This is my truck

[blackedoutharley]

Well I am finally getting around to "finishing" my truck (or actually starting on it again).

I have owned my '65 longbed fleetside for 20 years. In that time is has evolved from a stock 327 2 barrel smoker in white with horrible body work to a primered truck with horrible body work (LOL). Over the years it has had the 327 replaced with a stock 350 followed a 511 cid P&S aluminum big block (the 350 puked its guts on the freeway and it was my daily driver so I had to put the only running engine I had in it) to its current 391 cid stroked small block.

I had patched up the original 3.73 rear end, after spitting out the cross shaft (as well as all the spider gears, driveline etc) and ended up bandaiding it together for a couple of years to the point that it finally lost its guts for good. Replaced it with a complete 3.08 rear end and eventually, in a momentary lapse of thought, blew it up being stupid and trying to relive my youth thereby requiring a complete rebuild.

After replacing the carrier and gears (to my much recommended 3.42 ratio) as well as axles I no longer have to worry about it (one less thing right?).

Over the rears I have done the following:

Replaced the entire wiring with an application specific harness from Painless.
Installed and subsequently had recovered an aftermarket bench seat with a fold down center section with drink trays.
Installed a complete stereo system including amps, cd changer and sub.
Sound proofed the interior with foil covered bubble wrap and a complete carpet kit.
Helwig 1 1/8" rear sway bar and new Moog coil springs.
Front swaybar from a C-30
Recored the oem radiator to a 3 row.
140 amp 1 wire alternator.
Sliding rear window.
15"x8" American Eagle wheels and 31x10.50R15 tires (soon to be replaced).
Changed the exhaust to exit at the rear bumper and moved the mufflers to just before the rear end (this helped quiet the interior beyond belief!).
Misc maintenance items such as shocks, brakes etc...

Now the engine is getting tired and I have either broken a valve spring or something along those lines and combined with the age and miles on it feel it is time for a bit of freshening up.

The clutch linkage is showing its age and in dire need of replacement as well as taking out the custom, one off multi disc and installing a normal clutch assy.

The plans call for the following:

Rebuilding the engine including new heads (cheaper than rebuilding the old ones)
Possibly installing the blower I have.
Power steering
Tilt column
A/C
Move tank from cab to rear of truck
Rebuild front suspension
Repair or replace front fenders (the right side is good other than the normal rust but the left side is a bit wrinkled).
Chrome plating some parts (hood latch etc..)
Replace bed wood and strips.
Weatherstripping
New radiator core support
Replace or recore of radiator
New exhaust with flame throwers and Borla mufflers.
Patch drivers side floorboard (correctly)
paint interior and install new carpet kit.
Power windows (maybe)
Power Disc brakes perhaps?
New windshield (covered by insurance but can anybody recommend a good company to have this done?)
Paint exterior (what color I have not decided on yet)

I have spent the last 25+ years in drag racing and frankly I got burned out (no pun intended) on it a few years ago. I have always been into guns and I began focusing on that hobby and seriously curtailed my involvement in the racing side. I am actually an instructor through the NRA and the local club I belong to and teach CCW courses among others. Lately though I have come the realization that there are far too many F*&*&*& idiots in the gun side of things for my taste.

So now that I have been coaxed back to the drag racing (yes I will be at Sacramento Raceway for the Gov's Cup on the 25th) I am going to focus on my beloved truck!

My question is:

Should I sell some guns to fund this?

And who wants to help? (specifically with the p/s install and the bed wood.) I have abused my body for years and it is beginning to show.

LOL

Here are some poor quality shots....




My goal is to have a very well running truck that is fun to drive but that I can still use as a truck. Something that looks good and is classy yet not over the top ( I am actually thinking of two tone silver and white).

And yes those are Sears Point employee stickers on the windshield.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

It's cool that you've owned that truck for so long. And, I like the blower idea. 6-71?

[TheDark1]

It sounds like you and I have a lot in common. I sold my bass boat and my part of a camp at Toledo Bend Reservior to pay off some debts. It was a hobby that got to be way too time consuming and I lost interest in it. I've owned my '65 since 1984 (26 years this month!!) and it was put on the back burner while I did the fishing thing. Now that I'm out of debt, I'm ready to sink some serious time and money into it.

As far as selling interest in one hobby to pay for another, so far I have not regretted selling my boat or camp. It's been over two years now. They have plenty of places to fish down here and they make a lot of new boats every year, but they only made '65 Chevy's for one year. I'm going to concentrate on that and try like HECK to get it right this time. It'll probably be the only time I'm in this possition (financially and physically) and i don't want to screw it up. I say do it.---Jeff

[blackedoutharley]

I do have a 6-71 but I don't think it would do too good on my engine. It is an SSI with billet rotors and an Enderle bug catcher and port nozzles off of a nostalgia top fuel car.

