1968 C10 Stepside Restoration Project

[68 C10 Driver]

We inherited a 68 C10 that has been in the family since the 80s. Was the father-in-law's, then was passed on to a brother-in-law, and upon his passing it sat from 2004 until we brought it home in 2018. Here are some photos of the truck after we got it home.

[68 C10 Driver]

Once we got a chance to look at it it was obvious it had the usual rusted out areas, but at first glance didn't look too bad.

[68 C10 Driver]

More photos of the truck as we started our teardown:

[1Rusty90]

Awesome project. Keep the updates coming.

[68 C10 Driver]

Teardown continues and we are able to remove the front clip and pull the cab off and place it on a roll-around dolly. This made inspection of the cab so much easier (shout-out to PaulkC10 on YouTube!). My daughter was eager to help sand on the firewall!

[68 C10 Driver]

So I started cutting out the rotted metal and purchased the patch panels. I figured that I would get a welder and teach myself to weld. Again, for things like this, YouTube is your friend!

[68 C10 Driver]

And then the rocker went on and I also worked on the passenger side kick panel. The floor area just before the firewall needed a little repair, all in all not too bad on this side of the truck. I then started to move around the door opening which had a bit of rust and places that rusted through. For the most part, this is coming out pretty decent. I was particularly happy with the cab corner.

[68 C10 Driver]

Originally Posted by 1Rusty90

Awesome project. Keep the updates coming.

Thanks! I will keep posting my progress.

[LT7A]

Very cool truck! Best patina I've seen in a long time. Excellent that your daughter wants to help and you set her up with a way to do that.I'm glad that you guys are keeping it in the family and saving it from further weathering.

[68 C10 Driver]

Originally Posted by LT7A

Very cool truck! Best patina I've seen in a long time. Excellent that your daughter wants to help and you set her up with a way to do that.I'm glad that you guys are keeping it in the family and saving it from further weathering.

Thanks, but due to the amount of rot I am unable to keep the patina and have decided to go for a complete restoration. Doing minimal repairs was the original intent but I kept finding more as I worked on it.

[68 C10 Driver]

So, with Christmas almost here I haven't been able to work on the truck. Two young kids have the effect of keeping you occupied. My goal is once Christmas is past, I will get a chance to get on the project and get closer to having the cab done.

Thanks to A1971Blazer, I have a stepside fender on the way with the spare tire cut-out and the mounting bracket. I have always wanted to get one of those, and because they do not make an aftermarket reproduction, an original fender was the only way to go. So thanks A1971Blazer, I will be able to mount that spare without taking up the precious little bed space I have!

[raggedjim]

Nice! I have that trucks brother-cousin waiting for a redo in my back field! Same color, it was a government truck.

Good luck, Rg

[68Gold/white]

Congrats on being able to get after the rust!!!
I like the idea of your daughter wanting to help. I hope she might want to know how to use the welder, she’d be the only one in her class with that skill!!!
Thanks for saving another classic!
What condition do you think the engine was in? I noticed it was it complete.

[68 C10 Driver]

Originally Posted by 68Gold/white

Congrats on being able to get after the rust!!!
I like the idea of your daughter wanting to help. I hope she might want to know how to use the welder, she’d be the only one in her class with that skill!!!
Thanks for saving another classic!
What condition do you think the engine was in? I noticed it was it complete.

Thanks 68Gold/White! I plan on trying to teach her to weld, but I need more practice myself. I am all about teaching the kids to be self sufficient and not having to rely on paying others to do things... if possible.

Cheers-

[68 C10 Driver]

So, in an earlier post there were some photos of the area in the cab's passenger door opening where there was some rust-through and the metal did not fit well. I have gone back and welded up those areas where there were holes due to the rust through and re-worked the area where the metal did not fit together properly.

The other photo here shows the drip rail after I removed the seam sealer and had fixed a dent in the roof just above the drip rail.

[68 C10 Driver]

Originally Posted by 68Gold/white

What condition do you think the engine was in? I noticed it was it complete.

The engine has been without a carb for about 14 or 15 years, I imagine that there may be some rust in the engine itself simply due to the moisture in the air. My plan is to get a crate 350 4-bolt main engine to replace it. My brother-in-law is a mechanic at a Chevy dealer and is interested in the engine for a project. He has all the tools for a major overhaul, so I am giving it to him.

[68 C10 Driver]

So, I was able to get a couple hours to work on the truck and was able to get the outer floor patch panel welded on. I am going to leave more of the weld on this side being that it is the driver's side and I will be in and out constantly from this side. Besides, there will be carpet covering the weld anyway. I will also weld it up from the bottom as well when I flip the cab up on its end and do the bottom work.

[cj847]

How did you and /or don't forget these seams under the cowl. They will rot out everything. Check both sides. Must be water tight.

[68 C10 Driver]

cj847, I haven't forgotten about that, it will be last on my cab "to do" list. I will be using an old inner fender to repair that area. The last thing I want is water coming back into the cab after all my work. The inner fender has the curved surface, so I think it will make for an excellent patch panel. The passenger side is in great shape, I only had to repair a hole that was used to run an antenna lead through.

[68 C10 Driver]

I was able to take advantage of the sunny 65 degree weather today and do a little more work on the truck. Today I was able to repair the driver's side forward cab support and I was also able to start trimming the panel that will finish the driver's side floor. I am trying to be careful and just nip away a little at a time so I won't have to order a new floor section.

My morning was taken up with going to pick-up my fender (with the spare tire cut-out) that arrived - I can't wait to get started on the bed and get that fender on.

Photos coming soon...

[Trucknut57]

Great job, I'm in to see how you fix that inner cowl piece.

[rechinca]

Great work. You may have to cut up that inner cowl and repair those overlap seams. Ask me how I know on that one. It's not fun, but I am glad I removed that whole inner cowl and repaired the lower cowl. It allowed me to address those areas properly and put in better sealer. Plus I found that in many places where there was about a 1/4" gap where the lap seams had spot welds that did not capture properly. It looked a lot like your door frame. Cant wait to see the updates.

[68 C10 Driver]

Originally Posted by rechinca

Great work. You may have to cut up that inner cowl and repair those overlap seams. Ask me how I know on that one. It's not fun, but I am glad I removed that whole inner cowl and repaired the lower cowl.

Rechinca, do you have any photos of what you did? I was hoping to repair mine without cutting the spot welds and removing the cowl and repair it from inside the cab.

[A1971Blazer]

Originally Posted by 68 C10 Driver

So, with Christmas almost here I haven't been able to work on the truck. Two young kids have the effect of keeping you occupied. My goal is once Christmas is past, I will get a chance to get on the project and get closer to having the cab done.

Thanks to A1971Blazer, I have a stepside fender on the way with the spare tire cut-out and the mounting bracket. I have always wanted to get one of those, and because they do not make an aftermarket reproduction, an original fender was the only way to go. So thanks A1971Blazer, I will be able to mount that spare without taking up the precious little bed space I have!

Shaun....thanks for the kind words...and a shout out to Fastenal Blue Lane Freight for the ease of shipping the fender to you
Your progress is looking good...taking your time and doing it right
With the proceeds...I was able to get the non spare cut out fender I needed

[68 C10 Driver]

Originally Posted by A1971Blazer

Shaun....thanks for the kind words...and a shout out to Fastenal Blue Lane Freight for the ease of shipping the fender to you
Your progress is looking good...taking your time and doing it right
With the proceeds...I was able to get the non spare cut out fender I needed
Attachment 2070391

I am glad we were able to help each other out, I look forward to seeing how your truck turns out...mine will take a while I'm afraid. Looks like yours is the right color for your truck!

Cheers-