Loyal
Custom Classic Trucks readers might recollect the subject vehicle of this story as the original condition ’66 Chevy C10 that first appeared in CCT’s pages nearly five years ago.
Back then, the truck was right at the point where it’s factory two-tone blue and white paint had worn-through and oxidized to what I thought appeared to be the perfect patina. Unfortunately, when I bought the ’66 it had to leave its arid SoCal high-desert home, and be relocated about four miles from the coast where almost every morning leaves a salty-mist that coats the entire truck with heavy dew. The transformation from randomly thinning paint to severe rust happened so fast it was almost like a young body shriveling up into a corpse within seconds like in a science fiction movie. If things were allowed to continue at this pace it wouldn’t be long before the driprails were lost and the roof was next, not to mention that the cab corners and floor were doomed.
Traditionally when it comes to condition, classic truck restorers like to wind the clock all the way back to like brand-new. To give an old truck 50 years of its life back requires a lot of time and effort. Since I don’t think I’m going to be around 50 years from now to enjoy the ’66, I decided to just do enough to make sure the truck will survive while I’m in charge of it. Instead of spending months, maybe years for a total restore, I spent a weekend adding what I believe will be at least another 10 years of life to the old girl. After the driprails and rusting paint were handled, the next step was to eliminate another common source of water entering the cab. Rotting, cracked and dry window rubber almost without exception is the first place where major rust problems begin. That said, we’re going to tear into the project by cleaning and prepping the driprail area before a quick coat of paint is applied to the entire roof followed by a new windshield and back glass to save our cab from Mother Nature’s wrath. CCT
Do you think rainwater could...
Do you think rainwater could leak through this big hole? Major gaps in the windshield rubber with cracking around the corners, is typical damage caused by 45 years of use.
Another place to look for...
Another place to look for possible rust damage. Here the caulking used in the driprails has dried up, and fallen out. The rust dots if not attended to will eventually grow into rust pinholes.
A Craftsman glass tool works...
A Craftsman glass tool works great to dig out the brittle windshield rubber, and years of accumulated mud and gunk.
To remove the windshield it...
To remove the windshield it was only necessary to breakaway the bottom lip of the windshield rubber.
The next step was to climb...
The next step was to climb inside the cab, and gently hand tap the lower portion of the windshield, and push it outward at the bottom to clear the cab’s built-in visor.
With the windshield removed...
With the windshield removed an ordinary teaspoon borrowed from the kitchen (the little woman is going to kill me when she reads this) works incredibly well to scrape the accumulated crud out of the window channel.
As the finishing touch to...
As the finishing touch to clean the window channels, and prepare the cab for paint I found Eastwood’s “PRE” to work great… In the old days it would have been Dupont 3812.
Here’s a view of the window...
Here’s a view of the window channel after it has been fully prepped. Notice the rust under the visor this will be lightly sanded before squirting it with Rustoleum.
This view from above shows...
This view from above shows the deterioration that happens after 45 years to the original factory caulking in the driprails. Needless to say the old caulking is un-capable of preventing water leakage into the cab, and causing rust.
A ¼-inch cold chisel fits...
A ¼-inch cold chisel fits snug into the and works well to knock the old caulking out of the channel. An 1/8-inch cold chisel works great for getting at specific cling-ons.
Look close and you’ll notice...
Look close and you’ll notice a tiny pinhole has begun to form. Ignore something like this long enough and you’ll be needing a new roof.
The only thing nastier looking...
The only thing nastier looking might be a Hanoi sewer trench. Notice when the driprail is bent the caulking doesn’t conform, and rust has formed everywhere.
A pair of “duckbill” pliers...
A pair of “duckbill” pliers makes easy work out of straightening bent driprails. Squeeze the pliers in place, and slide along the channel to straighten it out like new.
Mothers California Gold car...
Mothers California Gold car wash is safe to use with bare hands and worked great to dissolve dirt and crud stuck to the old paint after a quick cleanout with 40-grit sandpaper.
Before pumping new caulking...
Before pumping new caulking into the driprails, I spray painted the channels with flat white Rust-Oleum.
I’m not telling you guys to...
I’m not telling you guys to do this, but I ignored Rust-Oleum’s instructions to thin for spraying up to 15 percent, and thinned the paint with as much acetone as needed to make the Rust-Oleum spray properly. This stuff sells for under $9.00 at Home Depot.
I sprayed the ’66 in my driveway...
I sprayed the ’66 in my driveway on the day the nuclear fallout from Japan was scheduled to arrive in California. I don’t think I got any overspray on the neighbor’s cars it must have been “nuke dust” that landed on them.
I used 3M blue masking tape...
I used 3M blue masking tape for the important edges, and cheaper 3M white masking tape as filler. To get a clean edge always pull the masking tape back directly.
Using a basic bastard file...
Using a basic bastard file worked well to flatten out the newly formed lip we made for the big-window conversion covered in last month’s issue.
A half-round bastard handled...
A half-round bastard handled the curved areas perfectly.
Any sort of table works best...
Any sort of table works best to lay the glass out. Here, the green tinted window glass from Brothers is being fitted with a new Brothers window seal.
The opening gap was located...
The opening gap was located by measuring to find the center of the glass.
The rubber window seal must...
The rubber window seal must be cut perfectly vertical to form a good seal.
Steve Bentley used a roll...
Steve Bentley used a roll of heavy-gauge wire as the pull string in order to install the back glass.
The women folk helped to hold...
The women folk helped to hold the window up to the opening while Steve pulled the wire to install the glass.
In lieu of a special glass...
In lieu of a special glass tool Steve carefully worked the expander strip in with small screwdrivers—it was painfully slow that way.
Steve repeated the process...
Steve repeated the process to install the windshield. Notice the nuke shower had caused it to rain that day.
The Custom Cab moldings from...
The Custom Cab moldings from Brothers went on easily by drilling three holes at the front, and one at the rear of the molding.
With a fresh lid, it’s now...
With a fresh lid, it’s now time to get on with the rest of the project!