My 66 C10 Project "Two Tone."

[TJ's GMC]

Well this has been a 4 year restoration so far and I haven't really "started" the restoration until late last year. Back in January 2012 I got the truck running after it had been sitting in our field for some 5 years. And have been doing bits and pieces on it since. Little bit o history on the truck. This is a 66 C10 short bed stepside that came with the 292/sm420 combo. Nothing special just your basic off the line truck. Original bed was replaced with a flatbed and the truck was used as an off road wood hauler. Truck was born in the Fremont, CA plant in December of 65 I believe. Anyway...so the guy who owned it got older and couldn't do the wood hauling anymore so he left the truck waaaay down in the canyon where he did his work. Some 10 years later a friend of my Dad's found it and got the truck for pretty darn cheap. Next thing I know I see him pulling into our driveway with this truck on his trailer...I was 7 at the time I think. lol So the truck pretty much sat because we didn't have use for it and Dad didn't have the money to restore it. Fast forward to when I turned 13 and winter of that next year I tell my dad I wanna see if I can get it to run. So we spend a Saturday morning working on it and got the thing running with minimal work. And that was the day I learned a clutch. Couple weeks later we rebuilt the carb, threw a new set of plugs in, new cap and rotor and points, and changed the oil. Then I found good use for it and so we used it. So I wasn't satisfied with the power the 292 in there was making so, like everyone else, I desired a SBC or a BBC like my dad had/has in his 77 c20. Almost bought a 350 twice but the good Lord showed me the light and I found a book called "The Inliner's Power Manual" that showed me all the things that could be done to that 292 and right then and there I bought the book and desired to have something different. So at age 14 now and working 6 odd jobs and getting discouraged at the price of this stuff for the inline I work on getting some stuff that would provide immediate results. 4 barrel carb and intake, headers, hei. 1 whole year of work and I had it all in my hands. 600 cfm edelbrock 4 barrel, clifford intake and clifford headers, speedmaster HEI. Painted them up nicely and threw them on and with a small loan from Dad...went and got an exhaust system put on. Temporary with flowmaster 40 series mufflers. And the truck hasn't had any motor work done since. When I did those mods I was surprised with how those helped in themselves and really desired to do more. My goal was to have something better than a dang 350 like everyone and there brother has so I stuck to it...and for almost 2 years I saved and saved while spending a little here and there on the truck to keep motivated until...fast forward to late last year I got another truck. 64 C20 that had a 292 and I pulled the engine out of that and sent it into the machinist to have my dream come true finally. So currently I have two 292's. The one in my 66 and the hopped up one out of my 64, so don't get confused on which one I'm talking about. lol The one in my 66 is bone stock with the mods I mentioned earlier. The 64's 292 or (hotrod 6) as I call it has been mildly to majorly modified. Here's an overview:

Head work:
Lump Ports
1.94 intake valves
1.60 exhaust valves
BBC 1.75 ratio roller rockers.
.030 shaved off the head
magnafluxed and check for cracks.
z/28 valve springs.

Block work:
.040 Ross Racing Aluminum 18 cc dish pistons.
Stock rods balanced and refitted with ARP studs and bolts.
Crankshaft balanced and ground.
Comp Cam 268H 219 @ .050 .486 lift on a 110 lobe center.
Aluminum timing gears.
Smith brother's pushrods.
Clevite Bearings.
Melling stock type oil pump.

The rest you can see in the pictures. This engine will be mated to a TKO600 Tremic 5 speed. Expect power output around 310 hp and 340 ft. pounds of torque. I'll keep updating this build as I go. For now here's some before to now pictures. Pictures in this post are of the truck about 3 years ago. The engine picture is about 2 years ago.

[TJ's GMC]

Here's another engine picture. These other pictures are from last year to this year. Last year I did some priming and painting. And have been basically driving it since. The box mounted on the passenger side step is NOT current.

[TJ's GMC]

Here's a current picture of the 292 in my 66. And a picture of the spot light I installed.

[TJ's GMC]

Stupid upload didn't work. OH WELL. Anyhow...here are some videos. 1st being of the truck and the engine.


This one is of the 292 mainly.


To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?



And these two are how the 292 performs. Not bad for an old goat. lol

[TJ's GMC]

Ok...and the LATEST progress FINALLY. lol So here are pictures of the new 292 going into my 66. This is the one I pulled from the 64 and will be putting into the 66 mated with a TKO600. Looks awesome!

[TJ's GMC]

Latest progress is I have gotten the bell housing painted as well as some other parts. TKO600 is on order and will be here in a few weeks. Thanks.

[aphaynes]

All looks great! I must show my ignorance here...what are the benefits of the TKO 600 over a conversion to an S-10 T5 trans? Go easy on me.

To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?

[TJ's GMC]

Originally Posted by aphaynes

To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?

All looks great! I must show my ignorance here...what are the benefits of the TKO 600 over a conversion to an S-10 T5 trans? Go easy on me.

To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?

A T5 S10 trans is only good for up to 300 foot pounds of torque. 1st time you do a burnout and out that tranny goes. They're great as long as your ONLY purpose is to cruise and dd. But hauling or drag strip. Nadda. lol The TKO 600 is good for all of that, so I got it.

[aphaynes]

Originally Posted by TJ's GMC

To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?

A T5 S10 trans is only good for up to 300 foot pounds of torque. 1st time you do a burnout and out that tranny goes. They're great as long as your ONLY purpose is to cruise and dd. But hauling or drag strip. Nadda. lol The TKO 600 is good for all of that, so I got it.

Good to know. I won't be going to the drag strip, but if I convert my 4 speed, I am sure I will do some haulin. Mostly light, but might as well cover my bases. Thanks for the input.

To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?

[TJ's GMC]

Originally Posted by aphaynes

To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?

Good to know. I won't be going to the drag strip, but if I convert my 4 speed, I am sure I will do some haulin. Mostly light, but might as well cover my bases. Thanks for the input.

To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?

I'd do an NV4500 conversion.