finally starting on my 66 fleetside...

[leitchfield]

I was on here a couple of years ago when I first drug this truck out of the barn. Has a rich history so the resto is worth every penny and tears. Here are a couple of pics showing our engine removal....enjoy!

[Chevy Fleetside]

Good Luck on that one... Looks like you have alot of rust to repair.. I have been cutting sheetmetal and welding on my own truck.. There is no rust but I am doing some custom work to it..

[leftcoast66]

Nice, glad to see another one is bein rescued. Good luck with the rust repair, it's gonna b a long week doin that work I'm afraid.

[leitchfield]

yeah i know, not real happy about the rust but its what i got to work with. I have rebuilt worse so its not too awful bad for here in Kentucky really. The history behind the truck, it being in family since new, it was my grandpa's actual farm truck, its the truck i learn how to drive in, im now 32 he passed away 20 years ago, thats how long the truck was sitting in the barn before i rescued it. So im sorta rebuilding it in his honor, and at same time going to build it for my mother to drive since that was her dads truck. so you can see how the rust doesn't really matter. so i will need all the help and parts i can get!

[SIR]

...was this barn underwater.?.(LOL)..suggestion?? find a doner truck just for cutting up for patch parts, your gonna need it,Ive allready been there...good luck!!,have fun....

[Demmit_Hemmit's 65]

I wouldn't use a donor truck...........most of what you need is reproduced now with more and more every day..............great history on your truck.........good luck restoring it and thanks for the picts...............Keep us informed on your progress..........What part of KY are you located.......I'm in Indiana.............Hemmit

[Deryl]

Cool truck and the history means you HAVE to get it going regardless of how much you want to do with it. I have to agree with Hemmit. Forget the doner truck for body parts. You will only find the same problems in various degrees.

[62 short step]

Thats a great story, get that truck back on the road!!

[Sillyoldman]

RUST? That looks showroom quality next to mine.

[leitchfield]

man i don't feel so bad now...lol just kidding. Thanks for the positive words. It truly is a very sentimental truck. My grandpa was a prominant farmer in these parts owning two farms and over 500 acres, etc..back in the late 70's early 80's, so there is plenty there to be handed down when he passed. Well grandma is still alive and kicking at 84+years old, she still feeds cattle, chickens, etc...crazy. But I was asked what if anything i might want someday when it all gets passed down. All I wanted was that truck. It's probably not a $500 truck but it is priceless when it comes to worth and memories. Thats why I hate to get a donor truck, wich around here is few and far between, so you do with what you got. So about 2 years ago we pulled it from the barn it had been sitting since my grandpa got sick with cancer some 20 years ago. It was running when parked but had a rough life of farming, as it was used everyday for hay, pulling, fencing, etc... I have to say that the day we pulled it out of the barn with a ol 4020 john deere tractor, most of us got a little emotional. Me and my wife have our first child on the way a baby girl, so I plan on someday teaching her to drive in it aswell, 3 speed and all!!! I have pictures of it the day we pulled it out of the barn and before we cleaned it up to its state today....chicken poop does wonders!

[salazar44]

check out my blog... the truck was kind of craptastic too!

[raphyel]

That truck doesnt look so rusty..I wish you could have seen the big hole in the roof of mine when I got it home. The seller online didnt show me that before I sent payment *LOL* I had to get a whole cab from arizona and put it on. So it takes a lot of work, but you'll see its worth it.

[Chevy Fleetside]

I have been in the garage sanding away on my truck.. just doing some stuff to the inner fenders at the moment. I welded up 25 holes on the firewall and have one left, then it is bondo time.. I am moving the battery to the back so I cut out the part of the inner fender where the battery box sits in and welded in a piece of sheetmetal that I cut from a left inner fender so it brings the lines all the way down.. I will get some pictures soon after I prime it... I am also welding up holes I don't need... My truck was restored a few years ago but I wasn't happy with it so I am redoing it so most of the rust is gone.. Some rust popped up on the bottom of the left door that needs to be cut out.. It took me 2 years to get it going and I drove it for 4 years before I took it apart again.. Yeah im koo koo..

