Allright, I'm really just posting for some general feedback. I've been tooling around with my 65 C10 fleetside for a month or so now, just replacing small thing like locks and the ignition. I'm learning as I go, don't know much really, it's my first project. I've found that the 350 v-8 seems to be working pretty well so far, it just seems to crank everytime so I've decided to shift my focus,er,bank account fundage, to the rusty body. I have new bed parts a la the junkyard to put on myself but my question is.... Has anyone had any experience of letting a body shop do any work in a cab for them? If so what about did it end up costing you? I'm just curious, trying to see if it would be cheaper to learn how to weld and buy equipment myself... I'm a carpenter but I suppose it never hurts to learn a new trade.... Also, I took apart my steering wheel to look for a horn but I can't find the horn contact or even a place for it, am I an idiot or did some of these trucks not come equipped with them? Any way, thanks for all the help in the past...}>
Hi Fu ! First off, Get the Factory Service Manual for the 1963 and the Suppliment for 1965. Other important reference material is the Factory Assembly Manual if you are going to delve into replacement panels. You need to know how a vehicle is put together before you start taking it apart. That knowledge will save you a pile of American dollars in destroyed parts. Our hosts here at ChevyDuty sell the manuals & the parts you will destroy if you don't by the manuals.... I would hazard a guess that any body shop doing medium to major rust repair is going to run into mega bucks. Seek out local friends who have experience to assist you. Care needs to be taken when welding sheetmetal. If you have never done welding before, you can practice on someone elses vehicle a few times first, or seek out friends ! A body shop should be your last option because it will significantly add to the cost. You may be able to justify the additional cost by doing everything else, like suspension, steering & braking, yourself. Best of luck and have fun with it. That's what its' all about. Dennis
Thanks D, I was just waiting for payday to order the manuals you mentioned, Believe me I wasn't about to start tearing stuff apart just yet... Ive narrowed it down to installing new rocker panels, door sills and I'm guessing just straight sheet metal for the floor panels. this should get me where I need to be. I have a friend who is a master welder but he's a very busy man I've done a little welding but nothing like this. Anyway, can you remove the rocker panels or are they an integral part of the cab... it looks like there is a seperation but I can't see much beyond that, no real way to get in there. The guy who sold it to me said I might look into finding a donor cab or something...what do you think? Really all of the rust is concentrated in the areas I mentioned everything else is pretty cherry. have you removed or installed rocker panels before?
Hey fu! I also have a 65' fleetside, and ordered the manual that dennis suggests, it shows all of the spot weld locations, as well as every other bit of information for a complete tear down. As for the horn, the manual also has a complete disassembly for the multiple models of steering shafts, and off the top of my head I recall horn contacts on all. I could be wrong, but maybe someone scavanged it?!?!? I am going to do the welding myself, after purchasing the tools like you are considering, and allocating those funds to having the body metal prep'd properly. It will save me hours of initial sanding, but will not detract from my overall experience, as I will still have to go back and do the body work. I would enjoy seeing what your before & after pics look like, to see what route your 65' is headed.
Thanks A.J., Yeah I've decided to go ahead and do as much as I can on the body myself, except priming. Ahhhhh bondo days are here again. I haven't fooled with that stuff since I was a kid, my brother and I used help the old man with his trucks. I'm figuring the money save there could go towards that new hydrajet carb and maybe a new alternator. Although power brakes would be nice somewhere down the line. Oh and I'll be taking some pics and posting them pretty soon, I'll drop a link when I do. Later, FuManchu}>
I did do rockers on a 71 C10. The method for yours is similar though. I did this when I was being taught how to weld. When you get ready to do your rockers go ahead and buy both the inner and outer and maybe the floor patch pannel. To remove the rockers use a drill to drill out the spot welds. Use a cutting wheel to cut out the floor. Weld in new floor then weld in inner then outer rockers. Since I didn't have a spot welder I drilled holes into the rocker about where theorigional spots welds where and then welded it together. You can also go ahead and weld the seams and then gind them smooth. It will look sweet after it is painted. Good Luck Brian
