67 C10 lwb to K10 swb conversion project

[68 TT]

Got the better 69 factory A/C cab onto the converted square body 4x4 chassis. Bolted the C20 / 4x4 frame mounts to the new poly 4x4 body bushings then mounted them on the cab & squared it up the best I could.

To give me the articulation it will need I will have to lift the bed about 1/2" off the frame so the body lines will line up with the cab.

Need to get the chassis into my driveway and level before I can secure the cab mount brackets to the frame in the right location. Once that happens I can locate & install the core support brackets and front bumper mounts in the right spot. For now I just installed the 67/68 front clip onto it to get things out of the way.

If it would ever stop raining I could get this thing cleaned up and give it a coat of flat black to protect everything and make it look like less of an eyesore. As it is the thing is seven different colors.

[68 TT]

I got the arm rest off but had to hack saw off one of the mount bolts. Then had to drill out three of the four door panel mounting screws to get the door panel off so I could remove the broken outer door handle.

The driver side is stuck shut now so I have to do the same job on the other side but with the door closed. That ought to be fun. At least the seat is out so I can get to the fasteners.

Door skins are in pretty sad shape. Not sure if I will try to repair them, install another set of doors or put new skins on these.

[68 TT]

Cleaned off the windshield channel to see if I needed to do some rust repair before the glass can go in. Amazingly not a spot of rust in the whole thing. Just needed to remove two layers of paint to see it.

Cleaned off the dash top, scuffed it, hit it with some primer then a coat of flat black to protect it & knock down the glare once the glass goes in.

The inside of the cab I'm not sure if I will paint it satin black or the blue-violet body color. Probably go with body color. Originally this cab was white with a dark green interior.

[68 TT]

Finally found my front driveshaft U-bolts so I put them in. Once the cab is mounted & secured to the frame properly I will get the high hump tunnel installed, fit it with the NP208 shifter and make the column shifter work too so I have the ability to put it in park from inside the cab.

I'm still very much in the trial fit & fabrication stage so once all the fab work is done I will blast this thing apart, rebuild & reseal all the systems that need it and give it all a coat of paint so it looks better.

I need to replace the outer rockers before I can do much in the way of paint though. I finally got a chance to go get a C25 cylinder so I can use smaller solid core wire on my MIG rather than the thicker flux core stuff I have been using in it for the last few years. Now I don't have to try to put the rockers on ad do rust repair with a TIG welder.

[Captainfab]

You're making some good progress

Do you think you'll be driving this by fall?

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

You're making some good progress

Do you think you'll be driving this by fall?

Thanks.

It would be nice to get it on the road by the end of the summer. I am trying to get it on the road as soon as possible in the configuration I want it to be in with the functional EFI & OD auto drivetrain.

I have a ton of work left to do before it hits the road and there is bound to be a bunch of bugs to work out with all the mix & match parts that are on this thing. Ought to be fun.

[68 TT]

Made some progress today. Got the driver side door panel off with the door stuck shut. Only three broken bolts this time instead of four.

The plate & spring from the handle came off the back of the handle and lodged themselves in the lock mechanism so the door wouldn't unlock. Got it cleaned out and the door now opens again. The mechanism is pretty loose and will need replaced with one of my spares as it is finicky to open.

The passenger side feels right but the lock mechanism is stuck in the unlocked position. I hope I can pull it out and free it up but if not I will install another spare latch on that side as well.

Put a coat of cheap flat black spray paint on the rust, yellow, primer, green & white doors after sanding them clean so they are a little less of an eye sore now. They are still quite ugly but that can wait for body & paint down the road.

Put on a good set of door handles so both doors can now be opened from the outside. Yea!!!

[68 TT]

As you can see from the last pic I decided to put the new windshield in to keep the weather, animals & bugs out of my truck and to keep me from breaking the new glass while it was sitting around waiting to go into the truck some time down the road.

I didn't put any sealant on it as it will come back out when I blow the cab apart for rust repair & paint and it will be getting new seals during that process too.

I have put in several square body windshields but never a 67-72 truck one before. Kind of a pain in the rear but once you figure out how it goes it isn't too bad. A little tough to do by your self though as it keeps shifting around. Took me about half an hour to do. Didn't break it either, which is pretty good for my first try with this kind of seal and this truck.

[68 TT]

While I had it cleaned out I cut out the floor for the high hump tunnel.

I left the flanged lip area in place on the floor as a sealant reservoir and to give it a little strength.

I will weld flanged nuts to the underside of the floor pan when I have the cab blown apart for rust repair and paint.

[68 TT]

After the high hump tunnel was in place I could finally bolt down the 90's K1500 truck bench seat I picked up a while ago.

It fits nicely on the level area behind the raised ridge the stock seat front mount bracket sits on and looks like it belongs.

It tips forward so you have access to the fuel tank or storage area behind the seat if you are going to run a rear mounted fuel tank like I am.

I'm thinking about making a set of pull out drawers for under the seat as there is a bunch of clear area under there just begging to be used.

[Captainfab]

Nice progress today

Did you pick up that seat at Pull and Save? I never seem to find one that nice when I'm there. If they're not tore up, someone has thrown a bunch of greasy parts on them.

[QKENUF4U]

nice work.....

im thinking on the guages.. get a used 67-72 glove box door and just mount the newer guages on the back side after cutting correct holes.... (maybe ya already said that but i didnt read the whole thread)

[mcbassin]

Looks like some great progress. I like the seat, I wish I could find one that clean around here. They are always trashed by the time they get to the pull a part yard.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Nice progress today

Did you pick up that seat at Pull and Save? I never seem to find one that nice when I'm there. If they're not tore up, someone has thrown a bunch of greasy parts on them.

