Grizz’s 66 Chevy C10 Short Fleetside - BRICKIN’ IT 27/12/21

Put out a request last week on Freecycle for any old Imperial spanners or sockets as one can often see them thrown out at the council tip.

The day after the post I got a PM on Retro Rides from Luke (Smurf) to offer me a set of Imperial spanners he has had for years but never used, he saw my request on Freecycle and responded.

I popped around this morning on the way to work to collect them, and offered to pay for them, however he refused payment.

I was more interested in his new toy........ Mitsubishi Delica



After using Martin's articulated ratchet Imperial spanners he picked up in a pawnshop in Florida, I needed a set as well, Pronto !!

Found a set on Ebay for £29.00 delivered, and they were delivered to Nicola's work today, so double joy on the spanner front.



Tonight after work the first thing I did was to put two oil heaters in the trucks cab at maximum heat, to heat it up, and soften the rubber around the broken front, but perfectly intact rear windows, as they were both coming out tonight so that I can carry on with the body work, and changing the dash colour.



So after about three hours the cab was toasty, both inside and out.

Having worked in a body shop for many years, Martin knew his way around and was quick to pull the rear screen out.



Unfortunately I did not get a photograph of his laying curled up on his back like a stranded dung beetle when the front screen came hurtling toward me.

It looked great from where I stood to catch it on the bonnet and the cushion I had put there.......

He pushed it out in one long hard push with his huge safety boots planted firmly in each corner, breaking it a bit more than it already was..... thankfully the damage was already done at the end of last years last ride out.

He was laughing like a mad man as he said he had always wanted to "kick a windscreen out"

The whole of the top steel ridge is rusted, but recoverable, and there was quite a bit of silicone where leaks were obviously treated before, I have never had a problem when it rained or when I washed the truck, so I suppose the sealing treatments worked.



Last thing was to remove the instrument cluster from the dash.

This turned into a major ball ache as the ignition switch unit, including the barrel could not be removed, so it meant getting in from behind with a 1/4 inch spanner (yes, I do have one) and a 1/4 inch socket to undo the large cluster bezel from the actual instruments rear.

Can anyone please explain to me why I could not get the part that holds the key undone, the bezel does not fit over it, and these two little holes did not react to the panel pins I pushed in there, though the one hole felt like there was a spring in it.

In the end removing the instrument cluster's large bezel released it so that we could get it out in two parts, with much of the front glass falling out, as I knew it would because it was damaged when I got the truck.



All bits removed, next up for removal will be the seat and old carpet, which is in remarkably good nick, despite having some colour changes.




Last thing I guess is again proof of the great vibe in this hobby and community of ours.

WhippinSaw in Illinois offered to sell me a replacement section for my dash where the radio fits, so I agreed to buy it from him, and will be welding it in when it gets here after cutting the Badgers Revenge out.

Catfood was not included in the deal.




Thanks again for checking in.

Glad the spanners are what you wanted, but in fairness you did ask on freecycle

They might be cheap old am-tech, but the other half of that set gets some serious abuse and I'm still waiting for one to let go

The capability was the main reason for getting it, after my surf i wasnt getting anything that wasnt 4x4, theres a few 4wd people carriers and vans about, but these caught my eye and i like driving it

After some great advice from Garage Journal members who clearly know a lot more than me, the ignition on my truck was identified and possibly from a post '66 Chevy.

So with the advice to use a paperclip in the hole and some anti-clockwise wriggling getting ramped up to a small screwdriver and some WD40 into the barrel, I got it undone.

Now the bezel can be addressed properly in its restoration.



Inbetween, I did a load of little jobs between the house and garage, according to Nicola it has scored me another day and a half "free garage and truck time"
Also preparing some stuff to shove onto Ebay tomorrow to generate "truck funds from scrap" as mostly it would go to the charity shop we support.

I did also remove the scuttle cover so that I can do the prep better around the windscreen.

I did notice the little wheel like unit the wiper fits to, i different sized between driver and passenger side...... Is this correct? My passenger wiper does not sit securely and can be lifted off by hand.



Removed the fender emblems as well, I want to weld up the holes and if I refit them, it will be automotive double sided tape.
They look good for their age but need cleaning up.



Also started to look at the exhaust pipes as I want to fit the 3" QTP cutouts, as well as running 2.5" pipes and silencers to go with them out the rear, exiting in front of the rear wheels, with some sexy rectangular stainless or chrome tips like what you get on large luxury SUV's

Also want them to exit a lot closer to the body.



I fitted one of the Cutout pipes approximately where it needs to go, along with the valve to get an idea what needs to be brought together.

Made a clip to illustrate.






Looking forward to building this system at home with the help, guidance and mentorship, not to forget, labor of Paul Y.

Lastly, I may have mentioned before that my wife will not mix white and cream laundry, let alone red and black etc..... BUT, she will quite happily tell me to bring engine parts in and shove them into the dish washer.

Tonight she did a similar Samaritan like action..... telling me to bring the rear glass from the cab into the kitchen, putting a bedsheet on the table, and then once done, she helped me wrap it in a mortuary shroud blanket, then stored it on top of the spare room wardrobe. So I got all the sticker glue, and gunge off with some industrial acetone which I previously mixed with ATF to make penetrating oil.

Nice girl ehhh??



Tomorrow will be a weldathon with some grinding thrown in at Martin's place when we try to get control of his cab.

Looking forward to test driving his carport for insulation now the gates are fitted and closed up.

You have one hell of a wife Mate!!!

For Mrs Grizz!

coach bolts for something showy, all chrome n that, Number plate bolts?

Bumper bolts for new bumpers, triple chromed and a bunch of 8 welding clamps for butt welding plate metal.

Yup mate

Ordered a new 67-72 rear bumper in November.

They are different to the 60-66 bumpers.m

Also bought a damaged front triple chromed bumper last year, still need to get it under a hydraulic press to remove the 40mm bend that it has.

You my dear boy are the last to sit in the corner.


Spent from 09.00 to 17.30 at mate Martin's today......

On the way there, I stopped at a guys house who had replied to my Freecycle request for old Imperial sized spanners, he had actually recently thrown this lot into a shopping bag, ready for his next trip to the tip, then my email came by...... Perfect.

So I still need to see what he gave me, and also to clean them all up, but hey..... More of the right sized sockets and extensions cannot be a bad thing.



At Martin's, this was part of what greeted me.



Much prepping, cutting and time spent, and little to show for it.




More cutting, grinding, swearing (at Martin) later..... Some welding



Made some templates, cut them out of a Ford Transit side panel with the nibbles Martin got from George and have more to do, but started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

I also brought home some work to do here, to make a replacement panel for this piece.




This is sooooo rotten.



Ohhh, and one more side panel made today.






Whoever said this was going to be quick or easy??

Thanks for checking in.