'64 Step Side C-10 in the UK

[disasterbus]

My truck spent almost all of it's life in Texas until a couple of months ago, so is totally solid and the chassis is like new.
This is how it looked underneath when I got it......




British weather and salt on the roads mean that it wouldn't have stayed that good for long now it's over here, so yesterday I had the whole thing steam cleaned and then Waxoyl protected, including inside the doors, insides of the wings (fenders to those over the pond) and all the cavities injected. It looks tidy but more importantly, it won't go rusty with a bit of luck!

[disasterbus]

Big box of stuff arrived from the States this morning. Happy with the contents but less happy with the £42 bill for import duty and delivery

Got a tailor made cover for the truck just in time for the British Winter....

[mjh1965]

Hi if you need any more parts have a word with me or Rian as sometimes it's works out a lot cheaper to use Ron at STS Imports if you are not in a hurry . As shipping in a container is cheaper than the plane just slower Martin

[disasterbus]

Originally Posted by mjh1965

Hi if you need any more parts have a word with me or Rian as sometimes it's works out a lot cheaper to use Ron at STS Imports if you are not in a hurry . As shipping in a container is cheaper than the plane just slower Martin

Cheers Martin, likely to be after a rear bumper and bumper irons sometime soon so will bear that in mind.

[disasterbus]

Despite the damp and miserable English winter weather I took the truck up to a small local meet at Krispy Kreme's drive through. This is the first 'show' I've taken it to and a few people seemed to be admiring it

There were some nice vehicles there today despite the weather......










Then came back and did a few jobs on my truck (with no help at all from Henry the Basset Hound)

[Grizz1963]

Good to see your truck out there Kerry.

Guess you must have been grinning like a Meerkat on speed, driving your truck around. Notice how many people take not of it??

Thank you also for copying and sending the wiring diagrams for Martin and I. They will come in very handy when we start to put the trucks back together, eventually.

[mjh1965]

Looks like a good turnout for January. Oh I miss taking mine for a spin . Thanks for the wiring diagram, Rian gave me a copy on Saturday when we went to book our trip to the states . Martin

[disasterbus]

Just one minor job done on my truck today.

I've never really liked the front number plate and frame fitted to my truck.



I don't think the British plate looks that good in an American Licence plate surround so I swapped it for a UK plate which I think looks better.

[Grizz1963]

Surprised you did not buy a stick on plate.

The frame and plate were "not right"

[Palf70Step]

Yep, the British plate looks waaaaaaaaay better than the compromise plate.

[Ta2Don]

Nice change!

[disasterbus]

Had a couple of truck related e-bay scores this week.
I’ve been looking for ideas for windscreen washers as my truck has jets fitted but no switch, pump or reservoir bottle (I guess it never rained much in Texas!).
I didn’t really want to put a modern switch in the dash which would look a bit out of place so was pleased to pick up this manual pump for a couple of £. I think it is from a 1960’s Morris 1000 so British, but the same era as the truck.






Also picked up this 1:18 scale model pretty cheap from eBay in Poland of all places – couldn’t resist it

[disasterbus]

I have a bit of a love / hate relationship with eBay but this week I'm loving it. In addition to the bits I scored earlier in the week I just won a 'commercial' type rear bumper for my truck for £14 ($20). Considering how few of these trucks there are in the UK, that's a real result.





Bit of a road trip next weekend to collect it but well worth it.

[mjh1965]

Nice score Kerry have you got to go far to collect it ?

[disasterbus]

Originally Posted by mjh1965

Nice score Kerry have you got to go far to collect it ?

Norwich, so about 3 hours each way from me, could be worse!

[Ta2Don]

Agreed, Nice Score!!!

[disasterbus]

Picked the new rear bumper up tonight, took the other half's Peugeot 207 as it's way better on fuel than my old truck. Didn't really think it through as it was 150 miles each way, and when I got to Norwich and loaded the bumper it stuck out the back of the car by about 2 feet so I had to tie the tailgate down.

Not a problem generally, but no sooner had I loaded the bumper to set off home than the temperature dropped and it began to snow - a very cold and draughty drive home!

