Restore family 65-street rod

[Steve Van Gent]

My Dad bought this off showroom floor in 65. I have attached a photo (the only one I could find) of truck as was in 1972. My sister and I are in photo (along with several pets!). I have photos of truck before, and some of build.

Truck was original 6 cylinder, 4 speed granny low, no frills truck. My dad had 6 removed and v-8 327 installed in 1967. That motor was in truck until early 80s when it died. My brothers and I drove truck through school, first car for all of us. Being the youngest, I ended up with it...have been puttering with it for about 15 years. I have owned more modern cars for the most part, truck was kept only as third unused vehicle (currently a fourth car). I have a real truck, 2002 ford F250 diesel crew cab. Over this time I have installed disc 6 lug front, new springs, shocks, brakes, tires, rims as money could afford. Never any body work.


My father passed November 2008, decided it was time to do something more to restore it. Decided it would be a street rod, keep in family, my kids could be proud of. Started in earnest last summer.


More to come....

[198plus]

Nothing like having a 65 that was your Dads and passed along to you.....My grandfather bought mine new and when he passed away 20 years ago he left it to my Dad....My Dad passed away 7 years ago and left it to me....

Anyway nice looking truck and good luck with the build !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Vernski]

Welcome to the forums and keep the pictures flowing we all like pictures here.
Looks like a nice straight truck to start with if it still looks the same now days---Vernski

[lakeroadster]

Cool story Steve. Having a truck with family ties is great and having it in the family since it was purchased is icing on the cake.

The only thing about you post that is bothersome is .....

Originally Posted by Steve Van Gent

I have a real truck, 2002 ford F250 diesel crew cab.

But your a new guy here ... we will let that one slide.

[DPowers]

Way cool.
I would be interested to know how you did the 6-lug disc swap.

[Steve Van Gent]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Van Gent
"I have a real truck, 2002 ford F250 diesel crew cab. "

In my defense, I have had many years to form this opinion. Two instances pop to mind;

1. In high school my friend had a ford 60's vintange 2WD, and I drove the 65. Leaving parking lot from school, there were two ways to leave...normal paved street, or goat trail down gully. He would occasionally leave using goat trail. One day I though I would follow him, by the time i reached the paved highway, my muffler and exhaust pipe was laying on the goat trail. The reason was obvious...his truck stood much higher than mine, and his front suspension was much more functional than mine.

2. I went to hardware store to get 4 90 lbs bags of concrete. I threw them in back of truck and drove home. I felt like I was going to die, the truck was wandering all over the road, clearly the extra weight at the tailgate was causing the truck to fishtail.

Dont get me wrong, I love this truck, but it was not really a truck, it was Chevy trying to make a truck that drove like a car....clearly a mistake IMHO.

[Steve Van Gent]

OK-Back to fun stuff. This project needed to meet a few of my requirements;

1. Must be easy to drive. My wife, my kids must be able to drive this as easily as they might drive my car or my van. THis means modern suspension, auto tranny, power steering, power brakes, etc.
2. Must be decent gas milage. THis is year 2010, should be easy to get 20-25 MPG.
3. should be nice to look at. Chrome, paint, rims, etc. SHould be able to put in local annual car show, even if it does not place (Kool April Nites).
4. Must be a daily driver. SHould not be such a show truck that one can't drive it or is afraid to drive it as they might scratch it.
5. Should not be easily stealable. One should not be able to swipe rims and tires, should not be able to hot wire and drive off, should not be able to tow off without a fight.
6. Must fit in my budget of $7K.


The following was already done...

1. Power brakes (I will find what detail I can and post this project). Brakes were already done, new lines, hoses, shoes, drums, the works.
2. V8 COnversion (although the horse-shoe motor mount and manual tranny mounts had to GO!)
3. Rims and tires. I found set of 6 lug 17 inch spokes, Good Year Catera tires, $2500 set of tires that was custom ordered into my local Les Schwab tire store, customer never took delivery, manager sat on them for 6 years. I haggled with him for 2 years (regular visits for other car tires), finally he gave in, let me have them for $400!
4. Rear end had be rebuilt 1 year before I parked in 80's.
5. Radiator was recent (my dad had apparenly opted for a 57 chevy 4 row radiator in his origional conversion to v8, mounts were made, replacement cost me pleanty!).

Here are photos of starting point....

[Alan's Classic]

and welcome

Cool story and truck.

It brings back memories turning the breather cover over.

[Steve Van Gent]

So I did this a little backwards. One day last year while at local auto paint store doing research for truck, I discovered that one of the body shops in town was VERY short of work. Turns out this guy was one of the best body guys in town, and used to own restore old car business in bay area before moving up to Redding.

I went over to body shop and had discussion with owner. DIscovered three things;

1. He HATES working on old stuff. His auguement is that no matter how hard one trys to make body perfect, you can keep finding defects FOREVER. he says most customers are never completly satisfied.
2. He was indeed low on work, and his helper would need to be layed off the following week if they did not get a job.
3. I could get the work done VERY CHEAP if I was willing to let his helper get the experience under his guidance, and was willing to accept a decent but non-perfect job.

THis meant I needed to act fast. I was clearly not ready to have body work done, usually one would do it LAST, not first. BUt beggers could not be choosy.

IF you look closely at my first photo, you will see a silver canope on truck. THis shell was on truck until the early 80s, and had literally NEVER been off truck. when I took it off, there was SEVERE electrolysis to the bed rails where shell had been sitting! therefore, I had purchases a doner bed in the 80s even though I was not ready to do truck them...got it for $100.

