Recently Purchase my First Heavy Hauler

[68BlueBeast]

Hello Guys,

I am new to the larger trucks and have been lurking around on the site since I purchased my first large truck about six months ago. I just thought I would post pictures here since it seems like there isn't a whole lot of action in this section.

The truck is a 1968 C50 with a dumping bed on the back. It's mostly original, but there are some parts like the carb and alternator that appear to have been swapped out. It has the original 366 (pad stamp matches protect-o-plate), SM465 and a two speed vacuum shifted rear end. I bought it to haul firewood and take trash to the dump. I really enjoy driving this truck. The engine still runs smooth and quiet and it's blast to just slowly cruise down the road in at 40-50 mph.

I found the original owner's manual, protect-o-plate and manual for the Schwartz hydraulics in the glove box when I got it home. I haven't hunted yet for a build sheet in the seat or anything though.

Here are a few pics I snapped at various times and locations of it.

[NewBayColony]

Nice unit. Vacuum 2 speed? I thought they were done with them before 1968. Wish I had a reason to own one.

[Greg58]

Nice patina!

[68BlueBeast]

Originally Posted by NewBayColony

Nice unit. Vacuum 2 speed? I thought they were done with them before 1968. Wish I had a reason to own one.

Yes sir, unless I am reading the SPID wrong:

J10 : 15000-LB 2 SPEED AXLE 6.5/8.58 RATIO VACUUM SHIFT

[68BlueBeast]

Originally Posted by Greg58

Nice patina!

Thank you. I like the color of it and the natural fading too. I am actually amazed at how well the white accents have held up over the years on the front too. The poor thing had been sitting out in a field for about 2 years when the guy finally decided to sell it. It is going to need a lot of cleanup underneath, I think everything that could possibly leak fluid is.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Nice truck.

Looks pretty solid.

[68BlueBeast]

Originally Posted by C10 - C90 Bill

Nice truck.

Looks pretty solid.

Thank you. It is pretty solid although there is some rust around the floorboards on the passenger side just inside the door. When I got it something had leaked and been left to sit there. I don't remember off the top of my head what it was.

[NewBayColony]

Originally Posted by 68BlueBeast

Yes sir, unless I am reading the SPID wrong:

J10 : 15000-LB 2 SPEED AXLE 6.5/8.58 RATIO VACUUM SHIFT

Yes it is a vacuum 2 speed. Wow.

[cameo]

how long is that box? I am looking at a similar unit. planning to build a tilt deck car hauler.

[Pvmt-Pndr]

Originally Posted by NewBayColony

Yes it is a vacuum 2 speed. Wow.

This was my thoughts too. I was going to question it until I seen the the picture.

Nice looking truck, gotta love that front end... real slick looking for a brick, I love it!

[68BlueBeast]

Originally Posted by cameo

how long is that box? I am looking at a similar unit. planning to build a tilt deck car hauler.

It appears to be roughly 189" L x 94" W outside to outside (detachable). The frame underneath is 5.75" H and sticks out about 1.75" past the sides all the way around. Let me know if you need anything else; I will do the best I can to measure it.

Originally Posted by Pvmt-Pndr

Nice looking truck, gotta love that front end... real slick looking for a brick, I love it!

Thank you very much for the kind words. I don't think it is much different than yours except fender width and color.

I like the truck a lot, minus the FIrestone RH-5* rims on it. They don't really bother me per se, but it's just in the back of my mind that they can get ugly if mistreated. It's a fun little vehicle to putter around in; not practical sometimes , but still fun to just take out for a cruise.

[Airdirect]

Truck was sold in Glasgow MO. My family farmed several hundred acres in the Glasgow Missouri river bottoms. While I don't remember it, I am sure I have been in the grain line with it waiting to dump. Very cool.

[68BlueBeast]

Originally Posted by Airdirect

Truck was sold in Glasgow MO. My family farmed several hundred acres in the Glasgow Missouri river bottoms. While I don't remember it, I am sure I have been in the grain line with it waiting to dump. Very cool.

That's pretty cool, but I think you may have read the Protect-O-Plate wrong. It was sold in Glasgow, MT the plate reads TNOM WOGSALG.

[c60clf]

I love these trucks, great to have so much documentation, I have a low milage 72 c50 and taken on plenty of trips and it has run well. People are starting to get excited about these trucks and are restoring,rat rodding, and making big picups out of. Pat

[Pvmt-Pndr]

If you look at the prices of newer trucks vs fixing an older truck like one of these up it's no wonder why. Worse case scenario for my C60 is I have a total of $10k (not restoring but making usable on today's roads). Compare that to a newer medium duty truck and I come out way ahead. Plus in my opinion they look a lot better too.

[Drewbee]

nice find! This is exactly what I'm looking for.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Originally Posted by Pvmt-Pndr

If you look at the prices of newer trucks vs fixing an older truck like one of these up it's no wonder why. Worse case scenario for my C60 is I have a total of $10k (not restoring but making usable on today's roads). Compare that to a newer medium duty truck and I come out way ahead. Plus in my opinion they look a lot better too.

Totally agree, plus we still get to Shift, lol.

Many trucks today and just about all of the smaller ones don't have a Clutch anymore.

Plus the prices are crazy as mentioned.

[1976gmc20]

I like the truck a lot, minus the FIrestone RH-5* rims on it. They don't really bother me per se, but it's just in the back of my mind that they can get ugly if mistreated.

