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Chevrolet C65 Grain Truck
By Dave Tallon, Tallon Custom Collectables
 As many of our readers that have been with us from the start have probably realized by now, one category of models I enjoy building is grain trucks. I suppose this is because although I grew up in a farming community, I didn’t actually spend that much time on a farm. Consequently, my experiences growing up center more around the farm support equipment found at the grain elevator and the co-op than actually on the farm. In keeping with that, and the harvest theme of this month's issue, I thought I would do a project that is likely familiar to many of our readers, a Chevrolet C65 grain truck. This truck, and it’s GMC counterpart, are a common sight on farms across the US and Canada. The interest in them among toy collectors is evident by the introduction in the past year of the Die-Cast Promotions 1/16 scale versions, and the 1/64 scale, resin cast versions produced on a limited basis by ScratchCast. The truck I am about to explain how to build will also satisfy collector’s interest in this model, and can be made from parts that are relatively easy to find.
Obviously, what sets a Chevy C65 model apart from other grain truck models that are already out there is the cab. Unfortunately, other than the aforementioned Scratchcast model, there are no readily available 1/64 scale C65 cabs to use for a project like this. However, the C65 uses the same cab and hood line as GM pickups from the same era, and those are available in quite a few different versions. I had searched for some time for the best cab donor, and although I couldn’t find one that is ideal, I did find one that fits the bill pretty well. The choice: the Matchbox K5 Blazer. I had at least of a couple of versions of this truck growing up, and they are still making them so there are plenty of them out there. The lines and proportions of this cab lend themselves well to customizing into a C65.
The first step is to disassemble the truck. Remove the body from the chassis by drilling out the rivets. With the body separated from the chassis, interior and glass, cut off the rear section behind the “cab”. The line at the front of the rear topper, just behind the cab, provides a good guide as to where to cut. Grind/sand down the roof of the cab where the light bar was. You will fill in this hole later, and can finish smoothing it out then, but it is best to remove some of the metal feature around the light bar now.
The most prominent feature that distinguishes the C65 cab from the pickup cab is the front fenders. On the C65, the openings are bigger, and they flare out to accommodate the considerably larger tires used on a medium or heavy duty truck. The first step in replicating this on the Blazer cab is to enlarge the wheel opening. Cut or grind away the material at the front and rear of the wheel wells to the outer edge of the original fender flares. Grind any remaining portions of the original fender flares down, even with the rest of the fender. Clean up any remaining rough edges and use some acetone free nail polish remover to remove any remaining painted on decorations.
With the necessary materials removed, the cab should now be ready for adding features to make it more like the C65 cab. The first thing you will need to add is a back wall for the cab. Cut a piece of metal to match the opening. Make the bottom edge even with the bottom of the sides of the cab. Make an extra flap at the top edge and fold it over to inside the roof. This provides a way to attach the wall at the top, and a cover for the hole in the roof. For a little extra reinforcement and additional mounting surface, I added a 1/8” x ¼” piece of wood to tie the bottom of the rear wall in with the sides of the cab. For the fenders, I bent 1/8” square styrene around the contour of the wheel opening and glued it to the fender. This is an easy way to replicate the C65 front fender flares. As I did this, I left some excess on each end and then trimmed them to fit once they were in place. Underneath the doors, I added running boards made from metal and more 1/8” styrene. If you prefer, you can leave off the running boards and add fuel tanks, as the real trucks were available both ways. In the front, I filled in the grill area with some 1/16” thick wood, cut to match the grill opening. Make the bottom edge of this even with the bottom edge of the back of the cab, so it will sit level on the frame later on. I cut a thin piece of metal to cover the wood to give it a cleaner appearance. If you like, you could leave the wood bare, and carve in the grill details. However, I have an alternate way to get this detail as you will see later on. Fill any remaining gaps or seams with body filler, and sand smooth. If you plan on adding mirrors later, now is a good time to drill some small holes just above and below the front edge of the side windows to mount the mirrors later.
In addition to a cab for your truck, you are also going to need a bed. As I have used in the past, for this project I chose the “Tonka” grain truck made by Maisto. Although not the most detailed, they are cheap, easy to find and the rear doors have more details than if you made it completely from scratch. After removing the box from the donor truck, you will have to cut off some of the features underneath that stick out. Depending on how long of a box you want your truck to have, you may want to shorten it, which can be done by cutting out a section and gluing it back together. For simplicity’s sake, in this example I left the box length alone. Remove the graphics from the side of the box with a little non-acetone nail polish remover. You probably won’t get a completely clean, white surface, but so long as you get the majority of it off it won’t show through later when you paint it.
