The "Work" C10 that became a Shutdown Project

Well way back in 2018 I bought this 68 C10 pickup to be the new work truck and parts hauler. It was rust free and had a brand new 350 small block mated to the original truck 4 speed. Fixed the brake and heater and drove the wheel off for the next year and a half. Ill post the whole redo over various posts as the truck is "done" as they say currently.

 

Some of the fun that year and a half of just using the truck.

 

What led to the redo, while I was driving the truck to work. I hopped in one morning after a rainstorm and saw the floor looking dark, turn the light and see the passenger side floor board full of water. So planned on just pulling the windshield and put a new seal in and redo the sealer around there. Then the world shutdown and that then snowballed to tearing the truck down to shorten it.

 

Bought a complete short box as the long bed was pretty tired and with all the bodywork it needed, ended up tossing it to a buddy who was gonna make some sort of wall hanger out of the tail. The other truck in the background was a 1971 C10 my grandpa bought as a flipper to remember how to cut down a frame. He has been shortening these trucks since the mid 70s but had not done one in about a decade so wanted a different truck to practice on first before my truck.

 

It was then time to move the truck to side shop and start chopping the frame down. My grandpa's method of shortening the frame is to cut the top and bottom legs of the channel off the frame rail to let it slide into the frame under the cab to locate itself and reinforce the cut. We bolted the frame together to hold it and allow for some adjustment to make sure its fully square. Then we tightened the bolts and welded the nuts to then load the truck up to take it to a certified welder to weld the rest of the frame up solid.

 

I dig these trucks. I had 2 of them, a 71 and a 67, both long bed fleet sides. Cool project

 

Gonna be cool! I drove a 68 1/2 ton long bed for years in the 90’s, i loved the three on the tree

 

Once back from getting the frame welded up and getting new exhaust it was time for bodywork and a transmission swap. Pulled the truck 4 speed and borrowed the M21 Muncie 4 speed my grandpa had squirreled away. Found a tri five Chevy passenger car Hurst handle that would fit the seat.

 

For those that dont know, there are 2 floor heights on the 67-72 Chevy trucks. Low hump and high hump. 4WD and 4 speed trucks had high humps that had a bolt in hump. The low humps were part of the stamp and 1 piece. I found a low hump cab that was being cut up and cut the hump out and then took my high hump, laid it over to mark the bolt holes and then drilled and trim a bolt in low hump.

 

Now that the 4 speed was fitted, time to tear the nose off and yank the motor out.

 

Next was finishing tearing the cab apart as now we have gone way past just fixing that leak, lol. Decide it was time for a color change as well so everything needed to come apart.

 

Took the nose, doors and some other stuff to be stripped.

 

Time for more bodywork. Luckily the truck didnt need much so my grandpa and I knocked it out quick. At this point we decided to yank the cab off the frame to make it easier to move it for painting it.

 

While this was happening also worked on dressing the motor up. Since it was a fresh rebuild, just cleaned it up and repainted it. Also check the numbers on it. Block was a 74 350 truck block and the heads were 71 Z/28 open chamber heads. Swapped on a 69/70 Z/28 intake manifold and dressed the motor like a original hi performance small block if it had been available in the trucks in 1968.

 

With the cab off cleaned up the frame and then POR-15'd the whole thing and prepped it for the motor and transmission.

 

With the frame all painted and looking good, stuck the 350 and 4 speed back into it and got the chassis all ready to go for the sheet metal.

 

Then it was finally time to wrap up the bodywork and get the truck in primer and some color. We masked up the panels to spray the white parts of the two tone at the house.

 

Then for the new main color, found a buddy with a proper spray booth that we could rent, so took some days off work masked up the truck again to do the interior of the cab, the jambs and in the inside of the bed in pieces in the booth and finally saw the new color sprayed on the truck. While the truck was originally a red and white two tone truck. I wanted to match my 68 Camaro that I have owned since I was 8. So changed the color to the original Medium Blue Poly that was offered on the trucks in 1968.

 

We then dragged everything back home, unmasked, remasked and then mounted the doors and fenders to the cab to help make sure the metallic all matched together. Somehow got all the exterior panels into the booth with enough room for my grandpa to walk around and spray.

 

With all the painting done, it was time to start reassembly of the truck. Put the big stuff on the firewall while on the dolly, got the box back together and hand polished all the stainless carriage bolts. Fun fact with 68 C10's, while side markers were required for the first time that year. On trucks there were purely reflectors, no lights in them. 69 would see them get wired up.

 

Before long it was time to set the cab back onto the frame. Didnt take pictures of setting it down as it was not OSHA approved, but got it on with no chips or issues.

 

More reassembly of the truck

 

Time to sit the bed on the frame for the final time.

 

Man, that is one solid truck. Looking good. I like the color, too.

 

Getting all the glass all installed, the windshield with the trim is a pain in the rear to do, after 2 tries finally got the thing in. Rear window was no issue.

 

Starting to put the interior in the truck

 

Getting the nose back together.

 

Finishing off the interior, recovered the stock bench with a 71/72 Cheyenne houndstooth cover.

 

Great great work !

 

Beautiful!!! My Dad had a 71 LWB in blue and white, I loved that truck. I wanted it, but some bozo beat me to it . Would love to have a swb like yours, but I prefer the 71-72 grille.