Testing Driving Tips, Items to look for when purchasing

[mwildman]

Hello,

I'm new to the site and I'm looking to purchase a 69 C10 this weekend, possibly. I'll be honest, although mechanically inclined, I'm not to experienced with automotive nomenclature etc., so please use big words!

The truck I'm going to look at soon is a 1969 C10 straight 6 cylinders, 3 speed manual. All original to the best of the current owners knowledge, except for the conversion from column shift to floor shift. 120k original miles, nothing has been rebuilt or replaced. Some surface rust but nothing major per my conversation with the owner. Current owner has been using as a daily driver for the past 6 months.

What are some key items that I need to look for when reviewing the truck in person?
What are some items that I need look/listen for when test driving?

I plan on using this truck as my daily driver, day one. I don't drive to far, for one. Also, I'm tired of sinking money into a plastic junk and want something that I can work on myself, enjoy and restore over time with my boys. I had a 64 and 70 C10 while growing up, so there is some nostalgia involved with this purchase as well.

Thanks for your help,

Matt W.

[Grumpy old man]

Well... You asked ,I'm sure you'll get a ton of suggestions on what to look for . You can save yourself some time by posting a few pictures so the guys can get a look at the overall condition before asking a bunch of questions . Be willing to wear your old clothes and crawl under the truck looking for leaks ,cab condition , rust , an easy way to check clutch condition is to use the parking brake and foot brake at the same time ,shift the truck into 3rd gear and slowly let out the clutch . The engine should stall if it keeps running your already looking at a worn clutch , before starting it with a cold engine open the radiator cap and check the water it should be clean and green , look over the engine for leaks or signs of newly replaced parts or new gaskets , pull the dipstick ,check level,color , and smell if it has a high smell of gasoline the carb may need adjusting , is the oil filter new ? Check the front of the engine for leaks coming from the timing cover /oil pan , check the belts for cracks same with hoses , look at the brake master cylinder is it leaking ? look at the back of every wheel do you see and leaks /brake fluid . How do the doors open and close ? do the door gaps look even when closed ? windows and vents open and close easily ? ... How much does he want for it ?

[mwildman]

Thank a lot Grumpy old man! That's exactly the kind of info I was looking for.
Please see attached photos, this is all that is available currently.

Here is the data given by the owner in the ad. Asking $2,500
"69 Chevy C10 Truck has 120,000 original miles on the classic straight six. Was three on the tree but has been converted to three on the floor. All new hoses, wires, and plugs. I have all the service records since the 90's. Some rust but no major body damage. Runs and drives great. Perfect for restoration."

When I talked with the seller he was pretty open about the condition, nice guy, mentioned that the tailgate is in pretty bad shape but no other major rust issues to the best of his knowledge.

What's the ball park figure to have a clutch repaired? In the event that it is bad.

[Grumpy old man]

The bad ... needs paint $7,000.00,Tail gate $300.00 +, windshield $200.00 +, heater core $100.00 with gaskets + , interior worn out $1,000.00 + , parking brake doesn't work (bricks under tires) stains in driveway means it leaks , it's a long bed Some guys like them some don't depends on your future plans , is the radio hole cut out ? shifter against the seat ? Is the grille dented or cracked ? they are expensive . needs carpets $200+ Needs tires $$ needs hub caps $$ It doesn't look like a daily driver to me ??

The big question is how long has he owned it ? looking at the neighborhood it looks like he may have bought a project truck and then found out what it costs to pay someone else to rebuild ti , Now he's selling to get out from under it and buy a more finished truck . It's cheaper in the long run to buy the best most finished truck you can before diving into a project that may be in pieces for years ...Offer $1,500.00 cash in hand waving it in his face . $1,800.00 truck at most to me And that's if it runs and drives great !

[Grumpy old man]

To buy a truck like this you have to ask yourself do I have the time ? tools and equipment ? garage space ? Cash? and a AAA free towing card ? ARE you able to do all the repairs yourself ? if not save your cash and buy one already finished .

[mwildman]

Thanks again for the reply.

I'm fine with the cosmetics as they are currently and would plan on replacing/repairing them over time. I am worried about the mechanics, heater core, parking break leaks etc.

There is an after market radio in place, I believe, from zooming in on the pic.

What is you take on the asking price? Given that I haven't seen it or driven it and assuming that the extent of issues is limited to what you've pointed out. Somewhere around $2000 - $2500 isn't too bad right? Considering the other 69-72 C10s that I've seen listed for sale around north Georgia. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places as well??

What is the worst case scenario, meaning deal breaker item, something that wouldn't be worth fixing?

thanks again,

[Grumpy old man]

A smoking engine . I have extras call when you need one

The floor shifter shows this truck wasn't driven by grandad going to church .

