creek Pass... last pic is taking a break at a rest stop in IA....whew, made it to flat ground... At least I had plenty of weight on the rear axle of the truck to contain sway. The seller tried, repeatedly, to get me to buy a set of chains in town before I went back up there, but I wasn't going to spend nearly $200 for chains I would never use again. About halfway up the 7% incline, on packed, slippery snow, I had the door open with my left hand, ready to bail, while cussing myself for not buying the chains, as I maneuvered the truck back and forth across both lanes with my right hand, looking for something all 4 spinning tires could get a bite of...
Sorry for the clutter, but between the extensive metal repair and the trailer, you remind me too much of similar behavior.

[7dee2]

If not for the Great Salt Lake, and the fact that they salt (nowadays it’s a brine solution also from the lake) the roads in the winter, we might have pristine car bodies as they do in surrounding states. The desert climate is very good, so I guess I’m saying it depends on how the vehicle was used. Driven in the winter, it’s going to have rust.

No frame damage, my only concern is the front frame horns, which look just fine. After all these years, it’s never had a front bumper on it. That will be remedied today, but I’m getting way ahead.

Ha, to quote Forest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does”. Talking to a friend yesterday, sometimes you just gotta Cowboy Up and Getter Done!





Started the body work on the floor underside. A little more Fiberal and some undercoating should hide and help to seal all of these floor repairs.

[7dee2]

Yep, we’ll finish sanding this and do the same for the other side. Eventually, we'll seal it with the final topcoats. The floor repairs are done!

[NCDEERE]

You have inspired me. I'm just joining and starting on a 72 project with similar issues. Less rust and no dents but the PO had changed the outer rockers, partial floors and cab corners and did a terrible job so I'm cutting them out and starting over. I cringed when I saw the backwards loaded truck too. I hauled a 98 K10 just a short distance home behind my Ram 2500 and at one point it wagged its tail hard enough that I had to almost come to a stop.

[mxerhale]

This build is eerily similar to my '71 GMC! My truck came out of Beaver originally and had almost exactly the same rust holes in it. It is also the first project vehicle that I started and actually finished (are these things ever finished?), but I learned a lot along the way and will probably do exactly what you're doing when I retire. I hope. Keep up the good work.

[7dee2]

Originally Posted by NCDEERE

You have inspired me. I'm just joining and starting on a 72 project with similar issues. Less rust and no dents but the PO had changed the outer rockers, partial floors and cab corners and did a terrible job so I'm cutting them out and starting over. I cringed when I saw the backwards loaded truck too. I hauled a 98 K10 just a short distance home behind my Ram 2500 and at one point it wagged its tail hard enough that I had to almost come to a stop.

Welcome, NCDEERE. That’s great to hear, and thank you. The forum is a valuable resource, offering a wealth of knowledge. Take your time on the redo, I’m sure you’ll be pleased with the result. Yep, it was a bit of a bonehead move, but we lucked out with just enough tongue weight to make it in one piece.

Originally Posted by mxerhale

This build is eerily similar to my '71 GMC! My truck came out of Beaver originally and had almost exactly the same rust holes in it. It is also the first project vehicle that I started and actually finished (are these things ever finished?), but I learned a lot along the way and will probably do exactly what you're doing when I retire. I hope. Keep up the good work.

Thanks mxerhale. Cool, Panguitch isn’t that far from Beaver, and now both trucks are in northern Utah. I’m with you on the unfinished threads/projects. Life gets in the way, but it sure is a bummer when you’re into a build and don’t get to see it through.




While the cab was still on the Chep pallet cart, I decided to fill in some minor rust through on the inner roof. Similar to the cowl repair posted earlier. Not my favorite repair, but my experience is it should last a long time (we’ll see if I leave that alone in a future post as well). With my limited space, I’ve started to assemble all the sheet metal.

[7dee2]

And with the fenders hung, I’ll call it a roller.

Timeline: It has been about 3 ½ years (5/2011-11/2014) since we acquired the truck. Progress was slow but steady, with work being done here and there.

[7dee2]

Here’s some motorvation! About this time, we were able to get our hands on a nice 4-bolt 454 core. Originally slated for the 67 Camaro Build, it will, as it turns out, find its place with the C10.

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...&postcount=134

[7dee2]

Wow, time flies!

Timeline: It’s been another 3+ years (11/2014-2/2018) of glancing up at the truck on the lift. Here’s some pics of the wonky right cab corner area. In my defense, our 72 K30 Build, house renovations, and life took over most of that time. With limited space and resources, the C10 just hung out.

[raggedjim]

These things take time, even if life doesn't get in the way.

I started a year and a half ago and get asked every week if I'm still "piddling" with my old truck.

Nice work so far, Rg

[7dee2]

Isn’t that the truth! You know when you have taken too long? When they stop asking… Thanks Roger, you as well, your cab is looking great.




