Gathering info for a restoration

[65 c10 project]

Hi folks, I've been reading all over the internet gathering info for a restore project I'm going to start in the next 2 years.
I have a 1965 C10 fleetside truck that I got from my grandpa a few days ago.
The body is in pretty good shape, not a lot of dents, and there's only one rust hole in the drivers side bedside, the interior is in rough shape though, it was parked in the woods for at least 10 year with the drivers side window partially down and the small vent window open.

The floor pan is just about rusted through most places, the seat upholstery looks terrible, but the dash doesn't look to bad.

The drivetrain appears to be in decent shape, my Dad said that the truck ran a little less than 20 years ago because he would go start it now and then and just let it run, but he didn't stay up on it because he lived 2,000 miles away so it finally got to a point where it wouldn't run and he didn't try to fix it then.

My plans for the truck are to keep it mostly original, the drivetrain will be updated a little though, I would like to put a 5.3 vortec in it with a T56 trans, and do the big back window conversion.

I have a few questions though, what HP/TQ can the rear differential handle? Does anyone make factory suspension parts? All the springs and other parts I see are lower the truck and I don't really want that.

IMG_0251 by smithbartley
IMG_0259 by smithbartley,
IMG_0257 by smithbartley,
IMG_0253 by smithbartley,
IMG_0255 by smithbartley,

[pimpston65]

first, welcome to the forum. glad you found the real source of ALL your questions.
second, after being neck deep in 2 builds. 65 stepside bbw, 66 4x4 burban. this is too much for you!!!
third, just send it to me. as you see i could use a fleetside in my "fleet"...

[duallyjams]

take lots of pics tag and bag every nut washer and bolt.

[65 c10 project]

Originally Posted by pimpston65

first, welcome to the forum. glad you found the real source of ALL your questions.
second, after being neck deep in 2 builds. 65 stepside bbw, 66 4x4 burban. this is too much for you!!!
third, just send it to me. as you see i could use a fleetside in my "fleet"...

Thanks
It may turn out to be, this will be the most complex project I have taken on, thankfully not the biggest though.

Originally Posted by duallyjams

take lots of pics tag and bag every nut washer and bolt.

Thanks
I'll definitely bag and tag everything that comes off, and I'll try to get lots of pictures, but I have a habit of forgetting about pictures when I'm elbows deep in a project.

[Captainfab]

Welcome to the forum

How much HP/TQ will the 12 bolt withstand will depend on a few things. The biggest will be how big of a tire do you plan to run and will they be sticky tires? You can put all sorts of power thru a differential with a skinny tire that will just go up in smoke. But when you put on a set of wide and or sticky tires is when you will find the weak link. Also an open diff will be more forgiving than a posi/locker. A manual trans will be harder on a differential than an auto trans. I wouldn't be afraid to put 450-500 HP/TQ thru a basically stock 12 bolt, that is in good condition, with moderately sized tires. If you get over 500 HP/TQ and or a set of wide/sticky tires, I would at least upgrade the axles and a good posi/locker.

With that said, there are a few guys over in the Racing and High Performance section that are running 12 bolts in their drag trucks.

[65 c10 project]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Welcome to the forum

How much HP/TQ will the 12 bolt withstand will depend on a few things. The biggest will be how big of a tire do you plan to run and will they be sticky tires? You can put all sorts of power thru a differential with a skinny tire that will just go up in smoke. But when you put on a set of wide and or sticky tires is when you will find the weak link. Also an open diff will be more forgiving than a posi/locker. A manual trans will be harder on a differential than an auto trans. I wouldn't be afraid to put 450-500 HP/TQ thru a basically stock 12 bolt, that is in good condition, with moderately sized tires. If you get over 500 HP/TQ and or a set of wide/sticky tires, I would at least upgrade the axles and a good posi/locker.

With that said, there are a few guys over in the Racing and High Performance section that are running 12 bolts in their drag trucks.

I would like to run factory or close to factory size, I'm not sure what tire I'm going to run yet but I'm thinking a classic looking all terrain would look right.

I was just curios if I would have to replace the rear axle with the 5.3 but it doesn't sound like it.

[GVDobler]

If you use original size tires, you won't have enough traction to do any damage to the rear end. Pick up rears are light and easy to light up the tires. 400 hp will just make you friends with the local tire store.

[Clyde65]

if your serious about an LS conversion, pick what kind of truck you want to have after, daily cruiser, weekend hard core etc.

I agree with bag and tagging everything you take off, even if you will replace it, you know how it went on and which bolts, also take pictures, lots of pictures.

I would start with small areas like frame, then when all is done on that, do cab repairs, then bed, etc etc. this will make things not seam so huge. Also include friends and family, lots of hands make for quicker and less painful work.

Oh and Welcome, good luck with your project, lots of knowledge here on this site!