The 14-71 is too big and hits the firewall

I do have one of the Weiand 142 cid blowers that I had on an old V-8 Vega wagon I used to own which I think would be perfect with about 3-4# of boost

[blackedoutharley]

Originally Posted by TheDark1

It sounds like you and I have a lot in common. I sold my bass boat and my part of a camp at Toledo Bend Reservior to pay off some debts. It was a hobby that got to be way too time consuming and I lost interest in it. I've owned my '65 since 1984 (26 years this month!!) and it was put on the back burner while I did the fishing thing. Now that I'm out of debt, I'm ready to sink some serious time and money into it.

As far as selling interest in one hobby to pay for another, so far I have not regretted selling my boat or camp. It's been over two years now. They have plenty of places to fish down here and they make a lot of new boats every year, but they only made '65 Chevy's for one year. I'm going to concentrate on that and try like HECK to get it right this time. It'll probably be the only time I'm in this possition (financially and physically) and i don't want to screw it up. I say do it.---Jeff

I have never regretted selling my boat but I have had second thoughts over the years about the '64 carryall that was towing it but the guy threw too much money at me to say no and he got it all.

The selling guns thing was basically a ruse so I could tell my wife "look honey, everybody says keep them!" LOL!

I am compiling a list of parts needed and prioritizing them and will have to do this in segments. The first one is to pull the engine and get the truck ahead of the firewall squared away and then begin on the interior before moving to the bed wood and then finally paint.

[TheDark1]

In that case, you shouldn't sell the guns!!! I miss my boat, my camp, and my 1936 Winchester model 42 .410 pump that had two barrels (1 full choke and 1 modified choke) that both had the same serial number. I miss them so badly, that I'm sick to death. The only thing that makes me feel better is buying parts for the truck.

Hope this helps.

[63sbssbbw]

LOL you guys are too funny
T

[blackedoutharley]

Originally Posted by 63sbssbbw

LOL you guys are too funny
T

You only say that in jealousy because you guys can't have guns up there anymore (or horribly limited).

LOL

So what color would you pick (other than yellow) to go with the white in a two tone scheme?

[63sbssbbw]

HaHa I was mostly chuckling about the ruse part
Not much into guns,but I can't say it wasn't a thrill to shoot off a couple of clips out of a 9mm Browning semi-automatic pistol(with me at 150# it was definitely a two hander)
As for a color combo,I think the silver and white would look awesome.
I'm considering an electric blue and white(or silver?) for my '61 fleet,but that's a ways away yet,it could change
T

[lakeroadster]

Originally Posted by blackedoutharley

Well I am finally getting around to "finishing" my truck (or actually starting on it again).

I have owned my '65 longbed fleetside for 20 years.....
My question is: Should I sell some guns to fund this?

And who wants to help? ....

Keep the truck! With all the work you have done you owe it to yourself to keep it and keep tinkering.

I mean come on, trucks and guns are as American as Baseball and Apple Pie.

Thanks for sharing your trucks story and we are all there for ya 'cause we are all in the same boat... bitten by the old truck bug.. and there ain't no cure, just denial.

[blackedoutharley]

Thanks.

I especially liked your build thread and the fact that you installed a proper truck tire on your........ well, truck.

[fryer1979]

I am also into shooting sports as a hobby. Up until recently my gun collecting and shooting was really starting to get in the way of the other things I enjoy (i.e. building and driving old cars and trucks). I sat there at home one afternoon, and decided it was time to cut back. Basically I narrowed it down to a basic few that all have a practical purpose, and also are a good representation of what I will normally shoot. For me I was able to cut my collection down into about a third its original size, as well as pay off a few larger credit cards in the process. I am sorry this probably won't help your quest at home, but for me I have to be extremely budget minded. It just took me a while to sit down and figure out the things that were most important to me. Now that it is done, I have no regrets. I still have a very sweet collection, quite a bit more shop time, and a little extra spending cash. The way I see it, it was nothing but a win/win situation for me.

[blackedoutharley]

Received a few large boxes from Summit Racing today!!!!

New heads, Comp cams "K Kit", rings, bearings, gaskets, carb kit, headers, and much, much more!

Originally Posted by fryer1979

The way I see it, it was nothing but a win/win situation for me.

I would like to check out your truck when I am up your way again... (pretty much every 6 weeks or so).

