My 66 Covid Build

[Brochacho]

Hi all, I have to start by saying that this build is not my first, but it turned into a last in my life. I started this build because of an exhausted marriage that hit a zenith during the Covid Period. I am only beginning in what many (I think) will enjoy in at least a good read. I will have plenty of pictures as well for those of you visual folks!

it was spring 2020, my marriage of 21 years was being tested. I was with this woman since I was 22. But Covid really changed her, and maybe me too. I needed something more in my life, and one day driving through Sacramento, CA, I found my 1966 C10 Fleet side Long bed. Love at first site. Uh oh, the wifey had some competition.

As expected, she hardly flinched when I brought that ole truck home. She made a few remarks, "that old truck is an eye sore", and added, "I don't want nothing to do with that piece of $h1t". I thought, "Yes!, finally something she doesn't want to have any input on".

The truck was still in it's original state for the most part, Cameo White, .283, Powerglide automatic, and numbers all matching. Just the front brakes were replaced to disc, and power steering was added. How lucky!

But it gets better, the Gal that sold it to me provided me with all of her boyfriends paperwork. He had rebuilt the motor, the transmission, plus many more things. It sat in her garage for 7 years. She finally pulled it out and put a For Sale sign on it one day, the day I drove by.

I hate to admit this but, his name was still on the title, and my curiosity got the best of me. I searched him on Facebook, and to my surprise, he was documenting his build, beginning from the inside out. He put nearly 16K into the frame and under the hood at a quality shop in Sacramento. I scrolled thought his Facebook Page watching his happiness and love for this truck grow.

When she sold me the truck, I asked her why he stopped the build. She responded by saying he developed cancer and was gone quickly thereafter. This changed everything for me, I had to finish the build. I didn't know him, so I don't know what he had in mind, but I do know that he believed in the truck to invest in it. In my mind, it didn't matter what dress or shoes I put on her, she was worth it: to him and to me.

So I drove the truck around town a few times. Met a cool guy named Acampo Dave who had two C 10's. I received some thumbs ups from ole timers on their morning/evening walks. I had youngsters ask me what year it was. I quickly realized that this was pretty damn cool.

Not that I needed attention, well I wasn't getting any at home, but it was nice to be acknowledged. Especially during a period like Covid where in the State of California, we were forced to stay at home. We were only allowed to drive to and from work or necessary places like doctors, dentists or grocery stores. (Side Note: I am not making a political statement, only stating what the situation was like in 2020). So what should I do first to this truck?

Well, I decided to give the truck a deep clean, inside and out. That meant a good scrubbing in the cab, a spotless scrub under the hood, and a pressure spray on the body and bed wood. The cab had never been cleaned before, it was disgusting. For seven years, everything that was new under the hood had collected dust, grease and oil. The bed wood had things on it from the original owner who lived on a farm/ranch with an address in Elk Grove, CA that no longer exists due to a neighborhood that was built there in the 1980's.

But I asked myself, where do I begin with this truck in regards to restoration? Should I go crazy and make this truck into what I want or what my imagination comes up with, or should I continue the traditional build that the previous owner chose? This question kept me awake at night. Then one day I found my answer. I was having a beer at my local Moose Lodge and talking to a buddy who had built and sold many classic cars and trucks. He asked me what I wanted to do to it, and I responded by saying "I don't know. Do you think I should restore it to it's original state"? At that moment, he didn't even blink. His answer came without a moment of thought. Perhaps that is why I agreed whole heartedly with his advice. Within a second of asking Brandon that question, he said, "It's not like it's a "63 Split Window Vette". Wholly $h!t, what a concept! It's a truck, I am going to have fun with this build!

So I had a few bucks I had saved for this project and decided to get the body work done and new paint to dress her up real nice. This was all I WAS going to do, but as time went on, more and more ideas began to pop into my mind. But first thing first, I need to find a good paint and body guy (because I know I cant do either). I began to search for this Paint and Body Guru, but it became quite a chore. Many shops would simply just say, "We don't do restorations". While others would say, "I have too many cars/trucks in front of you". Wow, really?!? So what did I do? I did nothing for a while. I enjoyed driving the truck a few weekends a month while creating little projects here and there just to tinker and modify it with some of the most insignificant revisions. But I wanted more, I wanted to see my vision develop. And as a result, I got in line.

I chose a young guy name Cesar (who was recommended to me by one of my best friends, Oscar). Cesar had a strong resume as a Paint and Body/Mechanics man in my hometown for being as young as he is. He came up in an Auto Shop locally, and recently opened his own shop. His crew of mechanics are all really good as well. It was a great decision to hand the keys over to Cesar, Owner of MP Customs in Lodi, CA on January 2, 2023.

Cesar told me I had a few cars/trucks in front of me in line, and that was fine with me. The original plan was simply just paint and body work. However, by the time Cesar and his crew were ready to begin work on my truck, I also decided to re-carpet, re-upholster and re-paint the cab, remove the gas tank and replace it under the bed, replace the steering wheel and the windows. As the project added up, so did the time in the shop. Numerous hours and days went by of sanding and primarying. Re-installation of body parts to check gaps...removal of body parts for more sanding...are the lines strait? Damn, these trucks have lines for days and voluptuous curves!

While the cab and bed were off the truck, I had the frame powder coated and primed. This was also something I decided to do after the fact. But it seemed like such a logical thing to do in that former state. While the truck sat there in the shop without the bed assembled, one of the guys in the shop said, "Hey, you should chop this long bed into a short bed." He added, "Everybody likes short beds so much more". I knew this question was going to come eventually. He was right, more guys do like the short beds. But I'm not one of them. I love those lines that run down this model. The longer the better in my mind, so she stayed long!



To Be Continued
(Ps: I am fairly new to posting, and I would like to add photos, can anyone help me with the easiest way to post photos into this post, thanks in advance!)

[bigmoe]

Alrighty then. I'm watchin'. Lets get started!

[Braunschweiger]

An old truck can go in any direction.

[sirJim]

I am in. Cant wait to see what the journey will be.

[Brochacho]

I no longer have access to edit my build. I wish I could have given you gou guys the rest of the story