My 1967 Chevy Truck Story

When I was 16 my first car was a 1967 CST cab large window short bed C10 fleet side. With straight 6, and 3 on the tree. I turned 16 in April 1985, and we purchased the truck for $250.00. I had saved up $220.00 and my mom helped me with the rest. A great family friend, Doug Donaldson, brought it to his house and said, ” you aren’t driving it until we paint it.” I spent the entire summer sanding it. Doug brought it and me to a frame shop in Reno, Nevada, to straighten a little bend in the frame. In September we painted it midnight blue, the grill white, and black on the inside. Man, I loved that truck!

Fast forward a few years. I went into the U.S. Navy. Got out after Desert Storm. Built a small block 283 for it. The motor broke, I lost interest, and life happened… So I sold the truck. Needless to say, I didn’t know what I had, and what the CST meant on the metal plate attached to both doors.

So a few years ago, about 2011, I found another one sitting behind my friends body shop, wasting away. In 2012 I finally talked him out of it.
She was a 1967 short fleet, with a stock 283, and auto transmission.

I then learned the significance of the CST cab from my first truck, it meant that the big rear window was not original equipment. This one had a small window, as was original on the 1967 trucks. It would be brought all the way down to the frame, and take 3 parts trucks to build her. I used the original 1967 front clip, and frame. I used a rotted out 1969 cab to achieve the big rear window. By looking at it now, you would never know that it’s not the original cab unless I told you. I painstakingly switched the windwings with proper handles, along with the 67 style E brake, that was a pull handle, rather than a foot press type. The motor was changed to a built 350, with a turbo 350 transmission. I upgraded the brakes to 1972 discs on the front, which changed the wheel bolt pattern to 5 lugs. I converted the rear axles to 5 lug as well, so the wheels would match.

The color my wife chose, inside and out, was Aqua Blue Metallic (2010 Camaro). I didn’t want to run the original wood bed, I wanted to use the bed. So I went with a 1972 short fleet with a steel floor, and bedlined it. I ran 5 inch drop coil springs in the rear, and 3 inch spindles and one inch drop spring in the front. Custom seat upholstery with Bowties and 67 inside the back of the 90s Chevy truck 60 /40 split bench. Covered with black leather, and black suede leather inserts.

The gas tank was removed from behind the seat. I replaced it with a 1966 Mustang tank that I slid into the frame from the rear. I added a nice stereo, and used the factory holes in the dash thanks to Retro Sound. I learned that Classic Dash lives here in Carson City. I totally lucked out. The employee there was kind enough to custom cut my gauge panel to fit two 5 inch and four 2.250 autometers. At that time autometer was not producing a black face with black bezel gauge, so I custom made my own. All of the trim on the truck is black powder coat, with the exception of the front bumper, it’s painted black.

Remember, sometimes the old project will get shuffled to the back of your mind and property, but if you persevere, you will make it a reality.