Just bought a '63 dually

[66Submarine]

It happened again. Bought another truck. 1963 C-30 dually; 292 six, SM420 four speed, and the HD 4,150lb rated springs. (Main+auxiliary) I had seen it on craigslist a few months ago, but the guy wanted $1,500 or something, too much. But a couple days ago I saw it come back, this time for $500. I got it for $400, couldn't resist! It's really hammered, but for $400 I can't complain too much. Engine seems like it should be good, and the brakes are even good. Hell, the battery was still hot. It has a scabbed up 10'x80'' flatbed on it right now. I'm going to collect some stuff and put a nice bed together for it with some toolboxes, maybe a saddle tank, too. Most everything that was done to this truck was done, well, p*** poor, but in a few weeks it should be up and driving. When it is I'll swap it out for my '65 as my DD and do some much-deserved work to the '65, including a fresh 292 for it. (I like the sixes, lol)





More pictures here: http://s1067.photobucket.com/user/66...0C-30%20dually

[MisterC]

I love it! For that price, you can't pass it up. Good Find!

[lmdangerous]

Get a long bed stepside and add a foot in the middle- will look cool.
LMD

[19666Trucker]

Like the over spray, he would got 400 for scrap glad you got instead
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[61_FL_Apache]

Originally Posted by 19666Trucker

Like the over spray, he would got 400 for scrap glad you got instead
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That's called a "custom" paint job!! No masking required!! Just shake and point!

Nice find by the way!

[chevyman95]

Haha, I saw this and just barely missed it but at least glad it went to another board member. Was worried someone would scrap it.

On another note have you had a hard time finding trucks at a good price around here lately? I have been looking for a couple of months and haven't seen anything decent that isn't sold within a couple hours.

[66Submarine]

Thanks for the compliments, guys. BTW, the paint was the best work, lol! Here's an example; I was under the truck draining the milky oil out (more on that later), and was looking at the rusted out exhaust pipe in my face. I see some weird looking stuff on it- Lead solder that someone was trying to use to plug the holes!

Chevyman95, yeah, not as many as there were a few months ago. Still some there, just have to look harder to find them. Let me know what you're looking for and I'll drop you a line if I see something interesting.

I think the truck's glad I got it, too, haha. Very probably would have been scrapped. I always like saving them from the torch. Anyway, a little update. The guy said it blew the head gasket, and he put a new one in. "Just needs valves adjusted". Yeah, right, lol. I adjusted the valves and got it to run, ran it for a few seconds up and down the driveway, and shut it off. He didn't clean the head bolt threads, so the head wasn't tight. As soon as it ran it blew out and water and oil went everywhere and re-collected in the pan and rear cylinders. Oh well, as least I got to drive it, lol. Then I had to peel the head off, as the brand new fel pro gasket had been gooped with gray silicone. Good news is that it is a relatively low mileage standard bore engine, that looks to have never had the oil pan off, like I thought. (No silicone there, lol.) The head is nice, valves are thick and not sunk into the head, and again I think it's never been messed with. Cam seems fine, too. A few new gaskets and it should be good. I was going to pull the head off the fix the "new" gasket anyway, lol.

[bama63]

nice score...love the one tons!

[19666Trucker]

Sound like the old guy that owned my was bothers with your PO. Lol solder on exhaust and way cool truck
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[WhippinSaw]

You definitely got a good deal, both the 65 and 63 will thank you

[1963c-10]

That paint will buff out, don't worry. haha....always glad to see another truck saved...especially a 63. More pics though....you know its a must. If you can wait a few weeks, my steel 63 grill/bezels will be coming off and i'll be installing my aluminum 63 grill.

[66Submarine]

I'll try to put up some more pictures of it soon, hopefully it will start looking a little better soon, too, hahaha. I'm not in any big rush on the grill, I was actually just probably going to jam a 4-5-6 grill I have in it so the headlights both point forward, lol. I'd like to have another '63 grill to go back in it, how much do you think I'd be out for it with shipping?

[66Submarine]

There's a couple more I had.

And a picture on the way over while pulled off on the shoulder

[66Submarine]

Well, I figured out why the head gasket blew out. It was kind of puzzling, because it really let go, making the oil a milkshake, pressurizing the radiator, and filling the back cylinders with water and oil; all within maybe two minutes of total run time. But, at the same time, it had sat for two days with water in it before that and held fine. The gasket seemed ok, and had an ungodly coating of silicone on both sides, and I couldn't find any cracks in the block or head, so WTF? I cleaned the block deck, all was good. But then I got to the head. First, I found what seemed like epoxy on part of it. No, it couldn't... It was. JB weld. Turns out the head had gotten pitted at one time, and someone had "fixed" it. They must have taken a grinder to it or something, they just destroyed it. Gouged .025" from flat in between cylinders, no wonder it blew out! So, I'm going to use the head off the other 292 I have. It's usable, but the valves are kinda thin and sunken. I'll put that on this one to run until I rebuild it or swap it out, and I'll deck the other one with good valves/seats and put it on the 292 I'm rebuilding, which makes better sense, anyway. Also, all the head bolts were filthy and took a lot of effort to remove, to the point I coudn't really use a 3/8 ratchet, and some weren't even tightened down all the way. Cleaned the bolts with a wire wheel and cleaned the threads in the block with the proper 1/2-13 GH-3 tap, all good now, and ready to go together.

Then I took the grill out; it came out in three twisted, broken pieces. The left headlight bucket I have no idea on, it was jammed in there, and was connected to the truck wiring via twisting the wires together and wrapping in tape, marvelous. I also learned that a '63 has two extra hidden bolts that later trucks don't that hold the grill in, that you can't get to from the fenders.

I also took the radiator "mounts" off, and guess what I found? One of the little clamp things that holds the manifolds on, it was used as a spacer. I wondered why it wasn't on the engine, lol.

And I tried to take the duals off and pull the rear drums, to no avail. First I had to remove the lug nuts, weird things called "marsden" lock nuts. I put a breaker bar and a short pipe on the first one and laid down on it, and the wrench let go with a loud bang, and fell apart on the ground. Thought I had broke something. Turns out it was fine, and the nut screwed off with my fingers. ALL of them did this, kind of odd. Then I tried to pull the wheels, and the inner wheel is seized hard to the hub and won't come off. I started on the other side, and oh, joy, a stud started spinning in the hub. Guess I'll grind the nut off, then I'll get to fight the frozen on wheels, lol. I'll add some pictures of the carnage later on today.

[1963c-10]

I sent you a PM on the grill. You could always drive the dually up too me and drop it off next to my c-10....be a great addition to my herd....haha