1965 1/2 C10 Pickup

[jayoldschool]

I'll say it: never.

66 emblems? Roller cam? Vacuum gauge? Silver gauge bezel? COPO (?) 327?

Let's see the VIN. And... the SPID sticker in the glove box ;-)

[The Rocknrod]

Oooo there ya go - SPID sticker on the glove box door.
Say you don't have that!

[oldusafmsgt]

Questionable. Without VIN number, Engine numbers, Spid, I'm not buying it. Too many inconsistencies.

[TJ's Chevy]

Never rule out possibilities....GM did things that were not in the books.

[60-66]

Originally Posted by salty531

I have a 1965 1/2 C10 Pickup that i special ordered in 1965. I am currently just starting a restoration on it. It is totally original and when i pulled the engine(327 v8 H/O) to have it overhauled i discovered that it has a Roller Cam? I was not aware that engines of this vintage had roller cams. I have owned it since new so i know it came from the factory like this. I have been unable to get any information on this. Can anyone help me with this? This Truck was ordered with Powerglide Trans, Power Steering and 12 bolt Posi Differential.

Yes , you could "order" a new truck in 1965 because the Production year for 1966 Chevrolets started in either July August Sept of 1965. That does not make this a 1965 or 1965 and a half. Its a 1966 , the VIN will confirm this. What info do you have on the 310 HP statement ? That is one NICE truck you have !!

[Chevy Fleetside]

I'd love to come check it out someday.

[oldusafmsgt]

1. Chevrolet never produced a 310hp 327. Not in 65, not in 66, not in cars or trucks, not in the entire 62-69 production. Not ever.
2 No roller cam 327's. Ever. Roller cams were not available in factory manufactured engines until the 90's. 1969 was the last year the 327 was produced.
3. Truck has wrong emblems for the year.
4. No 327's available in 65 in C10's. 66 Was first year offered in C10.
5. Without any numbers or documentation, provided info is meaningless.

[61K10]

Back then if you had connections, anything was possible. Would be interesting to see some pics and numbers. Other people have said my tk is say a 66 but the title says 65. now the roller cam is another question. Nice tk though.

[The Rocknrod]

Originally Posted by 61K10

Back then if you had connections, anything was possible. Would be interesting to see some pics and numbers. Other people have said my tk is say a 66 but the title says 65. now the roller cam is another question. Nice tk though.

Originally Posted by salty531

I just thought that it was a neat option at the time. I was just a young kid and interested in cars. Notice the Tac also.
You have a nice Truck there.

Not likely.
And yes no roller cam 327 ever was made, and a roller cam small block started in like 87? or latter.

[jayoldschool]

Originally Posted by TJ's Chevy

Never rule out possibilities....GM did things that were not in the books.

The thing is, TJ, that we know about these things, and have known for decades. COPO engines, etc. Everything that made by GM had a part number. A 427 into a Camaro? Sure, just check the correct boxes. A roller cam (lifters) in a 327? No. Traco-built Trans Am series engines used flat tappet cams... just like NASCAR engines.

The small block didn't get provisions for roller lifters until the mid-1980s. Trucks still had flat tappets into the 90s!

[La Zona Imagery]

I was talking to my old shop teacher, and he said back then you could order almost anything if you knew the right people. And stuff like that happened too

[oem4me]

The COPO option thing was pretty interesting, but I'm pretty sure not even the highest ranking exec could order things that didn't exist yet.

[rvrfoot]

My dad worked at a cadillac dealer as a mechanic He said he could not order any car with different options.

[andyh1956]

Certainly a nice optioned truck!
Think about this story. Every summer when I was little my grand parents & I would get in the boat at Guntersville AL & go up the Tenn River past Chattanooga & around to a place called Lorett & spend a week. One yr we went further up to a big creek & stayed a few days at a mans place named Cummins. He was the brother of the man who invented the Cummins Diesel Engine. This was summer 1965. Mr Cummins had a new Gold Mustang coupe. It had for an engine a 390 FE style under the hood. While talking with my grand daddy he said he had a bro n law that was at Ford & he got him to order the car with that 390. I remember it well because my grand daddy commented that it was the same engine that was in his LTD. We all know that Ford never offered the FE in the 1st generation Mustang but there it was. Anything may be possible!

