New to me 66 c10 4x4

[Brentwe]

Hi all, just purchased this rig, needs some tlc and body alignment, but runs well. Got a 350 with a 350 TH. Was out of town working and couldn't resist. Impatiently waiting to go back and pick up old blue.

[flashed]

Looks nice and Welcome .

[Clyde65]

Welcome! Nice truck, is it on a stick frame or??

[joesscamaro]

Looks nice from the pic!

[Brentwe]

Thanks, never checked numbers on frame but appears stock. Has had a few stiffeners and cross members added up front. Suspension seems tight, drives well, held 65 mph for 3 hrs.
Looks like a cheaper/ less knowledgeable frame off restore some time ago. Engine is sound, trans has shift kit. A bit of rust and some poor welds on the repaired spots.
I've spent the last week going thru the forum for tips and information, great site, looking forward to tinkering away on old blue. Looking to end up with a dependable daily driver.

[Brentwe]

Originally Posted by Clyde65

Welcome! Nice truck, is it on a stick frame or??

Now I get the question, I called it a c10, it is a factory k10. Vin confirms it.

[350TacoZilla]

That angle makes it look like its shortened to a 73-91 K5 frame. Obviously I could be wrong just going off 1 pic but would love to see pics underneath. It could be an original K10 that has had some upgrades along the way since the original parts are hard to find sometimes.

[Clyde65]

I like it no matter, just wondering about it for your sanity I guess.

Keep us posted!

[Brentwe]

The fellow I got it from had minimal knowledge on this truck. I had 2 days with it, so don't have much info. Was working out of town so had to leave it behind when I packed up and headed home. It's about 600 miles away right now and I have a plan to pick it up in about a week. When he comes home I'll have the opportunity to climb around and get some frame info. Wasn't able to get engine serial, but appears to be a mid 90s 350.
Didn't see any frame patches . But could have missed them and judging by the cab repairs I should have noticed them lol.
Appreciate any help from here identifying what I have.

[350TacoZilla]

Either way its a beauty for sure. I have no problem with frame swaps since it gets you newer drivetrain\brakes\steering and usually a bit better ride from the longer springs along with the a ton of aftermarket support for the 73+ frames. Those look to be 80's+ stock GM wheels that K5 and suburbans came with also which are something like 15x7.5 I keep thinking...maybe 15x7.

[Brentwe]

Now, the wondering is going to kill me before I can check it out. Has np203 t case, front discs, power steering with support fish plated under it. I assumed (ya I know) it was original frame, but if it is newer running gear I'll be happy with that to, not a purist by any stretch.when I went searching for a replacement alternator, po couldn't even give me a guess. Numbers were rubbed off of old alt so went thru wreckers looking at a hundred wrecks to find a belt arrangement like mine. Back to parts store to find a 94 chev 1500 alt dropped right in.
Got a mystery to unravel😊

[61K10]

Nice tk. Well the eng and running gear is not stock. Rear axle might be. have fun, tk looks good.

[jchav62]

I dig it...nice truck! Welcome...

[350TacoZilla]

LOL yeah the good old mystery of what did the PO (or 5 PO's) do to this truck I just got. Even if its an original frame but has all updated parts like that it will probably be a great truck to drive year round. I'm not a purist usually unless it is an extreme case like you bought an all original survivor that looks like it has 5 original miles and rolled off the dealer lot yesterday type of deal.

On the np203 thing they are ok for a normal use truck but the only thing I worry about when you get a truck that has it and lockouts is if the PO installed the part-time 4x4 kit in transfercase or if they thought just adding hubs was good enough. If not it can affect the life on np203 and also cause it to have some odd problems while in 4x4 once worn badly (like front wheels get power but rears dont).The part time conversion kit is like $50 at summit or any 4x4 shop can get them I bet but it does mean tearing into transfer case.

I love the stance it has along with good looking paint and wheel\tire combo on it.

