New here, my 79 C10 Stepside

[Jrgunn5150]

Hey guy's, my name is J.R., I've been reading this forum a bit, the name is somewhat misleading lol.

Anyway, I've gotten some good info here, and I thought I'd share my new driver/builder project thingy. It's not my first Chevy truck by far, but it's my first in the past ten years or so, and I wasn't very active on forums back then. It is my first 2wd truck, ever, in life lol. I also have an FJ40, and an F100 I'm into a frame off on, so I wanted something I could drive and tinker with, that had some style, some value, some utility, etc.

A recent trip south to visit various family members in Ft Smith and Dallas turned up a few exciting prospects, but as I was only going ot be in town a few day's, I didn't have time to fool around with people who couldn't answer the phone, return calls, basically, who moved on southern time lol.

I did turn up a nice stepside, the guy promptly answered the phone, answered all our questions, and was available for us to meet. It was a friend of his project, that friend became indisposed, he picked it up, got it together mostly, and really wanted a snub nosed van.

So, for 2,500 bucks, I picked up a decent 79 Stepside, with a supposedly fresh 400, Edelbrock performer intake, Edelbrock 750 carb, TH350, 12 bolt with 3.08's



It's rough, and I'd have preferred he didn't rattle can it before I got there, but compared to Michigan, it's a thing of beauty lol. The heater core was bypassed, of course, and the choke was MIA. Gotta love warm weather lol. The windshield is cracked to hell, and I wad to rewire the trailer taillights in the hotel parking lot, but I drove it 1200 miles back home.



Now I at least had brake and taillights, of course the turn signal switch was broke lol, and, with trailer lights, no reverse lights. But I was almost ready to go, first I had to make it start to earn it's keep.

I swung by the local pull a part type yard and loaded up with tailgates, we don't have these up here!



And down the road I went, other than leaking a fair amount of oil out of the valve cover (I used a whole jug of Rotella), it ran fine and didn't miss a beat cruising at 65-72 all the way back to Michigan. Of course no heat and no radio made J.R. go crazy a bit, and the exhaust which consists of header's, two inches of pipe, chambered mufflers, and dumps right under the cab, was less than ideal also.

But, I got her home, and ordered up new door pins and a Quickfuel 1957 carb. 379 for a vacuum secondary, electric choke carb is a pretty good deal. Adjustable air bleeds/etc are nice, if I ever dig into the engine.

My nephew helped with the door pins, he actually got one out, after I cut it of course lol.



The interior, leaves a lot to be desired here, but I got a couple of classic Mexican blankets, at a Mexican flea market in Dallas,



Then I pulled the floor up, and the heater core out. Apparently trucks rust from the inside out in the south, strange place



I've never had an old truck that absolute colonies of mice didn't call home...

Anyway, the driver's side has a couple of holes, and a patch of galvanized posing as the outer rocker/door weatherstripping piece. So I ordered a floor and outer rocker from Tabco. Today I went out, pulled the seat to get ready to blast and coat the floor with chassis saver and found this under the seat,



About half a quart of transmission fluid, a neat ratcheting flex wrench, and some kaka. But, my GF helped me clean it up, with flour of all things.



You can see where I spot blasted some places, but somehow my media got all wet in the bag, so it was like spraying mud. I have a hanging furnace now, I just need to get it plumbed and I'll have heat in my garage to work over the winter.

I plan to coat the floor top and bottom in Chassis Saver, then add some Dynamat (or whatever), insulation, paint the inside of the cab, pull the dash and recover it, fix my completely non-functioning gauges, get the headlights to where it's better than a midget holding up a BIC lighter, and possibly get the outside painted.

If anyone is still following along after that book, kudo's to you!

[DblTrbl]

Looks like some fun! Nice work so far. I have a dash cap for that dash that appears to be the same color if you need one...

[rip2174]

thats good it drove 1200 miles.

[Jrgunn5150]

Originally Posted by DblTrbl

Looks like some fun! Nice work so far. I have a dash cap for that dash that appears to be the same color if you need one...

I haven't made us my mind on color's just yet, but I will definitely keep that in mind!

I managed to get the floor sandblasted today, having media that's not soaking wet helps tremendously.

[Jrgunn5150]

Well I got the passenger side cleaned up and my initial 2 coats of Chassis Saver on the floor. I think I may need to coat a little more, I didn't get it spotless or anything, just the major stuff off, pin holes welded shut, ground flush. It's getting a layer of Dynamat type stuff anyway, so no one will ever see it.

I was really concerned with the area in that channel, there was a fair amount of rust in there, but my little siphon feed blaster got it out.

[Ozark48]

I live in Russellville Arkansas. I remember seeing this truck on Craigslist. I'm glad someone got it that will do something with it. I look forward to seeing how it turns out.
Sub'd

[Jrgunn5150]

Originally Posted by Ozark48

I live in Russellville Arkansas. I remember seeing this truck on Craigslist. I'm glad someone got it that will do something with it. I look forward to seeing how it turns out.
Sub'd

Wow! Small world! Lol. I say I got it in Little Rock, but really it was an itty-bitty town about 90 minutes north/northwest. Beautiful area, but I couldn't find it again to save my life lol.

It's a basically decent truck, it runs well at least, brakes, suspension all ok. Just needs a lot of TLC.

On another note, my floor pans, from Tabco, in Cleveland, got shipped to Chicago, then back to Toledo lol. But they'll be here today! I have my niece's for the weekend, so it's unlikely I'll get much done until next week

[Jrgunn5150]

I swear, I just wanted to change the heater core and drive it...