[Palf70Step]

Originally Posted by disasterbus

Picked the new rear bumper up tonight, took the other half's Peugeot 207 as it's way better on fuel than my old truck. Didn't really think it through as it was 150 miles each way, and when I got to Norwich and loaded the bumper it stuck out the back of the car by about 2 feet so I had to tie the tailgate down.

Not a problem generally, but no sooner had I loaded the bumper to set off home than the temperature dropped and it began to snow - a very cold and draughty drive home!

Been there done that. What a pain. It dropped to below freezing (+5F ). I was never so happy to see my little house heater (This was in northern Japan).

[Grizz1963]

Originally Posted by disasterbus

Picked the new rear bumper up tonight, took the other half's Peugeot 207 as it's way better on fuel than my old truck. Didn't really think it through as it was 150 miles each way, and when I got to Norwich and loaded the bumper it stuck out the back of the car by about 2 feet so I had to tie the tailgate down.

Not a problem generally, but no sooner had I loaded the bumper to set off home than the temperature dropped and it began to snow - a very cold and draughty drive home!

Sorry mate, but I had to laugh at you. Sorry you froze your bollocks off.

These trucks are deceptively large.

If you look in Martin's thread you will find a pic of the bonnet he bought from the USA mounted on top of his Mondeo estate, and it looks like a carport on his roof.

[disasterbus]

Popped in to my local Hot Rod shop ( yes, there are one or two in England ), literally only looking for a shouldered bolt for my steering wheel boss and came out with this Mooneyes steering wheel.





Must try harder to resist impulse purchases!

[mjh1965]

Nice wheel did you go to Topspeed if so that shop is a dangerous place to visit when you own an American car or truck

[disasterbus]

Originally Posted by mjh1965

Nice wheel did you go to Topspeed if so that shop is a dangerous place to visit when you own an American car or truck

no, I bought a pair of headlights in Topspeed last week for the truck but the new steering wheel came from Jack Hammer Rod & Kustom at Farnborough. I've also got Namco nearby, so quite well covered for Chevy parts, which is handy.

[Ta2Don]

Nice Score on the wheel...

[Grizz1963]

Today Martin and I went over to Disasterbus, Kerry's place after I "rented" his Mondeo ST Estate to collect a 1.97 meter by 1.0 meter rolling door steel filing cabinet for my garage, and to check out his Stepside C10 Chevy.



First things first was a thorough inspection and critique of Kerry's truck, which it turns out, is even better than shown on his thread, he really got a clean, low mileage truck.
And I loved the 175/80 -15 tyres on the rear, they do suit the arches just right.





After 3 hours, coffee, inspecting his Classic Mk1 Mini Cooper, pleasing/teasing the hound and a load of chatting it started to come down with sleet and some rain mixed in.......

We decided it was time to hand him back to his family, and load up the cabinet and head for home with our bounty..... Which included the cabinet, and large Nike shoe box full of American car magazines and best of all in my book, a manual fire alarm bell which will be mounted on the side of the house on the wall for Post men, deliveries etc in case I am down at the garage.

Thanks a mil for the hospitality and gifts Kerry, good to see you again as always.



Tight fit once the cabinet was in the back of the car...... 75 miles crunched up like armadillos, a breeze.





Said Fire Alarm bell, note the handle, you turn the handle to make it ring.

I am sure the delivery guys will get a kick out of cranking that sucker over.



When we got in, I started up the oven to cook the pizzas Nicola had left for us, as she has gone to Paris for a week with her daughter.
While we were over at Kerry's place we noticed that his filler cap was not a locking cap, fortunately I had a locking GM unit, unused, that Martin had given me to try on my tank, on which it does not fit for some reason, so I fetched it, and some of the other ones, now Kerry just needs to choose the right one for his truck, then it will be out in the post along with the sheet metal glove box inner I will be cutting, folding for him tomorrow.



All in all, another great day out, thank to our shared hobby of old cars, trucks.

[disasterbus]

Good to see you today guys, glad the cabinet has found a new home in your garage - I hate to throw anything useful away!
I think there is a typo in your last entry Grizz, the rear tyres on mine are 275's not 175's - no skinny-arse tyres on my truck!