This thread is going to run for months, if not years.

I'm going to ramble a bit to give the history behind this thing......
My grandfather had a 1972 Chevy C10 shortbed, 3 on the floor, headers into cherry bombs that dumped right behind the cab.  My dad's parents lived on the same property as me and my parents.  Us on one side of the hill, them on the other.  Many winter mornings I'd sit in this truck waiting for the bus when I was really little.  If I was lucky, we'd run down to Maria's corner shop to get donuts or chocolate milk beforehand.  Before he went full time with his own business, he worked second shift.  I'd spend the night at my grandparents laying awake waiting for him to get home, I'd hear this truck burbling, gurgling, and popping as he slowed down the hill.  A few years later my parents got divorced, I was 7 or 8.  For some reason the night my mom cleaned out the house and took me to her parent's house, my dad drove this truck to work.  I guess his was broke down or some shit, I don't know.  I'll never forget hearing this truck roaring down the road seconds before my dad kicked down my grandparent's front door.  There was a stop sign maybe an 1/8 mile away from their house, boy did this thing scream pulling out.  A second after kicking in the door my dad collapsed into my grandfather's (my mom's dad) arms crying his eyes out.  That grandfather was a Marine staff sergeant, a man everyone loves and respects.  

Anywho, fast forward a few years, my mom moves half way across the country and takes me with her.  I spend the summers with my dad, well, a little bit of the summer.  The summer I'm 13-14 my dad and I decide to start working on the C10.  It had sat for a few years at this point.  We wanted to fix it up a bit and make it my first vehicle.  I go all in instantly.  I strip the truck down to the chassis, sand blast everything, and start painting it all.  My summer with dad is over and I have to go back with my mom.  A few months later I find out my dad fucking sold it.  I don't know what the circumstances were, but I was devastated.  

Fast forward 19 years, my half brother finds the truck.  He has zero memories of it.  He wasn't even born when my dad sold it.  He buys it.  Let me frame this for you guys, I adore my brother.  He is one hell of a kid and is going to be a hell of a man.  He is extremely talented and that is an under statement.  I'd put any amount of money that he can tig weld anything better than anyone on arfcom, period, the end.  However, his mom, my stepmom, I tolerate only for him and my dad.  She has driven a massive wedge between me and my dad, and between my kids and my dad.  She despises my grandfather and wishes death on him.  She basically does her damndest to convince my dad that I'm not his kid, only my brother is.  Anyhow, between my dad and brother finding the truck and buying it, it stung bad considering how my dad essentially went "lol fuck you" and sold it away from me.  I voiced my opinion about the purchase.  I straight said "I'm happy for you guys, but that stings, that was supposed to be OUR project."  My dad instantly responded, "oh, that's okay, after we fix it up you can buy it from us, but it won't be cheap".  I said fuck you and hung up.  

I explained to my brother that I have no ill-will towards him over this, he couldn't have known the back story.  I explained the back story.  My wife told him too at one point when we were hanging out.  Fast forward a year and my brother asks if I want to buy the truck.  I respond with a resounding FUCK YES.  He did a bunch of body work and patch panels, put a rebuilt engine in it, etc. etc.  This was about two weeks ago.  I have been ecstatic as all hell ever since.  

When my dad and I started restoring this, in his infinite wisdom, he convinced me to toss the bed because it had some rust and it would be easy to replace.  LOL.  A shortbed C10 easy to replace?  Not in a million years - but this was 20 years ago.  These beds are as good as gold now.  So since the truck is going to be mine and doesn't have a bed, I started poking on FB marketplace.  Well wouldn't you know it, I found a dude right down the road selling a '72 C10 shortbed that was in pieces.  I see a picture of the bed buried in the woods covered in shit.  I messaged him and said if it's solid enough to lift in one piece, I'll give you $500 for it.  He said he didn't want to part it, I said I don't care, I don't want the rest of the truck only the bed.  Well, I wound up getting a pristine (for the condition of most) 67-72 C10 short bed.  I could sell this bed within a week for $5k.

