1969 Chevy CST/10 comes home [Long-term project "OrangeCrush"]

[texanidiot25]

So, headers that we have, dont fit. Damn. Sweet set of ceramic coated shorty headers, but wont fit between the frame rails.




Got the transmisison crossmember bolted in, horns replaced (another free-be from a Caddy, original one was dead), the newly straightened grill back in, alternator water pump pully, and the beginning of HELL.... Wiring.

Ahh, look at that. No big gap at the top like before.




Beep beep.. Wired in the snail... I mean horns


We may get the drive shaft in, not totally sure. Its purty rusty, and its no loss to go and get a custom one made, thats a one piece, and not the two piece like original. Better actually...


If I ever hear any one tell me their car is dirty, try the frame rails of this truck. The grease was so caked in around the crossmember bolts, I had to spend time trying to clean them off, just to get a wrench on there. Only to get showered with dirt and more caked on grease every time you knocked something or turned a ratchet hard enough Goood times..

Now just working on wiring, which is slow, slow work. The guy who owned it before my neighbor, really did a crack-job of bad wiring. Lets say one wire alligator clips to another wire, which again alligator clips to the fuse block....


MMMMMMM, so clean I eat with them

[texanidiot25]

Gettin closer to the road!

Wrestled the drive shaft back in today. That was a trip to do while on your back in the driveway. Got the ignition all wired up, so in theory it works (didn't try it..). So, now it has the ability to move under it's own power. Not going to push my luck though until I get some headers/manifolds atleast, and a radiator hooked up... and the last bit of shift-linkage.

Its gettin close to moving!

Now, it needs a good supension and brakes overhaul.. One of the previous owners stuck bolts into the In between some coils on the rear coil springs to compensate for the sagging... so new springs all around, new shocks (you would be suprised how much this will rock by lifting at the fender), put in the Escalade sway-bar up front. Then for brakes were converting it to front disk brakes, so when we order that kit, comes with some lowering spindles. so probably a 2 or 3 inch drop up front, with a 4 inch drop in the back (with new springs).

Then some wiring, interior, and head lights....

Seeing the light at the end, no matter how slight it is!.

[texanidiot25]

Just a bit done, with the Christmas parts I got. Got under, and took off the cable-style shift linkage from the transmission, and put my piece on. And adjusted the column back into the ball park of being right. It was off to the point where it would easily click out of reverse. Kinda wierd now to shift the column, and having the transmission click into gears.

Got a bit of work to get the radiator to fit.

Aluminum radiator for christmas

More of the Christmas parts:

Tail light lenses, since mine were cracked, barely reflective, and ugly:

Old on the left, new on the right

Headlight bezels!

Will probably paint them black, since their too shiny for my grille...

So, so, so close to a test drive........

[bhunt31]

did you ever get your vin decoded? I think I have a catalog out in the garage that has vin decoding info in it for that year. I also have a 69 CST/10.

[texanidiot25]

Originally Posted by bhunt31

did you ever get your vin decoded? I think I have a catalog out in the garage that has vin decoding info in it for that year. I also have a 69 CST/10.

Yup, I found the decoder on this site.

[texanidiot25]

Yup, motor and transmission mounts came in today, thanks to NAPA.

Tomorrow we go and grab it, and repaint it. Let that dry over night, and then start work saturday morning.

Cant wait, the week has been a drag, but can't wait til friday night!

Ill post plenty of pics and what ever video I can.

[texanidiot25]

With out further ado, the dog has it's bone.

Last night:


Today:





More later, Im gonna bum out for a bit. Busy day

[texanidiot25]

Mkay, story time.

Last night we dropped by the shop to pick up the motor, loaded it, and our engine stand back into the truck and headed home


And then stripped it down that night.



'bout 10 in the morning, got to work. Repainted the block Chevy Orange engine enamal.

before


after


Now sadly the engine's paint is better than the truck's

Then you guys know the fun game of dropping an engine and transmission in:




Had to take the manifolds off because they got in the way of the motor mount brackets. Otherwise fit like a charm. And luckily the tail shaft on the transmission was unchanged from when it was in a 70s C10 (lived the rest it's time in a '69 Camaro), so the drive shaft will fit too. We'll rebolt all the accessories on at a later time...

