61/63 4X4 Build Thread

[63chevy4x4]

Well here goes, thought I would make a build thread of my own. First off I know this pickup is a far cry from being original that not what I was going for anyways. It started out my freshman year of high school, I wanted and old pickup or car to restore, I had tinkered with old lawn mowers, hit and miss gas engines and anything else I could get my hands on since I could turn a wrench. My dad had told me stories about a 1964 Chevy 4x4 he had back in the 1980s and used as a sprayer pickup here on the farm but had sold years before I was born, looking at old pictures of it I fell in love with the stance and rugged look of that old 4x4, on the farm will still have a 1962 GMC 3500 and a 1965 Chevy c-60 that my grandpa and great uncle bought new and I couldnt and still can’t get enough of those old trucks!
My chance came the summer before 10th grade, On craigslist I found a rough 1963 Chevy 1/2 ton 4x4 that supposedly turned over only 50 miles away for 600, I begged my dad and we went down to look at it, I fell in love instantly despite my dad telling me there were better ones out there I had to have it. We rolled it down a hill onto our car trailer and headed for home.
I got it running that night, the 283 with al-cheapo mufflers was music to my ears. The only major work was building a cover for the input bearing on the back side of the transfer case, I use the plasma cutter and welded and 1 1/4 pipe cap to it, crude but I knew it was mine that way! I drove it out to the fields that summer on a regular basis learning to drive the 3 speed took some getting used to haha.
That winter in auto shop at school I put all new brakes and brake lines in the pickup and rebuilt the 283, I had it board 60 over, installed an edelbrock intake, a used mallroy uniltie distributor, Comp 260h cam and short summit headers. The best part was giving girls rides round the parking lot when it was all done .... and rebuilding my own engine! I still had the issue of the rusted out cab though, the next year me and a friend painted it up for homecoming to pull our float along with a load of shenanigans that week!
Over the past 3 years I’ve bought 6 60-66 Chevy and gmc pickups for parts and have boex in the back of our shop as well a 2 pickups in the woods full of parts. This past winter I took off the old cab and box and had the frame sand blasted and painted it myself. Last summer I used the money I got for graduation to buy a rust free 61 gmc that was in pieces to use as my cab, I also installed a rebuilt th350, power steering and power brakes (and yes I can drive a manual I have driven semi since I was 15 so hold off on the "young guys can’t drive stick" jokes folks!) I had to build a crossmember and re-weld the cab mounts, I also have the interior painted as of now, so enough of my story here are some pics!

[ABX131]

Nice story!, My son and I are working on a 63' 4x4 and it has been great fun. Looking forward to more pics and progress.

[austin60c10]

Looking great, thank you for sharing your story I look forward to more pics.

[63chevy4x4]

Thanks guys! say ABX131 what did you do for a transfer case shifter mount?

[Captainfab]

That's a great story.....something you will be able to tell your kids and grandkids someday.

You've done some nice work on your truck. It makes me smile to hear and see anyone in the younger generation taking an interest in this vintage of trucks.

Where is Perley located? My family is originally from Minnesota.

[fishmunger]

wow man, nice truck. we're the same age but looks like you've got way more skillz.

[63chevy4x4]

Thanks again! I have always loved old pickups, tractors, and farm machinery when Im out in the shop I am alway torn between working on my pickup or whatever hit and miss gas engine or old tractor im working on but I made myself a goal to have my pickup so I can at least drive it around the yard by spring so well see how far I get! I also want do do as much work as I can myself even though its usually a slower process but I learn alot more and feel more ownership of the pickup!
Captinfab Perley is about 30 miles north of moorhead MN and 4 miles east of the Red River of the north that boarders north dakota (rusted out farm pickup galor! haha) Its a small town of 91 people, I live on a farm 2 miles east of town, we have a gas station with a good mecanich who is veryhelpful so thats been a big help!

[ABX131]

63chevy4x4, my truck is not an original 4x4, it used a 73 chevy as a donor and swapped over all running gear to my frame. The guys who did it knew what they were doing but their finish work was rough. The low hump floor piece has holes cut all over the place and they replaced the original column with one from an Impala and put the tranny shifter on the floor. I am hoping to put a 71 column back in and move the shifter back to the column as soon as I get some time off. It is my son's daily driver but there are some things to address that would make hime more comfortable in driving it, like the shifter. He got a new stereo for xmas so that will be going in soon as well.

