Johns 66

[Johns 66]

I then decided to tackle the cross member...The bottom ones I used a grinder and ground the heads down then used an air hammer and popped the rivets out....Then it was time for the top side....and to be really honest it wasn't that bad......I used a 14 tooth metal cutting sawz all blade and it made pretty quick work of the ...although I used a new blade on each rivet.....so the original cross member is intact and can be reinstalled using some bolts and nuts, if someone decided to make the truck original again...BTW I am keeping all the original hardware for the future....made that mistake once and wont do it again.

So while I waited for the paint to dry, I sprayed rubberized undercoating underneath the cab, one of the front fenders....ran out and will have to order some more but it really did look pretty good.

So then my brother in law, Randy...which will now be referred to only as Randy...lol and I went to one of his friend house and got his blasting cabinet ( Thanks Danny) He has graciously allowed me to use it for as long as I need...

We got it back to Randy's shop and plugged it up...Of course I was like a kid with a new toy...I tested it on a couple of pieces to see how it would do...Exhaust Manifolds, battery box etc....and although I didn't complete any piece accept one...I was able to see what it would and would not take off...This is WAY better than sanding it, using a wire wheel on a drill or paying someone to do it.....I did get the upper radiator support completely blasted and primed..I must say that this will surely make it look a lot better.

Lastly I took the heater box apart to see what I was going to need...I checked the motor and it ran just fine...quietly.....So I will need a new gasket set once I get done cleaning and painting it.......but all in all today was a real good day.


OOOOOH I almost forgot to mention what all the machine shop said......It looks like the motor had been partially built...looks like from the bottom end with new rings...The ironic thing about it and I didn't even notice it until it was pointed out to me was that 3 off the pistons had been installed upside down...instead of the eye brows facing the top of the motor...yep you guessed it...they were facing the bottom.....I am SOOOO Glad that I decided on a complete rebuild....I think I would have blown a gasket after getting it painted and reinstalled and then grenade the motor because someone tried to take a short cut...I feel very blessed and the Good Lord is definitely taking care of me....He always does.


So for the next foreseeable future I will be blasting away at parts...its time consuming but I got plenty of time...Ill post things as I get them gone.

Machine shop said it would be about 2 weeks before they would be done...so I have some time to play with the ole blaster.

[Johns 66]

Well today I got my first hand experience of using a blasting cabinet...I got a good but of things cleaned up and primed...I did get the heater completely cleaned up and a coat of primer put on it.

After I got that done I started working on the part for the motor...little things like wire looms, battery box, started working on the brackets along with several items that I know are going to be needed that the machine shop will not clean...so I'm getting those things blasted and putting a coat of primer on them as well.

I talked with Yelmer and he has the original paint code for the motor so it looks like I will have to have someone spray it for me since it doesn't come in rattle can...even though it will be the greenish blue color I want it to be done right.

I'm using the bed of the truck for storage of stuff since no one will bother I back there and I can kinda keep track if it that way.

[Johns 66]

A few more pics...The last picture is of the original metal pipe that joins the radiator to the engine...it turned out pretty good

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Parts are looking good!

[Johns 66]

Originally Posted by Classic v6 GMC's

Parts are looking good!

Thanks so much...I'm going to see if I can find a gasket set to put the heater box back together....dont think that should be too hard to find....hopefully.

I figure I have a couple of weeks until I get my motor back and there is no reason to try to rush and get through....might as well just take my time and do it the best I can.

The rattle can looks ok but I am thinking that I may take this stuff and just have it sprayed when I have the motor sprayed......some stuff like the inside of the heater box really doesn't matter but I still want it to look good even though I'm gonna drive it like I stole it.

Once I get done blasting everything I can then I will do the rear brakes and get the power booster installed.

I'm a going to take the radiator and the heater core and have them checked out and cleaned while I have everything apart.

[GMDad]

Making good progress and you will get a lot of satisfaction out of doing the majority of the work yourself. Personally I like the rattle can spray and that is what I used under the hood on my 1965 pickup. I also like driving them.

