Introduction (me and my c50 project)

[rkn463]

Hi,

I've been lurking about on this site for several weeks and finally signed up. I'm a nut for anything with an engine but I pretty much stick to GM products. I've loved these trucks since I was a kid back in the 70's when all three of my older brothers and my dad were driving them. I wish I had pictures from back then...

Anyway, my current (truck) projects are a 67 stepside and a 68 c50 that I am making in to a giant dually. The c50 is getting all of the attention right now. Here is a cuple of shots from when I bought it last summer.
I'll post more once I get the pictures downsized sufficiently.

-Richard

[rkn463]

...continued

There is a long story behind this truck which I'll spare you all for now. The short version is that it belonged to a neighbor and it was such a clean old truck that I just had to have it. We talked price off an on for a while and I finally caught him in a moment of weakness and drove it home. This truck has a 327 2 barrel. When I got it the truck hadn't been used much in several years but was still running decent. The exhaust had been cut off just behind the crossover pipe and it was a loud ride home. The first weekend I was driving it around and I hit a hole in the road and immediately it started running like crap at anything over an idle. I suspected some crud in the carb had been shaken loose and was covering up a jet or something... maybe the idle circuit was clean. It seemed reasonable so I rebuilt the carb. No luck. Finally bought points and condensor and when I went to install them I found that the original condensor wire was broken. At idle it made good connection but as the RPM climbed the mechanical advance was causing it to break. Problem solved. Then it was on to fixing the little things that make SO much difference. First I grabbed an old muffler out of my spare parts pile and welded it on. Much better but now I could hear all of the rattles. Also the windows would barely go up and down without help. I hate rattles so new window regulators and weatherstrip were next. That put an end to most of the rattles and the windows go up and down like a new truck. Next was the easy interior stuff PO2 (the previous owner to the previous owner...) had done some goofy stuff insude the truck, aftermarket oil pressure gauge in the radio hole, hacked the heater wiring to avoid fixing broken controls, etc. Really pretty typical stuff. So a few parts, some paint and a lot of cleaning up and we have the before and the present interior shots. Still a long way from done but getting better. (Aren't you glad I spared you the long version!)

[jayman68]

Welcome! That is a cool truck you have. Good luck with the project.

[rkn463]

I have a question for you all. I plan to eventually put a brown leather interior in the truck. When I reworked the heater ducts I ended up painting them with Rustoleum dark bronze hammer coat paint. I really like the looks of it. What do you think of doing the whole dash in the hammer coat bronze? I am a little concerned that the texture might come out uneven and make it look like crap. Anyway here is a reference photo where you can see the color, along with my rebuilt heater controls.

-Richard

[19Hoosierdaddies68]

Very nice, I like it! Cant wait to hear your plans.

[hugger6933]

Welcome from Marianna AR[ that is south and west about 60 miles from Memphis TN]. I too am planning on a c40-50or 60 dually. I have been gathering some stuff for it like a tilt column, have'nt decided weather it will be auto or stick so I have both. 454 motor tach air dash cluster. I also have a P30 motor home to get the axles out of, so disc may be in the works as well. I have some extra fenders for the front thinking of cutting out the wheelarch and flippeing them to the other sides so the wheel humps match and I can run full length running boards. I have a body shop and I rebuild late model cars trucks and suv's so time is short for me as I have to do it in slow times and there are allready two 70 c10's and a 68 bigblock GMC with factory air power steering brakesand buddy buckets and speed warnig in front of this dually plan Good luck and once again welcome this is a great site

[cobra_4]

That is gonna make a sweet project!!

[yuccales]

That's a good looking truck. Keep the pics coming! BTW, the bronze color looks good.

[farmall]

I cant tell. Does it have Power steering? The Wheel base is perfect. It looks good as is. I am looking for a C40/50

[70cst]

Hey rkn463 ... from Ohio and to the forum. That is one looking truck. Keep us updated.

[RenoKeene]

Welcome from Central Florida! That C-50 is big and bad and super cool! I bet the 67 stepper is cool too. (I have a thing for 67's right now).
I would try the hammer coat on a piece of scrap sheet metal to see how it blends and flows but I think it looks good.

[black_sheep454]

Glad to see the big trucks getting some love. One of these days I'll have one too
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[tubbedII]

Very cool project! I like the hammer texture on the box you painted, but I have a feeling it would be "too much" if you did the entire dash. Reno's idea is good, this way you don't have to sand it down if you don't like it.

[PanelDeland]

Me Likey!!! i think the bronze is a great color.It's close to what GM used to reduce glare.Shiney paint on the front part of the dash makes a reflective glare in the windsheild.

That's a clean truck and looks like a great project with tons of potential.

[Clyde65]

Welcome neighbor, where you at in Cowtown?