It’s June 2018, and dingus (that’s me) is loading a truck backwards again! Wasn’t there something about stupid is as stupid does? Long story short, my perfect OE hood didn’t make it to where we were going. We’re on the freeway coming up to an overpass, and a semi blew past. The freak’n vortex that created flung my hood into the back of the cab, leaving a nice dent above the rear window. It was like a scene from the movie Twister. My hood was gone, we doubled back on the frontage and didn’t find it. We drove back around where it took off, and we didn’t find it. After dropping stuff off, we went back and didn’t find it, ever! Feeling lucky it didn’t kill somebody (Off with their heads!).

[7dee2]

Left off losing the hood, denting the cab, and headed somewhere. Losing the hood story sticks in my mind, it’s the only time I recall ever losing parts I was transporting. There were barricades on both the freeway and the frontage, with a swamp in between. All I can figure is the swamp monster ate my hood.

So, the somewhere we were headed was to my friend Chad’s place for a quick gap and seal treatment. The ol’ C10 had been in bare metal for years, Nakeed! Here’s a pic of it in the background that Chad took and posted to FB years ago. Some cool stuff going on in those pics….

[7dee2]

Chad was able to source a pretty good used hood, so the truck is still complete, and it’s one color. Stopped and took some pics of the shorty coming home from its time with CBR. Kudos to Chad and his guys, Spencer & Brandon, they did a great job!

[7dee2]

Man o man the years are flying by now!

Timeline: 7/2019, setting up the garage at the new digs. 8/2020 still looking good up on the lift, waiting for the day. Hey, at least the build thread is in this decade.

[Lost in the 60's]

We moved 9/19 with my Camaro in pieces too, along with 2 lifts, 6 project vehicles from a 2,000 sq ft building full of pallet racking and parts. Took 3 weeks to get it all out and scattered around to friends and a storage locker. Moving as a pack rat and project collector sucks.

[7dee2]

Not an easy task, move it once to get it out, and then move it all again to the new place. Congrats on your new place!



Broke out this old 454 core, things are happening on the motor front. Here’s a little blurp I found on the internet while researching these 286 castings years ago. I don’t know if any of this is true, but I found it to be an interesting read at the very least.

Real story behind BBC casting number 10069286
Yes, this is a 1990 4 bolt main mark4 454 High performance block sold over the counter at gmpp. They were a 1 per person only. A crate engine outfit could not purchase one. In 1989 the gmpp guys were looking for a new headquarters out back of the GM. property. They went in an old building. And in a corner office that was locked up they found all the thought to be lost forever casting molds ect... From the 1972 LS-7 454 that was supposed to come in 1973 stingray but didn't. They got the okay to cast 700 LS-7s, they did some research and addressed the weaknesses of the original block 10069286 is what they came up with. The baddest toughest mk4 ever cast only one rated for 1000 plus HP only one with Siamese cylinders with 3 1"slots machined between cylinders for coolant flow, only one w/ 5/8 shanked main cap bolts, which by the way mine has CAT bolts. When they were done R and D came and took their modified mold and formulas for research and the new generation 5 and 6 eng. Are based off of 10069286 which kinda makes it the grandfather of the new 572 crate motor and all gen 5 and 6 blocks. I read this in an early 90s copy of hotrod magazine.

[Lost in the 60's]

That is an interesting read on the 286 block.

[7dee2]

7/2021 FB Marketplace goodies snagged for our C10. TCI Street Fighter T400 & complete used GV Overdrive, TCI Shifter, FTI Torque Converter. With today’s prices, that was a big score. I'm not sure I’ll use it all; the shifter and torque converter (with the wrong stall) are not part of this build. I do like and was planning on a T400/GVOD towing beast setup.

[7dee2]

Arrrgh, there be gold rat holed in that old C10! Brought the truck down for a minute to remind myself what I’d stashed in it. 3 consoles, some new and used aftermarket fenders, and my cab tilt o’ picker thingie. Another treasure was this very nice, complete OE 71 grill assembly, originally purchased for the 72 K30 Build and never used. Recently I was getting ready to make it garage art, when a friend showed interest and acquired it for his 71 short wide.

[7dee2]

It’s 10/2021, and we’re buying bbc motor parts two at a time for the Camaro and C10 builds. As mentioned in my 67 Camaro Build. “Why buy one when you can have two at twice the price!”

First ordered and first to start arriving was stuff from (Chris) Straub Technologies.

[7dee2]

The C10 cam was in stock and shipped first, with most of the other stuff. Unfortunately, on closer inspection, the rear cam journal had an issue (low spot). Contacted Straub, and they requested that I return it to their grinder for a replacement, no problem. Here’s a peek at the cam card for this build.

[7dee2]

Parts started to arrive from CNC Motorsports, they had almost everything in stock for both engines, as well as the best pricing. At this time (Covid), so many vendors were selling stock that they didn’t have. The pistons shown are actually for our 511, built for the Camaro. The C10 pistons (which followed later & no pics) are mostly identical, other than they’re .030 over, not .060, same 18cc dome, forged, etc.

489 = 454 bored .030 over with a 4.25” stroker crank

[7dee2]

Scat cast crank and rods with ARP rod bolts. Here's a link to the rotating assembly. This is an unbalanced kit, as the machine shop will provide the internal balance. Both our Camaro and C10 engines are internally balanced.