[forestb]

most of the major parts suppliers have stock suspension components. Classic Industries, LMC, classicparts.com, Brothers and I think even cpp sells some original height springs and shocks.

[65 c10 project]

Originally Posted by GVDobler

If you use original size tires, you won't have enough traction to do any damage to the rear end. Pick up rears are light and easy to light up the tires. 400 hp will just make you friends with the local tire store.

I like the look of the factory size, but I may go a little bit wider (No more than 2" wider).

Originally Posted by Clyde65

if your serious about an LS conversion, pick what kind of truck you want to have after, daily cruiser, weekend hard core etc.

I agree with bag and tagging everything you take off, even if you will replace it, you know how it went on and which bolts, also take pictures, lots of pictures.

I would start with small areas like frame, then when all is done on that, do cab repairs, then bed, etc etc. this will make things not seam so huge. Also include friends and family, lots of hands make for quicker and less painful work.

Oh and Welcome, good luck with your project, lots of knowledge here on this site!

Definitely serious about it, my I6 will probably go to my Dad to go in his '55 3100 and all of my knowledge is in newer motors.
I have a decent DD truck now and I'm not crazy about tons of power, I just want a decently fast truck for the weekends to cruise around in.

Good info, thanks .

My Dad, Sister, Grandpa, and a few friends will be helping me out, always good to make it a family affair.

Originally Posted by forestb

most of the major parts suppliers have stock suspension components. Classic Industries, LMC, classicparts.com, Brothers and I think even cpp sells some original height springs and shocks.

Awesome, I'll have to bookmark those sights, thank you.

[Clyde65]

I have used Classic Parts of america for 26 years, never had an issue that wasnt readily rectified. I will admit, they dont have everything but most what I needed. Also, use the board supporting vendors when you can, they will take care of you. ask tons of questions, lots of knowledge here and its free.

I have a 4.8/4l60e in my truck with a small cam, headers and tune. It does very well with mileage and can get up too. not a 6.0 liter but it suits me well. these motors are the least expensive LS motors and are plentiful. You can also run a turbo on them too!

[65 c10 project]

Little update on this, I went up to my grandparents place today and hauled it back down to my house.
Truck has 146K miles on it (Odometer says 46,748.8 and my grandpa said it has only turned over once).
I learned a little more history today also, my grandpa bought it in '70 and my Dad, Aunts, and Uncle all learned to drive in this truck. The last year it was driven on the road was '85.

My Uncle has convinced me to keep factory drivetrain if it's not in terrible condition, to some internal work and keep the 3 on the tree.

[65 c10 project]

Pulled the spark plugs and valve cover, soaking the cylinders in ATF/Acetone/Marvel mystery oil, and diesel.
The starter works, it rotated the crank 1/4 turn but that's all it will turn, I think it's the #2 cylinder that's frozen as that was the only cylinder that stayed completely full of diesel after 5 minutes.
When I first started working on it the #4 intake valve was open, with the 1/4 turn the #4 intake valve has closed and the #1 intake valve has opened.

I'm going to take the cover off of the flywheel to see if I can get more leverage on it to turn the crank back some and work it.

[jdl71]

Have you tried turning the engine over by hand at all or just the starter? I see where you said you were going to try the flywheel, but I wasn't sure if you'd tried something else already. A socket and long breaker on the balancer bolt should be much easier. If it won't budge by hand let it soak a few more days. If it moves with reasonable effort, your starter/battery may be weak.

Also, coil springs, shocks etc you can still get from a local NAPA store and probably Orielly, autozone etc. I also know I've seen them listed at Rock Auto. Good luck with your project.

[65 c10 project]

Originally Posted by jdl71

Have you tried turning the engine over by hand at all or just the starter? I see where you said you were going to try the flywheel, but I wasn't sure if you'd tried something else already. A socket and long breaker on the balancer bolt should be much easier. If it won't budge by hand let it soak a few more days. If it moves with reasonable effort, your starter/battery may be weak.

Also, coil springs, shocks etc you can still get from a local NAPA store and probably Orielly, autozone etc. I also know I've seen them listed at Rock Auto. Good luck with your project.

I haven't tried anything by hand except the belt around the pully and pulling, and a pipe wrench stuck into the open space of the bully and pulling on it.
Pulling with the pipe wrench moved it a tiny bit, but it kept slipping off.

The front pulley/balancer doesn't have a nut to put a socket on and the center is a tapered round hole (I believe it's to center a pulling tool), there are 3 threaded holes in the pulley that I'm going to try to run bolts into and put a breaker bar on those also.

I don't currently have a battery in the truck, I just ran jumper cables to the terminals and jumped the starter switch on the starter solenoid, I honestly should have tried with a weak battery and it probably wouldn't be jammed so tight.

The starter may be weak, It's a re-manned starter from (I believe) the late 70's, I wasn't really expecting it to work.

