1970 Chevy Truck Conversion
I took another trip down memory lane recently to build the pickup truck we had back on the farm. My dad bought his truck new in 1970, and it stayed in my family up until just last year - 54 years! Apparently, the model kits for the 1970 year are hard to come by, as the ones online run up to $250. However I discovered the nearly identical 1972 models from AMT are easy to come by and affordable, but I would need to find a proper grill and hubcaps to make the conversion work. Fortunately an internet search turned up an aftermarket resin grill for the 1970 model that was very good quality, for only $7.00 (Unfortunately, I forgot to document just where I found it)! For the hubcaps, I was able to approximate the look by modifying the original wheel covers for my 1969 Pontiac Bonneville kit.
My dad was in the habit of buying the cheapest possible version of the vehicles he acquired, and in the case of the truck, he got a very basic C/10 with no radio, no A/C, bench seat, no chrome, a straight 6 engine, 4 on the floor transmission, and wooden floor in the box. The 1972 kit I started with had molded-in bucket seats, a V-8 engine with dual exhaust and automatic transmission, chrome bumpers, Cheyenne chrome trim, and corrugated metal box floor. Some research showed I could get a 6 cylinder engine, transmission, bench seat, and a nice CHEVROLET decal for the tailgate if I bought AMT's 1960 Chevy Fleetside kit. So I headed to my local hobby shop, where fate smiled and I found a suitable kit for 40% off. Oh, happy day!
Step one was removing all the chrome from the sides of the body and the tailgate. This was accomplished by scraping with an Xacto blade and wet-sanding, including removing the Cheyenne 10 logo on the fenders. The cargo bed was modified by chiseling off half the raised ridges. This gave a more accurate approximation of the original spacing between wood and metal parts. After priming with gray auto primer, I painted the wooden planks brown and the raised metal parts metallic silver. The entire body was then painted with Vallejo Scarlet to replicate the original Chevy Bright Red finish. Cautious wet-sanding on the cargo bed produced worn paint, revealing the metal and wood finishes underneath.
The dashboard was modified by removing the A/C vents and covering over the radio with a small piece of Evergreen sheet. I was tempted to open up the ash tray and put a pipe in there, as that was a common sight back in the day, but it was too small of a detail to mess with. I added a turn signal to the steering column. The molded-in bucket seats were cut out and the gaping hole filled with Evergreen sheet for the floor. A gas tank was constructed from layers of Evergreen sheet and installed in the back of the cab. The bench seat from the 1960 kit was 2mm too wide, so it was cut down to size and installed. The 4-speed shifter was constructed of Evergreen with a ball of white paint for the shifter knob. It just so happened that the guy who bought the truck last year posted a walk-around video on Facebook, and that was a wonderful reference tool for getting the interior and engine compartment right.
The engine from the 1960 kit was assembled and painted Chevy orange, then spark plug wires of EZ thread were added. The chassis was just a solid molded part with dual exhaust, so I had to chop out one of the exhaust pipes and mufflers for the single exhaust six-banger. In contrast to the bland, one-piece chassis, the engine compartment was decently detailed with the fan and heat exchanger, the master brake cylinder, battery and windshield washer reservoir. I drilled holes for the heater hoses in the heat exchanger, and drilled holes in the brake cylinder for brake lines. The heater hoses are made of fine insulated wire, and the brake lines are wire-tie wires. Battery cables are also painted wire-tie wire. The exhaust pipe off the engine and upper radiator hose are solder wire bent to shape.
Additional details are the open vent windows, dual side mirrors, rear window mountain scene (printed double-sided on regular printer paper), spare tire in the cargo area, and the scratch-built Luverne bumper.
The one detail that I can't replicate is the chrome C/10 logos on the fenders, otherwise, this old kit turned out really nice. Note that the photos of the actual truck are recent, so 40 more years of wear and tear than what I modeled! Oh, and the 1960 Chevy kit looks like a very nice kit. I'll have to build that one one of these days with a V-8 and bucket seats!
@robgenev665 By far my favorite Chevy body style of all time. My grandpa had a baby blue version with a three-on-the-knee tranny. I think every farm in MN, WI, IA had this truck.
I enjoy the dedication to family accurate vehicles you put into your builds. I'm sure the memories flow as smooth as the paint as you craft each piece. Thanks for sharing this build an all the modifications you went through to pull it off.
Thanks, Matt @coondog. These projects are a collaboration with family members as I plumb their memories as well to get all the details right. I had the option to buy the truck from my brother, but just couldn't justify the expense and work it would take to keep it. Sad to lose it, but it's now in the hands of someone who will fix it up properly.
Lots of work to match your memories of this truck, Robert (@robgenev665), but well worth the effort. Looks great.
Thanks, George! @gblair
That's a beautiful conversion, Robert @robgenev665
Definitely worth all the effort you put into this build.
It must have been a sad moment to say goodbye to that truck after 54 years.
Thanks, John! @johnb We sold off the truck and one of dad's tractors, lots of memories to go with those machines.
Showing my age- I had C-10, same year..loved it…
Thank you, John! @johnaitken
You farm boys (you and Matt) are doing pretty darn good with these memories-in-plastic, Robert. Very nice work and a great result.
Thank you, Tom! @tcinla
Another great nostalgia trip, Robert, it’s the details that make it, don’t you just love bench seats.
Thank you George @chinesegeorge. Bench seats are much more practical, to be sure!
Excellent job and fantastic result, Robert!
Congratulations!
Thank you, Spiros @fiveten!
That is so cool, Robert! 👍 I love the conversion work and the added details, too. 👏 My family had a short-bed, '61 Apache from 1967 to 1973 with a 283 V8 and the three on the tree shifter. It was my high-school drive for a couple years too. Your model has brought back a lot of good memories, Robert! 🙏🏻
Thank you, Gary @garybrantley. I'm glad that I could remind you of good times long ago. I would have liked to own the truck, but memories and modeling will have to suffice.