Just another old truck.

[Clarance J]

Hello. New to this project and build forum. I guess theres only one way to get started and thats to jump right in. My name is Earl and my build is 55 1/2 ton. The trucks name is Clarance J. Whiskeybottle. All our trucks have names don"t they? Thats a little too much to say so it"s just Clarance J. I"ve been looking through a lot of the different builds and still have a lot more to read. What better fun can I have besides doing the work. So I"d like to share mine. When I started this build I just wanted a nice near stock daily driver. I"m almost there. I did the usual add ons like power steering, disk brakes on the straigth axel, old 6 gone and replaced by 1965 327, tilt wheel, newer seat , new dash and gauges, etc. Also he had to have a tilt front end because I can"t lay on the fenders anymore being older and a little rounder. So here are some before and after pictures. I"m getting closer to the paint stage. Still working on this picture size thing. Earl from Grants Pas OR.

[Atommik]

Lookig good!! I really like the color and interior so far!!

Welcome to the forum!

[Kim57]

Welcome.
Looks like a real nice build.
Kim

[Russell Ashley]

That's an interesting paint scheme you have going there, looks good. I've never liked the tilt front end treatments due to the cut line through the fender, but after trying to disconnect my oil line while laying on my fender I'm beginning to see the benefit, LOL.

[dubie]

your truck is so bright, I gotta wear shades. Looks like a cool custom in the making. I'm not a fan of yellow on anything but it's not my truck. I am a fan of the tilting front clip though, would you happen to have some more pictures of the hinge and latch set up?

[Clarance J]

First of all I'd like to say thank you for your comments. Its been fun and it ain't over yet. Since I'm short, round, and not real old, 64 this year, if I want to work on Clarance's motor etc, I gotta get to it. So the tilt front end. Here are a couple of pictures of what I came up with. I'm still figuring it out because I've never done this before. Still have think about the latches, not there yet.

[Denee007]

Hi Earl! Welcome to a wonderful site full of really swell folks! I like the idea of hood tilt!
; )
Posted via Mobile Device

[Clarance J]

Hello again. Well dubie you had to ask a simple question. Here are some more pictures. Some have arrows and paragraphs on the back of each one. I tried to make them as confusing as I could so I could understand them. The latches are still in the future. Got a couple of ideas to play around with. With that said, on with the show. I could'nt figure how to explain the pivot point so you got this highly technical blue print. Thanks again.

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by Clarance J

I just wanted a nice near stock daily driver. I"m almost there. I did the usual add ons like power steering, disk brakes on the straigth axel, old 6 gone and replaced by 1965 327, tilt wheel, newer seat , new dash and gauges, etc. Also he had to have a tilt front end

nice truck earl, i like the paint and interior scheme.
though i think you've gone past ''near stock dd'' into restomod land

[Clarance J]

Thanks ogre. You know how it goes, once you take a step off the edge.......... the other day I looked thru your build and saw what you did with the fibre glass and I said to myself COOL. You've given me some ideas.Thanks

[Clarance J]

Hello. Just like to post some more pictures of my project. I bought this truck in Feb 1970. I"ve put a lot of miles on Clarance J over the years and he only left my wife and I stranded one time. But it was'nt his fault. Just poor maintance at that time. The last time he was on the road Sept 1994. Just had other things going so there he sat. He moved me from So. Cal to Ore several times. When I bought him from my brother in 70 the truck had come from Oregon in Jan. He had a black paint job the PO (not my brother) had put on it with a paint brush and house paint. It took a couple years before I had CJ painted yellow. The old 6 got tired so in went a 1964 283. Good motor. Still had the 3 speed and colume shifter. New tires and wheels. In 1975 he got a 1965 327. So were going in the right direction. A muncie 4 speed replaced the 3 speed and a couple of years later a 350 tubro. This truck has been through a lot of changes, some good and some not so good. So now hes got the 327 bored out for the third time. 10 over then 30 and last at it cleaned up at 40 over. And now he has a 5 speed out of a 85 S-10. Gotta go . Post more later Earl from Grants Pass OR

[Denee007]

Hey Earl! great pics and I love the history lesson on your truck! You're so fortunate to have detail on when it left the factory up to this day! I hope someday to learn more about my truck, where it's been, what part of the country it has been, etc. I wonder if there is a way to find out the previous owners and actually contact them, then make a "familiy tree". These old trucks are such a unique part of our recent history~ Truly the Hearbeat of America, when America was putting out its own great cars and trucks on the road! In essence, these trucks are true time capsules~ A blast from our past!

[Clarance J]

Yes they are, and the best part is It's not over yet.

[Clarance J]

And the posts continue. I've got alot of pictures that I want to share and so many places that I could start. When I got the truck most of the gauges did work but slowly died and would be replaced with a under dash unit. After looking at the old gauge cluster for so many years I decided it was time for something different. I liked the look of the aluminium dashes but not the billet stuff. And even though the after market gauges were not to far out of my price range they were a no go. So how do you get your cake and eat it too?

[Kim57]

Nice work on the gauges.
Kim

[Clarance J]

More dash pictures. Tolal cost close to 175.00.

[Clarance J]

Thank you Kim

[BIG10SILVERADO]

Love the color combo. Can't wait to see it together.
Posted via Mobile Device

[shadow1967]

Hey Clarance J,
Great looking truck! And it's not just another old truck. IT'S YOURS. With the bold colors and the flip front, you will be hard pressed to find another. And yours has history.

[Kim57]

Looks real nice in there. Nice colors.
Kim

[Clarance J]

Oh boy, here we go again. More pictures. Had to get the old sewing machine out for this one. My wife let me use the kitchen table to cut out the material and I set my sewing machine up in her sewing room. She sews quilts. My upholstery machine is an old Phaff H145. Still works pretty good for being over 30 years old.

[Clarance J]

I guess by now that you know that I like yellow. And Lt Aqua.

[Clarance J]

As you can tell by the dates I'm not real fast but I just keep plugging along. Some days you wish it would end and in some ways hope it never will.

[Kim57]

The seat came out real nice.
Kim

[Denee007]

Really nice! I love the colors!
dne'

Originally Posted by Kim57

The seat came out real nice.
Kim