Thread: Cool farm find

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A few weeks ago I had a day off work and I had to make a run to the local landfill. I wanted to do it on a week day because with the covid going on, everyone goes to the landfill on Saturday and the line to get in would be 4 hours long. I took my 2yr old daughter, Ivvy, and my now 7yr old son, Colt, with me. On our way back Colt was telling me he wished we could find him cool old car because you know Clint already has a Camaro Dad. I told him I knew where some old trucks were and asked if he wanted to see them. He screamed and jumped up in the street yes and started clapping his hands.

I turned around and headed back. I have known about these 2 trucks for years. I never stopped to see if they were for sale because I hate to not have the extra cash if a person says yes it is for sale. We were driving down the road and I pointed the first truck out. He was looking with excitement but couldn't tell what it was. We pulled in the drive way and the old farmer was home.

He had a guest so I just pulled up and shut the truck off. I just listened to what they were chatting about and waited patiently. The shorter of the 2 men asked how he could help me and I told him I had been eyeing his old trucks for years and I had a son that would love to have his own project. He said they were really rough and he didn't know if they were worth messing with. He said go on out and look at them and then come back and talk to me.

We drove out behind the silo and sure enough. It was a mid 60's Dodge. I thought it was but it was really hard to tell due to how far it sat off the road. Colt immediately fell in love with it. The truck is a C800 with a V8 gas. It actually isn't in horrible shape. It has some rust above the windshield, but it isn't beat bad, and it is complete. It is just really long and heavy.

Cool truck, did you buy it?

Needless to say Colt was pretty excited. There were shifters, turn signals, and it was huge! I finally got him to head back over to truck #2. This truck is super rough, but pretty odd and neat. How many medium duty trucks have you seen with ifs? Now, how many medium duty trucks have ifs, but torsion springs? I personally have never seen any. This particular truck had an aftermarket leaf spring added to the bottom of it to stiffen it up. After some research it seems these suspensions didn't hold up and in 63 they were dropped and went back to old school leaf springs and a straight axle.

This truck is I believe a 1962. It has Spartan emblems but enthusiasts say it really is a Viking since Spartans were a much heavier truck and this is not. It is really unfortunate that it is so rusty and there is no title for it. It is just going to get parted out and I'm cutting the front off for wall art. Here comes the best part of this deal and what suits this to be in the hot rod section on a hot rod forum. I pop the hood and it has a big block in it, and it is not a tall deck! I figured, sweet! This won't be cheap.

ARGHhhh... No Ryan say NO!!!

OOOOOOOooo.. didja see the sweet big yellow bulldozer???!!!??? rotflmao!!

We go in to the old man's shop and he asks us what we thought. Colt immideately says well, they're alright, but that red one is junk. I asked the man what he thought he would want for them and he said if we had to have them, as long as the young man would learn something from them, we could buy the red one since he thought the engine may be worth something. But, we had to take both of them.

I don't really have a place for them so I spoke with my Dad and he said I could bring the red one to his place first and part it out. Then bring the white one home. So currently I'm trying to get everything off of the chevy so I can get it gone and bring the white one home.

Now the story gets better. The next day after we looked at the trucks I took my friend over to look at a 1975 Pontiac. It turned out to be a huge rot box so he passed on it. He wanted to go decode the engines in the trucks for fun. I told him I doubted either one had anything special.
The Dodge has a 413 or 426 wedge so far from what we can break down. The Chevy is the cherry here. He started cleaning off the rh deck edge and then he starts messing with his phone. He drops his head and tells me he really hates me right now. I told him stop it. It wasn't anything cool. He says BS, shows me his phone and it says the suzzix code is CKN. CKN equates to a 1970 Chevelle LS3 330hp 402. I couldn't believe it. It actually is something cool. Granted it isn't a LS6 454 chevelle engine but it beats a smog 454.

After doing some research, the exhaust manifolds and carb are the same as LS5 engines and worth some decent money. Currently I'm cleaning the engine and parts getting ready to market it. The engine did get moisture in 1 and 2 but I put marvel mystery oil in it and got it turning before I removed the engine.

All in all a pretty good find so far.

Originally Posted by v8nutz

Cool truck, did you buy it?

Yes sir, I did. Now I just have to get the last one home.

Originally Posted by 34_40

ARGHhhh... No Ryan say NO!!!

But why not??

Originally Posted by 34_40

OOOOOOOooo.. didja see the sweet big yellow bulldozer???!!!??? rotflmao!!

Yes I did. I was hoping he would use it to move the trucks but the first one moved too easy.

Odd that they both had later engines swapped in, but hey, they were WORK trucks and probably got beat pretty hard. Fun score ...……….……………...for your kid of course.

Good find on the engines Ryan! Looks like you have some really first rate help and advisers aiding you in your efforts, every time I see something interesting, one or both of my granddaughters who live with us have just one answer, "Papa, you're too old and have too many toys now". Good advice is hard to find, treasure them!

Guess I better start going to Iowa instead of Kansas Good deals for your boy

I will give you one year, and then I'm coming over for ice cream! on second thought, you might as well come to me cuz you'll have the ice cream truck lol. Sweet fines, I often think the more odd and uglier the better the find.

Originally Posted by 53 Chevy5

I will give you one year, and then I'm coming over for ice cream! on second thought, you might as well come to me cuz you'll have the ice cream truck lol. Sweet fines, I often think the more odd and uglier the better the find.

It's not ugly... It's unique

What's coolest to me is that your son, for years to come will be saying, "Mom, can you take me out to Grandpa's Saturday morning? I want to work on my truck!" Grandpa can be near by, maybe sitting in a chair under the shade tree to keep him from getting squashed or otherwise hurting himself, and to see that he stops for lunch. Good times!

You're doing good, Ryan Lusk!

I think what you got there is either a 1961 Spartan C70 (2-1/2 ton) as they came with a 348 or a C60 ViKING (2 ton) which came with a 261 six or the venerable 283. Cool trucks and they were everywhere in America as fire trucks, farm trucks, light dump trucks, etc. The 454 is obviously a transplant - and a mighty fine one at that!

Here's a link you'll enjoy - https://www.trucksplanet.com/photo/c...-m70-60_k1.pdf

Glenn