1964 C10: A Natural Disaster

[muddpile]

Well, here we go. Some love it, some hate it, some come armed with a straight jacket. Regardless, strap in and enjoy the ride!

I bought it as an unfinished hot rod project off a friend of mine. It started life as a tool-hauler short fleet, then was bought and pieced together with a few other trucks to create a mismatched but nicely preserved unit. Next segment of it's life it received drop springs and spindles, rack and pinion steering, and a full 2x6 tube frame front to back with a healthy Z at each end. It was built as a pro street, but from what I've been told it didn't stay this way that long before it was parted out as a rolling chassis.

This is where it gets interesting. The new owner had this truck, and had an Olds 455 and TH425 transaxle mounted to a tube frame sitting around. The two were mated together in the bed area of the truck, some cables and hoses run, and a series of other additions done to make it semi-driveable. It was driven a couple times after that, but never did work quite right and wasn't what the owner was looking for, so it went up for sale again. That's when I took possesion...

To make this truck work right has taken a ton of work and money already, and more to come I'm sure. Nothing is readily available, and lots of parts aren't even special order, but rather custom fab.

[muddpile]

Here's the new shifter and trans tunnel. The shifter is a Lokar 32" model. It may look like it bolted in, but believe me...... There was a LOT more engineering than that, including a lever as the TH425 has a reverse shift pattern from a TH400 and this shifter was designed to be trans mounted.




The trans tunnel is no longer a tunnel at all, as there is no longer a trans. Meet "Anti-Tunnel". It will continue this way up the firewall as well.



Remember that ugly plywood bedfloor and little gas tank? Gone as well, and well replaced in my opinion.

[muddpile]

Firewall is done as much as I want to do it for this year. This winter I will be pulling the fenders and brake assembly and doing a full width skin.



The interior is coming along, no more ugly van column or stubby shifter.



The inner bed skins and fenders are tacked. Still need to make a front panel and a gate.

[muddpile]

Dash is in. The paint job is only temporary, as it was handy and fast. The gauges and layout, however, are permanent.



Grille and headlights are mounted, no more squares...



Wide Whites and fresh paint on the steelies

[muddpile]

I had to re-construct the entire rear suspension due to rotten rubber bushings in all 20 rod ends, and worn-out coilovers. The truck now sits LOW, and rides and handles much better than before. I don't have a lot of current pics, but will have soon.

Mustang buckets



Not-yet-installed



Battery box, it's not finished in the pic, but it's now finished and installed

[muddpile]

And there we go, right up to date. I've changed jobs, so not a lot of progress as of late, but that should change pretty quick.

[inthered02]

looks like a whole lot of work,.....but why?? Don't you like to turn?

[muddpile]

It steers just fine, but has added shock value, traction, a cooler engine and passenger compartment, and virtually no powertrain noise.

[inthered02]

it does have a shock value to it. I think the truck is the sh!t to tell the absolute truth,...I kind of hate to say it cause i'm kind of a purist. My dad use to tell me stories of getting smoked in his 12:1 327 67 vette by a dune buggy rocking that setup, that's flat walking the dog! So anything that draws attention to the cause gets a thumbs up from me.

[jgh64pkup]

is that a gmc

[muddpile]

It's a GMC cab and a chevy front end.

I think this induction suits it a little better. Offy dual quad with a pair of 500cfm Carter AFB's and a MSD Pro-Billet Distributor.

[Dave Young]

That thing is freakin' amazing. Can't wait to see the finished product.

[goldandwhite]

This design also gets you off the hook as far as friends wanting you to move their furniture from one place to another. LOL

[jgh64pkup]

looks good

[riverracer]

That thing is cool!...