Oh yeah , In Ga your going to want heat/defrosters and come summer air and this truck has neither . Unless you enjoy the 260 air ? 2 open vent windows at 60 miles an hour !

[mwildman]

Yeah!

Are you saying that this truck doesn't have heat/defrost or that function is broken due to something that you're seeing or not seeing in the image?

I can go without the AC for a while, it's almost Fall...I'll definitively need the defrost though. Do these models have floor vent?

Missed part of your other reply, in regards to how much I should offer. I do plan on making as many repairs and improvements that I can myself. It will be a learning curve but I'll dive into it. Just need good instructions. I used to repair my 70 C10 with guidance from my uncle, so I got that going for me....

[67ChevyRedneck]

He's referring to the heater hose being looped back to itself. The heater core is not connected to anything (circled in red on the firewall.) That *typically* means the heater core was leaking and the owner was too lazy to fix it (needs to be replaced).

It's not difficult nor expensive. There's a few threads on how to do it.

[Grumpy old man]

You need to replace the heater core before you will get any heat to the cab , the truck has 2 lower vents for airflow and the center vent for heat and dash vents for defroster .

[Grumpy old man]

If you do decide to buy the truck you came to the right place ,There are a bunch of guys /girls in here to help you with any repairs you may need to make and are more than happy to help anyone get their projects done . I'm not trying to talk you out of it just a little heads up on what might need to be done asap .

[WorkinLonghorn]

When I got this last '69, also with about 120,000 miles, original owner's estate) I just assumed it needed "everything" and I got the guy down in price (the shyster was asking $650!).
I re-did all the usual stuff ($2000 in '96 dollars) then after a new clutch ($300) the engine blew a year later.($1500).

Anyway, I would start it up and listen carefully to the engine, look for smoke on a cold start or driving past when warm. Try shifting from 1st to reverse rocking it back and forth and listen for loud clunk from the rear. Drive it around and accelerate and decelerate in each gear and see if it jumps out of gear. Get it good and hot and see if the radiator leaks. Does it just have water in it? Not good, there will be corrosion damage internally and likely a leak.

I would go to $2000 on it if the major components looked and tested ok. But be prepared to spend a couple more. Brian

[mwildman]

Thank you all very much, you've given me so much terrific info!! I hope the truck works out just so I can continue communicating with you all!! One more question, how do you drive a manual transmission....lol, just kidding!

I'll keep you posted,

Best,

Matt W.
Duluth, Ga

[Grumpy old man]

Most ask "How do you drive a 3 on the tree " !

I think many of us have determined it's now a anti theft device !

[saxart]

One thing to check is the electrics. Start it up, and turn on all of the lights, then walk around the truck to make sure all of the lights work. Have the seller then sit in the driver's seat and check the turn signals on both sides (front and back). Have him push in the clutch and put the truck into reverse while it's running. Do the reverse lights come on? Do the brake lights work?

I did not do any of this when I bought my truck about a year and a half ago. It ended up that NONE of my lights were working for various reasons. It was repairable, but cost me money in the end and would have been a great bargaining chip had I known about it.

Here are some of the things I found on my truck once I started researching why the lights didn't work.

Bad rear harness:



Mouse chewed rear tail-light plugs:



The back up lights literally had little fuzzies of copper wire coming out of them and that was it. The rest of their wires were completely gone!

While none of this is a major deal-breaker for a solid truck with little to no rust, it will cost you time and money to fix, so it should be part of your negotiating process. Another related item you can check would be to look over all of the wires in the engine bay. Not so much the spark plug-wires, but all of the wires leading to the headlights, directional lights, and alternator. Also get down on your knees and look at the wires under the dash by the driver's side. You should see wires that look old, but are not all hacked up and previously "fixed" by someone. These types of finds can be frustrating to undo.

[mike16]

drive it over a smooth road with pot holes and listen for clunking noised. it could be suspension mounting bushings or cab mounts.

actually it looks pretty nice, nothing mentioned is a deal breaker if you are mechanically inclined. easy on the learning curve if you are not mechaniclly inclined. with the hole in the floor for a shifter I would put a 4500 5 speed in it as my first project.

[mwildman]

Mike16 – Is that 4500 5 speed a whole different transmission or just an alternative shift kit?

Saxart- Does changing the rear harness require any special tools or basic stuff? There’s a complete wiring harness on Brotherstrucks.com, does that replace the every wire on the truck, low voltage only I’m assuming, non-engine wires?

To all – Do you all keep you trucks as close to stock as possible or do you do modifications and customize, engine, wheels etc.? Most of what I’ve seen looks like you keep them pretty original, which is what I would like to do, maybe with a little modification.
Thanks again, you’ve all have been so helpful!

