[KevinR]

I’ll start with a little backstory. In high school, I was always a Jeep guy, TJ LJ CJ, you name it. Once I got to college and was moving around more, I traded up to a late model Chevy. And that started it.

After moving back to my hometown, and taking on a project in a 150 year old farm house project, I got to the point where I wasn’t busy enough. Enter the C10 search. I’ve always had a soft spot for the classics...trucks used to have style and personality.

The search took me from northwest Indiana to central Illinois. I picked up the C10 from Princeville, Illinois this February. Relative to Chicago prices, I got a fair deal for a pretty clean 1970 LWB 250 3 speed on the tree truck. Originally, the truck was a parts runner for the local Deere dealer, then traded hands to the Ford New Holland dealer. From there, it went to the town museum, but alas, was not a show quality piece. The PO purchased it from the museum and started the restoration. He cleaned up the driver rocker and hood and repainted the truck. Also prior to my ownership, the tank was relocated and a single DIN stereo was cut in.

Never drove a column shift before, and the straight six was reminiscent of the Jeep days, so I figured it was a good start to a driver project. Picked it up as a driver, but the steering was looser than I’d like, and 4 wheel drums left something to be desired. Ok, maybe I was just itching to turn wrenches.

Drums gave way to front disks. If you’re gonna do disks, might as well do power brakes. And if you’ve got the spindles off and need to do an alignment anyways, might as well add a power rack and pinion. Rack and pinion, new tilt column (6’ 4” I could use the room from a tilt) and that meant moving to a floor shift. Alas, my column shift days would be short lived, my knees kept getting in the way.

Sourced the disks and booster from CPP. Flaming river for the column and rack and pinion. Hurst Indy shifter to drop the shifter to the floor.