For the chassis, I used the same brass c-channel construction I have used for several of my other grain truck projects. The length of your frame will depend on the length of the box you are using, and the number of axles. The frame needs to be long enough to support the box and the cab, and have a little space between the two. Add a few ½” long cross members to the c-channels to complete the construction. If you like, you can also add a bed hoist to the frame. For the sake of brevity, I have left it out of this example, but if you want to add one reference the XXX/2003 article. I also mounted the front bumper directly to the frame. The front bumper was made from some XX/XX” brass c-channel, with the legs of the “C” cut off near the ends to give it a more flat appearance, and allow it to be bent backward slightly toward the tires like the real front bumper was. Axles can be attached with brass tubing. The C65 was made with both single and tandem rear axles, so either is appropriate.
Prior to attaching the axles to the frame however, test fit the frame, axles, cab and bed together and make sure there is enough clearance between them. For the truck I made, I had to add some strips of metal for spacers between the axles and frame, and a strip of wood underneath the bed. This is also a good time to do the interior for your truck. You can use the interior from the Blazer, just cut it off behind the seats. You will likely have to add a spacer between the interior and the frame to get it to sit at the correct level inside the cab. Once you have any spacers figured out, go ahead and attach the axles and bumper, but wait to attach the cab and bed until after painting.
With all of the fabrication and modification done, you are ready for some painting. I painted the frame and front bumper assembly gloss black. If desired, after the coat of black you could mask off the rest of the frame and paint the front bumper chrome or silver. For this truck I just left if black. Even if you want a white grain box, you still will likely want to paint it to cover up any remnants of the graphics on the side of the box and give it an even, glossy finish. For the cab you can do a simple solid color or dress it up with a two-tone paint scheme. While you are painting, don’t forget to paint the interior piece as well. Black or Tan would be appropriate for a stock-looking C65 interior.
Once the base painting is thoroughly dry, you are ready to add some details. Side mirrors can easily be made out of paper clips and some small strips of metal. For the front turn signals on the side of the fenders, “seed beads”, which can be found in the craft section of many stores, work very well. Since the original cab glass was tinted blue, I decided to make a new front windshield from some clear plastic. Carefully glue this into the cab by applying some small dabs of glue, only around the edges. If the glass “fogs” over from glue fumes, wait until the glue is completely dry (often 12 hours or more) and then wipe it down with a q-tip with a little Vaseline on it. This will usually eliminate the fumes “fog” from clear or painted surfaces. As I mentioned earlier in the article, I did not attempt to carve in the grill details. Painting them on would have been equally challenging. Instead of either of those, I created a decal to do it instead. I have included the graphic file I used for the grill with this article. You can print it out and apply it to the front grill insert. Finish the cab off with some painted on details like clearance lights and door handles.
With the cab done, the bed will likely need a little attention. The Maisto grain box is made with two large holes in the bottom. To cover this up, cut thin piece of wood to the shape of the floor. You can also add a set of mudflaps in the rear, and a few drops of red paint to detail the rear lights.
Once you get the truck detailed to your liking, you are ready for final assembly. Assemble the interior, cab, bed and frame. Use care when gluing the cab and interior to not use too much glue, or the fumes fog will likely reappear on the windshield. If it does, you can get a q-tip in through the side windows to wipe it down again.
Although this project had been a year or so in the making, once I got started things seemed to come together fairly easily, and the results were even better than I had hoped. Hopefully if you attempt this project, these instructions and a little luck will help you create a truck you are equally pleased with.
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Tallon Tips Article Index
03/2003 - Removing Tampos
04/2003 - Detailing AGCO MFWD Tractors
05/2003 - Making Your Own Decals
06/2003 - Making 1/64 Pullers Pt. 1
07/2003 - Making 1/64 Pullers Pt. 2
08/2003 - Making a McCormick MTX
09/2003 - Photographing Scale Models
10/2003 - Making Custom Grain Trucks
11/2003 - Detailing a White 4-270
12/2003 - Making a John Deere 6030
01/2004 - Getting Started in Customizing
02/2004 - Dave Tallon's Custom Collection
03/2004 - Building a C&D Steiger Wildcat Kit
04/2004 - Building a Chevy Crew Cab Dually
05/2004 - Tire Customizing Basics
06/2004 - Making 4WD Pulling Trucks
07/2004 - Making Articulated 4WD Tractors
08/2004 - Making 1/64 Service Trucks
09/2004 - Detailing a Challenger MT765
10/2004 - Online Auction Selling Tips
12/2004 - Favorite Model of 2004
01/2005 - Scale Dimensions
02/2005 - CaseIH STX Accusteer
03/2005 - Vintage Dodge Flatbed Dually
04/2005 - Matching Tractors and Implements
06/2005 - Detailing a Gooseneck Flatbed
07/2005 - Customizing Ideas
08/2005 - 1/16 Massey Harris 44 Puller
09/2005 - 1/64 KW T600 Grain Semi
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