Amber Rose

[evoLnivleK]

So 2 years ago I was at a home depot and saw a 67-72 C30 flatbed sitting outside and fell in love. Later that day I was searching FB Marketplace and found a 69 C30 dumper for sale. I had to have it. So I contacted the guy and he agreed to sit on it while I came up with the money. I was buying a house at the time and bringing another truck home just wasn't a conversation I wanted to have with the wife.

A few months pass by and under the cover of night I bring home the new addition.



I was thrilled. It is a 69 with a 292 and all the gearing you can fit in an ho72. I wasn't prepared for how slow this truck was. Lol.

A face only a mother could love.







I spent the next few months just sorting out little things. Getting all the gauges operable again and I swapped the front end to a 75 Disc brake front end. Still manual though. I added a new master but no booster yet. took a little doing but the brakes worked fine. At this point I still had plans to drive this truck for work.

[evoLnivleK]

Obligatory SPID:



So during the virus I was treated to open roads and a quiet campus. So I took the time to use the 69 to do some hauling for work.

A few loads of gravel and dirt and whatever else I could get into.



I added the box on the side and hated the bright chrome of it all so I scuffed it and let the kids camo it.




I daily'd it for almost 2 months and got lots of thumbs ups and waves. I enjoyed it, especially the 292. What a great motor. But I just couldnt live with the top speed. Doing 100-150 miles some days back and forth through Columbus got old quick.

So back to the drawing board. Back to driving the 79 C30.

[evoLnivleK]

So I decided I was officially over the 79 and wanted to replace it. I set my sights to buying another 67-72 C30 and swapping my drivetrain into it as needed.

And then I decided this truck would just become a play truck so after a few weeks of going back and forth, I pulled the dump bed off and sold it. Not an easy task by yourself. I would not want to put one on by myself without a lift/tractor/crane or all of the above.



And the the disassembly began while I figured out what to exactly do with this truck.

[evoLnivleK]

After I pulled the brackets off the frame for the dump bed I saw the damage from the dump after so many years. The stress of the full bed in the up position was pulling the bolts through the frame.



The hydraulic fluid leak that coated the passenger side frame rail seemed to keep it great condition. lol.

So I took some measurements and figured out I could remove this section of th frame, exactly 18", and that would take my wheelbase to a standard C10 shortbed wheelbase.

So what the heck....She's a shortbed dually now.

[cornerstone]

I've wanted a 67-72 dumper for a long time myself. Nice find! I'm concerned about your swb mod though and I hope I'm wrong... If you took the full 18" out all in front of the wheel, the wheel placement will be too far forward. When I cut my lwb down, I remember it required 12 inches removed in front of the rear wheel and 8"? off the very end of the frame rails at the rear bumper.

If your never going to put a short box on it and leave it a flatbed, I guess you're good to go as is.

Looks great man. If we were neighbors I'd have been all over the dump bed you sold!

[raggedjim]

I like it! I'd add a fifth wheel and get to haulin!

Good luck, Rg

[evoLnivleK]

Cornerstone, this was originally a 133" 1 ton chassis. I don't think the same rules apply to this frame. But I do plan to keep it a flattie unless I luck up on cheap stepside bedsides to play with.

I did a c10 a few years ago, and I think those were the cuts I made then as well.

[evoLnivleK]

So after seeing it as a shorty. I decided to go a little further. I apologize to those who click on this thread expecting to see shiny new parts and empty Porterbuilt boxes. I am the epitome of building on a nonexistent budget.


I got rid of my C10 before I even drove it, so I wanted another bagged truck. I thought the C30 would be kinda neat bagged.

Major disassembly:



I had a thorbros step notch that I never used on the c10, so I used it on the C30.

I ended up doing a 3" Z in the front along with the notch. Wishbone 3 link because I could not do a panhard or watts link on this truck.

[evoLnivleK]

Cupped the front a arms and along with the Z, I'm laying frame.

[evoLnivleK]

[Putzer]

If you're in Columbus OH and interested in an original stepper bed PM me

[cornerstone]

I may be wrong... I guess I was thinking about a regular old lwb to swb mod. Either way, you've got a cool ride there!

[Corts60]

That thing is gonna turn some heads for sure! Great work!

[evoLnivleK]

Little more progress on the wishbone. 2x2 3/16. I reused the front leaf spring hangars and used 2x3 1/4" for the lowers. Eventually I will take it all back apart clean it all up, fishplate and finish weld everything. Its been sitting for a while and rusting.

[evoLnivleK]

Cupped lowers. Just enough clearance for radiator and the clearance around the motor after the 3" Z.






Would like to find a new engine crossmember as this one turned to be pretty rusty.

[evoLnivleK]

And my favorite part of this truck so far. The shifter is now above the dash pad. Although it contacts the dash in Low and 2nd(or 1st and 3rd whatever potato tomato).



I need this shifter like my other truck.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by cornerstone

I may be wrong... I guess I was thinking about a regular old lwb to swb mod. Either way, you've got a cool ride there!

C10 lwb = 127".
C30 flat bed/C&C = 133" (and longer).

The 18" is the standard 12" removed. The additional 6" is from the longer cab & chassis frame as it's not all just behind the wheels.

[cornerstone]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

C10 lwb = 127".
C30 flat bed/C&C = 133" (and longer).

The 18" is the standard 12" removed. The additional 6" is from the longer cab & chassis frame as it's not all just behind the wheels.

Tanks for the clarification SCOTI. Going back to the first post I think I can see the extra length in that side shot of the C30.

[evoLnivleK]

And the other part to this story is while I was selling the dump bed. I got a msg from a guy who was interested in trading a car trailer for the dump bed. We went back and forth a few times and I told him I would just buy the car trailer outright. So when I went to pick up the car trailer the next week, he showed me the truck he was thinking about putting the dump bed on, a 69 C30 flatbed. So...I bought that too. lol.


This is the truck that replaced my 79 C30 and is now my daily work truck.

Pic from his farm.





I was ecstatic. I wasn't prepared to buy the truck at the moment. So I asked him to give me 2 months to come up with the cash. 6 weeks later I was on my way to pick it up.

It is a 69, 350, 4 speed, power steering, power brakes. Surface rust but almost no rust holes or any rot anywhere. The lug studs have been upgraded, carb rebuilt. It is just a great truck.

I didn't waste any time getting it in service. I had to rebuild the front drums, new master, and new lines to the front brakes, but that was it.

Already being put to work.



It has the factory flatbed that I've wanted, but never thought I'd get one.




I put my hitch on, but kept the other hitch someone has fabbed on there. I may convert it to a step.





I couldn't be happier at this point.