New C10 Owner ...and Thirsty!

[6T8&O-her-1]

Greetings Fellow 10'ers.. I am excited about a new project on my list. I am finally getting a 1968 C10 after several years of Begging the misses, and 18 years on vacation from Customizing Raising my kids. They are about to Go off to College and now Daddy needs something to do. I am not new to Customizing but Am new to the C10. I have a Fully Restored 64 impala that I finished in 94 but was neglected and needs about a 3-4 month restore on interior and some paint issues...kids Bicycles and Baseball dings....Anyway, I am a retired Minitrucker and the last 3 trucks I did wound up in Either minitruck or Truckin magazine. One was used on the front cover (Flier) for the Charlotte Auto Fair back in 1989.. I have been reading alot of the posts and will have some questions as I begin to Strip down the 10. It has a Stock 350 w/Turbo 350 tranny, but still has the 6 cyl rear end (10 Bolt 5 lugs). Not sure how strong that rear end is but I was told that if I make any engine mods that that rearend probably won't hold up. I will post pictures when I get it home this week. Thurs or Friday of this week I will have it. I am a Die Hard Chevy Luv Stepside fan and need something bigger. Here are some photos of my work back in the day... I know how much these sites love photos..Back then I could build a Truck in less than 4 months...





My fourby..



Just had a shop put up and finishing the Wiring soon.
NOw its time to jump back in.....

Love this site. I'll be back!
6T8

[too much stuff]

You must have alot of ambition! Do you do everything yourself?
Welcome to the site.

[hilandr452]

My first car in high school was a 1974 L.U.V. pickup, mikado. Sturdy little truck, but it was all isuzu until my modifications. I love my trucks now much better, but that pic brought back some memories. Hope you get some pics of the C 10 soon!

Dan

[john]

to the board.

[PanelDeland]

Welcome to the Board.
6 cyl rear end?They are all the same except for width,in the 10 series.
I'm on the west end of GSO by the way,near the airport.

[thirdstreettito]

Welcome from Fuquay-Varina!

If it is a stock 68 than it should be 6-lug not 5 unless the PO switched it and didnt tell you.

[Longhorn Man]

very impressive line up you have there.
I'm sure you'll like the flexibility the C/10 lends to customizing.
Your truck, if it is a C/10, then the rear axle has already been swapped for a 71/72 piece, or had new axle shafts installed. All 2 wheel drive C/10 trucks were 6 lug from at least 1960, untill '70. In 71 they went to 5 lug. it is also plenty strong in stock form. Knew a guy running high 12's in a daily driver '67 with a bone stock open diff 12 bolt... factory issued to that truck.

*edit* tito beat me to the post.

[OARNGESI]

If you built those trucks cant wait to see what you do with your new one

[phipp13]

welcome , awsome trucks, your hydraulics gotta be bigger now LOL! Heavy Chevy phipp13

[BigDaddyDave]

Welcome to the board from Concord,NC!

[6T8&O-her-1]

Originally Posted by PanelDeland

Welcome to the Board.
6 cyl rear end?They are all the same except for width,in the 10 series.
I'm on the west end of GSO by the way,near the airport.

The history of the Truck is unknown to me. A Buddy of mine who is a mechanic and has done alot of work to it bought to help a guy out who needed some money...WEll he rebuilt a 350 small block and removed the 6 Cylinder engine that was in it, and dropped the SB in.(Thats what I meant about 6 Cyl rear end and I should have just said 10 bolt) And it has a 5 lug bolt pattern.That was my main concern because every truck I've ever owned had 6 Lug patterns. Toyota, Luv, and Mazda King Cab. I hated 6 lug axles because all the s10 kats and Toyota kats could sport wheels from their relatives like....S10 could sport IROC Z wheels and Corvette rims.. The Toyota trucks could run on Supra Wheels...I always wanted a truck with 5 lug Wheels. and the Ironic thing about this Build is, I did the same thing as My mechanic buddy did. About 3 months ago I bought a Set of wheels, 19" Lowenhart wheels to help a Friend out who needed it to pay some bills. Knowing they would fit a chevy, but the only chevy I had was my 64. NO intention on changing them I figured I could sell them later. Well it Turns out they will fit the C10!... And I am Over Next to Grandover Resort PanelDeland. Thanks for the Reply!

Originally Posted by thirdstreettito

Welcome from Fuquay-Varina!

If it is a stock 68 than it should be 6-lug not 5 unless the PO switched it and didnt tell you.

ha ha ...well like i mentioned i don't know the history of this thing..All I know is it runs Great and sounds like a Beast! Fuquay-Varina huh..Thats near Raleigh where I used to work. Gasoline prices Ended that "Work For Gasoline" 168 mile round trip daily commute!! Thanks for the Reply!

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

very impressive line up you have there.
I'm sure you'll like the flexibility the C/10 lends to customizing.
Your truck, if it is a C/10, then the rear axle has already been swapped for a 71/72 piece, or had new axle shafts installed. All 2 wheel drive C/10 trucks were 6 lug from at least 1960, untill '70. In 71 they went to 5 lug. it is also plenty strong in stock form. Knew a guy running high 12's in a daily driver '67 with a bone stock open diff 12 bolt... factory issued to that truck.

