slowlane
Junior Member
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2014
- Posts
- 22
- Reaction score
- 12
- Location
- New Hampshire
- First Name
- Tim
- Truck Year
- 1985
- Truck Model
- C20
- Engine Size
- 350
Hello everyone. I am Tim and this is my 1985 C20. I guess it is in pretty good shape for a vehicle that has gone through almost 30 Northeast winters. The bed is so-so but the frame and cab are good. It has a 1975 350 and TH400. I have been fixing it to use as a winter/stuff hauling vehicle. It used to be dark blue originally but was just primer and rust when I bought it. I brushed on some black Rustoleum after doing some quick bodywork to pass inspection. The area of the bed where the tailgate hinge should be is totally rotted away on both sides. A previous owner had solved the problem by welding the tailgate onto the truck, which was useless to me. I cut it off and ended up screwing some u-shaped channels to the rear stake pocket channels and sliding in a couple of 2x10 pieces of wood for a removable "tailgate". Not so pretty but it works and still has 8feet and one inch of bed length. Mechanically, I have replaced the radiator, oil pan gasket, valve cover gaskets, front tires, front shocks, steering idler arm, fuel pump and pushrod, and gave it a general tune-up. When I got the truck it had a lot of stupid problems that took little to correct. The choke was bound up and stuck open, loose carburetor nuts, fuel line wasn't clamped, and the right side valve cover was installed backwards so the rocker arms were rubbing on it. Also someone had botched a fuel pump install at one time and tightened the pump down against the pushrod and bent it which led to a loud ticking sound when the engine ran. All of that stuff has been sorted now and it is proving to be a pretty decent truck aside from an oil leak somewhere at the back of the engine, but I think I'll save that for next summer.
from N.E.