[roll_the_dice]

I like the rattle can spray also and that is what I am going to do under my hood also. Mine is and will be a driver. I don't want a show truck, but something we can use it for what it is intended...Looking great John.

[Johns 66]

Originally Posted by GMDad

Making good progress and you will get a lot of satisfaction out of doing the majority of the work yourself. Personally I like the rattle can spray and that is what I used under the hood on my 1965 pickup. I also like driving them.

Thanks Dad...I am sure loving working on my truck. I tried to contact the man I bought it from to see if I could find the original owner or anyone from his family but he has yet to respond...Im unsure if he thinks I am going to fuss...but I just wanted to try and find out a little more history on "Pawpaws" truck...I'll go to the DMV and see what they can tell me if anything.

Originally Posted by roll_the_dice

I like the rattle can spray also and that is what I am going to do under my hood also. Mine is and will be a driver. I don't want a show truck, but something we can use it for what it is intended...Looking great John.

Hey Andy...Thanks for stopping by. The metallic paint I choose for the firewall and inner fenders looks good but it is really hard to get a consistent layer, especially since its metallic...I think that color will look great on the inside when that time comes along with some silver highlights.

Once I get everything blasted Ill then paint it with the ole rattle can...Its taking a little longer because I don't have a great big air compressor but that is fine with me..beats the heck out of sanding it all down.

The really painful part is going to be trying to get all the little screws that hold the heater box cleaned up...Im gonna try to push them through a piece of cardboard and tape the backs to hold then in place.....so I can get them cleaned.

Ill be working on the engine stuff tonight after work..pulleys, brakets etc...

Once I get all of the small tings done...well whatever is small enough to put in the cabinet then I am going to start working on the frame...Im going to paint it with POR 15...I have heard great things about that stuff.

It will all come together when it is supposed to so Im not worried...My biggest thing right now is to get the motor back, and installed with the transmission to see how all of it is going to work....I am trying to find an original automatic steering column to put in it. I know if I use an original one then I will lose the ability to shift into 1...but in all honesty I have never shifter into one in any truck I have ever owned so that is no big deal to me

[Johns 66]

Another night of blasting parts...mainly worked on the small parts for the engine tonight...brackets, pulleys, springs, etc....wasn't too terribly bad...I got one of the exhaust manifolds blasted...it was a pain...I guess because the material is so porous it just some time to get it cleaned...Some of the pictures look darker...its just a darker primer...they ran out of the light stuff so I just bought what they had.

[Johns 66]

They parts that go above and beside the radiator has some type of gasket that was stapled to it....I think the guy who did that must have been paid by the staple cause Lord knows he put it to them....As I took the one picture I even noticed that I missed one....I wonder what kind of stapler they used to attach the gaskets? I guess Ill have to glues the replacements on.

I got some things ordered today...mainly small stuff like firewall grommets, door jamb switches, and of course some undercoating...hopefully I will have enough this time....

On the exhaust manifold someone welded the stud as you can see in the picture...of course its not straight...I think I will try and get those out and replace them.....will just have to see how bad they are.

Anyways here are some more pictures

[Johns 66]

Well another night with the ole sandblasting cabinet....got the inside heater box cleaned and primed and did a lot of bolts and screws....also did the other exhaust manifold. I received my undercoating from Summit today so I got the entire bottom of the cab undercoated...Didn't take any pictures of that cause they wouldn't have turned out too good.

I did receive a call from the machine shop today....they got everything cleaned up and checked...One issue has come up that has me a little concerned.

They are unsure if 30 over is going to clean up the cylinder walls....he said he may have to go to 40 over...I'm kinda worried about cooling...I have always heard that anything over 30 will cause cooling issues...he doesn't seem to think so and I really would like to keep this motor since it is the original motor.....So what he is going to do is to measure the worst one, bored it out until it cleans up and see where we are at... I'm surely hoping the block can be saved. If it cant Ill cross that bridge when I come to it...no reason to worry now....but it looks like if it cant then a crate motor will be the best option...just have to wait and see.