I don't know the numbers, but are those the two piece wheels that you have to hammer the two halves together/apart? If so, I used to change those all the time myself and never had any problem (except sweat!).

Looks like you are in western MT so probably hundreds of miles from me, or else I could show you how to do them. They are sort of an egg shape so you get them at the wide spot to knock apart/together.

The main trick is making sure the two halves are loose after putting them back together. If the two pieces don't wiggle and rotate fairly easily, then it's not all the way together and may blow apart upon inflation. Of course you don't stand over them while inflating either

[Airdirect]

Originally Posted by Drewbee

nice find! This is exactly what I'm looking for.

Amarillo Truck Parts had a nice C70 Chevrolet with 4-53 Detroit 5 speed and 2 speed rear, had a 16 ft dump bed, if anyone is interested.

[kwmech]

Wish I could find one that clean

[CarolinaHD]

Originally Posted by Airdirect

Amarillo Truck Parts had a nice C70 Chevrolet with 4-53 Detroit 5 speed and 2 speed rear, had a 16 ft dump bed, if anyone is interested.

Got a link?

[68BlueBeast]

Originally Posted by c60clf

I love these trucks, great to have so much documentation, I have a low milage 72 c50 and taken on plenty of trips and it has run well. People are starting to get excited about these trucks and are restoring,rat rodding, and making big picups out of. Pat

I like the two trucks of yours I have seen, the green 66 and the red 72. They look like really nice trucks

I don't have any plans to change anything on mine. I like it as is and have no desire to make it a low rider, pickup or cut the crap out of it. The only thing I want to do is clean up some of the leaks at some point. The hydraulic system leaks and the transmission, rearend and engine have leaked at some point so there is dirt caked on them.

Originally Posted by Pvmt-Pndr

If you look at the prices of newer trucks vs fixing an older truck like one of these up it's no wonder why. Worse case scenario for my C60 is I have a total of $10k (not restoring but making usable on today's roads). Compare that to a newer medium duty truck and I come out way ahead. Plus in my opinion they look a lot better too.

Originally Posted by C10 - C90 Bill

Totally agree, plus we still get to Shift, lol.

Many trucks today and just about all of the smaller ones don't have a Clutch anymore.

Plus the prices are crazy as mentioned.

I was curious when you guys mentioned this so I looked at it today. From what I can see, and this may not be accurate and up to date, a new 2019 Silverado 5500 4x2 starts at $51,000 for just a cab and chassis. That is crazy. By the time you get the truck off the lot, because you know there are no absolutely basic trucks there, and put something on the back you are talking big bucks. No thanks, I will take my truck and the couple grand I spent on it any day of the week.

Originally Posted by Drewbee

nice find! This is exactly what I'm looking for.

Sorry, can't have it.

Originally Posted by 1976gmc20

I don't know the numbers, but are those the two piece wheels that you have to hammer the two halves together/apart? If so, I used to change those all the time myself and never had any problem (except sweat!).

Looks like you are in western MT so probably hundreds of miles from me, or else I could show you how to do them.

I am just outside Helena in the Scratchgravel Hills.

They are the ones commonly referred to as "widowmakers", a two piece rim that splits in the center like the diagram in the bottom left:

Originally Posted by kwmech

Wish I could find one that clean

You obviously didn't look closely at the engine.

[Airdirect]

Originally Posted by CarolinaHD

Got a link?

806-335-1811. It is the truck with wedge stripe.

[1976gmc20]

I am just outside Helena in the Scratchgravel Hills.

They are the ones commonly referred to as "widowmakers", a two piece rim that splits in the center like the diagram in the bottom left:

I'm sort of but not quite near Lavina, so it's only a couple hundred miles

That diagram looks about right except I seem to remember the narrower piece fitting over the other half (?)[Edit: I was thinking backwards: the diagram is the same as the wheels that I had.]. Anyway, another logger had a truck a little newer than mine (actually just about like yours) and he showed me how to change them. It's basically like de/mounting a tire on/off a solid wheel except it's steel on steel, half the wheel coming off or going on. There's a little notch on the inside that you pry up (once you find it!) and you push down on the other side and "tap" it sideways to pop it apart. This is of course after you have broken the beads down on both sides and the tire is collapsed. Once you get it apart, you can see how the half that comes off is just slightly elliptical at the mating surface so it can pop on and off.

Assembly is the opposite: you lay the one half across the other at an angle with the notch up, then stand one foot on the low side and "tap" the inside directly across until it pops over the other half. It has to be "loose" after you get it together, or else it is not all the way over the little ridge that holds the wheel together when inflated. Nice guys turn the ring so that the notch is lined up with the valve stem so you can find it again

None of this will make any sense if you've never changed any type of multi-piece wheel. Sliding the tire/tube/liner on and off is the same as other types.

When I was logging I would get several flats each season and fix them myself, plus I bought used 8.25-20 tires from a school bus contractor and change them myself. I couldn't afford to hire any work done on my equipment back then.

[68BlueBeast]

Originally Posted by 1976gmc20

I'm sort of but not quite near Lavina, so it's only a couple hundred miles

Google says you are 175 mi and 3 hrs away. I think I drove through Lavina three years ago on my way to Billings. The wife and I avoided the interstate to check out some back roads.

Originally Posted by 1976gmc20

None of this will make any sense if you've never changed any type of multi-piece wheel. Sliding the tire/tube/liner on and off is the same as other types.

This would be my first vehicle with split rims.