Martin's mi-STRESS, 1965 Long Fleetside C10 "Rebuild in ENGLAND"

[mjh1965]

I decided to do this as a running restoration up to the point where I need to dismantle the truck to a point where it is no longer roadworthy from a legal point of view.

That way I get to use the truck as much as possible all year and also get to feel out it's niggles and figure out what parts I need to buy to either fix bits or improve its handling, stance and general safety.

When I bought the truck, I missed out on some bits in my excitement to own it, which have surfaced in the mean time.

Anyway, the truck came with heavy sheet metal bed covers and a split rear tailgate that was given to me by the previous owner as he had replaced it with a new tailgate, but he had left the metal channels that had been welded on the top of the bed sides. See pics below.



I started cutting the welds back with a grinder.





Sanded back.

Note my neighbours Beetles as well on his drive, he also has about 4 Harleys and works as and engineer/machinist (Very handy)



Once sanded back, I bare metalled the the whole side and removed about a wheelbarrow load of Bondo as well



Added some red oxide primer, tried the new wheels I had bought as well.





While I was at it, I removed the side filler flaps and welded up the holes, presumably long distance tanks that were fitted before at some point in the trucks life.

[mjh1965]

From the day I bought the truck, I hated the agricultural rear bumper on it, so first chance I got a rear roll pan was ordered from LMC, in my case the experience was painless, and delivered very fast and efficiently to Snodland where I live.

So I cut away the bumper and welded in the roll pan and painted it red oxide again.








I am still looking for a metal numberplate surround like the one that was fitted, but badly rusted, with the numberplate light beyond redemption to replace the one I had, as it was a nice touch.

Amazingly, time has moved on and it is now well beyond Grizz's bedtime......

I have also literally just bid on and won a complete hood/bonnet for my truck from a seller in Concord, California now I just need to get it to England...... it may be needing a rather large postage stamp and envelope.
Needs to get to Apopka in Florida to get into a container headed for these shores.


WHO SAID IT WAS EASY DOING IT OVER HERE ??