I finally got some of my parts from Brothers...they seem kind of slow so not sure if I will be ordering from them again or not.

But here is a few pictures of what I got done tonight

[Captainfab]

I wouldn't worry too much about going .040. With a good radiator, a good fan and a fan shroud, you should have absolutely no cooling issues.

[TJ's Chevy]

Subscribed, you are doing great work man! Also glad to see something more unique engine wise!

[GMDad]

Them year motors can go .060 over with no problems. We use to race them at that.

[Johns 66]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

I wouldn't worry too much about going .040. With a good radiator, a good fan and a fan shroud, you should have absolutely no cooling issues.

Thanks John...I took the radiator and heater core to the shop this afternoon...I know the radiator leaks but am unsure if the heater core does...I don't think so but am gonna have it checked out as well.....The man said that even if it needed to be fixed I could still keep the original caps on either. The heater core has 66 stamped on one end. I do have the original fan shroud as well...But more on the motor below.

Originally Posted by TJ's Chevy

Subscribed, you are doing great work man! Also glad to see something more unique engine wise!

Thanks TJ...Kinda getting Baptized by fire...but its like Dad said earlier ...it is very rewarding....Didn't expect all this stuff with the motor but at least I do have time to get other things done and not feel rushed.

Originally Posted by GMDad

Them year motors can go .060 over with no problems. We use to race them at that.

Hi Dad....and all the rest.....I was called by the machine shop today, so after dropping the radiator off I went by to check on things....It was a good news bad news type of thing.

7 cylinders cleaned up at 40 over...YEA!!!! But this is a V8

The last cylinder would not cleanup at 40.....the guy said he knew it would clean up at 60. So I watched as he bored it out at 60 over, sure enough it cleaned up at 60. Here is where it gets kinda tricky....He said that he could bore the rest of them out to 60 and I "Should" be fine...but this is Alabama and it does get kinda hot down here...especially if I decide to eventually add air conditioning.....Based on his experience 60 over is a little much especially if you get caught in traffic, or going on a cruise at lower speeds, parades etc....

So option 1 was to bored the cylinder out and put a sleeve in it so that everything would be 40 over. He builds numerous motors around here for the dirt track guys and has tons of sleeved motors..I will not be turning near the hp that those guys do nor the compression they run.

Option 2 was try to find a replacement blocked coded the same...good luck with that..while I'm sure I would eventually find one, who is to say it wouldn't be in the same condition.

Option 3 was to cry and just buy a crate motor and be done with it.


I told him what I was trying to do by keeping the original motor in the truck...Call me crazy but I really do prefer to have that block that came with the truck sitting in the truck for as long as I can drive it....

So based on our conversation today here is what I am going to do...He is going to bore it out and put the repair sleeve in it to and ensure its 40 over just like the rest of the cylinders....He is going to put a cam that goes into a 68 Camaro ( should bump it up to around 325 hp give or take a few...not chasing a number anyways), stainless steel valves 1.94/1.50, new springs, retainers, bronze valve guides, oil pump, timing chain, pistons, rings bearings etc....you get the idea...a completely rebuilt motor.

I was really concerned about the sleeve so to put my mind at ease he told me that if I broke the motor in based on his direction that he would give me a 2 year warranty and that if the sleeve was ever the problem he would rebuild it for nothing....So I cant beat that...He knows I'm not gonna race the motor, probably drive 70mph tops..So I feel pretty comfortable with having the sleeve put in it.

He said the crank looked really good and all it needs is polishing. So its a wash on the cost.....Total cost is 2100.00


So I called the radiator shop back and asked if possible they could put 4 cores into it...just to be safe...It has a 3 core in it now. He said he would check on it...I have the original fan shroud although I don't think it was installed right by ricky the redneck who tried to build the motor before. I have the original metal pieces that go beside and above the radiator . I talked with Yelmer and he told me that as long as I put the seals back on it, make sure the fan shroud is installed correctly that the motor will pull enough air to keep it cool at any temp....If by chance it does not keep it cool enough then I can always install electric fans to keep the temp down but honestly I think it will be fine.

