Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

Thought I might as well do this!

I bought this truck off craigslist about a month less than a year ago. First time I saw it, the price was beyond ridiculous--$2,400 IIRC! :lol:

But I liked it. Eventually, the guy came down to $900; close enough for me to deal. How about the pictures that made me want it? Here they are!

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

Wow! Looks great, doesn't it? Looked even worse in person. :lol:

So, I went and checked it out; ended up driving it up onto the trailer for $600 (which was really too much for a POS one ton).

Thus begins the journey--actually, the journey began before that. The new C30 was too barbaric for the (borrowed) late-model ('02-'03 IIRC?) F-150 and 16' car trailer with no brakes (and a low tire...nice), and the first thing that happened was the C30 asserting it's dominance by picking the rear of the F-150 up several inches off the ground and pushing it the first time it hit the ramps. :lol:

A couple more attempts with someone in the F-150 holding the brakes, and we were ready for the real fun! It didn't want to pull it very much. :lol:

But we got back home eventually, and no one died in the process (at least no one of any importance...;)).

Lets take some better pictures! :lol:

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

And a few of the worst places. This is a nice one! :lol:

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

Bout time ya started a build! :lol:

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

Time to assess! :metal:

4.10:1 geared Eaton HO72 rear axle; brakes and drums in..."used" condition.

Really loud and leaky (more on that later) SM420 4 speed trans.

A '67 195HP 2bbl 283 from a Chevelle (which is sludged up to the point of "WTF?!") and a Rochester 2bbl carb with no accelerator pump.

7.50-17 bias ply tires on 3-piece wheels...been on there a while.

More rust than I could describe here.

One broken hood hinge.

One broken spring.

Minor damage from using some external braking system. ;)

Fuel tank that looks like the bottom of the ocean.

Lets fix some of that...

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

You got it!!! :lol:

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A little better.

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Next came beating out some of the easy dents, and "fixing" the front bumper--wish I had a clip of that! :lol: Welded a ring of axle tubing to it and ran a chain around that and a stump. A few (not brutal, but harder than I would have guessed) reverse impacts straightened it out well enough.

I then blew some rustoleum semi-gloss black paint over it in January using a touch-up gun; actually turned out far better than I expected for a $20 paint job.

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

Next came a new generic aluminum radiator from speedway motors, a "new" front spring from an '83 3/4 ton, and some 16" tubeless wheels--complete with very used tires that I should have never put on there to begin with. :lol:

Already being used to move engines around at this point.

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

I have already rebuilt the brakes off-camera and cleaned the fuel tank with a chain, so now it's time to drive this POS! I think picking up this truck was actually it's second outing onto public roads. The welds on the new bumper were still hot when we left out.

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

I later added some new remolded 235/85R16 mud tires on the back, added some mirrors from a guy on the forum here, made some side boards for hauling mulch and other bulky stuff, and also dragged this '63 dually back with it.

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

The old tires my moronic self stuck on the front finally let go at this point. I knew this though, and it was on the way back from buying new 245/75R16's. :)

Swapped them over--why didn't I do this to begin with?!?! Stupid.

I did get the chance to relive the bias-ply days on the way back, though. ;)

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

I added some cab marker lights to let people know a loaded truck 102" wide is coming at them when it's dark. Helps them get the idea... :lol:

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

Next up was swapping the 283 for a nicer 250 and SM420 I had picked up for next to nothing. I also found out why the old SM420 was always so oily...some people!!!

I added some trailer brake capability, too. Very nice addition.

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I picked up a '76 3/4 ton chassis for $200 the other day and added some fancy new hubcaps.

I know I'm forgetting a couple small things (like the seat I had from another truck), but it's been a get-in-and-go daily-driver truck the whole time and hasn't really needed anything. I put about 5,000 miles on the old 283, and I've put another 2,000 or so on it since the 250 was swapped in. It's been a great truck so far! :chevy:

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

Final update/enough stupid posts in one night! :lol: A little bit of the future plans in store for this truck.

I have a 292 I'm rebuilding that's about to be ready to go in there, a disk brake front end setup from the '76 frame, an appropriate width 10.5" 14 bolt from the '74 (C&C) dually, and 3.73 gears I picked up today with this pile of 14 bolt stuff today for $20. Not sure when all that will go in, but that's what I'm thinking right now.

I also bought this nice '68 more-door Impala for $880.

I'm planning to make the car into another daily-driver, then take the truck out of service for a little bit to fix the giant rust problems and body damage. I know it's not worth a whole lot on the open market, but it's worth something to me ('cause I'm not right in the head? :confused:), so I'm going to fix it and make the rain stay outside the cab again. :lol:

Anyway, I hope someone liked reading this crap.

More to come later (and less hastily/poorly written--hopefully). :chevy:

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

where'd you get those clearance lights from?

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

Nice work....big change from when you 1st got it.

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Amber-Cab-..._qi=RTM1562569

$40 for the set off of ebay; United Pacific 30076 (they are Taiwan copies of the old Yankee 77 lights).

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

Thanks.

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Oh, and the passenger door is one of five decent doors I picked up for $100.

I also added a clutch fan, new ignition switch, and a new battery the other day.

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

well i did and you had better bring back my truck :lol:

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Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

Truck is looking good. We all need to start somewhere, I know I can't afford to buy a completed truck. Best of luck with the build.

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Like it! That rust primer was terrible! May I through a redneck idea out there? Rear pipe bumper, capped off and used as a air tank. Looks as if you could use a compressor. If you're dragging truck out the weeds don't mount a winch, use removable winch with plugs front, rear and trailer.
By the way I say "my cab lights says mines bigger than yours".

Re: Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"
 

It's good to see your using that truck, I like the 292 Idea, I used to have one of those Kelsey-Hayes electric brake controllers in my 72 Blazer 4x4 a few yrs back... I like the cab lights as well Mine has them I know there not the factory ones but It may have had them from factory...