1978 k10
In 1978 my great grandfather bought this truck new off the lot in Missouri. He ran a locksmith and saw sharpening business out of it as well as selling shoes. When he passed in 2002 the truck was left to sit in Arkansas until 2017 when my family finally decided to get rid of the house. Upon arrival my uncle wanted to scrap it since it was “just a piece of junk.” My father saw the good side and with just a battery and fresh gas got it running for the first time in almost 20 years. It sat for a year before he gifted it to me as my first truck. Im in the process of revitalizing it while also keeping the rust and branding that make it unique. Ive replaced the floor and now have moved onto the front end and next step is the bed
Step 1
The truck had sat under trees and was covered in moss and sap, here we simply made the truck a blank canvas
Step 2
The floor and inner rockers had rotted from leaky window seals and a leaky cowl. I wanted to keep the outside original by retaining the original outer rockers which were rust free, this led me to making about 14 patches with no experience. They came out surprisingly well. The inner rocker patch and floor patch were bought but only a small piece of the puzzle. Once all the work was completed i installed carpet and sound deadening. Next is door panels and a modern audio system
Step 3
Over the years the trim on the side collected water and caused rust on the fenders doors and b pillars. I sealed this with a rust converter, primer over that then body filler which I sanded smooth. Due to working out of a shipping container with the truck in the gravel driveway I don’t have access to a proper painting setup. So, I painted the spot with rustoleum, sanded it smooth and polished it for a very close to factory finish
Step 4
The front fenders have rust spots which I will be replacing with fresh sheet metal, I’m installing new inner fenders as well but they will be painted to match the truck. While in here I am painting the frame and suspension since it is easy to access. I’ve cleaned the firewall and am painting the bottom of the cab up to the bottom firewall seam to prevent corrosion. For the bottom of the cab I’m using the same thing I used for the inside, rustoleum implement paint with hardener. This paint works perfect as a layer of protection that’s easy to brush on.