['63GENIII]

Welcome to the forum. Nice looking rig ya got there. Ill be staying tuned for the mystery to unfold. It will definitely be a long few days waiting to go get her..... and the sickness begins

[Brentwe]

Thanks guys, np 203 part time kit, I'll look into it.

[350TacoZilla]

Yeah you might get lucky and it already have the part time kit installed.
If you have plenty of space in driveway\field\parking lot etc. the easy way to check if it has 4x4 all time still is with hubs unlocked try the different 4x4 positions on shifter and see if truck moves like normal, if it acts like it now has 3 neutrals in transfer case it does not have part time kit installed and the only positions the truck will move like normal in would be the two 4x4 LOCK positions.

If it does have part time kit than all the 4x4 positions will move the truck like normal with only Neutral not moving. Be warned the front shaft will spin in any 4x4 setting even if it has part time kit.


Stock shift pattern---------Part-time (I think.... its been 18 years since I had the np203 truck)

4x4 LO-LOCK -----------------4x4 LO
4X4 LO------------------------4X4 LO
N----------------------------------N
4X4 HI------------------------4X2 HI <----normal driving position in either full or part time, the 2wd aspect is hubs unlocked.
4X4 HI-LOCK-----------------4X4 HI


I hope I explained that OK as its easy for me to think the process through but hard to put into words. Like I said a ton of people throw locking hubs up front and then just run truck in 4 HI-LOCK so that it drives like normal but you can be damaging the case like that.

[Brentwe]

Good info, thanks. I will check that out.
When I test drove, I found the 4x shifter a bit odd, but had no pattern to go by.
So front to back
4 loc
4 high
Neutral
4 low
4 lock

It's been a while, so full time 4x4, difference between loc and full is instead of diff between front and rear, it is locked.
If I recall correctly then, with no lockers, in 4x high, front wheels slipping (or in air) truck will not move, correct?
Seems I had a 1980 2500 4x4 that ran that way.

[350TacoZilla]

No man pattern should be how I put it, unless PO also did something to shifter where it reverse's the pattern but even then the 2 hi ranges are together and 2 low ranges are together.


4x4 LO-LOCK
4X4 LO
Neutral
4X4 HI
4X4 HI-LOCK


I'll just edit instead of re bumping lol but it would be pretty easy for someone to reverse the pattern just using different shifter that hinges in opposite way so that it pushes instead of pulls rod.

[Brentwe]

Thanks, hmmmm, gonna have to wait till I pick her up, shifter was way shorter than factory, thought it was forward for high, maybe not.

[Brentwe]

Well just ready to load her up and haul her home. Frame numbers match cab serial, so factory frame. Np 203 has a part time kit installed, shifter is rugged, hard to feel the changes between gears. Brakes are discs front and drums rear.so far so good.

[Clyde65]

Great deal! Have a safe trip!!

[notsolo]

Wow, that's a score great, Beautiful truck. More photo's please.

[350TacoZilla]

Cool deal on frame, like I said before for me its not a negative wither way if it was on a newer chassis or not as long as work was done well. The truck looks nice underneath with d44 front,headers,tube crossmember added and serpentine belt setup. Motor looks to be either a pre 85 350 or maybe aftermarket heads to have the perimeter bolts not center bolt but then they added on the newer belt setup which is a plus. The belt setup does look like a match for 94 k1500 with that aluminum alternator mount and location of tensioner\ac compressor.

Here is my advice to you for when you are first pouring over it lol. Write down little things like belt size, plugs currently in it, oil filter, try to figure out what year brake setup it has incase it is something like 74 front and 66 rear etc and put the laminated list in glove box so if you ever have a break down you dont have to try and re-remember what all truck was made of while being stressed and pressed for time.

[Brentwe]

And we're home. Good call on making a list as I compile the info. Nice eye on the belt set up, you know your gear. I walked thru pick a part until I recognized the belt set up sure enough, 94 1500 pick up. I'll shoot some pics of specifics shortly.