[chevyrestoguy]

I just got back from the wrecking yard with an incredible haul. I got work a little early yesterday, so I went on a recon mission to two of the yards that are on my way home. My commute is 68 miles each way, and both yards are self-service. The first yard was a complete bust, nothing. The second yard is substantially larger (Ecology Auto Wrecking) and lo and behold, there was a '65 C-10 that had just been put in the yard. The body was thrashed, but it had not been picked apart at all. While I was checking it out, a guy walked by and said, "If you wait until tomorrow, the yard is having a half-price day". Awesome! So, I pulled everything I needed and stashed it all in a Chevy van and showed up first thing this morning.

Here's what I got: a COMPLETE automatic steering column, with e-brake handle, all the auto trans linkage, a 3-core original V-8 radiator (!) AND a perfect fan shroud, 2 window cranks, 2 inside door handles, a huge bag of bolts, a GMC horn cap, and a horn for $85. And that includes the stupid $13 core charge for the radiator, column, and shroud. Man, I am one happy camper. It was total luck that I went by the yard and they actually had a 60-66, and also the fact that it was 1/2 price day.

I was racking my brain on what I was going to do about a column. My truck was originally a 4-speed, and I'm converting to an automatic. Auto columns are not easy to find, so I was in the process of modifying a 67-72 column to work. I was about 80% done and was about ready to mock it all up to see if it would work. This column I got today eliminates a bunch of headaches. Plus, I'm still keeping this build very effective, using all factory parts, and cheap.