What colors have people used for their interiors other than the OEM 'fawn' as shown in my photo above?

I am looking for ideas.

[blackedoutharley]

Well better late than never I suppose.....

I finally got started on my truck today and actually accomplished something. Last month I started the truck up and cleaned it in preparation for a new windshield to be installed by my insurance company on the last day of coverage before I told them to pound sand and switched.
That tidbit is here: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=473017

Anyways last month (above thread) I pulled a valve cover and found this:


Here is a video taken the day before I pulled the valve cover....


Got busy with business travel (and not done with that for the next few weeks). but today I said "I am taking my truck apart today! It's not going to fix itself."
So I started with this:



And ended in time for lunch with this:



After disassembly I found that I do indeed need to replace my radiator core support along with a few other treasures (unless somebody thinks it could be repaired).



Turns out both floor boards are in need of repair and I really need to get the body work done as well. Oh and the front tie rods are whiped out!

Well first thing now is to get the engine out and prep for new heads and rings/bearings (hopefully) or bore out as needed.
I am sure there will be more to follow.
Anybody local able to help out with the floors? I have a welder, excellent beer collection and wife is a champ on the grill.
I am looking for function over form.... if somebody picky enough to notice that I didn't use a repair panel to fix the floors (meaning they got on the ground to look) I would probably run them over, LOL.

More to follow.......

[TheDark1]

Unless that core support bracket is thin, I think it would be OK. You could weld a large washer to the underside for some added strength if you wanted. Good luck, Jeff.

[blackedoutharley]

Yeah, the bracket is repairable but the core support itself is toast... has anybody used the Goodmark brand? And if so, how was it?

I have read here many times that the Chinese stuff is crap but Goodmark seems to be the best available.

[jbgroby]

Truck is a great starter/old friend. BTW is your subdivision newish, I noticed that the trees are on the young side and there is not a whole lot of them?

[blackedoutharley]

Yeah, up until the end of '03 this whole area was rice fields... We had the home built in '04.

[jbgroby]

They'll grow, just a bit strange to see. I'm surrounded by a LOT of tall pines, magnolias and oaks.

[blackedoutharley]

So rather than buying replacement floorboards that I will end up cutting up what size or thickness sheet metal should I buy to patch the floors?

[blackedoutharley]

Well I got the engine out last weekend and discovered that I was right about the heads... #1 exhaust valve sucked past the seat. No problem as I wasn't going to use them anyways.
Engine was extrememly "clean" given the amount of miles on it.



I didn't wipe anything down, that is how it looked when I took the manifold off. This is why I always ran Kendall oil.

The gear drive still looks new too!



The lifters looked so good that an untrained person would probably reinstall them but the cam has a wear pattern that I have never seen before.




No ridge on the cylinders but #1 is done from what looks like water while the truck sat for 5 years without being started. The block is .040" over and I seriously doubt it will clean up even if I went to .060"




To further deny any appeals to the death sentence this block has, I also found that the clutch ball is broken off in the block and I can see the remains of the heli-coil I had installed in a previous "fix".

The old saying about letting them sit vs. driving the snot out of them is true... Neglecting this poor thing is what caused the pitting in the cylinder.

I also discovered while I had it up on stands to get under it that the ball joints are wiped out! I have all the parts to rebuild so it wasn't unexpected.

So now to find another block (I don't want to use my Dart Little M block), clearance for my crank and rods (assuming I don't find something wrong with them once I pull them out), buy new pistons and go from there. Rebuild the front suspension and add power steering and a new tilt column, convert to a dual pot master cylinder and replace all the clutch linkage.
I hope I have this done by April....

[fryer1979]

Glad to see you're getting around to working on the old pickup. Somehow I missed your comment about stopping by next time you're around, would be cool to hang a bit if you still get this way. I may have a 350 block you can use if you need. I know it is a 4-bolt main, and one cylinder is bored out to just under .060 while the others are just under .030 (machine shop screwed up and I rescued it from the scrap pile). I don't remember if it is a 1 piece or two piece rear main seal, but if you're interested I'll take a look for ya. I don't want anything for it, just show up say hello and take her with ya (didn't cost me anything anyway).

[blackedoutharley]

I will be up there again within the next few weeks.

I found a block already but thanks anyways.

[b2948kevin]

Good to see you working on this. Looks like you know your stuff.

I grew up in Reno, NV so I feel like both you and Fryer are locals to me, even though I live in Washington now.

[blackedoutharley]

I paid all the expensive lessons by blowing stuff up when I was younger, LOL.