[65 c10 project]

Well guys after getting busy with school and work I may actually be able to make some time and have a place to work on this.
We are currently in escrow on a house that has a 30x40 shop so I'll have a place to tear it apart and start working on it.

After we get moved in I gotta do some work on my dads 6.0 F250 which will require cab removal (Head studs, oil cooler, fix a leaking injector), so I figure it'll be mid-late november before I start rolling on this.

I plan on pulling the hood and front fenders, pulling the engine and trans and then start cleaning the body, fix rust spots, repair/replace the floor pan.
After doing some research I'm not going to go OE with the motor, I am going to look for a 4.8 or 5.3 and put a T-56 or NV3500 behind it as can get a junkyard 4.8 or 5.3 for $200.

It'll end up taking longer than expected but currently I'm hoping to have it road worthy by December of '17 so I can drive it up to Virginia to my uncles auto body shop to paint.

[franken]

You may not like this, but tearing it apart is perhaps not a good idea. Check the meaning of entropy.
I'd suggest (in order), washing the crap out of it inside and out, top to bottom, including the engine and engine bay, getting it running, fixing the brakes, changing all fluids (oil, trans, brake, diff), then making the electrical bits work. Then get it inspected, registered, and make the interior presentable. Then drive it--you may hate the old girl.
Doing the above will decide the fate of the truck and is a lot of work.
Pulling it apart as step one (unless you've done it before and have cubic money, no wife, GF or children) is a recipe for a never finished project.

[65 c10 project]

Originally Posted by franken

You may not like this, but tearing it apart is perhaps not a good idea. Check the meaning of entropy.
I'd suggest (in order), washing the crap out of it inside and out, top to bottom, including the engine and engine bay, getting it running, fixing the brakes, changing all fluids (oil, trans, brake, diff), then making the electrical bits work. Then get it inspected, registered, and make the interior presentable. Then drive it--you may hate the old girl.
Doing the above will decide the fate of the truck and is a lot of work.
Pulling it apart as step one (unless you've done it before and have cubic money, no wife, GF or children) is a recipe for a never finished project.

No wife, Gf or kids, just school, work and guns (The first 2 drain time, the latter drains money).

I'm not sure how close she is to running condition currently, the engine is still siezed so I'll be pulling it to unsieze/ rebuild.
The rebuild kit and machine work (If needed) is more than a new engine.

[TJ's Chevy]

Originally Posted by 65 c10 project

Well guys after getting busy with school and work I may actually be able to make some time and have a place to work on this.
We are currently in escrow on a house that has a 30x40 shop so I'll have a place to tear it apart and start working on it.

After we get moved in I gotta do some work on my dads 6.0 F250 which will require cab removal (Head studs, oil cooler, fix a leaking injector), so I figure it'll be mid-late november before I start rolling on this.

I plan on pulling the hood and front fenders, pulling the engine and trans and then start cleaning the body, fix rust spots, repair/replace the floor pan.
After doing some research I'm not going to go OE with the motor, I am going to look for a 4.8 or 5.3 and put a T-56 or NV3500 behind it as can get a junkyard 4.8 or 5.3 for $200.

It'll end up taking longer than expected but currently I'm hoping to have it road worthy by December of '17 so I can drive it up to Virginia to my uncles auto body shop to paint.

What research on the 6 cylinder did you do? They can be mildly modded for some decent power. Though a LS swap is cheaper. A turbo 6 cylinder is cooler. Just sayin.

[bj383ss]

Welcome to the forum. Great story and truck. Advice I can offer. I agree with what was posted above. Get in running first and drive it just a little bit before you tear it all the way down. I did this on mine and drove it and decided my direction for about a year. I am now in year four of restore and it hasn't been run or driven since summer of 2013. I almost have the engine ready to start again.

Second piece of advice is on the suspension parts. Look up Moog part numbers on O'rielly's or whatever parts store you use and then go to Amazon and put in the part numbers. The prices will be half of what the parts store is charging. I got all Moog frontend factory rebuild parts for mine from Amazon for about $350. The same exact parts at O'rielly's were over $700. And I have prime so I got free 2 days shipping on all of it.

Good luck and it is your truck so decide what you want to do. A lot of guys go LS or 350 sbc over the 6. I have a buddy with an original 235 in his. He has blown it twice going to car shows with the original 3 on the tree trans. But it is a very unique looking engine.

Bret

[65 c10 project]

Originally Posted by TJ's Chevy

What research on the 6 cylinder did you do? They can be mildly modded for some decent power. Though a LS swap is cheaper. A turbo 6 cylinder is cooler. Just sayin.

I read through multiple threads on rebuilding and adding power, not tons but enough to know I could make 200+ with a 250 (Converted from the 230) with a Carb, Intake, 250 cam, and either v8 pistons or have the head machined to up compression a little bit.

