66 Chevy C-10 build

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OddRodsGarage

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 30, 2013
Messages
353
Location
Vanderbilt Michigan
Ok I guess I will start with the back story. I saw this ad on Craigslist and went to talk to the guy. He had this truck that was UGLY and I knew that this was to my advantage. I called him about a week later because I knew he would still have it because everyone else told him it was too ugly and needed too much work …

It did have a Muncie 4 speed hanging in it so I figured it was worth something. In Michigan you need a title in your name to scrap something and he did not have it , but he would give me a bill of sale . I can get a title with a bill of sale. More on this later…..

Because the my place is about ½ way between him and the scrap yard I told him I would do him a favor and take it off his hands for $200 bucks IF he delivered it to my place

He agreed ...................
 
So the guy delivers the truck and we get to talking. He tells me he has hired by the Sheriffs dept. to clean up a piece of property that was seized because of drug crimes. The drug dealer also had a carpet installation business and was quite successful and had a small fleet of work trucks that he had carpeted completely on the ……….Exterior!!!!!

So over the course of 10 Michigan winters the carpet had rotted off and what was left was particles of glue and rust and black patina .

I was going to do a chop project but knew I could never replicate the finish and patina so I am going to slam it….

I got started ……….
 
Here are some pictures ...... I think.....
 

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Some more....or some reason I can not find a picture I took on the trailer but there will be more full body pictures later in this thread

This patina is all over the truck with the exception of the hood .. the hood was in better shape than the one I had for another 66 project that I am using it on that one so the buy was worth it for the hood and 4 speed alone
 

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Cool start and a good story as well...

don't think I ever said hello but HELLO....good to see another michigan member / build....[cl
 
Because I did not want to chop the body I decided to slam it to the ground
Because I did not want to z the frame and did not want to channel the body I started to look for other ways to lay the frame … and found a build link from Notch on another site
.
I started with the front and I must say I have bought a ton of stuff online and found a site that told me they had everything I needed to drop the front to the ground …… I guess technically they were right .. but what they did not say was it was not drivable … I have never been so blatantly lied to as these people did … Here is what I got and later I will try to fix it …..
 

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When I asked them about this they told me that I ‘’’“also need ……..””” and ‘’’ this is required “””” the old bait and switch to which I wrote up to MY inexperience and decided to make lemonade from these lemons…..

The upper A- Arms were obviously way out of position and needed to be raised and brought forward
 

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You will also have issues with the top of the inner fender just as I did.
Interested in how you will approach this [P
 
I'm sure not an authority on the subject, having only done one independent build, but I'd say those upper A arms are on upside down, aren't they?
 
I think the arms are right, if you flip them it would look really wrong, the frame mount area would have to be raised 6" from the current position. Either way it appears the way the dropped arms are manufactured are not quite right to allow the camber to be acceptable to drive at full drop?
 
I started by removing the A arms and getting everything else unhooked and out of the way I then used one of the best fabricating tools in my shop….. The cardboard separator from a 30 pack of beer to cut my first template [ of course I had to drink a couple of the pesky Pabst’s that were holding it down first ]

I figured the A Arms needed to come up about 5 “ , although if I were to do it again I think I would go 6 to 6 ½” . I used the bolts holding the cross member on along with the old upper control arm shaft bolts to hold it on. I will weld it also and add some strong back pieces later.
After I get the cardboard templates tweaked, I transfer this to a piece of 20 gauge for some final tweaking and I can also add some needed bends .

From there it went to some 7/16 th's steel
 

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I was thinking like BillM and 05 and Dirtyrat I will be driving it at full drop with the bags ¼ inflated so…………….. flipped they went . I will adjust for cast and camber before I drill the holes

When I was having my last conversation with the company that sold me these things I told him I was going to modify and fix his f**k up .. he insinuated that this would be illegal ! I also told the wuss to call a cop and if he brings his sorry arse to my shop , or any of yours I imagine , be prepared to leave with a limp …if at all……..
 

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