Been swamped at work, and the weather has been pretty crappy, so I haven't got a whole lot done on the truck. I started on the engine rebuild using the 350 long block that Brad gave me. After the teardown, everything inside looked pretty good with the exception of the crank. It'll need to be turned .020, as it was already a .010/.010 crank. I had a pair of 041 heads that I've had in my parts stash for the last 25 years, and I tore them down to do a freshening. The valves were so gunked up from carbon that they looked like they had been in the bottom of a BBQ grill. Check this out:
here's a comparison of before and after some cleanup with the wire wheel:
I am waiting for my valve guide cutter to show up, and then I'll cut the height and reduce the diameter for better valve seals, lap and check the valves, and reinstall everything.
If you've seen my posts in the Wanted section for a tailgate, you'll know that I am been searching high and low for the "right" tailgate. If you recall, I already had a nice tailgate, but it was primered. I plan on keeping the natural patina of my paint, so a primered tailgate won't suffice. Even if I faked it, there's no way I could get it to look original. I had been looking on Craigslist as far away as St.Louis, and had even thought I had found one in Merced, only to have it sold before I could get the deal worked out. I even had a member, LostMy65, check on one in Oregon City, Oregon, but it was too beat up. On Thursday night, I was checking on Craigslist in the L.A. section, and there was an ad that said "60-66 tailgate" with no pictures. I shot the guy a text, and got nothing. On Friday, he texted me back with a picture, and I about had a cow. Yep, it was THE ONE. So, on Saturday, Brad and I headed out to East L.A. and got it. I paid a little more than what I wanted to pay, but after seeing the condition, I had to have it. The paint is original, the patina is perfect, the black lettering is original, and it is
perfectly straight. Here it is:
The only issue is that the tailgate trunions are seized up in the tailgate, but I have been soaking them with penetrating oil. With a little CLR, the tailgate will match the rest of the truck perfectly. It took awhile, but I was patient and waited for the right one to show up. I almost bought a few of the ones I looked at, but something told me to wait. I'm glad I did.