*edit* tito beat me to the post.

Thanks for the Compliment...maybe they did swap the axles...I am Grateful that they did! Save me the Pain in searching for them!! Much better wheel choice selection now too. I have Been out of it so long i don't even know whats out there now. Only what I see on the Street. And I hate that new Fad of Raise your Ride up just to put some 30 Wheels on your ride....Uuugh! I'd rather figure out a way to SQUEEZE them up under the fenders..but Hell 30 inch rims would pertrude thru the Hood and over the Stepside Frame Rails!!!..Too much Rim anyway. Thats getting in to "Trailer Queen" territory and Impracticality. I like to Ride Low.
What sparked this thread for me was when I saw my man who is building his C10 on this forum who just had a Daughter. I forgot his user name but That is where I was 18 years ago!! Twins! All the Trucks had to go and a Minivan joined the Fam!

Originally Posted by OARNGESI

If you built those trucks cant wait to see what you do with your new one

I hope i still have all the skills. I know the Paint skills are there because that is what I quit my day job to do. PAINT.
Among other more Technical things but My love is in the Paint Booth. I am not sure How far I want to take this C10....But I want it done right. I will have a whole Lottttttta questions later...Like Air Bags. I loved the Hydros on my 64 but the maintenance and upkeep of a hydraulic setup is rough on budget minded person. Besides it was the Extra money I earned putting hydros on, and Doing Body mods for all my friends and there cousins and brothers that Funded all my truck projects. Now its "Dry Wheat"! Buy a little at a time and Stock pile until the Build begins.. And yes I do ALL my own work. Welding, Reinforcing, Paint and Body work, and even back in the day did my own upholstery when I had the patience. The only thing I have never tried is CUT A LAMINATED WINDSHIELD!!! Once I learn that, Its Chopped tops for Everyone!!!!
I have been briefed on how to cut one but I haven't tried it yet. BUT I AM GOING TO! Thanks for the Reply... I have a LUV truck that getting ready to go on Ebay or Craigslist. Runs, just needs to be restored and put back together and painted...And it has the Original California Stepside Bed and Cab covers. Luv Fanatics know... But here is the Last Lowrider Mini truck that I owned before selling it to get a Suburban to haul my 2 toddlers in....






The Final Phase of the Mazda King before I sold it....



And this was the LUV truck when I first saved it from my parents....Me and my Dad (R.I.P.) used to Haul Wood on the Weekends too keep the fireplace going....


Then 1 MONTH LATER....



This Feels good to be back into this. Painting Sport bikes kept me in touch with painting but its the whole Welding and Cutting steel and getting Flash Burned in the eyes that I miss.....Stay tuned!

[6T8&O-her-1]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyDave

Welcome to the board from Concord,NC!

Thanks Big Daddy!! Thats funny, Thats what they call me! One reason 23 years of marriage, the Mini trucks are too small to fit into now!

Originally Posted by phipp13

welcome , awsome trucks, your hydraulics gotta be bigger now LOL! Heavy Chevy phipp13

Yeah I managed to SCAN all these photos from my photo album is why they look so Low-Res...But Here are some photos of my Toyota Hydraulic corner to corner, scissor, dump bed.

I stareted with some Power Steering Rams before switching over to Prince Cylinders...I built the Frame from 2 X 1 Box tubing

[68GMC454]

howdy an welcome to the board.. great looking trucks you had in the past. cant wait to see what you do with yoru new one..

[ChevLoRay]

Welcome to the board from the Heart of Arkansas!

There's a lot of 6-lug wheels out there now, since GM starting using that pattern again. There may be issues with the hub-centric vs. lug-centric patterns, but the wheels are there.

[c10addict]

Welcome!!! What a trip down memory lane looking at those Minis... We thought they were soooo cool back then! Wonder if we will look back at what we are building now in 15 years and think WTF were we thinking??

[6T8&O-her-1]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

Welcome to the board from the Heart of Arkansas!

There's a lot of 6-lug wheels out there now, since GM starting using that pattern again. There may be issues with the hub-centric vs. lug-centric patterns, but the wheels are there.

Yeah I see that now. Geeze man, well maybe when I start Sawing on the Tahoe one day I can take advantage of the 6 loogies.... but that's gonna be waaaaay down the road. Thanks for the Reply!

Originally Posted by c10addict

Welcome!!! What a trip down memory lane looking at those Minis... We thought they were soooo cool back then! Wonder if we will look back at what we are building now in 15 years and think WTF were we thinking??

Yeah man we were the Sno-Boarders of the Smooth streets here in NC. Used to be NC had some of the smoothest streets in the country. Now? The streets have potholes, protruding manhole covers, cracks, separations....Poor asphalt now..Thank god for hydros and Bags to lift the skirt and tip toe over these monsters. I used to Eat Drink and Sleep Minitruck.
I still have that "Forever Low" mentality though. Nothing looks better than a Super Slammed ride. Well maybe something will long legs and a Big exhaust and extra large Headlights.. I would love to hear from some of the friends I made back then who recognize my trucks when we used to show them around the NC, SC, Va area. My ultimate dream was to Attend "Resolutions" in Cali, and Pigeon Forge which I never got around to attending. Iconic Truck shows. Having Kids put a different "Priority" on things.