Finally got a running 65 C10

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

DoubleDingo

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Posts
13,906
Reaction score
23,757
Location
Right where I am
First Name
Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
The excess under the hood,coiled like a spring allows the engine to vibrate,and move with bumps and engine torque,without flexing the copper repeatedly which will cause the copper to harden and crack like bending a coat hanger back and forth.
I didn't read your post before I said the same thing in a different way
 

1low4x4

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Posts
2,907
Reaction score
1,686
Location
Texas
First Name
Nick
Truck Year
1965
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
283
I love how everything I do is always wrong lol.
 

DoubleDingo

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Posts
13,906
Reaction score
23,757
Location
Right where I am
First Name
Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
I love how everything I do is always wrong lol.
It's an easy fix though. Just put the coil under the hood, you have plenty of copper line to do so.
 

1low4x4

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Posts
2,907
Reaction score
1,686
Location
Texas
First Name
Nick
Truck Year
1965
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
283
I’ll change it here in a minute before I crank it up for the day.

Fender came out good, I should’ve gone a little darker on the turquoise, but I could always redo it. Threw a couple of earlier model caps on the wheels that I had hanging on the wall.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3333.jpeg
    IMG_3333.jpeg
    213.8 KB · Views: 29

legopnuematic

Licensed Junk Dealer
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2016
Posts
5,145
Reaction score
19,159
Location
MO
First Name
Spencer
Truck Year
1971, 1̶9̶7̶4, 1976, 1979,1̶9̶8̶5, 2002
Truck Model
Dart Swinger, Sierra 10, C10 Cheyenne, C10 Big Ten, Silverado 10, Ram 2500
Engine Size
225/6, 350 c.i., 350 c.i., 5.9l Cummins
That came out really nice! I’ve done that type of weathering on model kits, never a 1:1.
 

1low4x4

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Posts
2,907
Reaction score
1,686
Location
Texas
First Name
Nick
Truck Year
1965
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
283
Chasing down a gremlin....lost tail lights and panel lights. fuse had burnt out last night so I replaced it. Lost them again today, no power at the fuse this time. Looks like green wire comes from headlight switch, to back of fuse panel for lights. if I could just figure out how to get the headlight switch out to mess with it (I googled it, definitely the switch. Lights cam back when messing with it
 
Last edited:

DoubleDingo

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Posts
13,906
Reaction score
23,757
Location
Right where I am
First Name
Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
Chasing down a gremlin....lost tail lights and panel lights. fuse had burnt out last night so I replaced it. Lost them again today, no power at the fuse this time. Looks like green wire comes from headlight switch, to back of fuse panel for lights. if I could just figure out how to get the headlight switch out to mess with it
Most likely from fiddling around under the dash.

A side story: I was just under a year living here, going home after work, got involved in a seemingly uneventful wreck. No damage to Mean Green whatsoever. I drove to my hometown, got my cousin to join for some beers up on the mountain, and the truck would not start. Granted, it mid-December, and COLD! This was around 2200 hours. Luckily it was a full moon. Option 1) Walk. No effing way, we'd freeze. It would be easily a 6 hour walk or more. Option 2) Drive the truck down. How? Very carefully. In the mountains, and when the vehicle has a manual transmission, I always point it downhill. So, I devised a plan. Leave it in 1st gear (sm420), and ride the brakes until they felt like they weren't holding well anymore, then slowly let out the clutch to stop. Wait about 20 minutes for the brakes to cool down, repeat. Once we were off the switchbacks we could freewheel. That was fun! Steering was tight because of swapping in PS, brakes were fine because they were still the old drums. Made it down the winding road just fine. Last option, roll through the stop light and hope there isn't a Sheriff, Highway Patrol, or cross traffic hit or get hit by, or just pull into a parking space behind a business then walk. That's what did, parked and walked.

The seemingly uneventful wreck had loosened a connection at the bulkhead and it got hot and warped everything. So, Pop diagnosed it, discovered it was that, ran a bypass hot to the fuse block or ignition switch, I can't remember which at the moment, and I ran it like that until I redid the entire harness a few years down the road.
 

1low4x4

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Posts
2,907
Reaction score
1,686
Location
Texas
First Name
Nick
Truck Year
1965
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
283
Most likely from fiddling around under the dash.