I googled around for rebuild kits and they're $150+ and that's just to get it to stock 230/250, not accounting for machine work, and I need a new Carb.
So $300 plus machine work for a factory I6 (not considering new radiator/hoses, etcetera in this figure) and that buys me a EFI motor with more power with the ability to add even more power fairly easily.

Right now I just want a truck for cruising on the weekends down near the beach and for cruising the coast (Big annual event down here in Miss.), not looking for massive power but i don't really want to be limited if I do want to make it into a tire killer.
Also as it will sit up a little bit (Probably not gonna drive it every weekend) I don't really want to fool with Carbs, I deal with them on my ATV and they're high maintenance vs EFI.

While a turbo I6 would be cool If I kept the I6 it would be NA to keep a factory look.
With the LS I essentially want to do what DayJ1 did with his '72.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=668385

Originally Posted by bj383ss

Welcome to the forum. Great story and truck. Advice I can offer. I agree with what was posted above. Get in running first and drive it just a little bit before you tear it all the way down. I did this on mine and drove it and decided my direction for about a year. I am now in year four of restore and it hasn't been run or driven since summer of 2013. I almost have the engine ready to start again.

Second piece of advice is on the suspension parts. Look up Moog part numbers on O'rielly's or whatever parts store you use and then go to Amazon and put in the part numbers. The prices will be half of what the parts store is charging. I got all Moog frontend factory rebuild parts for mine from Amazon for about $350. The same exact parts at O'rielly's were over $700. And I have prime so I got free 2 days shipping on all of it.

Good luck and it is your truck so decide what you want to do. A lot of guys go LS or 350 sbc over the 6. I have a buddy with an original 235 in his. He has blown it twice going to car shows with the original 3 on the tree trans. But it is a very unique looking engine.

Bret

Thanks.

I may do that, I'm just not sure if it's worth it for me to do that as the $500 or so that it costs to get it running could pay for an engine and a few of the accessories to make it look antique.

I'll definitely do that, hadn't even thought of it, thanks.

Thanks, yeah as far as cost, power, and parts availability the LS wins, the only reason for me to keep the I6 and 3 on the tree is to keep it original.

[TJ's Chevy]

Originally Posted by 65 c10 project

I read through multiple threads on rebuilding and adding power, not tons but enough to know I could make 200+ with a 250 (Converted from the 230) with a Carb, Intake, 250 cam, and either v8 pistons or have the head machined to up compression a little bit.

I googled around for rebuild kits and they're $150+ and that's just to get it to stock 230/250, not accounting for machine work, and I need a new Carb.
So $300 plus machine work for a factory I6 (not considering new radiator/hoses, etcetera in this figure) and that buys me a EFI motor with more power with the ability to add even more power fairly easily.

Right now I just want a truck for cruising on the weekends down near the beach and for cruising the coast (Big annual event down here in Miss.), not looking for massive power but i don't really want to be limited if I do want to make it into a tire killer.
Also as it will sit up a little bit (Probably not gonna drive it every weekend) I don't really want to fool with Carbs, I deal with them on my ATV and they're high maintenance vs EFI.

While a turbo I6 would be cool If I kept the I6 it would be NA to keep a factory look.
With the LS I essentially want to do what DayJ1 did with his '72.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=668385

If yours was a 230 all you would need is a crank and rods to make it a 250. But that LS conversion in that 72 was pretty sweet. Much more out of the ordinary. The 292 I did was fairly spendy, but is all American and will make 300+ hp and 330 torque. Still room for boost. And will be plenty reliable as the build relied mainly on a little more cam, boost in compression, and increased air flow. Nothing major for more power.

[65 c10 project]

Finally allocating a tiny bit of time to this, my dad has a '87 Suburban with the 350 (EFI) and auto trans in it that he's been planning on scrapping and our plan now is to pull the engine/trans to put at least the engine in 65, possibly the auto trans but i would like to run the 3 on the tree.

I've been doing some reading and it appears as though the 350 uses the same towers as the 230/250, and the 3 on the tree will bolt up to the 350. Not sure if the I-6 radiator will work.

[rvrfoot]

Cool info on it.

[Mack B]

Originally Posted by 65 c10 project

Finally allocating a tiny bit of time to this, my dad has a '87 Suburban with the 350 (EFI) and auto trans in it that he's been planning on scrapping and our plan now is to pull the engine/trans to put at least the engine in 65, possibly the auto trans but i would like to run the 3 on the tree.

I've been doing some reading and it appears as though the 350 uses the same towers as the 230/250, and the 3 on the tree will bolt up to the 350. Not sure if the I-6 radiator will work.

It's worth mentioning that the front crossmember off the suburban (if it's a 2 wheel drive 1/2 ton) will be a bolt in for your truck giving you disk brakes if that's something you are interested in. The steering box can also be adapted if that interests you.

Good luck on your project!