So besides running around I took the night off from sandblasting, priming and sandblasting some more.

I should have the motor back before next Wednesday...but will then have to do the graduation circuit for my nieces and nephews so Ill be out of pocket a few days.

I did find a gasket set for the heater box and it should be on its was along with a few other small items I saw.

One thing is for sure...It will be mechanically sound before one drop of paint goes on the body.....Based on my estimates I plan on driving it all summer long and then having it painted over the winter...maybe just maybe they will be a little slow and it will be a little cheaper

[Captainfab]

With a fresh 3 row core radiator, a fan shroud and a good fan,you will have no problems keeping that little 327 cool. Especially being so mildly built. The 4 row cores require wider tanks and consequently the lower saddles and top hold down need to be changed.

[Johns 66]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

With a fresh 3 row core radiator, a fan shroud and a good fan,you will have no problems keeping that little 327 cool. Especially being so mildly built. The 4 row cores require wider tanks and consequently the lower saddles and top hold down need to be changed.

Thanks John...I appreciate the knowledge and advice.

Radiator shopped called and said that the heater core was just fine...so they are going to back flush it and it should be good.

The radiator is a different kind of story...When I got the truck I knew it leaked...so before I left I put some grits in the radiator to stop the leak so I could get it home...Well it hasn't leaked since but I could tell that some of the fins were broke....They tested the radiator and it didn't leak...guess the grits are still holding up.

Anyways I decided to have new cores put in it...I figured since the motor was being rebuilt that no need to run an old radiator...So they are going to put a 3 core high efficiency set of cores in it.

Had to do chores yesterday so didn't get to work on the ole truck last night.

I did find an automatic steering column that I am going to be buying today...around 250.00...The company I bought it from has original columns and if I am correct they go through them and make sure everything is right....It also is adapted to work perfectly with the 700R4....so I will see when it gets here.

[roll_the_dice]

John--I commend you for fighting to keep the original engine in the truck. I wish mine had the original engine and trans, I wouldn't change them unless I had to take them off life support! Mine will have a new crate engine and trans (ordered) and although I know it will run great, I wish it was all original like yours!

Keep up the good work.

[Classic v6 GMC's]

Originally Posted by Johns 66

Thanks John...I appreciate the knowledge and advice.

Radiator shopped called and said that the heater core was just fine...so they are going to back flush it and it should be good.

The radiator is a different kind of story...When I got the truck I knew it leaked...so before I left I put some grits in the radiator to stop the leak so I could get it home...Well it hasn't leaked since but I could tell that some of the fins were broke....They tested the radiator and it didn't leak...guess the grits are still holding up.

Anyways I decided to have new cores put in it...I figured since the motor was being rebuilt that no need to run an old radiator...So they are going to put a 3 core high efficiency set of cores in it.

Had to do chores yesterday so didn't get to work on the ole truck last night.

I did find an automatic steering column that I am going to be buying today...around 250.00...The company I bought it from has original columns and if I am correct they go through them and make sure everything is right....It also is adapted to work perfectly with the 700R4....so I will see when it gets here.

Can I ask who you are getting the steering column from?

[Johns 66]

Originally Posted by Classic v6 GMC's

Can I ask who you are getting the steering column from?

A man named tony..4-5-6 Chevy I think its called

[Johns 66]

Originally Posted by roll_the_dice

John--I commend you for fighting to keep the original engine in the truck. I wish mine had the original engine and trans, I wouldn't change them unless I had to take them off life support! Mine will have a new crate engine and trans (ordered) and although I know it will run great, I wish it was all original like yours!

Keep up the good work.

Thanks Andy.....I know I am changing the transmission and that its not original but that is for usage more than anything...I plan on driving this truck a lot so mileage is a concern.

I know its probably crazy to keep the original radiator, heater cores etc especially since no one will even see the heater core and the radiator..well is a radiator and it would be cheaper to just buy a replacement.....BUT its not the same...probably the same with the motor but just something about having the original motor is better for me.....my other had a ZZ383 Stroker with 425Hp way too much power...couldn't put it to the ground.

