Raider L
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
- Posts
- 1,892
- Reaction score
- 996
- Location
- Shreveport, LA
- First Name
- William
- Truck Year
- 1974
- Truck Model
- C10
- Engine Size
- 355
@audi_diver_ ,
Welcome from Louisiana. You will like this forum as most everyone has got a stock truck and are always doing something to keep their truck stock. But in your case, you've got the typical grand dad's truck, clean and in perfect condition. Yeah, keep it in the garage not out in the weather and parked out on the street like I have had to. It's really hard on the truck. Sure they hold up okay, but I know it's slowly turning to dust. That's why when I rebuilt my truck I replaced every bolt, fastener and screw with stainless steel in order to stop corrosion and rust. Even the cab bolts and bumper bolts are stainless. The only ones that aren't are the bed bolts. So anything you can do to it to keep it as nice as it looks now, do. And you engine compartment looks really good. Give it a good wash. And I mean get you some rags and a buckert of hot soapy water and get your hands down deep into the engine compartment, brushes, etc. Give that sucker a good bath. And I agree with all the previous advice on what to do first, but I would go further and change the anti-freeze along with the oil and trans fluid to. If your grand dad was like a lot of guys his age they love changing fluids, often. If you can find it maybe he kept a record of those fluid changes, see when the last time it was that all of them had been changed. But oil, and filter, trans. fluid, anti-freeze. Check the universal joint grease fittings on your drive shaft and grease them. If you are going to own one of these trucks you are going to have to get used to getting under them and check things out. As a matter of fact you might as well grease the entire suspension. It's not really that much, just the front end. Does it have a front sway bar? Check the bushings. They are in the very front that supports the bar, for splits, and the end links back on the lower A arms each side for condition. Check condition of all your hoses and vacuum lines. This includes power steering hoses, and especially the radiator hoses, heater hoses. Replace any that seem soft or dried out. Remember some hoses, like radiator hoses rot out from the inside out. They can look fine for years and suddenly start leaking or worse, burst. It's mostly common sense stuff but you are the fortunate owner of a fine pickup truck that if you take reasonable care of it, it will last you maybe as long as you live, then you can pass it along to your kids and they can keep it as long as they live. That is as long as parts are still made for them. Sitting up for four or five years is not that to terribly bad especially if it's been in a good garage, but some things definately need attention.
Welcome from Louisiana. You will like this forum as most everyone has got a stock truck and are always doing something to keep their truck stock. But in your case, you've got the typical grand dad's truck, clean and in perfect condition. Yeah, keep it in the garage not out in the weather and parked out on the street like I have had to. It's really hard on the truck. Sure they hold up okay, but I know it's slowly turning to dust. That's why when I rebuilt my truck I replaced every bolt, fastener and screw with stainless steel in order to stop corrosion and rust. Even the cab bolts and bumper bolts are stainless. The only ones that aren't are the bed bolts. So anything you can do to it to keep it as nice as it looks now, do. And you engine compartment looks really good. Give it a good wash. And I mean get you some rags and a buckert of hot soapy water and get your hands down deep into the engine compartment, brushes, etc. Give that sucker a good bath. And I agree with all the previous advice on what to do first, but I would go further and change the anti-freeze along with the oil and trans fluid to. If your grand dad was like a lot of guys his age they love changing fluids, often. If you can find it maybe he kept a record of those fluid changes, see when the last time it was that all of them had been changed. But oil, and filter, trans. fluid, anti-freeze. Check the universal joint grease fittings on your drive shaft and grease them. If you are going to own one of these trucks you are going to have to get used to getting under them and check things out. As a matter of fact you might as well grease the entire suspension. It's not really that much, just the front end. Does it have a front sway bar? Check the bushings. They are in the very front that supports the bar, for splits, and the end links back on the lower A arms each side for condition. Check condition of all your hoses and vacuum lines. This includes power steering hoses, and especially the radiator hoses, heater hoses. Replace any that seem soft or dried out. Remember some hoses, like radiator hoses rot out from the inside out. They can look fine for years and suddenly start leaking or worse, burst. It's mostly common sense stuff but you are the fortunate owner of a fine pickup truck that if you take reasonable care of it, it will last you maybe as long as you live, then you can pass it along to your kids and they can keep it as long as they live. That is as long as parts are still made for them. Sitting up for four or five years is not that to terribly bad especially if it's been in a good garage, but some things definately need attention.
