My new to me c10

[75Cheyenne]

Alright guys I've got bitter/sweet news I noticed in a scratch on the top of the roof. It isn't medium lime the cab looks red judging the inside of the scratch the paint has to be incredibly old because it's rusted all over and I can't find any bondo. It's a factory shortbed truck but I am pretty disappointed in it being a repaint I should've double checked the paint code it's my own fault. I am going to go full blown LS swap and turn it into a crazy street ripper as planned. I am going to put $5,000 budget into the running gear and try and find a wrecked gto or vette and do a full swap hope to be around $10,000 budget total and I will have pride knowing I built it. Do you guys wan't me to document it or is it to cliche for the forum lol!!

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[78C10BigTen]

Maybe its me but i dont see red... id make one mean ass 6 outta it but thats just me. Yes document it all, you may need to look back for something later. Plus its great to see where its from and is.

 

[CSFJ]

Or, they used an oxide red primer.

 

[75Cheyenne]

Maybe its me but i dont see red... id make one mean ass 6 outta it but thats just me. Yes document it all, you may need to look back for something later. Plus its great to see where its from and is.

It's really hard to see man. It fooled me for a few days until I fine tooth combed the paint/body. Here are some pictures zoomed way in, these are tiny scratches.

Might be hard to see but it's red for sure. Unless they used red primer like the old fords but I am going to say this is repainted, a long time ago.

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[78C10BigTen]

It's really hard to see man. It fooled me for a few days until I fine tooth combed the paint/body. Here are some pictures zoomed way in, these are tiny scratches.

Might be hard to see but it's red for sure. Unless they used red primer like the old fords but I am going to say this is repainted, a long time ago.

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I do see red now.... im still voting for a v8 eating 250!

 

[75Cheyenne]

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I guess that sums it up. It is factory paint. I was buffing the truck and noticed it on the roof and I swear that red primer looks like clear coated red paint and began to assume it was a diff. cab or something weird was going on but it all checks out... It's original. "spring green" so my paint color is way off. I tell you what, I have a lot of problems finding this color my ******* has been calling it the wrong color this whole time. So I have around $4-5k to put into this truck I have saved up for awhile and wanted to build a c10 and now it is time. And now I don't wanna hack it up anymore after seeing the value of these on ebay. Should I even rebuild the factory engine/trans to spec and put it back on the column and buy proper original rims/tires?... Should I repaint the frame or would that mess with the value... This is my first c10 guys, and my first chevy. I just wan't to make sure I do it right.

 

[75Cheyenne]

I do see red now.... im still voting for a v8 eating 250!

100% For sure. The whole exhaust is even original on this. I can buy another 250 right now very close to me for a few hundred bucks. This saganaw 3 speed was an original column shift but I am really hating this transmission. I am coming from shifting a 6060 out of a shelby so shifting this is horrendous. The linkage operates on two seperate linkages reverse and first is it's own, 2nd to 3rd is it's own and it thinks it is in two gears at once. It's got to get pulled and inspected and gone through the running gear is tired in this, it apparently has 70k miles original but I never believe old car low mile storys... I have a turbo from an EVO in my shop I might weld up some plumbing for fun and mock up something to see what is possible. I don't want an 8 second truck. I would be really happy with 12s on radials in factory rims and have it look bone stock. What is the best manual transmission to put behind these ol straight 6 trucks or would a powerglide be more beneficial?

 

[Shorty81]

Great decision Nick, you will be happy you left it stock....painting the frame is your call. That will not hurt value. Ls street rippers are everywhere, factory 250's and 3 speeds are rare and need to be preserved. Good call.

 

[78C10BigTen]

100% For sure. The whole exhaust is even original on this. I can buy another 250 right now very close to me for a few hundred bucks. This saganaw 3 speed was an original column shift but I am really hating this transmission. I am coming from shifting a 6060 out of a shelby so shifting this is horrendous. The linkage operates on two seperate linkages reverse and first is it's own, 2nd to 3rd is it's own and it thinks it is in two gears at once. It's got to get pulled and inspected and gone through the running gear is tired in this, it apparently has 70k miles original but I never believe old car low mile storys... I have a turbo from an EVO in my shop I might weld up some plumbing for fun and mock up something to see what is possible. I don't want an 8 second truck. I would be really happy with 12s on radials in factory rims and have it look bone stock. What is the best manual transmission to put behind these ol straight 6 trucks or would a powerglide be more beneficial?

I have always heard the 3 on the trees are really wonky to shift but ive never had one. My uncle has a 61-62 snorkel nose that they converted to a floor shift because of this. He also has a 64, 3 on the tree that he always bitched about not ever shifting right.

 

[Big Chip]

There was a trick to shifting the 3 speed on the column and I don’t remember now if you went up past the neutral from first and then over and up to second or if you went down slightly toward 3rd and then up to second. The one I had wouldn’t shift right if you treated it like a modern floor shifter and slammed directly into the next gear.

 

[Shorty81]

The 3 on the tree was NOT a speed shifter. First to second tool a careful deliberate shift, second to third could be made quickly. Not a race tranny. But then again it's a truck. I miss a column shift

 

[Doc_Ellis]

There was a trick to shifting the 3 speed on the column and I don’t remember now if you went up past the neutral from first and then over and up to second or if you went down slightly toward 3rd and then up to second. The one I had wouldn’t shift right if you treated it like a modern floor shifter and slammed directly into the next gear.

Basically, the shifter “wants” to be in the 2-3 gate, it doesn’t center itself in the middle of the H in neutral position like a floor shift.
So from neutral you pull it towards you and down into first. When you’re ready to shift up to second you go up to neutral and let the lever fall forward into the 2-3 gate (it’s spring loaded), and then go up to second. After that it’s just a straight shot down to third.
I really didn’t have a good idea about all this till I had taken mine all apart (column and linkage) and gone through it all and saw how it was supposed to work.
It’s actually a really simple setup, but you need to be able to feel the detents in the trans, and the two levers on the bottom end of the column need to line up with each other in neutral so any slop in the linkage is gonna make either or both of those things difficult if not impossible.
I’m pretty sure the worn out linkage on mine was a big part of the reason the PO took it off the road.
I imagine worn engine/trans mounts wouldn’t do any favors either, but I’d bet most of the problems people have with these things are from play in the linkage

 

[Daveo91Burb]

Cool truck. I'm with the majority here that votes to keep it mostly stock. One thing I'd consider if it were mine is going to a 292. I've always thought those were cool engines - maybe even with a 4-barrel intake and some other goodies.

Where you at in WA? I'm in Vancouver....

 

[75Cheyenne]

Any guru on here who can estimate how many of these where produced? Even a paint production sheet for how many each color where built each year would be really interesting to read, but I cannot find one. This is a pretty awkwardly yet awesomely optioned truck.

Cool truck. I'm with the majority here that votes to keep it mostly stock. One thing I'd consider if it were mine is going to a 292. I've always thought those were cool engines - maybe even with a 4-barrel intake and some other goodies.

Where you at in WA? I'm in Vancouver....

I am on the hunt for a spare 250 or 292, and decide on what trans. I have a feeling parts will be somewhat hard to find and I will be welding up most of my own parts like turbo manifold etc... there are a few I have found running built internals and offenhauser intakes with a 650 carb and they sound wild but probably get 2mpg LOL a turbo should help with mpg and being a straight six will have good torque low and a turbo will carry it into higher rpms, I have no idea what is the best internal combo, I have seen these with 7.3l powerstroke diesel turbos...

I'm a few miles west of Shelton. We are close enough. We may cross paths if you are into car shows. Or rally lol.