[Chevy Fleetside]

Originally Posted by Chevy Fleetside

I have been in the garage sanding away on my truck.. just doing some stuff to the inner fenders at the moment. I welded up 25 holes on the firewall and have one left, then it is bondo time.. I am moving the battery to the back so I cut out the part of the inner fender where the battery box sits in and welded in a piece of sheetmetal that I cut from a left inner fender so it brings the lines all the way down.. I will get some pictures soon after I prime it... I am also welding up holes I don't need... My truck was restored a few years ago but I wasn't happy with it so I am redoing it so most of the rust is gone.. Some rust popped up on the bottom of the left door that needs to be cut out.. It took me 2 years to get it going and I drove it for 4 years before I took it apart again.. Yeah im koo koo..

I am trying pictures here.. If they don't show up this is my first attempt at it on this site.. It worked.. This is a before and after shot...

[Chevy Fleetside]

Originally Posted by Chevy Fleetside

I am trying pictures here.. If they don't show up this is my first attempt at it on this site.. It worked.. This is a before and after shot...

Ok one more of all the holes I welded up on the firewall..

[19GMC63]

Originally Posted by Chevy Fleetside

Ok one more of all the holes I welded up on the firewall..

I hope to do that one day, nice work.
So what are you going to do about wiring?

[Chevy Fleetside]

Originally Posted by 19GMC63

I hope to do that one day, nice work.
So what are you going to do about wiring?

For the tranny all you really need is a crossmember from an automatic truck. You can even use the 3 on the tree column. just hook up a rod to one of the arms from the column and use it that way. I know a guy that did that and it worked for him...
As for wiring. I have a harness from an 88 suburban I am going to try and use. I am also putting in a TBI 350. I have two of them to choose from... If that dosen't work then i will try something else... I have a feeling I can do it... I have a feeling it will take awhile to work the bugs out...

[leitchfield]

looking good man, i can't wait to get that far with mine. A little update, dad pulled the 283 apart, and after 20 years of setting it looked almost brand new inside, so were lucky there....now were thinking about doing the automatic swap instead of the 3 on the tree, anyone done this? hard to do?

[Chevy Fleetside]

Originally Posted by leitchfield

looking good man, i can't wait to get that far with mine. A little update, dad pulled the 283 apart, and after 20 years of setting it looked almost brand new inside, so were lucky there....now were thinking about doing the automatic swap instead of the 3 on the tree, anyone done this? hard to do?

You can use a column from a van if need be... You will need to get an extended steering rod to go from the column to the box.. I used a tilt column from a 79 van.. All you have to do is get some nuts to weld onto the bottom to bolt to the bracket. You will see when you take your off... It really is not that hard to do... I forgot... If I get the 88 column to work in my truck I might have two van columns for sale.. Ebay maybe...

[NW Ol Blue]

I believe you'll have to change/build cross members, Beyond that I believe its all hardware. My brother did that to mine back when it was his.

[1oldtruck]

Chevy Fleetside is right - you should just need a crossmember from a truck that was originally equipped with a Powerglide. I used one of these from a junkyard when I swapped out my three on the tree for a TH350 about 15 years ago and it worked great. All the necessary holes were already in the frame and it bolted straight in. This also allows you to retain all of your parking brake cables without modification. You will also need to remove the existing front crossmember at the bell housing.

Mike

[leitchfield]

what about the steering column? any suggestions? dunno if i want to try the 3 on the tree one and "make it work" but might if cost gets too high.

[Woogeroo]

cool trucks... as long as they are yours and you enjoy wrenching on them, that is all that matters.



then again, I have a weakness for beat up trucks.

-W

[leitchfield]

I didn't think the hole truck was that bad, i guess you all are spoiled out west and down south lol!!! this ol poor boy will get r done though! motor is back from machine shop and ready for me and pops to rebuild, putting it back stock except for a shade above stock cam... taking front end off this weekend.

[Swerve-Driver]

Thats cool......
Keep on truckin'

My grandma gave the original "farm truck" ('65 chev) to her son and he immediately converted it to dollars by selling it (for $2000 or some crap).
If I had gotten it I would have done the resto on it, kept it and driven it.

I am pretty happy with the rig I have now ('66 chev pickup), but nothing beats a good history and rebuild.

Best-
S-D