Starting my 66 "Hay Wagon" build thread.

[MBEXHAUST]

Just want to start off by saying what a great forum !! Lots of great info ,good vendors and a wealth of knowledge here from the everyday DIY kind of guys. Very cool. I purchased my first 66 last month and basically fell in love with these things. I quickly found this forum and have decided to build a 65 fleet short into a shop truck / promo truck that I can also use as a daily driver.

I purchased this truck from EBAY . Story goes that is has 32K original miles , was used as a farm truck out in the fields and such. The guy I purchased from bought the truck from this farmer (his neighbor) as the original owner. This is a very basic truck with no radio no gauges ( just idiot lights) no bumper and hub caps. I was driving it down the road the first day I got it and went to open the vents in the foot wells and hay poured out and was flying everywhere ....... so it got the name Hay Wagon.

Its a good solid truck for sure with little to no rust both on the body, frame or floors. They did squirt the truck a couple years ago in a red / orange color to cover up the pantina I guess?

Here are a few pics of when I got it back home here and just today we started ripping it apart. We are taking the engine and trans out of it today then sending the body and frame to my buddy's paint shop to dismantle.

I see there are lots of "builds" going on here on this forum. I hope I can turn this truck into something 1/2 as good as some of the killer builds I've seen here already.

Thanks for looking.

MB

[vin63]

Looks like a great foundation to start your project from! Look forward to the progress pics.

[lolife99]

Nice gauges for a farm truck!
Subscribing,...

[LeftCoast32]

Great looking truck!!

[LostMy65]

Nice clean truck.

Do you know if someone swapped the bed out at one time?
Usually a 66 has backup lights.

Interior looks clean also.

Enjoy
Posted via Mobile Device

[chad64chevy]

nice looking truck you got and a great start!!
lostmy65- Do you know if someone swapped the bed out at one time?
Usually a 66 has backup lights.

i didn'tthink basic trucks come with backup lights, it's a plan jane! radio delete, idiot lights my '64 truck was a farm truck plan jane too i think i have the farm tag plate somewhere! but then again you might be right it does have an aftermarket rearveiw mirror mounted to the windshield not above like the originals and aftermarket gauges!!

mbexhaust-got any pictures of the motor? l6 or v8??

[MBEXHAUST]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

Nice clean truck.

Do you know if someone swapped the bed out at one time?
Usually a 66 has backup lights.

Interior looks clean also.

Enjoy
Posted via Mobile Device

I don't know, I just assumed it was a plain jane truck so it had no reverse lights. Im going to add some for sure.

MB

[MBEXHAUST]

Originally Posted by chad64chevy

nice looking truck you got and a great start!!
lostmy65- Do you know if someone swapped the bed out at one time?
Usually a 66 has backup lights.

i didn'tthink basic trucks come with backup lights, it's a plan jane! radio delete, idiot lights my '64 truck was a farm truck plan jane too i think i have the farm tag plate somewhere! but then again you might be right it does have an aftermarket rearveiw mirror mounted to the windshield not above like the originals and aftermarket gauges!!

mbexhaust-got any pictures of the motor? l6 or v8??

Yes I figured the mirror was wrong. Ill get a correct one for the project. We just pulled the motor and trans this aft. The truck has a strong running 427 and a T400.

[pdxhall]

Well it's definately not an original truck with that engine and trans. As for the backup lights my 66 is about as basic as they get and it has backup lights.

[pdxhall]

By the way, if you want an original truck I'd be happy to trade you my 250 for the 427. lol

[flips72]

that explains the monster tach, talk about a sleeper i wouldnt do anything to it but have fun, well maybe upgrade the brakes if there not allready

[64fleetside]

It has 65 emblems-66 were square & on the fender.

[LostMy65]

Originally Posted by 64fleetside

It has 65 emblems-66 were square & on the fender.

Good eye.
that might explain why it doesn't have backup lights.
Posted via Mobile Device

[rendus]

Originally Posted by flips72

talk about a sleeper i wouldnt do anything to it but have fun,

Same here! Quite the "hay wagon"

[Frizzle Fry]

Nice buy man! Definitely need to upgrade the brakes with that BBC. You'll find all the info you could never image here.

[Captainfab]

Now that is what I call a sleeper! I would have guessed a 250/3speed OTT.

That is certainly a nice truck to build up. Is the 427/TH400 going back in?
What are some of the things you have planned for this build?

[MBEXHAUST]

Originally Posted by 64fleetside

It has 65 emblems-66 were square & on the fender.

Sorry for the confusion. I purchased a 66, then spotted this 65 for sale and had to have it.

Here is my 66 .

[MBEXHAUST]

Originally Posted by Frizzle Fry

Nice buy man! Definitely need to upgrade the brakes with that BBC. You'll find all the info you could never image here.

Thanks . You are right about the brakes, they are not up to the task of bringing this truck down from speed. I tried it once from maybe 100 and all I could smell was brake shoe

My 66 has a disk conversion but no power and those brakes work way better than the drums all around. Disks up front are a must, I may look at disks on the rear as well. MB

[MBEXHAUST]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

Now that is what I call a sleeper! I would have guessed a 250/3speed OTT.

That is certainly a nice truck to build up. Is the 427/TH400 going back in?
What are some of the things you have planned for this build?

Captain , Thanks I thought the same I like that aside from the motor / trans swap the truck is unmolested.

I am going to use the 427, it runs great, I was told it is fresh and turns 602 HP at the tires ( tire in this case ) . Ill throw it on our dyno once I get it back in the truck to confirm.

As to what all I'm going to do to this project is still open right now. Basically I want the truck to be a daily driver so I need much better handling, better breaking , steering etc. I was thinking of getting it lower as well, maybe on air. I have read all kinds of good reports on the Porterbuilt products and do have a email into Nate already so we can touch base so I may go this way.

Im getting a rendering of the project done up now. Ill post this once I get it.

Thanks MB

[chad64chevy]

man thats a nice motor!! i would upgrade the brakes for sure with that motor!! thats a sleeper for sure, what rearend do you got?? ok, i got another question! is the white truck your shop/promo truck or is it the red truck?? i'm still a lil confussed!! what does the white look like??

[72BlckButy]

Great looking SWB truck... can't wait to see what's in store for it.

[Pop's C-10]

A true sleeper

[Muleman100]

Straightest hay truck I have ever seen. Nice find.

[MBEXHAUST]

Originally Posted by chad64chevy

man thats a nice motor!! i would upgrade the brakes for sure with that motor!! thats a sleeper for sure, what rearend do you got?? ok, i got another question! is the white truck your shop/promo truck or is it the red truck?? i'm still a lil confussed!! what does the white look like??

IT has a 12 bolt now, I have a narrowed Dana 60 that I built for another project so I might use that, not sure yet.

I purchased the white 66 figuring I would keep it, i had the doors lettered and put WW on it. Then the red 65 showed up on ebay and I had to have it. So now I will drive the 66 until the 65 is done then likely sell the 66.

Here area few pics of the white 66.

Thx MB

[likaroc13]

i can already see that this is gonna be a cool build! definitely a nice one to start with...and i dig the '66 as well

as for backup lights, i thought i read some other posts on here in the past about them being optional before '66