“George” the 1964 C10 Fleetside LWB

[Pick121]

Hi folks, here will reside the refurbishing project for our 1964 C10 affectionately named “George” by my son when he was 16 and bought him. The truck is in pretty decent shape considering it is the same age as I am haha.
The good news is it is pretty straight with minimal rust, it runs, stops, and good tires. Came with a 350 V8 GM Crate motor (Hecho en Mexico), 4sp manual trans with the granny low, DUI Street/Strip distributor, new aluminum radiator with electric fan, wide rear wheels. The goal is to keep it mainly stock, make it a reliable work truck and daily driver. Now for the punch list! In no particular order

• Single master cylinder, change to dual
• Wiring throughout is spaghetti, wire nuts, weak crimp connectors, and fuse panel has broken fuse holder. Signal lights and brake lights not working.
• Runs rough/lacks power, and gets really hot, I am hoping it’s just timing & a thermostat
• Battery dies within a couple days being parked, so for now it gets disconnected when not running - see wiring above!
• Gauges that don’t work: Speedo (& Odo) Temp, Fuel, Amm, Dash lights. I do know the odo cable is not connected.
• Lots of holes drilled in the body- mirrors, tie downs, etc.
• No wipers, but the wiper motor works
• Driver door handle/linkage - have to roll the window down and open from outside once the door is shut
• Window tracks, felt, door rubber all in bad shape or completely missing
• Leaky and non functioning power steering system (reservoir is empty, pump might be burned up)
• Horn, cab light don’t work
• Heat/Def cable and knobs all messed up
• Cosmetic, but funky shifter boot and disintegrated rubber floor mat, gaping holes in doors for 6x9 speakers, radio hole massacred for slide in stereo (MIA)
• Wood bed rotting out, PO laid a piece of plywood over and screwed down and now that too is rotting!
• Paint appears to be just primer, with surface rust showing through maybe from under the primer?
• Remove funky push bars from front bumper
• Get some 60’s period black/yellow license plates, there is only one rear plate anyway and it is trashed and the blue/yellow looks awful

Lots more photos to follow, thanks in advance for the help, advice, expertise!

[Pick121]

Here are some more exterior photos, fun to look at. Somebody also added a heavy duty rear bumper with receiver hitch, trailer plug connector, and even a trailer brake in the cab. You can see the worst of the rust here on the fender below the C10 emblem. Also looks like an old repair, door check needs replacing, and some of the many mirror holes to fill

[Pick121]

I have done a bunch of searches for the Trans without much luck. It is for sure a 4 on the floor, with the granny low gear. The rear end however I am pretty sure of it being original to the truck.
I would love to know the year of the engine! Engine has stamped 1M0281 9VP on front passenger side head. The rear bell housing casting number on the drivers side is 10066036 Hecho en Mexico. On the passenger side, it has a 99 (or 66?) cast next to the date dial.
In my research I believe it to be a GM Goodwrench crate 350 V8. Some vague information I found online stated it was “350, 4 bolt, Goodwrench crate engine, 2 piece rear seal, ‘86 and up” But, not sure how reliable that is.
Transmission photos show a casting number E228, 2, GM, 3901127 and, another casting number right by what I guess is a Trans fluid temp sender? GM, 0901191, then below that a K2...I think I need to clean it off better.

[Pick121]

Photos of rear end,
The rear end has a 12 bolt cover and a casting number 3(?)838227, there might even be a “N” there below the 3. then I found a stamp WE 10 31 which is why I think it is a C15 3.73 Ratio based on internet research data.

