1965 C10 LWB - Bringing Back a Part of the Family

[WTX-65LWB]

Hello all! I have been lurking here on the forum for a while. This site is a great reference and and awesome place to find motivation to dig into a project. I decided to start this thread to chronicle work on my 1965 C10 LWB that has a lot of family history.

The truck shown in this thread was given to my Grandfather by a close family friend before he passed from cancer in the early seventies. It started life as 230/3spd custom cab. My Grandparents travelled extensively with their camper trailer. To better handle the towing duties, My Dad and Granddad swapped in a 292 and an SM465 4spd. It was also equipped with dual batteries and a set of saddle tanks. It travelled more than 100,000 miles in this configuration. Needless to say, the truck was a fixture around the home place while growing up with countless hunting, fishing, and camping trips. Unfortunately, we lost my Granddad in 2009 and the truck was left to me. Due to various reasons, it has sat since that time. In the last few weeks, I have decided it is time to bring the truck out of retirement and get it back on the road!

The truck exhibits typical rust in the lower front fender/cab/door areas and wear and tear from extensive use. Mechanically, it has been well maintained through the years. Here are a few pics from pulling out of the shed.

[WTX-65LWB]

After getting the truck out of the shed, I washed off the years of dust and dirt. I also pulled the old battery, drained the fuel tank and put in fresh fuel, changed the fluids and tried firing her up. The truck fired right up with a little starter fluid to keep it running until the carb primed. Gotta love the tough old 292! After a quick check out, the old truck was off on the first drive in more than four years.

Here are a few pics of the truck after a quick wash, getting some help from my nephews, and family wrenching time. Building memories with generation #4 on the same truck!

[1963c-10]

Welcome and glad to see your getting it road worthy again. Cool family history and looks like a nice truck to work with!!!

[WTX-65LWB]

Thanks 63! I am certainly glad to have the truck running again!

I have a soft spot 1963 models myself. I learned to drive in a1963 C10 SWB with a 283/3spd combo.

[TJ's Chevy]

Welcome aboard! Always neat to see a truck that's been in the family for a long time brought back to life! Hope my future kids and grandkids will do the same with mine.

[1963c-10]

Originally Posted by WTX-65LWB

Thanks 63! I am certainly glad to have the truck running again!

I have a soft spot 1963 models myself. I learned to drive in a1963 C10 SWB with a 283/3spd combo.

Me too, but it was a 63 w/230 L6 and 3 speed....20 years later and still driving 63's.

[WTX-65LWB]

Thanks TJ - I am glad to br bringing the truck back. Old trucks are great but ones with history are even better!

63 - LOL. These old trucks seem to get in your blood. From then on you are infected with the disease. :-)

Had a chance to do a little more work on the truck and begin collecting some parts for the rebuild. I removed the old running boards, the saddle tanks, and leaf helper springs. It is amazing how much these simple things changed the look of the truck.

I picked up a 1990 700R4 from a local guy. This should really help provide more top-end speed for comfortable cruising. I was in OKC over the weekend for a football game and picked up floor pans and outer rockers from Classic Chevrolet Parts. Saving on shipping is always welcome! My plans are to finish refinish the body (rust repair, paint ,etc) before I tear into the mechanical side. It is always so hard to go back and do the cosmetics once the truck is running and cruising the way you want.

Question for you all - I have a chance to purchase a complete 1995 5.7L TBI motor with harness, ECM etc. I am pondering swapping this motor in to get the ease of work associated with a small black and the benefits of fuel injection. Any thoughts?

[DPowers]

That is very cool.

[WTX-65LWB]

Thanks DP!

[WTX-65LWB]

Collected up a few more parts this week. Trying to get everything rounded up so that I have a concise plan of attack going forward. I was able to source a complete, running 1992 5.7L TBI from a friend of mine. I also pulled the wiring harness, relay panel, ECM, VSSB, ALDL port, Cruise Control Module, and Brake Booster / Master Cylinder (should work good with Captain Fab's bracket). I was also able to round up a complete 1971 C10 disc brake front end and automatic trans cross member. With these parts, I have settled on the following build plan with the goal of building a comfortable cruiser with good creature comforts:

1992 5.7L TBI (PLanning to freshen it up before installation) running stock ECM, Trans Control, and Cruise Control
1990 700R4 Overdrive Transmission with Floor Shifter
Power Front Disc Brake Upgrade
Power Steering Upgrade
Air Conditioning

I am considering a 2"/4" drop? Any comments?

Before I tear into the drivetrain install and chassis mods I am going to complete the rust and body repair and paint the truck. I am considering a Brown Sugar / Wimbledon White color combo. Any thoughts on this as well?

Pics to come as a I have chance to get them!

