1970 c10

[dagnabbitt]

So this is my 1970 C10. It is a factory V8, auto, SWB. You might come across them occasionally where you live: but they are rare as hen's teeth where I am. Why would any self-respecting farmer buy something he couldn't get a sheet of plywood in? Or more than four hogs?!

I looked for several years for one in any condition at all. I didn't have much money but I found this one. My friend - who had witnessed me lose out on them in the past said - "just tell the guy you will give him what he wants. On the phone". This was October 2015.

I said I would send the seller the money, he was about 3 hours away... and I would get there about 2 hours and 45 minutes after the money. There was a period of silence... I thought we were disconnected, then he said "ok, no need to send money, just get it tomorrow".

I was there the next day with a borrowed one ton and a trailer I had bought just to pick this one up. This pic is me stopping to check the straps.



Really decent guy. It turned out that he had bought the truck to pull a little holiday trailer for his family: they all were bigger now and he needed money for his 67 Camaro project. He wasn't an idiot, though, he knew that the truck was special. He swapped the stock 307 for a 4 bolt main 350 that he got from another 1970, and stole some of the interior too.

I have put about 60 000 miles on the truck without doing a thing to it. It has simply gotten lighter and lighter every time I slam the door. It does not burn a drop of oil but it leaks a lot and has significant blow by.

I am starting this thread so I might be encouraged to work on it. Highlights already accomplished include replacing the box with one which is not completely rotten.



as well as some 6 bolt ralleys. Honestly that is about it. I need to finish some of my projects so I can get to this one.

Sadly the truck has gone to seed somewhat. Need to get serious about it.

[dagnabbitt]

Being a Canadian truck I have the privilege of posting this too. Kind of interesting.

[yuccales]

I like it!

[68Gold/white]

Thank You for NOT putting a late model bed on it.

I still like your diesel pickup the best!!!

[dagnabbitt]

Thanks for the compliments, I am hoping to clear some space in the shop so I can work on it!

[dagnabbitt]

A friend is moving and her husband is cleaning out the garage and has this 1990 350 that he might give me for free if I want it. It has a bunch of miles on it but I know it runs. In fact, I bought the 700R4 it was mated to off of him a few years ago and rebuilt it for my 81.

Even though I could get it for free I am hesitant to accept it since I might be devoting time and money and space to working on another old engine when I should be considering the crate engine route.

The engine I have in the 70 runs well, does not burn oil, and has all the power I need. But it is developing some significant blowby, and of course it leaks, too. It is an original 1970 four bolt main and if it hasn't been bored out already I would like to pull it and get it rebuilt.

I have a lot of trucks, and having an extra 350 isn't a bad thing. Decisions, decisions. Not sure where this engine was when I needed one a few years ago.

[D.B]

Free is Free, no reason to pass on it. You can get it now and store for future use. No money involved until you work on it. As long as you have the room to store it I would get it.

[dagnabbitt]

I passed on it and yes, regretted it.

[dagnabbitt]

My latest acquisition is this 2003 Chev 3500. It has a 6.0 L96 mated to a RWD 6 speed. It's a dually with a flat deck and a 2000 lb crane, and it has low miles. Just what I need to go to the store for a quart of milk.

It has 128 000 km (about 80 000 miles) on it, and the engine hours are low, too: about 5900. I am really happy about the price I got it for, a RWD is not a desirable truck up here (everything here is 4WD) and that might have something to do with the deal I got, but only partly; I got lucky. I'm really happy with it. It might not be the right transmission for a heavy truck in a Canadian winter but it is right for what I have planned.

When I fired it up it sounds just like my 2010 GMC Yukon XL, which basically has the same drivetrain. That one has 200K miles and it still sounds good too.

I put a Blueprint in my 1981 and I have been thinking about getting another one for my Halloween truck, but I have been contemplating more and more about paying such a big dollar for a crate engine - and currency exchange rate - when I can buy an entire truck for less than that in my own back yard.

I've never done an LS swap before, but I know I would never do it piece by piece: up here we use the whole buffalo.

EDIT: I was way off: it's a LQ4 with a 4L80E.

[dagnabbitt]

I just can't start another build thread, particularly for a truck that I plan to unbuild. But since that might be far off in the future, I will keep up with future developments here.

The truck had a 2000 lbs crane, which appeared to be non-functional and which I have removed. It was really heavy, I think it was maybe 2000 lbs itself. I suggested throwing it directly in the metal bin, my friend would not let me though. It is currently sitting in the corner of the shop and will likely stay there.

I also removed all the amber lights, the light bar, and the spot lights. I plan to trim the headache rack a bit so I can get it on the hoist - long story - as well as relocate the side tool box.

I cut the seat covers off and found really nice seats underneath. A couple hours of cleaning and it is mint. Sitting in the drivers seat you might suppose it is 2003.

A howling noise from the front of the engine turned out to be a worn pulley - one of the rare times I was correct in diagnosing a problem - and the Check Engine light was for a MAP sensor. In short, I have a perfectly running low miles truck and it just needed about $150 in parts.

It has two fuel tanks that are tee'd together. It rides surprisingly nicely for a cab and chassis dually, and has tons of power. I would think something like this would just lumber along but when you put your foot down it passes other vehicles. I like it, it will be a trailer hauler until I am ready to do something else with it.

[dagnabbitt]

Here's the crane. I can't deny it would be useful, a friend of mine and I just hauled an engine in this truck. But it looks so hinky, and it really interferes with my rear view. And it's not in great shape anyway, I wouldn't stand near it when it is under load.

That white stuff is snow.

[dagnabbitt]

I enjoy learning things about the vehicles we work on, and the odder the trivia, the better. Last week I was reading about how 2003-2006 Chevs trucks and vans all have cruise control, but you had to pay for the button on the signal lever to use it. This was the first generation that was drive by wire, and it also predated the steering wheel controls.

Turns out the "myth" is true. I went to the junkyard and uninstalled a multifunction lever from a 2006 Avalanche, and reinstalled it in 15 minutes (two screws) into the Cab and Chassis: this 22 year-old truck now has instant cruise control, just like that. There is even a dash light indicator, which I got to watch turn on for the first time, ever.

Being that this is a 6.0L with posi and 4:10s, the shift point between 3rd and 4th is annoyingly close to the highway speed limit: so this is so nice to have. Aside from driveability, I expect that economy will improve.

I can't stop smiling about this, because this is exactly how I thought things like cruise control worked when I was, like, fifteen years old. Your car didn't come with cruise control? Just put a button on the dash! It's really not too far off from that.

Pictured are the old and replacement multifunction levers.