I'm looking at a '65 C10, with a automatic gear box - how can I check if the truck was born with this gearbox or if it was installed later? And how do I check if the motor is the original one?
I could be wrong but I don't think any of the 60-66 trucks came with power assisted steering. You should research "rez adapter" and look at pictures... the proper installation of power steering box requires an adapter to mount the newer box onto your old frame (one of the bolts doesn't line up). If the truck doesn't have an adapter you will want to correct this for safety reasons and get the adapter (and repair the frame if the previous owner hacked it up). if you are still not sure, ask someone who's more experienced with this to help you. motor. Most 60-66 trucks had inline 6 cylinders either 235, 250 or 292 and some came with a small v8. Run your VIN numbers on the internet and look into the casting numbers located on the side (or back - V8's) of the motor to see what you got. 235/250's look very similar, 292's have taller side covers and "offset" motor mounts due to the location of the distributor.
HI Leyland - Thanks for your answers! What my concern is, if the truck I'm thinking of buying has been modified with a new gearbox. I think the shifter in the cabin looks wrong.. se picture I would expect shifting af the steering whell... Can anyone tell me if i'm wrong? Martin
That's an after market shifter. The factory automatics came with a shifter on the column. Those automatic columns are a little harder to find., but you could check with Brian who lists parts at the top of this page he will probably have one. Also the cabs with the automatics in them were a little different, the tunnel was lower as opposed to the tall tunnel the standard Trans. trucks had. You can't just change the tunnels cause the fire wall is different where the tunnel cover meets the cab. These trucks did have power assist steering also but most people change over to the late model box with the frame adaptor. I hope this helps.....Big Tim
wow, we all have our dumb moments! (that was mine) for some reason I thought you were asking about the power steering gear box.... oh well, that would have been your next question after buying the truck. now you don't have to ask how to install power steering! (you will also need an 80's 2wd box to go along with the rez adapter). you meant the TRANSMISSION gear box!!! ......what Tim said
This is just my opinion. These trucks are not worth a whole lot of money, so to me it is more important to build the truck that I am happy with rather than worry about original parts. On these trucks the more important questions to ask is what is the condition of the roof, pillars, hood and bed sides? Until recently they didn't even make patch panels for these parts and there are no steel replacement parts. Lay on the ground and look at the bottom of the fenders near the mounting bolt. People like to glob mass amounts of body filler in there instead of replacing or fixing. Do the same for the rocker panels and rear cab corners. On the rear cab corners you can pull the seat forward and stick your hand down inside them to feel for any filler. The last place to check is the passenger inner fender. The battery sits on top of this a rusts it out. I'm not saying that if you find these problems to run but look at what you are paying for and decied if it is worth it. Basically I wouldn't pay $10K for a truck with these issues but at $4-$6K it would be worth it. Remember paint can hide alot so look at these areas before you plunk down a huge wad of cash. The interior of the truck looks pretty good. Looks like aftermarket or dealer installed A/C and a B&M truck Megashifter. To find out what motor you have you need the cast number on it http://www.strokerengine.com/SBCcasting.html . It is hard so see with the motor in the truck. It is located on the rear top drivers side of the block. You'll need mirror at least to see it. Another option is to take a valve cover off and the the head casting number. As long as it hasn't been changed, it should let you know what block or blocks it was used on.