[gulfcoast66]

Nice truck and great family history!! Sounds like you have a solid plan of attack... GC66..

[Bomp]

Totally like what the game plan is.
Sub'd

[TJ's Chevy]

Liking the plans as well.

[WTX-65LWB]

Thanks for the kind words GulfCoast, Bomp and TJ! I appreciate them!

It has been a while since I have posted an update. I have been busy plugging away on the truck as I have time. I decided to go ahead and tackle the front brake upgrade in conjunction with performing the rust repair on the cab floors. In my mind it is easier to do all of that work while the front clip is off anyways.

I have swapped over the components from the donor 1971 front ends. I retained the original 1965 control arms but installed new 1971 ball joints. I also swapped over all of the 1971 steering components to ensure there wouldn't be any compatibility issues. I also installed the 1971 sway bar. I fabricated a bracket to mount the 1992 Suburban brake booster and master cylinder (still need to clean it up and paint it). The test fit worked out well and will provide good data from which to perform the brake booster input rod mod.

Here are a few pictures to document the progress.

[WTX-65LWB]

Along with the suspension and brake mods, I have begun stripping down the interior. The truck had a number of ancillary items installed to aid while pulling the travel trailer (trailer brake controller, cb radio, etc.) that are no longer needed. It also had an old under dash AC to supply cool air in the summer. I am going to install new lines and a new evaporator unit so it was removed as well. It is amazing how much removing these items opens up space in the cab!

The wiring under the dash leaves a lot to be desired. I am currently planning to purchase a 20 circuit fuse block and harness to eliminate this issue. At least everything would be labeled!

As a side note - the green transmission hump was fabricated many years ago to cover the SM465 transmission. It consists of a frame of steel strap and expanded metal covered with a layer of fiberglass. It is a little crude but has stood up to years of use.

[Bomp]

Nice progress with the suspension.
Never new there was an option for a carpeted dash. lol

[WTX-65LWB]

Originally Posted by Bomp

Nice progress with the suspension.
Never new there was an option for a carpeted dash. lol

LOL - you have never heard of the Custom Cab Shag Dash option?!?

[CRGRS 66]

Welcome to the forum, nice truck, I have never seen running boards on one of our trucks before, do you plan to keep them? (Just curious).

[65chevysub]

Nicetruck. I've always loved the longbeds. Gotta love the pic of you and the little ones under it. Reminds me of the days my dad and I crawled under my '65 sub. I'm semi restoring mine in memory of my dad. Good Luck with your truck.

[WTX-65LWB]

Originally Posted by CRGRS 66

Welcome to the forum, nice truck, I have never seen running boards on one of our trucks before, do you plan to keep them? (Just curious).

I am not planning on keeping them at this point. They were added a few years back to help my Grandmother get into the truck. Due to the way our trucks are made they are difficult to mount up in a way that is weight bearing. We built custom brackets that went back to the main frame rail for support.

65ChevySub - thanks for the kind words. I love old vehicles but love the memories made with them with important people even more! It is really neat to be able to share the truck with the fourth generation of the family. Good luck with yours as well!

[Jeff La]

Originally Posted by Bomp

Never new there was an option for a carpeted dash. lol

Nice truck and glad to see you keeping it in the family

[NEWFISHER]

If you are swapping the underdash panel and harness. Painless makes a set up for the LT1. Your combo sounds perfect. What rear gears does it have? Rootbeer brown and wimbleton white combos look great. I have used Ford white aka wimbleton on a bunch of Chevys. Its creamier and works well with alot of contrasting colors.
Great story.

[WTX-65LWB]

Originally Posted by NEWFISHER

If you are swapping the underdash panel and harness. Painless makes a set up for the LT1. Your combo sounds perfect. What rear gears does it have? Rootbeer brown and wimbleton white combos look great. I have used Ford white aka wimbleton on a bunch of Chevys. Its creamier and works well with alot of contrasting colors.
Great story.

Thanks for the info on the Painless Harness. I will have to check into it. The truck is currently equipped with 3.73 gears which should be just about right for the 700R4. Wimbledon white is a great color - just a little creamier and adds a different element to the appearance.

[NEWFISHER]

3:73 will be perfect.

[WTX-65LWB]

Worked on the truck a bit over the weekend. Trying to get a little done before the cold air moves in on Monday Night / Tuesday.

I got the brake booster input rod modified and the booster/master cylinder installed. The brake rod worked out well - just need to tweak the adjust a little to dial it in. Also got a brake pedal and cable from a 1990's pickup installed to replace the old solid linkage (sorry - didn't get any pictures of this). Finally, I removed the passenger door in preparation for beginning the cab repair. Typical rust but not as bad as some I have seen on here.