[The Rocknrod]

WE on the rear end means 3.73:1 (Except Positraction)
Built in Warren plant
C15

[The Rocknrod]

10066036 Small Block V8 350, 4-bolt, Goodwrench crate engine, 2-piece rear seal.

[Pick121]

Originally Posted by The Rocknrod

WE on the rear end means 3.73:1 (Except Positraction)
Built in Warren plant
C15

Originally Posted by The Rocknrod

10066036 Small Block V8 350, 4-bolt, Goodwrench crate engine, 2-piece rear seal.

THANK YOU Master Chief! Good to know what I have to work with. This makes sense as the VIN shows George was built in Janesville WI

I sure wish there was a way to find out the whole history of a vehicle, previous owners, I wonder how it got from there and ended up here (Wisconsin to California) and finally to me!n Just a curious person I guess.

Another strange thing is, the paint code is RPO544AD, I researched it to be White & Red 2 tone but, the truck is Orange under the black! At least, it really looks orange to me but I guess it could be faded red. It looks orange where paint has chipped away, firewall, and door jambs. Anyway I wonder if it worked as a county vehicle, utility company, or something where it was orange. CalTrans (CA Dept. Of Transportation) used to have orange vehicles. Check the photo of the firewall.

[88Stanger]

Nice Truck, very nice start.

[66C10LB]

Nice looking truck! Your trans may be the original SM420 four speed with granny low. This is the same tranny as my 66 C10 LWB

[Pick121]

Originally Posted by 66C10LB

Nice looking truck! Your trans may be the original SM420 four speed with granny low. This is the same tranny as my 66 C10 LWB

Thanks for reply! Doing more research tonight I think it might be a SM465, which has 2 PTO covers (1 each side) which George has. The SM420 has only one PTO cover, is that true for yours? The PO did replace the engine with a crate engine, maybe at the same time he changed the Tranny. The hump cover is a bit cut-up and the shifter hits the seat in R. As if it was not original equipment

[Captainfab]

The SM420 was used in '67 and earlier trucks. If reverse is towards you and back it is a SM420. If reverse is away from you and back it is a SM465.

[Pick121]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

The SM420 was used in '67 and earlier trucks. If reverse is towards you and back it is a SM420. If reverse is away from you and back it is a SM465.

Thanks Capt, it’s definitely away & back so I’m leaning to the SM465. and I may be in touch for a Master Cylinder bracket soon!

[Captainfab]

Yes that is definitely a SM465.

[Pick121]

Not super exciting, except to me! Finally did compression check, all 8 cylinders held at 150psi. Super happy about that, troubleshooting overheating and running rough/backfiring issues so glad to rule out compression. New spark plugs since the old ones out anyway and who knows when they were changed last! Definitely not since 2018. Passenger side rear plug had some oil on it but the compression was good so...
George still runs a little rough so tomorrow I will check timing.
Another thing I did was to finally track down a parasitic draw, thanks to instructions off YouTube I used a test lamp attached btwn battery Neg post and Neg cable, pulled fuses to see when the light goes out. Not a fuse, so started checking other inline fuses the PO had added. Finally tried the horn relay, that was it! Disconnected horn relay and light went out. Will check battery tomorrow morning, used to be if I kept battery connected overnight George woke up dead.
Also planning to switch out thermostat for the heck of it in case that was causing overheating.

[88Stanger]

Originally Posted by Pick121

Not super exciting, except to me! Finally did compression check, all 8 cylinders held at 150psi. Super happy about that, troubleshooting overheating and running rough/backfiring issues so glad to rule out compression. New spark plugs since the old ones out anyway and who knows when they were changed last! Definitely not since 2018. Passenger side rear plug had some oil on it but the compression was good so...
George still runs a little rough so tomorrow I will check timing.
Another thing I did was to finally track down a parasitic draw, thanks to instructions off YouTube I used a test lamp attached btwn battery Neg post and Neg cable, pulled fuses to see when the light goes out. Not a fuse, so started checking other inline fuses the PO had added. Finally tried the horn relay, that was it! Disconnected horn relay and light went out. Will check battery tomorrow morning, used to be if I kept battery connected overnight George woke up dead.
Also planning to switch out thermostat for the heck of it in case that was causing overheating.

what a great idea.. lol, never thought about that!

[Pick121]

Originally Posted by 88Stanger

what a great idea.. lol, never thought about that!

