1964 C10 "The Ugly Truck" (2)

After having the points slam shut on me while driving (and shutting the motor down completely) I decided to install a Pertronix Igniter.

Then I cleaned up the motor. Made it look cleaner, but sure didn't do much about the rust. It also brought some other problems to light....like bad bushings in the distributor and really bad battery cables. I had to use my AAA card to have it towed home from the carwash. Bummer.

I also got some appropriate license plates for it. I just about had the lady at the DMV talked into allowing me to get plates that said "PEE CUP", but Gayle objected...very strongly.

The tailgate fasteners aren't in such good shape, but a friend donated a good set. I just need to paint them up and get them installed.

Here's the other one. Nice use of baling wire, though. Pretty appropriate.

One of the other problems I found was the gas gauge. I actually noticed this when I first test drove it and used it to talk the seller down by $50.
This was the cause of the problem. The flexible circuit at the sending unit had broken.

So I soldered a piece of wire from the strap to the sender connection and it's been workin fine ever since.

Then I addressed the distributor bushing problem. I decided to convert it to an HEI distributor. I got everything except the coil cover. I had a hell of a time finding one, so the folks I had bought the other stuff from sold me an Accel Super Coil for the same price as the stock one.

Some people have remarked that it looks like a flux capacitor or an anti-matter containment unit in with the rusty old motor. But it sure works nice.

Matter of fact, it runs so nice now that I bought it a set of Indian blanket seat covers as a Christmas present. They're a vast improvement over the leopard skin print things that kept slidin off and bunchin up around my butt while I was driving.

(Dec 26, 2003) This is the way it sits for the moment. It doesn't look a lot different, but it runs and drives a lot better than when I first got it. It's working out great as a winter beater.
I've also rebuilt the turn signal assembly and replaced the mirrors. I have a new heater control on order, too. I might even end up with a stereo in that thing eventually.

Next page: Work in progress.

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