I purchased a 65 chevy c10 recently. It is in bad shape. I mean really BAD shape. It has enough wiring to get it started (no alternator) and that is it! the body shop told me that both bedsides would need to be replaced. The floor is rusted through. The steering shaft won't stay attachted. And the winshield is cracked. However, I figure with a few thousand dollars, and a lot of hard work, it will be a great truck. the question is, where do I start?
I said that about five or six thousond ago and I figure I only have five or six thousnd to go , and my truck still isn't painted . I started with engine , wiring ,tires and brakes . Good luck LostinAl35986
Depends on whether you're gonna do a frame on or frame off restora- tion. I purchased a book on restorations first. It had alot of useful information. Most of it is pure common sense. I wasn't going to do a full frame off on my '64, but that's what it has turned into. The difference is that a frame off takes alot longer so you won't have the use of the vehicle for a longer period. The up side is that when you are finished, for all purposes you have a brand new vehicle. If you need the vehicle to be available while you're working on it, you do a frame on. The down side is that you will not be able to get to every part, blast the frame, etc. We have tried to do parts as 'assemblies' and we progress in a manner which makes the most sense to us. First was the frame. Then, we began doing multiple assemblies. While we were checking/blasting the control arms, crossmember, trailing arms, etc., I was processing a 283. While we were installing the front suspension, I was researching the rear- end. While I was turning the 283 into a short block, we were research- ing something else. That is about where we are now. I will install the completely rebuilt rearend this weekend. When it is done, I will have a rolling chassis minus brakes. I will then concentrate on the cab sheetmetal. It is a much better use of my time to work on multiple things at once. Also, if you run into a snag, you don't have to stop work. You can continue on something else. If you do a frame off, don't throw anything away, no matter how bad it is, until you are sure what you are going to do to rebuild or replace it. We learned the hard way. Good luck.
I wasn't planning on a frame off restoration, just to get it decent enough to drive without being the ugliest, smokiest, and loudest truck in town.
My philosophy is pretty simple: First - Make it stop safely(including the parking brake) Second - Make it steer safely (from the steering wheel, shaft, rag joint, steering gear, steering arm, tie rod ends, ball joints, front wheel bearings and any other parts in between) Third - Any other safety issues (gas tank, u-joints, hoses, glass, radiator, wiring, gauges, cab mounts, etc.) Fourth - Make it go Finally - Make it look good The hardest part about a daily driver is knowing when to say when. Spending a week color sanding a panel just to have some yahoo at the Food King put a door ding in it doesn't seem like a good use of time. My 65 is a driver and I use what I call the 'ten-foot-rule'. If the body work looks good from ten feet away, then it's good enough. I've had to cut a bunch of rust out of mine and in hindsight I wish I would have waited until I came across a good clean cab. It would have been less time and effort in the long run. My bed was shot as well, but since it wasn't going to be a factory condition restoration, I just got a patch panel for the worst section and did the best I could with the hammer, dolly, and bondo. My truck is a factory 4wd and the frame hasn't been butchered up so if I come across a primo cab and bed, I could still make it a high quality restoration. Don't do anything to the frame that can't be undone and you'll have that option down the road. Check out my rust bucket at http://www.community.webshots.com/user/65k10 You'll see what rust issues I ran into and how a complete novice tried to fix it!
I appreciated your post...I just bought one too!.... maybe we could swap stories...where did you get your windshield? I need on too 1965-Chevy-Longbed-Fleetside 1st-rodstore-project-ever!
Just go down to your local auto glass stores and see what they've got, and what they can order. You'd be suprised. Be prepared to spend about 300 for the winshield and the weatherstrip.
Been a while since an update. New springs in the rear, now plywood bed floor, started body work. A word of advice, the Ron Francis kits, while was still pretty easy, is application specific. spent about an hour changing over connectors. Do not do what I did and order it off of ebay.
sounds like you your truck is couming along nicely keep on the work,once you start fixing or restoring somthing you cant stop i started my 65 in 99 and 20,000 later from ##### to toenails mines been redone but it's not painted yet good luck and have fun. oldtin!