Anyhow............

The truck is still with my brother.  The bed is in my garage.  The bed will go up to my brother's for some patch panels and welding.  We'll throw it on the truck, then the whole shooting match will come to my house.

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The truck after my brother got it fired up.
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And I give you the crowning jewel to this OP.  My dopey 13-14 year old ass with the truck.  All the sand on the ground is from me sandblasting.  I swear to god I don't look anything like this anymore
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Because people will notice... The cab isn't on rubbers yet, hence the shit alignment with the bed

Great stuff. I have a 67 long bed that my grandfather built for Chevy, bought, ruined the engine and left in the woods.   Dad was to cheap to get me a truck 8n high school so we dragged it out and got her running.   It’s back in the woods now but my boy is nine so almost time.

Loading up on caffeine before going back at it

Had to sleep in a little after going to midnight

Have fun!

I am out working on my project today as well.

I am NOT looking forward to the roof fixes.  We have a left and right piece from LMC that are no where remotely close to being the correct part.  So in the interest of time we're going to make our own.  The entire roof along the drip edge, on the inside side, is rot.  So having little good metal is making it harder.  I said fuck it, I'll put in a head liner if I don't like it.

The windshield is coming out today to fix the front edge of the roof.

We can't hang the doors and do the rockers until the roof is firmed up.  

The bedside was hilarious cutting out.  Typical hack job patch panel work overlapped.  Then the whole thing was stuffed with fucking expanding foam.

Great work so far.  I don't have the patience or skill for body work, but I can appreciate it when I see it.

All credit to my brother on that because I don't have the patience either.  I'm too brute force and he's more finesse.  

Our workflow is...
I rough align panel
He checks it
I do the bitch work of cutting it out
He works his sheet metal wizard skills

The kicker?  He's only 20.  I wish he knew just how talented he is.

I can't imagine all that rust. I'm restoring a 1971 International Harvester 1/2 ton short bed and it pissed me off there was a nickel-sized rust hole in the windshield frame.

This may come in handy if you get into the wiring. Someone else made the original wiring diagram but there were a few mistakes that I fixed and I also put a few different permutations together depending if you still have original points, HEI, different types of alternators, etc.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/130hu6nG6pgwiRzTwf2kgK4-mVyNB1VyR/view?usp=sharing

The funny thing is my 2002 F250 was even worse lol

Salt kills cars in the north.

Thank you!

I haven't even touched any wiring.  Hell, I was happy just to see the bed wiring still tucked in the frame.  I fully intend to rip every last bit of it out.

My first pickup was a yellow '67 C10 Stepside. Like this:

Great thread, thanks for sharing the story too.

I love old trucks, way cooler than older cars.  Keep the pics coming.

No problem. I picked up a '68 C20 a few years ago when I was living in California and it's wiring was a mess. I completely gutted the interior harness and rebuilt it, hence me getting familiar and building out existing harness documents!

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Progress looks good so far, keep plugging away!

Today fucking sucked.  Every single bit of it.  Wheel arch is in and has a bunch of tacks on it.

The angles on the roof are temporary just to hold structure while we hacked out the roof.

Removing the windshield was a fucking nightmare

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I see you made a step flange to support the new sheetmetal, Are you coming back at it once the panels are welded to seal up the flange and keep out moisture?

Yes

The rotted areas will get cut out

Tagged.

This is my '68 shortbed.
Stock 307 and TH400 tranny.

Completely rebuilt the frame and converted to disk brakes.
All new springs, suspension, bushings, etc.
Engine and transmission have been cleaned up and aluminum intake and a small 4bbl added (they were in good shape, so I saved them).
It's not getting lowered as I like stock ride height.
It's staying pretty much stock.

Welded in new rockers and cab corners... now I'm deciding if I should repaint it or just pop the cab back on and do the patina thing.

