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Old 05-03-2009, 07:54 AM   #1
Shaky
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67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

THE TRUCK:

I wanted a 67-72 truck in decent shape. I only had one requirement: it must have the small back window. So that severely limited the pool to chose from.

I spent a lot of time drooling over the west coast tin, but couldn't figure out an economical way to get it back east. Finally, on eBay, I saw a 67 C20 that looked good and it was in Tennessee.

Big straight six, SM420 4-speed, and no trim (which is just a rust hider around here). The original hub caps and split wheels suggested that it hadn't been messed with much. The brush guard sealed the deal.
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Old 05-03-2009, 08:03 AM   #2
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

THE TRIP:

A trip from CT to TN is nothing right? After all, I was going with Frank who drove his 67 C10 to the Grand Canyon and back when he had a week off. We took it to the top of Alaska too. Frank was the only one stupid...er..."adventurous" enough to go on this trip.

We loaded (and I mean LOADED) my 68 Biscayne with tools, jacks, jack stands, and parts and slid through NYC before everyone woke up. Here's a pic in VA. The poor Biscuit had an encounter with a deer shortly before this.

The deer lost.
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Last edited by Shaky; 05-03-2009 at 08:07 AM. Reason: add text
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Old 05-03-2009, 08:16 AM   #3
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

We got down to Knoxville and met the woman who was selling the truck. It was her father's and she was settling his estate. Originally it was a PA truck.

The paint wasn't original and there was something going on with some cracking on the top of the cab, but otherwise the body looked good. The gentleman had put some funky air horns under the hood, and there was a complicated system of angle iron and duct tape holding down the air cleaner.

We changed the oil, plugs, and checked the other fluids. Took a quick spin around town and got ready to go.
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Old 05-03-2009, 08:31 AM   #4
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

keep it comeing, nice find
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Old 05-03-2009, 08:31 AM   #5
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

Well, we got to the outskirts of Knoxville and the carb started stuttering. It was about this time that I started questioning my sanity for embarking on this trip. Frank's was even more in question since he wasn't even getting a truck out of the deal.

Another few miles and it smoothed out. Must have passed a piece of somethin' through a jet. Kinda like a kidney stone.

Frank had a lap top and cell phone wireless back in the Biscuit. A snow storm was following us. I had bald 10-ply retreads on the truck. We kept moving.

The woman explained to us that this was "not a highway truck". I don't think she questioned our sanity - she knew we were out there. The 4.10s in the rear definitely eliminated the need to worry about speeding tickets - unless they get issued for going too slow.

I don't think this truck spent a lot of time at higher rpm because somewhere in VA the vibrations went up. We later found out that the harmonic balancer had slipped the outer ring. This meant that there were only certain ranges where the engine was happy.

We made it just ahead of the storm and with no more problems. Lucky, lucky..

The truck spent the next couple of years being used for work and play. It got an HEI and a 68 Monojet.
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Old 05-03-2009, 08:48 AM   #6
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

That is nice !! I never knew the long-steps came as a C20 (3/4 ton ?). Mine is a C-10 and I'm looking at making it a 4x4 for my son.
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Old 05-03-2009, 09:50 AM   #7
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

Quote:
Originally Posted by barthmonster View Post
That is nice !! I never knew the long-steps came as a C20 (3/4 ton ?). Mine is a C-10 and I'm looking at making it a 4x4 for my son.
Straight from the factory. Here's the option list:
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Old 05-03-2009, 09:58 AM   #8
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

THE PROJECT:

Okay - I didn't want to rip the whole thing down to every nut and bolt like I usually do. The plan was to do it in stages and limit the down time.

Sorry folks, this isn't going to be a radical build with big blocks, Z'd frames, air bags, and 22's. I love seeing that stuff here, but I just wanted something that looks good, is easy to wrench on, and I won't cry about if I drive it in the rain.

Stage 1: Rebuild rear control arms. (Done)
Stage 2: Fix big dent in cab. (Done)
Stage 3: Paint. (In progress)
Stage 4: Fix differential. (I need an Eaton center section!)
Stage 5: Gear Vendors overdrive.

I was inspired by this truck's paint job and also some of the other silver trucks I saw here:
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Old 05-03-2009, 10:10 AM   #9
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

First the rear control arms. They had that rust in the middle that we're all familiar with. Maybe I should have just bought the aftermarket boxed arms, but they are pricey and these weren't quite bad enough to toss.

The 3/4 ton arms have plates on top and bottom to stiffen them. I knew there was plenty of rust underneath them, so I drilled the rivets. I cleaned up the bare arms as good as I could.

Then it was time to make some replacement parts and bolt them on. I coated everything with Rustoleum Rusty Metal Primer and then gloss black. There's also roofing tar under the plates to fill gap that runs along the middle of the arms.

I told you this wasn't a high-end build!

Good thing I did this since the U-bolts had rusted waaaay down where they go through the rear. The panhard rod got new bushings and the arms got polyurethane bushings in the forward end.
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Old 05-03-2009, 10:25 AM   #10
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

Time for the first surprise. There was some spider web cracking on top of the cab and you could see a little denting inside the cab. I figured it was just bondo, but after a little hammer and chisel time it appears that someone filled it with two-part epoxy or somethin'.

It was time for .

Body work is my least favorite thing to do. Rick down the street runs his own body shop out of his garage attached to his house and turns out some art work from a tiny shop.

He looked at the dent and said it would be easier to replace the outer sheet metal than try to pound or pull it out. Luckily, and I mean very luckily, my brothers are into 67-72s and there was a donor 67 GMC small window available.