A side story: I was just under a year living here, going home after work, got involved in a seemingly uneventful wreck. No damage to Mean Green whatsoever. I drove to my hometown, got my cousin to join for some beers up on the mountain, and the truck would not start. Granted, it mid-December, and COLD! This was around 2200 hours. Luckily it was a full moon. Option 1) Walk. No effing way, we'd freeze. It would be easily a 6 hour walk or more. Option 2) Drive the truck down. How? Very carefully. In the mountains, and when the vehicle has a manual transmission, I always point it downhill. So, I devised a plan. Leave it in 1st gear (sm420), and ride the brakes until they felt like they weren't holding well anymore, then slowly let out the clutch to stop. Wait about 20 minutes for the brakes to cool down, repeat. Once we were off the switchbacks we could freewheel. That was fun! Steering was tight because of swapping in PS, brakes were fine because they were still the old drums. Made it down the winding road just fine. Last option, roll through the stop light and hope there isn't a Sheriff, Highway Patrol, or cross traffic hit or get hit by, or just pull into a parking space behind a business then walk. That's what did, parked and walked.

The seemingly uneventful wreck had loosened a connection at the bulkhead and it got hot and warped everything. So, Pop diagnosed it, discovered it was that, ran a bypass hot to the fuse block or ignition switch, I can't remember which at the moment, and I ran it like that until I redid the entire harness a few years down the road.
Ah, memories. Speaking of brakes I kept smelling something on the way home from the gym, I thought it was the belt because I had to get out and tighten it after replacing it today, then I thought I burned the clutch, then after walking around it and under it for about 20 minutes when I got home, I finally found the smell, the passenger rear brake drum must have locked up. Super hot. Have to pull it apart and reset it tomorrow sometime

Here’s one of the gauges working
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3339.jpeg
    IMG_3339.jpeg
    168.2 KB · Views: 24

1low4x4

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Posts
2,907
Reaction score
1,686
Location
Texas
First Name
Nick
Truck Year
1965
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
283
I must say, of the various truck builds you've posted on here over the years, this one is definitely my favorite.

Oh, I believe that antenna is an 80's F-series antenna maybe.
Im definitely having fun with it too
 

DoubleDingo

Full Access Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2012
Posts
13,906
Reaction score
23,757
Location
Right where I am
First Name
Bagoomba
Truck Year
1981
Truck Model
81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
Engine Size
Carb'ed Vortec 350
Ah, memories. Speaking of brakes I kept smelling something on the way home from the gym, I thought it was the belt because I had to get out and tighten it after replacing it today, then I thought I burned the clutch, then after walking around it and under it for about 20 minutes when I got home, I finally found the smell, the passenger rear brake drum must have locked up. Super hot. Have to pull it apart and reset it tomorrow sometime

Here’s one of the gauges working
Moral of the story, you probably jostled some connections
 

1low4x4

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Posts
2,907
Reaction score
1,686
Location
Texas
First Name
Nick
Truck Year
1965
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
283
Moral of the story, you probably jostled some connections
Doubt it. I was never near the headlight switch, and the fuse for the panel lights was burned out before I started the gauge install. But maybe who knows

I only had 2 wheel caps so I was able to find 2 NOS ones that are an exact match for $125 yesterday on Ebay, thatll be good. Need to find a new pass fender or cut and patch the one I got, and do the patina thing. Also decided I'm going to do the floorboards, rockers and fix little things on the door and roof. Then I can do sound deadening and carpet.

Other things I really want to do
Mild drop kit
power steering
auto trans
power brakes? with a dual MC
Discs at least in the front
Ball joints CA bushings etc
Some sort of AC at some point
Woukld love to cut out that spare tire depression on the fender and stitch in a patch panel
New wiring harness, has a lot of less than desirable spots and the front marker light harness is half missing
 
Last edited:

Ricko1966

Full Access Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2017
Posts
9,952
Reaction score
19,092
Location
kansas
First Name
Rick
Truck Year
1975
Truck Model
c20
Engine Size
350
Why do you think it's the headlight switch,not a wire shorted to ground. Wire shorted to ground is way more common. Have you looked at a wiring schematic from how power distribution is.You say the circuit is dead at the fuse panel. I think power hits the fuse panel first on your truck I could be wrong,but I'd want to verify.
 

1low4x4

Full Access Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2011
Posts
2,907
Reaction score
1,686
Location
Texas
First Name
Nick
Truck Year
1965
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
283
Why do you think it's the headlight switch,not a wire shorted to ground. Wire shorted to ground is way more common. Have you looked at a wiring schematic from how power distribution is.You say the circuit is dead at the fuse panel. I think power hits the fuse panel first on your truck I could be wrong,but I'd want to verify.
I did look at a ton of schematics, but they’re all so goofy You can hardly tell what goes where. All I know is when I reach under the dash and jiggle the hell out of the headlight switch, things start working.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
48,414
Posts
1,066,896
Members
42,800
Latest member
wshoneybadger
Top