[saxart]

wildman-
The rear harness is cheap and easy to replace, it just takes money to buy a new one, so use that as a bargaining chip when you go to buy the truck.

[Chevyland]

Looks like a $1500 to $2000 truck to me.
check all problematic rust areas
Rockers, cab corners, cab braces, drop rails
By the one pic of rocker it looks pretty clean
If you want to restore.
A rust free truck is the most important thing to start with

[Ken B]

The truck doesn't really look too bad to me. From here it looks pretty solid but as mentioned you will want to crawl around under it to check cab mounts etc. so bring a flashlight and spend some time under it. EXPECT some oil leaks etc. but be on the look out for fresh leaks because that presents a current issue. It doesn't look like anyone has had a field day hacking up the wires etc. One thing I HATE is hanging wires under the dash etc.. MAKE SURE that you don't just road test it around his neighborhood. Get it out where you can do at least 55 mph with it to determine whether or not you think it is a daily driver as the owner claims it is. Don't expect it to stop on a dime and plan ahead for stops, looks like 4 wheel drum with no assist. As far as cosmetics.. Learn how to do body work and paint on your own, this is a perfect truck to learn those skills on if you should ever decide to spruce it up. Mechanically speaking, if you are mechanically inclined then there really isn't too much on this truck you can't fix yourself. Prices are all over the place, it really depends on your area. 1800-2 grand is about right but if you have to pay a little more then that is up to you. Here in CT. that is 2500-3 grand all day long.

[mwildman]

Grumpy old grandpa, what did you notice about the windshield?

And is the sliding rear window an original option for this year of truck? I didn't think they did this back then?

thanks,

[mwildman]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

A smoking engine . I have extras call when you need one

The floor shifter shows this truck wasn't driven by grandad going to church .

Oh yeah , In Ga your going to want heat/defrosters and come summer air and this truck has neither . Unless you enjoy the 260 air ? 2 open vent windows at 60 miles an hour !

By moving the shifter to the floor, do you think someone did this for speed/ performance purposes? I wouldn't have figured this model, with the 6 cylinder, a real performer. But I'm new at this, is there power potential with the straight six, maybe not this one, but do others prefer the 6?

[Grumpy old man]

Its clouded out on the bottom They usually separate soon after . The slider may have been installed by the dealer or owner ? Yes they sold sliders way back then . It's been listed for 23 days are you sure it's still going to be there on Sat ?

Who knows why they switched it ? maybe they couldn't drive a 3oot , Or the column shift was worn out ?

Some guys like the 6's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p3-cAJrLCw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQKvdHkfTms

[mwildman]

Originally Posted by Ken B

The truck doesn't really look too bad to me. From here it looks pretty solid but as mentioned you will want to crawl around under it to check cab mounts etc. so bring a flashlight and spend some time under it. EXPECT some oil leaks etc. but be on the look out for fresh leaks because that presents a current issue. It doesn't look like anyone has had a field day hacking up the wires etc. One thing I HATE is hanging wires under the dash etc.. MAKE SURE that you don't just road test it around his neighborhood. Get it out where you can do at least 55 mph with it to determine whether or not you think it is a daily driver as the owner claims it is. Don't expect it to stop on a dime and plan ahead for stops, looks like 4 wheel drum with no assist. As far as cosmetics.. Learn how to do body work and paint on your own, this is a perfect truck to learn those skills on if you should ever decide to spruce it up. Mechanically speaking, if you are mechanically inclined then there really isn't too much on this truck you can't fix yourself. Prices are all over the place, it really depends on your area. 1800-2 grand is about right but if you have to pay a little more then that is up to you. Here in CT. that is 2500-3 grand all day long.

Thanks Ken, I'm pretty mechanically and electrically inclined, just lacking the automobile vocabulary and experience. I can probably rebuild a corroborator but couldn't tell you what one of it's components is called...but I've picked up a lot just by pouring through this site over the past couple days.

The prices are getting pretty crazy around here, I've seen some C10s setting in a barn lot, no engine, and they're asking 2k-3k. And if it has a semi nice paint job, they're at least 7k. I'm jumping on this one, pending what shape it really is in. I figure, I don't really want to pay for one that has been restored, or partially restored in a way that I wouldn't have wanted. So, I'll do it myself, risky but I'm too excited to turn back now!

[mwildman]

Here's the 70 C10 that I had when I was 16. I wanted it due to the Dazed and Confused movie, but that truck was a 72 short bed and lowered a bit, pretty sporty looking. Anyways this was a pretty nice truck, 396 auto. Breaks were really under powered and someone had removed the steering wheel and replaced it with, like a 90s S10 steering wheel, which was like half the size it needed to be without power steering. Hind site 20/20, I should have just kept driving the 64-C10, had a blast in that truck.