Out comes the sawzall and then it was spot weld drillin' time. Ugh. No wonder Rick had me do it.
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Old 05-03-2009, 10:31 AM   #11
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

The original owner of the truck must have cried when this dent happened. You could tell he maintained this thing and the "IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE AS MUCH AS I VALUE THIS TRUCK, DON'T MESS WITH IT!" bumper sticker in the cap indicated a certain attachment to it.

Here's pics of the tops getting ready for swap:
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Last edited by Shaky; 05-03-2009 at 10:34 AM. Reason: pics!
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Old 05-03-2009, 10:36 AM   #12
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

Looks good so far! Keep em comin!
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Old 05-03-2009, 10:41 AM   #13
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

Off to Rick's place. Rick digs pre-war tin and mostly does Hot Rods, but he's restoring a Model A for himself right now. It was fun driving over in the winter with no glass in the cab.

He suggested gluing the new top on. The back he welded since his experience is that the glue sometimes bleeds through on a line like that.
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Last edited by Shaky; 05-03-2009 at 10:42 AM.
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Old 05-03-2009, 10:46 AM   #14
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

A little Dynamat on top and on goes the new skin.

That's the mad man Rick himself peeking around the back of the cab...
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Old 05-03-2009, 11:06 AM   #15
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

A little straightening and some paint and it's back in my barn. So now what?

I was going to put the glass back in and drive it for awhile, but it was starting to look like the right time to paint it. Rick said he'd paint it if I did most of the grunt work.
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67 C20 long step resto: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342086
66 C10 long step build: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post3814790
CT to Alaska in a 67 C10: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=399224
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Old 05-03-2009, 11:13 AM   #16
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

Now time for a little mechanical fun. The rear had been making some noise so I took out the center section. Man is that thing heavy.

Uh-oh. Mr. GM tech guy in the service manual is shown adjusting the carrier bearings using a spanner wrench. You can't see it in the pic, but "Butch" decided adjust these with a hammer and punch and bashed the crap out of the adjusters. I don't think this made the bearings happy.
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66 C10 long step build: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post3814790
CT to Alaska in a 67 C10: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=399224
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Old 05-03-2009, 11:27 AM   #17
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

Can't deal with this now, need to keep the paint job moving forward. Time for tear down.

The woman I bought the truck from said that the detailer she brought it to before putting it on eBay almost fell over when she dropped it off. In the last pic you can see the underside of the bed side. Apparently the whole truck looked like this. When the previous owner greased the truck, he greased the ENTIRE thing.

This accounts for how the truck could be driven around PA (it was obviously driven and used for hauling stuff) and still be in good shape. This truck is slathered in oil, grease, and undercoating. In most places it preserved the truck. In others, the water got behind it and started to have it's way. You can see in the last pic that the rear fender lip where it meets the step is gone.
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67 C20 long step resto: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342086
66 C10 long step build: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post3814790
CT to Alaska in a 67 C10: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=399224
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Last edited by Shaky; 05-03-2009 at 11:29 AM. Reason: text
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Old 05-03-2009, 11:46 AM   #18
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

OK - so now some good stuff. Apparently when this guy first bought the truck he must have put a steel plate in the bed. A 3/16" 4x8 steel plate with angles welded to it and bolted down (a tornado wouldn't have lifted it out without the bolts, but this was a belt and suspenders guy).

As a result, the bed wood and strips were pristine and still had the factory paint on them. Dave from work came over and helped me lift the bed floor out. He's a VW guy, but always looks for an excuse to get his hands dirty.
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67 C20 long step resto: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342086
66 C10 long step build: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post3814790
CT to Alaska in a 67 C10: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=399224
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Old 05-03-2009, 11:58 AM   #19
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

The frame doesn't look too bad, but there's a little bondo in the cab corner. I stuck my hand down in the inside and retrieved the grease-packed rags from the other side. Yum!
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66 C10 long step build: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post3814790
CT to Alaska in a 67 C10: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=399224
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Old 05-03-2009, 12:27 PM   #20
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

Sweet !!!

Reminds me of my old 67 GMC Kilroy
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Old 05-03-2009, 02:12 PM   #21
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

Quote:
Originally Posted by Spray-Bomb View Post
Sweet !!!

Reminds me of my old 67 GMC Kilroy
Nice! I would've liked to have the spare on the side, but I want to keep the project moving...
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66 C10 long step build: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post3814790
CT to Alaska in a 67 C10: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=399224
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Old 05-03-2009, 02:26 PM   #22
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

Now - into the gunk. Can anyone tell me how you do a front end alignment on this first pic?

I'm going to add a sway bar, so I started hacking a little at the lower control arm to find the holes. There's a combination of rubberized under coating, oil, grease, and dog hair that requires a chisel to remove. I think the dog hair is the secret. It makes it stronger than most aerospace composites.
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67 C20 long step resto: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342086
66 C10 long step build: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post3814790
CT to Alaska in a 67 C10: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=399224
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Old 05-03-2009, 02:35 PM   #23
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

The cab floor looks good. There's just one quarter sized hole near the kick panel. The lower part of the fenders still have factory paint on them and no rust! The rockers are all there, but the supports near the cab mounts are gone. Can't figure it.
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66 C10 long step build: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=1#post3814790
CT to Alaska in a 67 C10: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=399224
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Old 05-03-2009, 02:40 PM   #24
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

Here's the trans tunnel removed. Jeep guys: you can look at my last-year-only integrated back-up light SM420, but don't touch.
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Old 05-03-2009, 08:18 PM   #25
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Re: 67 C20 Long Step: "Slow Silver"

nice story/build.....i think he aimed for dogs crossing the road
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