It works great when you’re working solo, you can easily peek through gap in hood from cab while removing a fuse at a time, it is obvious when the light goes out as opposed to walking back and forth checking the multimeter display, a time saver for sure to find the parasitic draw on your battery

[Pick121]

Wow am I glad I came across this thread! http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=712970 Midniteblues I owe you a beer and you have my vote for a sticky.
Here is what happened: One day, I stopped getting fuel through my see thru fuel filter up before carb. Checked all the cheap fixes first: check fuel tank pickup line, filter sock, debris in tank that might stir up when I drive, blew out line to carb/check screen filter to carb, blew out lines between fuel tank and carb to make sure no obstructions or kinked lines - all good. I suspected fuel pump (after confirming I had fuel in the tank! - fuel gauge doesn’t work). Put a crowbar in the wallet and got a new fuel pump (mechanical) replaced fuel pump using the trick of taking out short bolt towards front of engine block and temporarily using longer fuel pump bolt to hold the fuel pump rod up. Replaced everything and fire him up, no fuel. Tried this a few (too many) times until I thought I might kill the battery. No prime. Now I am thinking either I got another bad fuel pump (doubtful) or the fuel pump rod is out of place and I am gonna have to disassemble the darn thing…and then I found you my sweet little thread! Took fuel hose off fuel pump intake and inserted into a tall gas can under truck in the space between fan and crank pulley. Blew air from compressor into tank with my hand over filler hole (regulator set at 30psi) and damn it seems like air is leaking out past my hand, not enough pressure to do anything, nothing happening. But when I go check the fuel line, sure enough fuel is pouring out through the hose! Hook it up to the fuel pump and voila, after 3 tries ol’ George fires up and runs again! Really happy as it has been at least 2 months not running. BTW this is for a 350 Chevy V8 crate motor in my 1964 C10, fuel tank behind the seat
I also replaced all the fuel line (rubber hoses) in engine compartment. The metal lines have been cut up by PO’s for the most part, maybe some day will replace the rubber hoses with metal tube from fuel pump to carb. I also put a clear filter before the fuel pump to see if fuel was getting to the pump, I will probably just leave it there for now out of laziness. You can see it by the lower radiator hose. I am a little worried about the fuel line proximity to rad hose, heating up the fuel might contribute to vapor lock we will see!

[Pick121]

I have been having issues with the engine running hot so I decided to check the thermostat. Went ahead and replaced it, and there was a pinhole leak in the large heater hose so I replaced both heater hoses. The hose was too long and rubbing on the inner fender well so I shortened it. While I was at it I added a manual ball valve shutoff because it gets super hot in the cab (my heater controls are toast- another project) I used a Sharkbite PEX 1/4 turn ball valve from Home Depot It wasn’t too expensive. I think the PO must have had the same hot engine issue as me. The PO used that greenish Prestone and seriously it looks like 100% concentration, which could also cause problems so when I drained enough coolant out to get the hoses replaced I topped off with water. It all mixed up and looks better. I will flush it “one of these days” and make sure it is 50/50
PS this did not solve my hot engine issue yet! I am thinking Timing is next to try

[Pick121]

Finally replaced the Drivers side LH door latch. The door only opened from the outside, inside handle would not open it, so whenever I shut it I would have to roll down the window and open with the thumb button. Took it all apart, and tried to reassemble with a 60-63 Latch Control let me tell you it is not the same as a 64! The darn guys at LMC must have gave me the wrong part, there is no way I ordered the wrong one 🙄(#sarcasm) Anyway I used the original one and it all works. In case anyone else has this problem of the inside door handle not opening the latch, I discovered that over the 57 years of life the latch wore out to a point it would not move enough to unlatch from the pin. It was not much but enough to cause the issue. There was a divot in the latching mechanism, the new one is perfectly flat. (The photo is upside down) The photos show it best. Anyway the old brittle window glass channel broke during the door latch project so now I have another project!