Im going to change a few things just for conveniences sake like adding the door jamb switches a few other little things...but like the old truck the way it is.

[roll_the_dice]

Originally Posted by Johns 66

Thanks Andy.....I know I am changing the transmission and that its not original but that is for usage more than anything...I plan on driving this truck a lot so mileage is a concern.

I know its probably crazy to keep the original radiator, heater cores etc especially since no one will even see the heater core and the radiator..well is a radiator and it would be cheaper to just buy a replacement.....BUT its not the same...probably the same with the motor but just something about having the original motor is better for me.....my other had a ZZ383 Stroker with 425Hp way too much power...couldn't put it to the ground.

Im going to change a few things just for conveniences sake like adding the door jamb switches a few other little things...but like the old truck the way it is.

I understand changing the trans, but I like manuals, so that is what I am sticking with. I ordered my engine/trans combo last week along with vintage air, new aluminum radiator from a board sponsor, and a new gas tank. None of those were original on my truck when I bought it. I am going with a crate engine, only a 300HP but with EFI and a 6 speed Tremec T56 trans. I plan to cruise and put some miles on it too. I always have at least one vehicle that is a manual...now I have 3 out of 4 with only my DD not a manual and I looked for a manual when I bought it. Fortunately, my wife prefers a manual also, so she is a keeper. haha

I am probably 3-4 weeks behind where you are, so I plan on using your thread when I start mine. I plan on doing the same...pull the engine so I can do engine bay cleanup and painting...rewire the truck...install new gas tank, then engine, trans, and radiator. Like you, I want the truck mechanically sound before I tackle any cosmetic issues.

It is cool here today...90 degrees..I just got home from taking the truck out...sure will be nice when I have the a/c installed!

[Johns 66]

Originally Posted by roll_the_dice

I understand changing the trans, but I like manuals, so that is what I am sticking with. I ordered my engine/trans combo last week along with vintage air, new aluminum radiator from a board sponsor, and a new gas tank. None of those were original on my truck when I bought it. I am going with a crate engine, only a 300HP but with EFI and a 6 speed Tremec T56 trans. I plan to cruise and put some miles on it too. I always have at least one vehicle that is a manual...now I have 3 out of 4 with only my DD not a manual and I looked for a manual when I bought it. Fortunately, my wife prefers a manual also, so she is a keeper. haha

I am probably 3-4 weeks behind where you are, so I plan on using your thread when I start mine. I plan on doing the same...pull the engine so I can do engine bay cleanup and painting...rewire the truck...install new gas tank, then engine, trans, and radiator. Like you, I want the truck mechanically sound before I tackle any cosmetic issues.

It is cool here today...90 degrees..I just got home from taking the truck out...sure will be nice when I have the a/c installed!

Well Brother its gonna cool off there soon..Starting to rain here now so Im sure its on your way...We needed a good soaking rain.

I didn't even consider a 6 speed manual...really never thought about it...My 2010 Camaro had a 6 spd...BUT since my Randy is gonna build me one and Im not gonna have anything in it...it just seemed like the best way to go for me.


I am keeping all the original parts that I am taking off...even got the cross member out without damaging it, have all the rods, connectors etc...that I am gonna clean up and put way for the future...even if I never put the manual back in it, it will always be an option....

Gonna take the weekend off from the truck, since its Mothers Day and all...I may do a little tomorrow but not for long.

Hoping my gasket sets come in for the heater box so I can get it put back together.

[Captainfab]

Be very careful......you might want to check out the review section of this forum.

Originally Posted by Johns 66

A man named tony..4-5-6 Chevy I think its called

[Johns 66]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Be very careful......you might want to check out the review section of this forum.

Thanks John for the heads up...I wondered why they wouldnt accept paypal or credir cards...
So the search for an auto steering column continues.
I really would like an original one so the look stays the same and I could use my original steering wheel

Love this site and its great members...always helping out.