But, main thing is, IT RUNS. This motor is amazingly new. Even the exhaust valves were still clean. When they said freshly rebuilt, no kidding. Transmission is the same way, which they said was rebuilt years back too. Best $750 spent.

YouTube - The CST/10 Lives! 1st runs

< YES!

[70cst]

Won't be long till Orange Crush will have some new life "squeeezed" into her!

[earl87gta]

Looks good in there you will have it running be bore you know it.

[70cst]

Originally Posted by earl87gta

Looks good in there you will have it running be bore you know it.

I like it.

[texanidiot25]

Originally Posted by 70cst

Won't be long till Orange Crush will have some new life "squeeezed" into her!

Haha, catchy. Thanks

Originally Posted by earl87gta

Looks good in there you will have it running be bore you know it.

It is runnin'! Check out the video if you can: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjdGornploQ (engine only clips)

Just off the gas in the carb, but it runs beautifully.

[earl87gta]

I guess I need to lern how to spell. sounds good so when is it goign to be back on the road.

[drivethechevy]

very nice truck, i have myself the same highschool and money pit issue that u are probly having, right now im starting to work on restoring my second one with the help of my dad and grandpa, these trucks trully are the best, idk what your school is like but at mine no one touches my daily driver, its not the greatest of trucks but it looks nice and it runs well, when u start driving it expect to have lots of gawkers and notes on your windsheild saying sweet truck, great project, youd be suprised at how much respect it will get you driving a clasic truck i know i was when i started driving mine, good luck with it

[70cst]

Update please?

[70cst]

ttt

[texanidiot25]

Originally Posted by drivethechevy

very nice truck, i have myself the same highschool and money pit issue that u are probly having, right now im starting to work on restoring my second one with the help of my dad and grandpa, these trucks trully are the best, idk what your school is like but at mine no one touches my daily driver, its not the greatest of trucks but it looks nice and it runs well, when u start driving it expect to have lots of gawkers and notes on your windsheild saying sweet truck, great project, youd be suprised at how much respect it will get you driving a clasic truck i know i was when i started driving mine, good luck with it

Thanks man.



Sorry, very busy with school so Im rarely on during the week. The only updates is that were gonna use a set of ceramic coated shorty headers of the Tuned Port thats in storage. I'll see what else I can convince him to pull off

Next weekend we will maybe pull the tank out and check it. Kinda broke on money so things are slow again.

[earl87gta]

looks like you have it close to being ready to drive.

[drman929]

Looks great! You might want to think about getting a set of those cheap ramhorns from ebay. IIRC, they're like $30 a piece.

[drman929]

Here's what I was talking about-

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/EXHAU...mZ330178784579

I can't find the other side though?

[texanidiot25]

Yup, were gonna see what hits us locally, for cheaper. The truck already has pipes set up for long tube headers.... bah we'll figure it out.

[texanidiot25]

YEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YouTube - The CST/10, new headers, full exhaust,...

Left the camera at home, so the audio is off my cell phone.. Bare with the poor quality.

The truck sounds like a BEAST, open headers is a dream... But now the truck breathes through a set of dual 2 and 1/4 inch exhausts, and through a pair of mystery turbo muffles.. The truck sounds great, nice, rumbling idle, but with a great bark when you get on the gas.. so to speak. The closest thing I can say to the sound of this truck, is Christine, from Stephen King's movie, Christine:

YouTube - Christine - Final Battle Scene

[QKENUF4U]

NICE MAN !!! im jealous, mine was gonna be hugger orange when done but its gone now so thats a dead dream.
nice find.

[hilljob26]

That Was A Great Start Of A Project And Even A Better Finish.nuttin Like Workin With Pops Is There

[texanidiot25]

Thanks guys! Its a beast. Can't wait to get back over, and play with it more love hearing it run now.

Next up is to jack the engine up, and move the trans cooler lines. We accidently routed them through the frame-motor-mount, and they hit the headers. Then a set of 90* spark plug boots. And, top off the tranny fluid. Then, gotta figure some sort of fan/shroud idea. Check and clean the gas tank, and may be able to get a test drive with in a month or so.

Also going to try my best to make it to the houston meet.