[63chevy4x4]

Oh gottcha, I looked at your pics, a very nice pickup! I love the 63 grills!

[63chevy4x4]

For the shifter in mine I bought a lokar cable kit and modifyed the column, the cab was on a pickup with a v6 and a hydramatic automatic, I also had to fab up a bracket to hold the cable on the cab but it turned out alright!

[ChevyFreak60]

Cool looking truck man!! What size tires are you running currently? I have 31/10.50 on my 65 4x4 riht now and i'd like to go taller. Looks like your bfg's are 33's?

[63chevy4x4]

Thanks ChevyFreak60! yep mine are bfg 33/10.5 when I bought the pickup it had some aftermarket steel wheels with 33x12.5 tires but they were to wide in my opion, and I like the chevy ralley wheels alot better

[ChevyFreak60]

Same here bro, do you have any side pics of the tires on the truck?

[63chevy4x4]

I can get one! i just gotta move my tool box so i can get a good shot, they look good but im wondering if I should have the white letters to the insde?

[ChevyFreak60]

Sounds good bro. I would say letters out but that's just my opinion. I've always been a white lettering guy lol
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[Captainfab]

That is cool that you are learning to do as much as you can yourself.

So you're not too far from Detroit lakes?

Originally Posted by 63chevy4x4

Thanks again! I have always loved old pickups, tractors, and farm machinery when Im out in the shop I am alway torn between working on my pickup or whatever hit and miss gas engine or old tractor im working on but I made myself a goal to have my pickup so I can at least drive it around the yard by spring so well see how far I get! I also want do do as much work as I can myself even though its usually a slower process but I learn alot more and feel more ownership of the pickup!
Captinfab Perley is about 30 miles north of moorhead MN and 4 miles east of the Red River of the north that boarders north dakota (rusted out farm pickup galor! haha) Its a small town of 91 people, I live on a farm 2 miles east of town, we have a gas station with a good mecanich who is veryhelpful so thats been a big help!

[63chevy4x4]

not to far detriot lakes is about 70 miles south east, my grandparents lived on big detriot when I was little, so ive been there a few times haha, busy place in the summer!

[amccomb]

Great truck gotta love the 4x4"s

[Bigffjoe]

Great story, great topic. I am a fan of letters out also for these older rigs.

I have 33x12.5's on my suburban and shortly before I got it from my dad about 12 years ago he had put them on. I think we have come to the conclusion that the 12.5's are too wide and think 11.5s at least, maybe a little smaller to the 31" also.

Keep up the great work. Joe.

[63chevy4x4]

Thanks again for the comments guys! I think Ill be keeping the white letters out, I ll try and get a good side picture, I finally got some things moved in the shop, I was building a minature tractor so that was blocking the view haha. Im hoping to get it fired up before i go back to school in the 14th!

[ChevyFreak60]

Hey bro did you happen to take any side pics of your truck?
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[63chevy4x4]

Ya ill take a better one with my camera today, my shops kinda narrow and the pickup is in the center so its hard to get a good shot haha

[63chevy4x4]

heres one of the front! I have been puzzeld since i put the cab on, my cab is level give or take 1/8 of an inch but in the front my core support sat 1 1/2 inces to high, i made a spacer to make it work but it still frusturates me! two things I have learned doing this project, 1.every step you finish 5 more things need to get done you didnt know about, 2. the more things you do the more things you would do diffrent if you could do it again, but thats life!haha

[63chevy4x4]

Ive gotten pretty lax on updating this, mostly for the lack of pictures haha. I have gotten the fron clip on, engine pretty much all hooked up, interior done and most of my parts orderd! Im using a radiator from an 87 gmc with an auto so I have the tranny cooler built in but becasue of its mounting location I ended up using a 3in fan spacer and a universal radiator shroud from summit, alot cheaper than an electric fan! Like ive told alota people its hard to have a full time project on part time pay haha.I really wana get it running this month so I can get the exhaust done on it. Im still searhing for a winshied and a set of west coast mirrors, Im pondering buying a rough 1962 chevy grain truck for the winshield and parting it out, if anyone is not to far and has one Id be very intrested!

[63chevy4x4]

Heres a pic of my engine compartment, got my dual power master cyl all hooked up using 4an line from Speedway and a handfull of fittings ( bending line is an art im still working on) I scored the vintage valve covers on Ebay and even with an edelbrock intake they look pretty cool!