Getting started on dad's old c20

[vadriller]

Hello everyone,

Over Christmas, I was able to haul my dad's truck home to get it back up and running. It had been sitting since '97 and I was not brave enough to attempt to drive it four and half hours home to Richmond, VA.

Here is what I have done to it since Christmas:
-cleaned off 20 years of barn dirt
-replaced fuel system (tank, filler neck, lines and pump)
-rebuilt the four barrell
-new ignition system (and a tune up)
-new valve cover gaskets
-changed oil
-new cooling system (radiator, pump, hoses, thermostat)
-new master cylinder, booster, brake lines, wheel cylinders, springs, shoes and pads
-new axle and pinion seal in rear end (changed fluid)
-changed fluid in transmission (3 on the column)
-repaired wiring harness (found three places where trailer wiring harnesses had been spliced in)
-took out the bench seat to clean and found some awesome toys that I lost when I was a kid
-new shocks
-replaced reverse light switch (thanks ebay)
-new speedometer cable
-new headlight switch to get the dash lights working again
-replaced a lot of burnt out light bulbs and a few broken lenses
-found some 16 in. wheels and got a new set of AT tires for it

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It runs better than I ever remember it running when I was a kid. I am going to ride it around for a while like it is because it still brings a smile to my face and it handles just like I remember it.

I have been using it for a couple of weeks now and realize that I do want to get something more than the AM radio and maybe a cup holder for my coffee in the morning.

Thanks for reading

 

[CSFJ]

welcome. Sounds like you're off to a good start.

 

[twinturbo427]

Welcome! Nothing beats a truck with family history

 

[78C10BigTen]

Hello everyone,

Over Christmas, I was able to haul my dad's truck home to get it back up and running. It had been sitting since '97 and I was not brave enough to attempt to drive it four and half hours home to Richmond, VA.

Here is what I have done to it since Christmas:
-cleaned off 20 years of barn dirt
-replaced fuel system (tank, filler neck, lines and pump)
-rebuilt the four barrell
-new ignition system (and a tune up)
-new valve cover gaskets
-changed oil
-new cooling system (radiator, pump, hoses, thermostat)
-new master cylinder, booster, brake lines, wheel cylinders, springs, shoes and pads
-new axle and pinion seal in rear end (changed fluid)
-changed fluid in transmission (3 on the column)
-repaired wiring harness (found three places where trailer wiring harnesses had been spliced in)
-took out the bench seat to clean and found some awesome toys that I lost when I was a kid
-new shocks
-replaced reverse light switch (thanks ebay)
-new speedometer cable
-new headlight switch to get the dash lights working again
-replaced a lot of burnt out light bulbs and a few broken lenses
-found some 16 in. wheels and got a new set of AT tires for it

You must be registered for see images attach

It runs better than I ever remember it running when I was a kid. I am going to ride it around for a while like it is because it still brings a smile to my face and it handles just like I remember it.

I have been using it for a couple of weeks now and realize that I do want to get something more than the AM radio and maybe a cup holder for my coffee in the morning.

Thanks for reading

Thats what the square nation is all about (at least to me anyway)... family ties, history and great memories. Glad to see you kept it and didnt scrap it!!! My family still has my dads 73 c10 after 22 years of ownership. (Dads gone now) Its in my pics under timex. I hope to watch a great restore thread from this truck.

 

[1987 GMC Jimmy]

Welcome! It’s a very nice truck, and it sounds like you’ve done a lot of necessary and preventative maintenance on it. Since it’s a RWD and a three on the tree, you could always build a little center console with cup holders, a hinges storage compartment, and whatever goodies you want. Or you could make a smaller one and plop it on the seat. LMC may sell an aftermarket something for bench seat trucks, but I’m not sure. I’ve wanted to build one, but I haven’t had the need yet. You should look into a Delco 2700 radio that the later trucks used. It would fit in the hole, and you’d have AM/FM/Cassette to listen to your phone tunes with if you do that. They also came in 8 track and CB if those interest you, but they’re rarer. Not a big deal to change out. You just need to buy a 77-93 radio harness from eBay, and adapt it to yours. Piece of cake. You could probably sell the old one on there and recover some of what you spent back. I figured this is a “as I remember it” build so you wouldn’t want to go hacking up the dash for a radio. There’s Retrosound radios which will fit in the slot, but you may escape cheaper and better looking with a factory style radio.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[vadriller]

Thanks everyone. It has been fun going through this truck up to this point. Penetrating oil and wire wheel on the die grinder have been my best friends for the last month.

I really like the wording of "as I remember it build".

I am going to look into finding a Delco 2700. Thanks for that suggestion.

Does anyone know if the antenna in the windshield works good for FM as well? The AM stations definitely fall off when I unplug it from the back of the radio, but I was not sure if they would hold up for the FM stations.

 

[CSFJ]

I've never had any complaints with the ones I've had. It's like any antenna, some just seem to work better than others. I have a mast antenna on a gmt400 truck. Shittiest range of reception of any vehicle I've owned. And I replaced it when I bought the truck. I would bet the worst in glass antenna I've had is better than the mast on that truck on it's best day.

 

[Old77]

 

[1973c10]

Welcome aboard