[hugger6933]

When I posted earlier about your welcome and all. I forgot to mention the brown dog in the first pic. I love a good brown dog. I miss mine she was a step-dog that was a chesepeak-lab mix. She was 14 and had to be put down due to cancer

[rkn463]

Originally Posted by hugger6933

Welcome from Marianna AR[ that is south and west about 60 miles from Memphis TN]. I too am planning on a c40-50or 60 dually. I have been gathering some stuff for it like a tilt column, have'nt decided weather it will be auto or stick so I have both. 454 motor tach air dash cluster. I also have a P30 motor home to get the axles out of, so disc may be in the works as well. I have some extra fenders for the front thinking of cutting out the wheelarch and flippeing them to the other sides so the wheel humps match and I can run full length running boards. I have a body shop and I rebuild late model cars trucks and suv's so time is short for me as I have to do it in slow times and there are allready two 70 c10's and a 68 bigblock GMC with factory air power steering brakesand buddy buckets and speed warnig in front of this dually plan Good luck and once again welcome this is a great site

Hey hugger, I'm looking forward to seeing a build thread on that once you get started!

Originally Posted by farmall

I cant tell. Does it have Power steering? The Wheel base is perfect. It looks good as is. I am looking for a C40/50

Hey Farmall, no power steering right now, but it is in the master plan. It actually steers surprisingly easy with teh HUGE steering wheel.
So what's up with teh screen name? Are you in to tractors? Tractors are another one of my bad habits.

Originally Posted by PanelDeland

Me Likey!!! i think the bronze is a great color.It's close to what GM used to reduce glare.Shiney paint on the front part of the dash makes a reflective glare in the windsheild.

That's a clean truck and looks like a great project with tons of potential.

Funny that you mention that about the front part of the dash, the reason that the dash pad is off is because last weekend I pulled it and painted the top of the dash that same color specifically to reduce glare. (that and the pad needs replacing!)

Originally Posted by Clyde65

Welcome neighbor, where you at in Cowtown?

Well, I live on the East side of Ft. Worth but My project trucks live out on my family's land. They are weekend only projects.

Originally Posted by hugger6933

When I posted earlier about your welcome and all. I forgot to mention the brown dog in the first pic. I love a good brown dog. I miss mine she was a step-dog that was a chesepeak-lab mix. She was 14 and had to be put down due to cancer

Hugger, sorry to hear about that. My brother just had to put down his 14 year old chocolate lab last week. The dog in the picture is Lucy, full blood lab. As soon as I get around to posting more pics you'll also see Cleo - half lab half weenie dog (don't ask, I didn't see it happen ) The dogs go everywhere with me and love riding in the truck.


To all the others who welcomed me and complimented the truck, thanks one and all. I love this forum!

-Richard

[Katrina/10]

That's a nice looking flatbed on your truck, you should keep it.

[farmall]

Yea Cowtown. If its old I like it. Especially A's and Cubs. Right now I have a 48 Cub and a Fordson from the teens.

[Bert W]

I like your ideas for the truck. I really like the hammered finish. I plan on using a hammered finish silver on some of my parts, under the hood and inside the cab. Welcome to the board.

[rkn463]

Originally Posted by farmall

Yea Cowtown. If its old I like it. Especially A's and Cubs. Right now I have a 48 Cub and a Fordson from the teens.

I'd love to see that Fordson some time. My brother has a Fordson Major that I believe is a 50's model. Here is a pic of my one and only Farmall. It's a 1938 F-20. It always shocks people when I fire it up, they can't believe it still runs!

[farmall]

Thats the best I can do right now.

[rkn463]

OK, back to trucks...

I picked up a beat up long bed, had my friend cut all the welds holding on the flat bed, yanked it off and dropped the long bed on it. Now you can see why I have a LOT of work to do. Current plan is to graft in almost three more feet of bed (hey, people chop long beds to short, I don't see why I can't go the other direction!). I need to get a close up look at a Longhorn bed. The seam in those is obvious, I'm curious how they did it. If I'm willing to leave the seam showing that could make this a whole lot easier. If anyone is wondering why I don't just shorten the frame I'm keeping my options open for an extended or crew cab project in the future. Anyway, once I have the length worked out I'll be grafting on some step side fenders to make a real dually bed. Then it will need the running boards extended back to the step fenders.

I also have to do something about the drive train. Brake parts are almost non-existant for this thing and the gears... 7.20 to 1. The poor little 327 is screaming at 50 miles per hour. I rarely get it over 40. Seriously. I'm looking for a motor home or school bus to grab some better brakes, power steering and higher gears. At some point this may get a Duramax. Anyway here are a few shots of where we are with the bed on it. I still have to raise it up a bit more, it is at least an inch low still.

-Richard

[rkn463]

Originally Posted by farmall

Thats the best I can do right now.

Nice!

[farmall]

Cut the spring hanger rivets off and center the diff under the 8' bed then cut the tail end of the frame off. Thats what I did with this one.
Heres the build
http://s477.photobucket.com/albums/r...d/B6%20Jacket/