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1966 1986 Custom Chevy Truck - CharacterA Rough Truck With Years Of Parts & Patina From the July, 2007 issue of 4Wheel & Off-Road By Fred Williams Photography by Fred Williams
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Believe it or not there are those who would consider this truck ugly, when the fact of the matter is that the faded original paint, used interior, and nothing-new drivetrain give this ride some real character. Owned by a fellow who goes by the name of Easy Lou, this '66 Chevy CK10/30 is what you get when you make a living as a scrapper. Easy Lou is often seen around town in a battered old work truck filled to the bed with axles, engines, and other used parts he scavenges from local junkyards and 4x4 shops. But when the weekend comes, it's this faded orange beauty that he takes for a cruise. Being a scrapper is a rough life, constantly finding deals, buying and pulling parts, and then turning them over to other gearheads like us who don't have the time to visit every parts yard in town like Lou does. Plus Lou's backyard is full of treasures that he can assemble for people into 4x4s or hot rods if you're interested in having it done but don't have the time or knowledge. Thus it's only appropriate that the man should have a good-looking ride himself to showcase his skills. Now speaking of good looking, you have to understand Lou to understand what he likes. To put it bluntly Lou has been around the block a few times and the years of working on anything with a motor has made him into quite a weathered fellow. He has the patina of a hard-working man, and as such he wanted a truck to match. Something with some personality. However Lou, like his truck, has true quality under that rugged exterior. Easy Lou is an easygoing son of a gun, and his big orange truck has quality bits from over 40 years of random 4x4s compiled to make it a machine with craggy strength and performance. Anyone can build a new truck; it takes a real character to build a 40-year-old truck that also has character.  The faded original orange...  The faded original orange paint has that perfect patina of a truck lovingly used for 40 years. Easy Lou claims he'll never paint it, as that would ruin the look. We couldn't agree more.  Easy Lou wanted a bulletproof...  Easy Lou wanted a bulletproof drivetrain for under his ride, and a TH400 transmission with an NP205 transfer case fit that bill to a T. Both are out of an '86 1-ton Chevy while driveshafts are 1410 units from Wenco.  Under the hood resides a 454...  Under the hood resides a 454 from an '00 Chevy truck with an MSD ignition, Edelbrock intake, and an Interstate battery. The big-block moves the old pickup just fine, and though the carb gets cranky on steep hills, it works flawlessly for the mild trails Lou likes to travel. Power steering and brakes are combined with a hydro-boost system to make steering and stopping the big rubber a piece of cake.  The wooden floor in the original...  The wooden floor in the original bed was rotted beyond repair. Lou, being the ingenious fellow that he is, discovered that the steel floor from a '72 Chevy bolted right in. Again, leaving the original paint on the floor just seems more appropriate. A classic truck like this has to have a classic gas can in the bed. The stylin' old Flame Tamer storage can rides out back with a few handtools, some leaves, and the normal old truck trash.  Up front is the appropriate...  Up front is the appropriate Dana 60 front axle stuffed with a Powr-Lok limited slip and a Big Steavy cast differential cover. A hodgepodge of front leaf springs and shocks form the suspension, while an Off Road Unlimited crossover steering system helps point the treads.  Easy Lou first found this...  Easy Lou first found this truck in the backyard of an old neighbor and was initially intrigued with the orange paint. It wasn't until he purchased it a few years later that he saw the interior housed an original dash with the elusive factory tachometer-a true jewel.  Running tread duty is a set...  Running tread duty is a set of Mickey Thompson 16/38.5-16.5 Baja Claws. The steel rims are 16.5x10 and have a small Ford emblem on them, but their original source has been long forgotten. Of course, some plastic hub and lug caps add just that touch no one is expecting.  The interior is pretty Spartan...  The interior is pretty Spartan as a truck should be. Amenities include a pile of parts yet to be installed on the passenger floor, some chips and drink in case a short drive turns into a long tour, a bench seat from '67 GM van bolted right in, and a pile of handtools just in case anything needs adjusting during the drive.  Under that rust-free '66 C10...  Under that rust-free '66 C10 body, Lou put an '86 1-ton 4x4 frame, thus the new CK10/30 model. In order to get the body lines to sit right with the cab, the bed has a 2-inch body-lift block up front and a 4 1/2-inch body lift in the rear. The rear axle is an '00 disc-brake Corporate 14-bolt stuffed with a Detroit Locker and suspended by some random lift springs he found around the yard. He's still working on the rear shock mounts so the ride is kind of bouncy, and the exhaust is temporary till some free time lets him reroute it. Year/Make/Model: '66 Chevrolet Truck on '86 Chevrolet 1-ton frame
Engine: '00 454 Chevrolet big-block
Transmission: TH400
Transfer Case: NP205
Front Axle: Dana 60, 4.10 gears, Powr-Lok limited slip
Rear Axle: Corp 14-bolt, 4.10 gears, Detroit Locker, disc brakes
Tires & Wheels: 16/38.5-16.5 Mickey Thompson Baja Claws on 16.5x10 steel
Suspension: Used springs, shocks, and lift blocks found in local junkyards
Steering: Off Road Unlimited crossover
Misc: Original factory dash with tachometer, bolt-in bench seat from a '67 Chevy van, tilt column, original paint with perfect mixture of fading, rock chips, and drool
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