[Jrgunn5150]

Now I have an inner rocker, cab support, kick panel on the way lol.... I need to get it ready to drive.

Also, I found out my breather grommet, isn't a grommet. It's like a cup, and nothing can get out of it, wtf?

[Jrgunn5150]

I got all my painting equipment setup, so I went ahead and sprayed the Chassis Saver on the Driver's side. I did about the worst prep ever, which is apparently what they recommend. I gave it a light sandblast, wiped it with some acetone, and shot it mixed 3:1 with acetone, worked like a dream, for now at least.

[Jrgunn5150]

Just an update that's not an update, I still have it, it's just sitting in the garage. Unfortunately, it takes up every available inch of garage space, so I can't work on it much in there. I just go out and start it every couple weeks, once it warms up a bit I'll patch up the panels and get to work on the rear frame section and whatnot.

I was really hoping I would have enough room to paint it in the garage, I'm bummed.

[calvin78612]

I'm in. Watch out, these things have a way of snowballing on you and the next thing you know your knee deep in a resto ! Ha !

[Jrgunn5150]

Originally Posted by calvin78612

I'm in. Watch out, these things have a way of snowballing on you and the next thing you know your knee deep in a resto ! Ha !

That's the problem, I already have a resto on my hands with my F100 lol. And I want so many more trucks, but I literally own a home that's like, 4 feet smaller in each direction than the lot it's siting on lol.

[calvin78612]

I bought the 87 in my avatar to have something " fun " to drive while I work on my 72. As of today the 72 is sitting in the driveway and the 87 is in the shop with dash, seat and cluster is out for a refurbish. I should be done with that in a couple more days. I rolled it in to clean the interior for LST in a couple of weeks. It just has a way of snowballing without you realizing it !

[Jrgunn5150]

Originally Posted by calvin78612

I bought the 87 in my avatar to have something " fun " to drive while I work on my 72. As of today the 72 is sitting in the driveway and the 87 is in the shop with dash, seat and cluster is out for a refurbish. I should be done with that in a couple more days. I rolled it in to clean the interior for LST in a couple of weeks. It just has a way of snowballing without you realizing it !

So true! But I really do have other projects to consider as well, and my home to remodel. I'd like to get the C10 welded back up and back out on the road for summer time so I can work on some of those other projects.

I just love old trucks, and I've never had a 2wd truck, but this one has grown on me. It's a keeper!

[Jrgunn5150]

Chop chop,

[Odaroloc]

Good work!

[tinydb84]

I always find it interesting when people put 5150 in their user names. I am a 5150 evaluator in my county.

Looks like a good start. I dont know how you all do that rust repair. I dont like sheet metal work.

[daddyjeep]

Originally Posted by tinydb84

I always find it interesting when people put 5150 in their user names. I am a 5150 evaluator in my county.

Looks like a good start. I dont know how you all do that rust repair. I dont like sheet metal work.

I had to look that up...too funny. I always thought the 5150 was Van Halen reference.


Back to the truck...Now that you have cut out a bunch of rust, lets see if you can put it all back together.

[Low Elco]

Son! Neat project! Hope she's back up for Summer.

[Jrgunn5150]

Originally Posted by tinydb84

I always find it interesting when people put 5150 in their user names. I am a 5150 evaluator in my county.

Looks like a good start. I dont know how you all do that rust repair. I dont like sheet metal work.

As a teenager, in the early 90's, I just liked Van Halen, I have been using it 20+ year's lol. I also don't like rust repair, that's why I bought an Arkansas truck

Originally Posted by daddyjeep

I had to look that up...too funny. I always thought the 5150 was Van Halen reference.


Back to the truck...Now that you have cut out a bunch of rust, lets see if you can put it all back together.

Now that it's 60+ degree's outside, it will be much easier lol.

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Son! Neat project! Hope she's back up for Summer.

That's the plan, I have everything here, or at home. I just need a nice weekend with no other distractions to deal with it. I though that would be this weekend, but a leaky water heater and behind schedule production at work say maybe next weekend lol.

[Jrgunn5150]

Well, the water heater took all my truck part money, of course, why wouldn't it lol.

I did work on trimming things up to fit my part's a bit, and I noticed it's puking out transmission fluid everytime I shut it off, so that's not awesome.

[GM-power]

I applaud your dedication to the metal work! My trucks been in Arkansas all its life and all four corners have little rust holes lol. It's always one thing that's a set back now isn't it... your gaskets are probably not sealing to well seeing as its been sitting and they've shrunk in abit.

[Jrgunn5150]

Originally Posted by GM-power

I applaud your dedication to the metal work! My trucks been in Arkansas all its life and all four corners have little rust holes lol. It's always one thing that's a set back now isn't it... your gaskets are probably not sealing to well seeing as its been sitting and they've shrunk in abit.

My truck came from Little Rock! Or somewhere northwest-ish of Little Rock anyway. The pic of me temp-fixing the taillights was taken in the Red Roof inn off I-40

I think most of the rust damage on the drivers floor here was caused by it sitting out in the holler down there without a cowl screen on it. The cowl was full of leaves and pine needles and mouse poop and dirt.

I am planning on replacing all the gasket's, I have some, but since it's been six month's now, I'm starting to get foggy on what I have and what I need lol. I really like to do thing's once and be done with it. I'm still hoping to be driving it by Memorial day.

[Jrgunn5150]

So this is where I'm at now,