I'd vote for let it ride, perhaps with some clear to preserve, but pictures first would help!

Some before pictures.
I had it running and driving (after sitting for 15 years) but found it was unsafe to drive.
So I took it completely apart and had the frame blasted, then completely rebuilt it.
Now I am into year 2 of the project

Damn that thing was in decent shape to start with.

I don't have the patience for that much sheet metal work.  God bless you.  Nice truck!

It lived most of it's life in Northern California, then sat for 15-20 years.
Stored it for a friend and he offered to sell it to me as he had moved on to another project.
It had to be sunk in mud at one point as I cleaned a ton of dirt and wasp nests out of the frame and under the cab.
Fortunately, the only major rust damage was the rocker panels and under the bottom of the A pillars.

I see that you have the roof rot going. Seems to be a common issue on those trucks back east.
That bed seems to be in fairly good shape...you did good for $500.
The bed floor on mine is pretty far gone, so I think I'm going to do a wood bed kit.. it's cheaper and I like the looks.

I wish I had someone to do body work for me as I hate it! In  only do it as I can't afford to hire it done

I ordered a complete wiring harness kit for mine from LMC Truck (It's an American Autowire Harness)...it's really nice.
https://www.lmctruck.com/1967-72-chevy-gmc/wiring-components/cb-1967-72-wiring-harness
https://www.americanautowire.com/

Everything that I have gotten from LMC truck has been top notch.. they also have just about every little piece of that truck in stock.
Their exploded diagrams have also helped me figure out how a lot of things go back together.
They even send me thankyou cards in the mail for spending so much money with them

Can't say no if it's liquid

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Didn't take many after pictures of sheet metal today

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Blue wrench solves a lot of problems.

Me and my brother's buddy had the whole rear tore apart, went to rebuilt it and realized my brother had a 10 bolt kit for a S10.  Pretty sure he was hammered when he ordered that...

I'm not sure if I mentioned it already...

My brother said he put a street cam in the engine when he went through it.  When I fired up the engine Friday I found out what he calls a street cam and what I call a street cam are very different things.  I had to crank it about 3 times.  What I call street is around 330 lift.  This fucker threw in something over 500

It sounds orgasmic

It is home.  Now the long, expensive, tedious process begins...

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Here is a Blazer I did over a decade ago:



Not covid masked up for something hazardous:



I had to do the rockers and windshield frame due to rot. It is a 1970 and I added front disk brakes.  The heater/vent housing under the front fenders is another place that will rot and it easy to miss until go time, so look there too.



This truck had a side winder winch and a 40 gallon gas tank.  The WWII vet I bought it from said he bought it from Mickey Thompson.

I don't hate crush sleeves but after setting up a few hundred heavy truck diffs
with solid spacers and shims I'll never go back.

Anything car wise I've done for myself or for friends I've found conversion parts for...

Love my ‘70. It was my Dad’s.



Looks like you’re doing a very thorough job!

Damn that is beautiful

Im in.. 68 here

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Following along..
Some nice C10’s in here.
I have fond memories of a friends with a 327, big ol solid lift cam, w/ 4 spd and 4:11 gears!

Now the real work begins....

60 minutes into removing a fender and it's no where close to being off

I'm so fed up trying to find every bolt to get the front clip off that I'm thinking about just rebuilding the rear now instead.

I started on the front fenders of my ‘68 the other day and I think all but a couple were stripped/spinning. Cutting the head off of one or two wouldn’t ruin my day but that’s going to really piss me off.

I had to cut half the inner fender bolts off.

I'm thinking the ones I can't get will just come off with the outer fender. I decided the whole front was going to come off but didn't get past the bumper and hood before our snowstorm hit. In the mean time I decided to just order all new fasteners for the front end. bolts, screws, j-nuts etc.

I'm replacing both fenders and core support

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Just my fucking luck.... as I'm loading the scrap (fender and core support) into my truck to dump in the scrap bin, the fucking headlight falls out and shatters everywhere.