[The Rocknrod]

Anything except what was not invented yet.
Listening to that story in 1965 Ol Cummins could order a Coyote engine they put in the Mustangs now. Right?
"you could get what you want cause you knew somebody" right?
My dad knew a guy in Lockeed - but he couldn't get a UFO, neither could this young man buy a roller 327 motor in 1965 because they didn't exist yet.
Is this too difficult?

[oldusafmsgt]

Exactly. 99.9% of GM COPO orders were for fleet vehicles. And were not normally optioned heavily. And Chevrolet did not offer one off, non standard engines to the public, let alone an individual buyer. Not ever.

[salty531]

Originally Posted by 66Gilbert

I am curious what is stamped on the VIN tag?

vin# 6Z126582
c144
JUST CONFIRMED IT IS A L79 66 CORVETTE ENGINE WITH ROLLER CAM.

[salty531]

Originally Posted by oldusafmsgt

Exactly. 99.9% of GM COPO orders were for fleet vehicles. And were not normally optioned heavily. And Chevrolet did not offer one off, non standard engines to the public, let alone an individual buyer. Not ever.

Beg to differ with you. I ordered this Truck. Just confirmed that it is a L79 Corvette engine with Roller Cam.

[salty531]

Originally Posted by The Rocknrod

Anything except what was not invented yet.
Listening to that story in 1965 Ol Cummins could order a Coyote engine they put in the Mustangs now. Right?
"you could get what you want cause you knew somebody" right?
My dad knew a guy in Lockeed - but he couldn't get a UFO, neither could this young man buy a roller 327 motor in 1965 because they didn't exist yet.
Is this too difficult?

Sorry it was an end of year Truck 651/2. Confirmed that it came with an L79 Corvette engine with Roller Cam. Just ordered new Cam and Rollers for 66 L79 Corvette and they were the correct parts.

[salty531]

Originally Posted by andyh1956

Certainly a nice optioned truck!
Think about this story. Every summer when I was little my grand parents & I would get in the boat at Guntersville AL & go up the Tenn River past Chattanooga & around to a place called Lorett & spend a week. One yr we went further up to a big creek & stayed a few days at a mans place named Cummins. He was the brother of the man who invented the Cummins Diesel Engine. This was summer 1965. Mr Cummins had a new Gold Mustang coupe. It had for an engine a 390 FE style under the hood. While talking with my grand daddy he said he had a bro n law that was at Ford & he got him to order the car with that 390. I remember it well because my grand daddy commented that it was the same engine that was in his LTD. We all know that Ford never offered the FE in the 1st generation Mustang but there it was. Anything may be possible!

You are right, confirmed this is an L79 Corvette engine with Roller Cam.

[The Rocknrod]

Originally Posted by salty531

Beg to differ with you. I ordered this Truck. Just confirmed that it is a L79 Corvette engine with Roller Cam.

Who confirmed this?
They didn't make one with a "roller cam". No small blocks were even produced with a roller came until 1986 or 87?
It's like saying you have a 1966 LS6. You couldn't get what GM couldn't get.

[salty531]

Originally Posted by rvrfoot

My dad worked at a cadillac dealer as a mechanic He said he could not order any car with different options.

I did not order the L79 Corvette engine but that is what they put in. As Truck was a end of year order they probably did not have a 327 Truck engine ready and through in the L79. This is what it came with and i should know as i got it new.

[salty531]

Originally Posted by oem4me

The COPO option thing was pretty interesting, but I'm pretty sure not even the highest ranking exec could order things that didn't exist yet.

new parts as a 66 L79 Corvette.

[salty531]

Originally Posted by jayoldschool

I'll say it: never.

66 emblems? Roller cam? Vacuum gauge? Silver gauge bezel? COPO (?) 327?

Let's see the VIN. And... the SPID sticker in the glove box ;-)

VIN# 6z126582

[The Rocknrod]

I quit - you own something that did not exist yet. Wow, the factory time machine must have broken after building your truck. Makes sense to me.