I’ve decided to rekindle an old flame… This 1969 Chevrolet C10, named The Orange Truck, became my first vehicle over twenty years ago. My folks and I found the blue-green Chevy in a barnyard while running backroads one afternoon. We pulled in the nearest driveway and lucked out to find an owner who was willing to sell. $1,200 and a week later, we had it on the trailer and headed home. We stripped it down and went through the truck from front to back. We had a buddy paint it 1971 Carousel Red and white. Who doesn’t love GTO Judge Orange? Dad and I found it had a stout drivetrain in place that just needed a few gaskets, much to our surprise. It had a Comp roller cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, Holley 750, and 0.050 over flat tops to name a few of the goodies we found when we cracked the 350 open.
About a year later, we had a very nice-looking truck for a 16-year-old that was probably a little faster than necessary. Interesting side note: ‘69 C10 speedometers will wrap around if you were wondering, but things get pretty loud and bouncy when that driveshaft carrier bearing gives out when testing those limits. Fast forward through high school, college, and life, the poor Orange Truck faded out, dried out, and rusted out from neglect. With the urging of my (Ford loving) wife and 10-year-old nephew, we’ve made the ‘69 the latest family affair. My nephew has learned how to clean a project vehicle inside and out, remove the seat and carpeting, replace fuel lines, and change the fluids. He even learned how to replace drum brakes, lines, and wheel cylinders. He helped me bleed the brakes.
My two-year old daughter has helped in her own way too! She heads straight for the shop anytime we’re outside, and grabs whatever tool is within reach to help Daddy out. I’m hoping to use this project to show my nephew proper vehicle repair and maintenance techniques while fueling a love for old Chevy trucks. I also hope to form fond memories for my daughter as she grows up cruising in it together as a family. If she becomes a Chevy girl because of this truck, that’s just an added bonus! We still have to replace the rusted driver’s floor pan and cab mounts, freshen up the interior, and take some age out of the wiring. We’ll get it cruising this summer, then bring it back in this winter for upgraded suspension and brakes, fuel tank relocation out of the cab, and final body work that we don’t have done yet. I bought this truck just before Copperhead was being built and was inspired by all of the Trucks! episodes back then and by Gearz today. Thank you for the knowledge, inspiration, and encouragement throughout the years!
