Junkyard C30 stepside work truck "build"

[66Submarine]

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!

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!

[66Submarine]

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

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.

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.

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!

[66Submarine]

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

[TJ's Chevy]

Bout time ya started a build!

[66Submarine]

Time to assess!

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...

[66Submarine]

Originally Posted by TJ's Chevy

Bout time ya started a build!

You got it!!!

[66Submarine]

A little better.

[66Submarine]

Next came beating out some of the easy dents, and "fixing" the front bumper--wish I had a clip of that! 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.

[66Submarine]

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.

Already being used to move engines around at this point.

[66Submarine]

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.

[66Submarine]

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.

[66Submarine]

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.

[66Submarine]

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...

[66Submarine]

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.

[66Submarine]

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!

[66Submarine]

Final update/enough stupid posts in one night! 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? ), so I'm going to fix it and make the rain stay outside the cab again.

Anyway, I hope someone liked reading this crap.

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

[pimpston65]

Originally Posted by 66Submarine

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...

where'd you get those clearance lights from?

[1963c-10]

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

[66Submarine]

Originally Posted by pimpston65

where'd you get those clearance lights from?

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).

[66Submarine]

Originally Posted by 1963c-10

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

Thanks.

[66Submarine]

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.

[hotrod66]

Originally Posted by 66Submarine

Anyway, I hope someone liked reading this crap.

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

well i did and you had better bring back my truck

[casper71]

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.

[LVPhotos]

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".

[RANDY COX]

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...