[Steve Van Gent]

The body shop owner scoped out my truck the week before job, and gave me rundown. He said my truck was the most rust-free 60s car he had ever seen. That would help. I would need to remove old bed and take truck and bed down to metal myself. He told me what air sander to buy, and grit paper to use. also the abrasive pad to grind off other areas. Next step was to get old bed off my truck, and strip glass, grill, bumpers and trim. THen I must get down to him, before he opened monday. I had all weekend to prep.

Son in photo is my oldest, he helped alot, as did my other sons.

[Bugeyev8]

Nice looking truck, nice to see one that rust free, I wish my 62 was that good, u got any more pics of it srtipped?? I am a CA local so is my 62, good to see a few getting love after all these years

I have had a TPI roller motor in my truck since 1997 (1994 GTA Trans AM engine) , it gets 17-21 MPG with the 700R trans, the stock suspension can work very very well I would just add sway bars like I have on my 62 and a later power steering box and steering gear and you should be good to go, the suspension on these trucks is very good if you set it up right, I am looking forward to seeing your progress

[Steve Van Gent]

Hi Bugeye, Thanks for looking. I will post other photos that I have, please bare in mind this is somewhat past history, what I am posting now actually happened last summer. I will approach real-time, as I am not complete yet. As far as stripped down, I did not take much further down. I did not go to frame, I simply power washed it, hand sanded and hit with Rustolium. Not ideal, but again budget and I did not know quite how to remove cab without lift and not do damage.

I will post photos that I can find.

[Steve Van Gent]

Originally Posted by Alan's Classic

and welcome

Cool story and truck.

It brings back memories turning the breather cover over.

Alan,

THanks for looking. Yes, flipped air cleaner on the old Rochester 4BL. Motor made lots of noise when you put foot into it, but did not really go very fast. Also, liked to starve for fuel and backfire...

[Steve Van Gent]

Originally Posted by DPowers

Way cool.
I would be interested to know how you did the 6-lug disc swap.

This one will be interesting. I will post photos, I am hoping this group will be able to help me identify them. I bought 6 lug discs from a guy on Craigslist in bay area, he wrecked his 65 and pulled the front clip, sold me cross with a-arms and discs. He was not origional owner, only kit was installed before he got truck. He could not tell me where the kit was bought, I have no idea who built it, or where I will get pads when these go bad!

I do know that both ball joints were NOT origional, they were replaced, and that spindle was not exactly same length, and lug bolts were metric in hubs. Think caliper bolts were metric also, I will check. MAYBE TOYOTA? WHAT ELSE HAD 6 LUG,5.5? He was certain this was a conversion kit for his truck, from one of the classic parts places.

[Steve Van Gent]

So truck went to body shop for work. Meanwhile, I wanted to get some parts that I stripped of prep'ed for arrival of painted truck, and decided it was time to get some parts on order.

I actually had ordered new parts week in advance from Classic Parts (Chevy Duty) and they arrived Monday after I dropped off truck. I ordered all new rubber for windows, new back window, felt for wings and sides, new oak for bed, new stainless strips for bed, new chrome bumpers, grill, tail lamps and bezels, new dome light and chrome surround.

I got start on putting spar varnish on boards. Several coats, top bottom and edges. Was suprised, this does not dry very fast. tacky after several days, even in Redding Ca heat. took about 2 weeks.

Replaced my old headlight mounts into new grill.

[DPowers]

Looking good- great to see and hear that your sons are helping and interested.

[Steve Van Gent]

WHile truck was away, found donor motor and tranny-91 Camero 305 and matching 700R4 with 60K miles on it, for $400 bucks. Fuel injectioin missing, someone put Edelbrock manifold, no carb. Otherwise complete except for distrib-which I already have. PUlled pans off both motor and tranny, sent tranny to local tranny shop-clean bill of health, new seals, corvetter servo installed. Motor-new seals and gaskets, needed different intake as Edelbrock was an early model manifold, will not fit the LS block-$200. I found 600CFM matching edelbrock carb on craigslist, $60.

[Steve Van Gent]

Got call from body shop-cab of truck done. Bed still in process, I had origionally told body shop they did not need to do interior, then decided I would not be able to do interior without overspraying exterior-so I called back and had them do interior also...

[Broke1]

nice work

[71swb4x4]

Looking good. Keep the story and pictures coming.

[198plus]

Very nice.......What color red is that ??????

[Dinos63]

nice work! and i love the color also!!

[kizer]

Yeah what is that. It almost reminds me of Pepto-bismo and red mixed together. Really unique looking.

[Steve Van Gent]

THe color as shown is deceiving, I think due to lights in paint shop. THe actual color is different, as you will see.

[Steve Van Gent]

IF you look at my postings above, you will see my old california black and gold plates. THey are beat up, as I can attest to, as I helped crush them into submission (various oak trees, pushing other vehichles, working on farm, etc.). I decided my contribution to the body work would be trying to restore the plates. I worked with a freind that used to be in body shop business, he told me how to pound out dents and demo'd...this is my first attempt.

Once completed and stripped of all paint, I walked into local auto paint store, they actually had a "california plate" combo paint package for restoring this style plate. I have to say, they are pretty close....

Just happened to have correct tags, I had not yet applied to plates. Great timing...