The truck was my daily driver the first 2-3 years, until about when I burned up the engine. Yeah, it was at the shop for radiator & blew a bearing and oil pump on start? Hmmm! Well I was fired earlier that very same day, for govt. abuse on their part. I picked the wrong day to quit smoking turns out, and my Sheba died two days later.
After having lost my job only to find a better one later, I had a month to R&R the engine, which was led by my old buddy. I gunned the engine bay all black in 5-28 degrees, all outdoors. It actually held up to extent, and it sure looked bad too. I had to remove paint from everything for this restoration; even the evap. case was hit. The exterior had been painted beforehand too and nothing was spared, what a disaster.
A reputable guy named Mickey rebuilt the engine in 1993, installed with heads off a 68 396 Camaro if I remember right. He said the original heads had been gone through? All I know is when I bought the truck it had about 94K & died 6K later, and the heads are an improvement. He did a bang up job less I lost a heat stove, though I didn’t have the pipe anyway.
After the rebuild the truck became a garage queen, though I used it for landscape projects to the tune of maybe 200 tons of material. After a long wait I found a bed 9-10 years ago, it was located just 10 minutes from me. That was a $1200 bed swap, the old bed was toast well before my projects. I got a nice front bumper & reusable park light out of the deal too.
The engine doesn’t burn oil, and the oil crystal clear, and after 40K miles the block still runs like a top. So the engine wasn’t rebuilt for this beyond a chain, pump & balancer. All else has been rebuilt or is new. Pretty close anyway, I think I reused a relay or two for example, and I only cleaned the wiper & pump to see full operation for the first time since I’ve owned the truck, vinegar is your friend through the pump, just clean all of it out. I’m sweating start-up badly; the motor has been asleep maybe six years now. What a bummer to have to pull it after a restoration, I worry too much.
After having restored most of this truck I recognized it was primarily unmolested when I bought it for $2800, including the papers, owners manual and such. It was important I give it an honest restoration, I like vintage a lot. That required so much research. The good members of 67-72 Chevy guided me through much of it. This rebuild is with primarily original parts with exception of say a 1975ish Delco HEI, 10SI alt., Delco Mini-starter, heads as mentioned, though they look the same. I added an OEM expansion tank, and the moldings are an upgrade with the deluxe paint job, sport mirrors and bumper. Other than that I introduced some 68-71 Corvette material for such things as a fat ball antenna mast, and Witek band clamps as opposed tower clamps for water hoses, all original parts.
For many years, everyone, EVERYONE said NO, DON’T PAINT IT OCHRE…..NEVER! The only exception to that were the painter, and his wife who I worked with. She’s how I met the painter, Josh. Now those left say wow, I’m sure glad you painted this Ochre☺. My mom always said it would be nice no matter the color, but she felt Ochre was proof I was colored blind. I wish she and others lost could see it. She used to ask why it was taking so long.