My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

hello i have read alot on this web site and always wanted to join in and i now can :P i bought this wrecker feb 10th 2015 and have been doing a little here and there on it i doubt i will restore it cost to much and i dont know how lol
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Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

Welcome.....pretty cool rig.

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

Cool truck, I bet a little elbow grease on the paint would go a long way, just looks heavil oxidized! Other than that I wouldn't touch it!

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

yea i have used alot of that lol i will get some more pics after i washed it and i have a ? it is stuck in 1st but i had the drive line off and the tranny works and don't make noise but it is stuck in 1st any ideals how to fix (cheap but good)

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

Is it standard or auto trans? The first thought that comes to mind is the clutch or the linkage.

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

Probably shift tower check that out. the Holmes 440 bed is a great one

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

it is a 4 speed i think it is called a 117mm and the linkage just fixed that i also just put a new clutch kit in it the clutch will disengage like it should but it will not come out of 1st well i guess it is low

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

i have had the shifter out and it looks clean inside and i like the 440 as well my dad had a 480 and i didnt like it as much

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

I like that wrecker a lot

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

here is some more pics the center where the radio goes i am making a switch plate for the lights and the seat is out of ford :( couldnt find one that was a chevy and the grill i also put some ford parts in (the turn signals) i hope it still runs lol :P the bumper is not a 71 or 72 so the lights are not in it i think the bumper is off a 1967 but idk for sure Attachment 1426358

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Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

Looks like a fun project truck to me!

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

yea i am having fun with it not much rust at all on this truck

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

Love this rig!!!

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

thanks i am having fun with it

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

Anny luck with the shifter or trans? It won't even shift out of first when not running? If you need a transmission, they are pretty easy to find, swap, cheap, etc. And when you are ready to sell just drop me a line. I miss my old '71 wrecker

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

Howdy and welcome, Your trucks looks like a good one that you can enjoy
and do a few little things along the way.
What part of tenn? was raised in maryville in east tenn., from your pic's looks
like you may be from that area?

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

not yet i started on the wires looks like they overloaded the back lights and it has burt one of the wires all the way up to the switch didnt hurt the switch but i am going to have to run some wires now lol good thing i know a little about wiring (enough to get me in trouble) the tranny looks good on the inside and didnt make sound i hope it is the rod the shifter fork thing runs on idk what it is called but i am thinking about pulling the top apart and see if it is the problem and as far as selling it i will sell it is going to be in the 127 sale in a few weeks if you are out you could stroll trough and look at her

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

i am in the top of Tennessee next to static (pall mall)looks like about 100 miles from you

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

I want it

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

:metal:

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

That's a bit of a rare bird so hold on to it man.

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

i have to ask how it is rare and i think it was bought to be a wrecker looks like the bed was put on when it was bought but i cant say for sure

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

Cause from what I can tell that is a original wrecker bed from the factory. The only thing that isn't original is the bumper. Wreckers are harder to find than swb and lwb, the only thing probably a little rarer than that is a lwb stepside

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

here is some numbers that where on the side thought about calling them but i am not sure the area code home phone 974 1953 Dig Pagers 785 8012 388 2734 and on the hood it has tow joe the paint covers it but you can see it cause it was pin striped and the boom has a lighting bolt on it

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

the bed is all original and it looks like it was bought for the wrecker bed but idk for sure

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

There were no wreckers from the factory. The only factory bed was a stake body/flatbed. It would have been a cab & chassis from factory, then went to upfitter. All this could be done through the GM dealership. You could get any brand you wanted.

That's the first truck I've seen with a bezel and no gauges

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

lol i was looking at it to see if it would look good to paint the outside rim blue to match the glove box the rest is in the building i have to get a printed circuit for it the other was coming apart and it has the original tachometer as well the miles is showing 89000 but idk probably like 289000 lol but idk

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

some more pics





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Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

top pic of what i could see looks good but still no luck with getting out of 1st lol i might drive it like that ( not would be WAY TO SLOW) still thinking about pulling the top off but kinda afraid never done it before and dont want to fu** something up

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Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

From the looks of your pic, it looks like it is third gear to me, not that it really matters which gear it is stuck in. After the shifter was off, did you take a screw driver and try to shift the shift rails to get each one in neutral? If not, I would try that and see if that works for you. It's been about 25 years since I've had a top cover off of one of these trannys, I'm pretty sure it has to be in reverse to get the cover off. With the gear that is in now, I don't think that the cover will come off.

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

i try a screw driver in the far right and tryed sliding it forward but it didnt move and you have to have them in reverse great well if i cant get it to move might have to wd40 the he11 out of it and change the oil in the tranny idk what to do but i might have to buy another tranny i know where there is one at but it has a larger input shaft it is out of a 1967 1 1/2 ton

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

It probably sat for a while. You could spray some penetrant over the gears and slides and try to gently work the shifter. You could even add some trans fluid down the shifter hole before you put it back in. Note, Make sure the two dowels are still in the top of the trans where you twist the shifter cap down. I dropped one into a trans once. I got lucky and got it out through the drain hole. If you take it out in a field and run it slowly sometimes the motion of the gears moving will free up the shifter. If you get it to shift drain the fluid and put in some fresh fluid and start driving it more

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

It looks to me, like the center one needs to go forward so it lines up with the spring loaded reverse plunger on the left one. It will then be in neutral and you can reinstall the shifter.

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

i read your 1st post and went strait to the truck you was right it was the middle needing to go forward( i was putting it in the far right one) it shifts great now thanks now just got to get a rear gas tank and mount it

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

here is the tank i am going to use. the ones that go under the bed in between the frame are a little high and looks really tight behind the rear axle on the wrecker so i am going to put this tank in the bed on the passenger side between the boom tower and the side of the bed

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Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

^^^This is exactly what I said to myself when I first looked at your post.^^
I bet a good buff job will bring that baby back to looking fine. That said, I like it just how it is. But we all know it can look much better with a little love.

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

thanks i am fixing to start on rebuilding the qjet it is a 17085212 and the one that came on it was off a trans am but i didnt have a air cleaner to fit it

Re: My 1971 Chevy Wrecker
 

went for my 1st test drive in the wrecker runs good lots of power and drives good seeing how i know it needs a pitman arm you can turn the wheel and see the play in it but thought i would let everyone know shes coming along nicely got the carb rebuilt as well i used a boat gas tank for the drive worked well o and almost forgot it needs some timing lol i was ( stupidly) looking in the crab to make sure it was getting fuel then it started i didnt move enough and it back fired in my face luckily i still have some eye brows left and well as for my hair umm i am bald had to shave it all off got it good and wow did it stink