Yes, that is where I found it. I was surprised at how nice it was too. I wasn't there for a seat but after seeing it I brought it home anyway. That's usually the way things go out there.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by QKENUF4U

nice work.....

im thinking on the guages.. get a used 67-72 glove box door and just mount the newer guages on the back side after cutting correct holes.... (maybe ya already said that but i didnt read the whole thread)

I'm working on that and trying to come up with a few options to see which one I like best.

I am also messing around with a plain gauge panel and modifying it to take the Camaro gauges. After making it fit I am going to make it look like the truck gauge bezels and cast my own plastic resin copy of the finished product.

I just need some time to play around. The gauges are low on the priority list at the moment though so it may have to wait until winter for the stock looking plastic version.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Looks like some great progress. I like the seat, I wish I could find one that clean around here. They are always trashed by the time they get to the pull a part yard.

Thanks, it felt good to do something that was actually visible for once. So much I have done recently has been time consuming little things nobody sees.

I have ground off 60 rivets and drilled out twice as many holes for the larger 7/16" bolts. I hate rivets.

I was surprised at finding one that nice at the yard too. That's why I grabbed it. Not bad for $20.

[68 TT]

Couldn't stand the hideous, damaged & school bus sized steering wheel on the truck any longer.

I really like the slightly smaller and better material square body steering wheel and had an extra sitting around so I decided to install it.

It's only about 1-1/2" smaller in diameter but it makes a huge improvement.

It is a little thicker in grip diameter and softer too so it fits your hand better.

Much better looking and lined up properly now too. The old one was way off from centered and in sad shape.

[madmopar]

Love your build - glad to see progress again!

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by madmopar

Love your build - glad to see progress again!

Thanks. It is hard to stay focused when you have way too many projects demanding your attention.

I'm hoping to get back on this one as soon as I get the good fenders & doors repaired, painted and put onto the 78 K20. Just need to weld the cup onto the driver side fender & do some minor dent repair then they can get blocked out & painted.

[68 TT]

I sold the 78 K20 today so I really need to get my act together on this truck and the 67 C10. One of them needs to be on the road soon.

I got the bed on the 67 C10 emptied out and disassembled then removed the nicest bed floor from the C10 frame. Did the same to the 69 K10 bed as well.

Got the best bed pieces sorted out and set aside for the 69 K10 then assembled the remainder of the bed parts onto the 67 C10 chassis. Still have to track down the bed mount bolts and put the tail gate on but 67 C10 looks like a whole truck again.

[68 TT]

Tore the beds of both the K10 and C10 apart to get the best pieces out of both for the K10 project.

The bed floor and tubs of the C10 bed were much nicer than what was on the K10 bed but the bed sides & front bed panel were much better on the K10 bed.

Got the worst bed parts put together on the C10 to get them out of the way then dug out the big grinder and went to work removing the PO fabricated rail road track trailer hitch from the K10 frame.

The ends of the frame rails were stress cracked so I cut them out and used the rear frame horn sections from the K5 donor to repair the damage with and to incorporate the center bumper mounts.

[68 TT]

Tried to use the K5 rear fuel tank cross member in the K5 mounting location near the center bumper mounts but that put the fuel tank filler neck right in the middle of a bed floor support rail.

I moved the fuel tank forward five inches so the filler neck and vent tube would be centered between two bed support rails for maximum clearance.

The forward crossmember needs some additional support braces or gussets added to it as the K10 frame is not flat like the K5 piece but the location is correct and level with the frame. It is tacked in place for now. I will make the bolt in brackets to fit the forward K5 crossmember to the K10 frame and bolt it in properly.

Good ground clearance and room to work on the rear end. There might even be room to make the longer 40 gallon Suburban fuel tank fit and clear the bed rails too but I don't have one handy to test it out.

The best part is I now have a 31 gallon fuel tank and it is available new with the EFI fuel pump sump built in for under $100.

I can now remove the in cab fuel tank to give me some much needed in cab storage space and room for some speakers back there too.

[68 TT]

Since I sold my 78 K20 before I did the axle swap to it I have this nice 4.10 geared 14-bolt sitting around and also have the spare parts to convert the front of the Dana-44 to 8-lug as well so I decided to convert the K10 chassis to 3/4-ton axles & 8-lug wheels.

I had been struggling with what to do for wheels & tires on this thing so the conversion to 8-lug will allow me to use the 2500HD option PY0 aluminum wheels I have sitting around on this truck. I love the wheel and was going to put them onto the 78 K20 once the tires on it wore out and needed replaced. That didn't happen before I sold the truck so I still have the bare wheels.

Probably run the stock tire size of 265/75R16 on them with something fairly aggressive like a mud terrain T/A or another similar tire.

Since I also just picked up a 69 shortbed stepside project I am no longer concerned with the gas mileage or ride quality of the 4x4 project truck so the extra weight and load range E tires are no longer a concern.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...13#post4899613

[mcbassin]

Looking good buddy. It looks like you have been makings some good progress. Keep the updates coming.

[68 TT]

Originally Posted by mcbassin

Looking good buddy. It looks like you have been makings some good progress. Keep the updates coming.

Thanks Mike.

This project will get put on hold for a little while until I get the stepside put together and get it on the road. Little to no fabrication time needed on it compared to the 4x4 project, pretty much just clean up, paint and assemble.