New Toy / Workhorse

[Chevytrux4me]

Hey guys,
I've been away a while working, and have gained a new toy sort of accidental-like. She's a decommissioned 1974 Chevy C50 firetruck, with a 350 v8, automatic transmission, and only 8,000 original miles. My plans are to put a dump bed on her so she can actually earn her keep. ( I figure that way I'll have a good excuse to keep 'er around! ) I didn't know exactly where to post this thread, hope it sorta fits in here.. By the way, does anyone know of a good place to get parts for bigger trucks like this one? Most sites and parts stores are mainly for pickups.. Any help is greatly appreciated..

[oldwagon]

big truk, big block and she's ready to go!

[77gmcjoe]

I'm sure that you probably know that a lot of parts for pickups will interchange with medium duties. The cab is pretty much the same, so a lot of interior parts are indentical. We used to have a few medium duties that were set up as tractors for pulling lighter weight semi trailers. I'm not sure how much you're wanting to do to dress this old girl up, but the first thing we would usually do when we got a new one was to have the front bumper chromed and get the chrome grille from GM for it (it's been a few years, so I can't say if those are still available). Doing those things really made them look good.

[old Rusty C10]

the guy i used to use for those kind of parts is out of business but perhaps if you google parts for them??

[team39763]

I want one of those so I can throw on a suburban or blazer body. That would be a cool hauler.

[Chevytrux4me]

Thanks guys, I'll check out those leads. I hope to get her home this week and get her cleaned up a bit and post some more pics. I think I found out why the fire dept retired this one. There was a long battery cable from the battery to a disconnect switch under the driver's seat, kind of at the bottom of the door opening. This cable had a hole rubbed in its insulation and was burnt almost in two. We replaced it with a new one and she fired up and ran like new, which she almost is anyway. I'll keep you posted with the progress on this one.

[East End K5]

Now that's what I call a "Heavy Chevy"!! Enjoy!

[red caddy]

Nice ride, Got any pics with the hood open? Is it tilt? That girl really needs a set of 6 inch stacks... How long is the wheelbase? Is C-50 is 2.5 or 5 ton?

I'd really like to have one like that to drag my carhualer and gooseneck, My '84 GMC 1 ton does fine but I 'm hooked on the looks of that high ride cab. Very neet look IMHO. Paul

[Chevytrux4me]

Red, I'll see if I can get some pics this week and post. I've not yet even brought her home. The hood is a standard-opening steel hood, not a fiberglass tilt, like I've seen on some later model trucks of this type. As for the wheelbase, it's pretty short. Only about six feet from the back of the cab to the axle. I'll probably end up putting a short dump bed on it. Actually, I just bought a parts truck with a dump bed, so I might just transfer that over to this one until something better comes along. I'd thought about just putting some sort of a car hauler bed on it, but I doubt if I could justify keeping 'er that way, so I better go with the dump to justify her as a workhorse. I think this thing would be awesome with a fifth wheel trailer, having that short wheel base.

[joe231]

Cool truck!!

does it have a tach in it?

[JCampbell]

Killer. I love those trucks.

Subscribed.

[74 C-30]

sweet truck we have a 78 C-60 and are getting a 73 C-60 parts truck. im going to guess it has a 366 big block and 5+2 trans?
heres our old farm truck

[87Bob]

Hmmmm Bigger trucks could this be the next trend?????

[red caddy]

anybody know what was the lowest GVW to get the tall cab? and the GVW of the C-60, thanks, paul.

[Chevytrux4me]

74 C30, funny, my truck's a '74, and I just bought a '77 or '78 parts truck. Yours is a '78 and you got a '73 parts truck. Maybe we should trade parts trucks... My truck has an automatic trans, and a single speed rear end. I wonder if anyone's ever put a 2-speed rear with an auto trans? I'd be interested to find out. That's a good looking C-60 you got there.. Joe 231, no tach at this point. (They take away the tach, and serve it up with an automatic transmission like you're weird or somethin'... ) I may see if I can add one at some point. Paul, I'm not sure what the C-60 GVW is, but this one, being a C-50 can go as low as 16,000 gvw. It has power brakes, not air, so it is well below the CDL requirements. That's one reason I really liked this one. Not sure about the bigger trucks being the new trend, it may not be 'green enough' for that.

[74 C-30]

you have the single speed rear? thats the wicked light duty one, and I dont know much about the automatics...
yeah the truck looks good...from a distance lol the cabs all rotted out, its a former hydro seeding truck

[Chevytrux4me]

Yeah, I haven't had the opportunity to drive this thing yet. I was told, though, by a couple of the guys at the fire department where it came from that it was a real powerful truck, even with the water tank on the back full. That makes me think it may be a pretty slow gear rear end. On the other hand, they said they had often driven it about 60 or so mph, being a fire truck and all. With a dump bed full of gravel or dirt, that may be all I'd want to do anyway... I'd say the C-60's like you have are probably a tougher truck all around than this one.

[ratty 46]

Just a kewl big truck.

I let one (1978 C60) slip away from me last year for cheap ...... it was a FEMA truck that my company bought just for the 26' box on the back. It was set up with a detriot & roadranger 10 speed. White esterior with tan bench seat. It had 19K original miles too. Nice truck.

I wish I had it cause I would have added a dually bed on it & had a super duty pick up.

Good score - enjoy.

Ratty 46

[dan76]

Lots of idle time on the engine.......However fire trucks are usually well maintained. I vote for the dump bed.........lots of ways to make quick cash on the weekends.

[larrystone]

If you add a dump bed that truck will be worth $5k.

It would make a perfect truck for commercial grounds keeping and can pull two tons of trailer and lawn mowers with ease.

Very simple to maintain with a small block, th400 and a single speed rear axle. This truck could last another 35 years if used as a local vehicle.

[SBTork]

that's very cool. I always wanted one of those reg cab, short wheelbase, with a dump bed. Keep us posted on the work being done.

[Chevytrux4me]

Wow, I didn't realize there'd be this many people interested in this old truck on here. I figured mostly just pickups.. I'll be sure and keep you guys posted of its progress. This week's been a b***h, workin' out of town, but I'm gonna try and get some more pics tomorrow evening when I get over there. Haven't been able to get by the DMV during regular hours to get 'er registered. Hope to get that done Friday.. Ratty 46, I had the same thoughts with this one, of putting a dually bed on it. It would already be about the right length for that. When I ran across anyther one of these with a dump bed and complete, for cheap $, I couldn't pass it up.

[Towstrap]

heres mine



was this








havnt had to buy to many parts for it yet but all the cab, doors, interior parts are all from stock trucks there are a few places around me that carry the big truck parts but they are had to find sometimes

its not all finish yet but i do drive it around needs more body work thinking of making it 4wheel drive

[ratty 46]

Talk about a monsterous project ....... WOW ....... that'll probably tow a house if needed!

How did you overcome the GVW registration?? That is why I didn't scoop the one from my work (it was 29,000 GVW). I needed a CDL just to drive it around the block!

Great job.

Ratty 46

[Towstrap]

i registered it as a assenbled title as a pickup have not had no problems yet been driving it around for about a year

i built it to tow this



and yes Ratty 46 it can move a house too