How did you find your Truck -and-Why did you buy your truck?

[Tink]

My 69 was orginially my brother's. He gave it to my nephew as his first vehicle. The starter went and my nephew replaced it, but he switched the battery cables when he replaced them and fired some wiring, which he then, just started ripping out of the truck. He lost interest and the truck sat in my brother's back yard. When I moved 400 miles closer to my brother, I said: "Hey bro, you want to mow under that truck?"

[RedZ71]

mine originally belong to my mother-in-law's neighbor. many mornings as my wife and i were dropping out 3yr old son off, i would see her neighbor outside, getting ready for work himself. he and i would often chat about old trucks (since he had a71). so one day in early jan of 07, as i was waiting for my wife to come back downstairs, and he came up and instead of the normal greetings.. it was "hey would you be interested in buying my chevy?"

uh... yeah!!! a few days and $800 bucks later, my new hobby begins!

the day i sealed the deal:


and how she looks now:



ok ok ok .. when i say "how she looks now", i meant right before i started working on her new fenders...

[sleepyboy]

e-bay, because I couldn't find one locally. Why? because chevy steps are awesome looking and very versatile.

[msgross]

I was bored and needed a hobby, so I always wanted an old vehicle... Started researching and with the help of a co-worker (he has two 67's) I decided that I wanted a short fleet 4WD. passed on another co-workers 72 K-20 cheyenne super w/30K miles (wanted $16,000 and sold it for $14K). Probably should have taken that deal. Found the "Money Pit" on Ebay about 150 miles away. Won the auction for $1600 and picked it up that weekend. Now i've spent $4K on it in a year and it looks like the pic below...

truck was a 1 owner NY truck that was used to push cars home since the guy was a mechanic.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

both on eBay, and both were in Alabama ('bout a 400 mile trip for both)
my 64 i've had about 4 years. After I put the 350 in it, the rear end started doin a little growling. I was basically looking for a donar for a rear and saw my 63 on eBay for 1600 buy-it-now. It's probably in better shape than my 64. Now, I can't bring myself to part with either. Oh, and I had a buddy rebuild the rear on the 64.

[my70chevyc10]

I have always wanted a swb truck 64-72. My dad has a 67 lwb truck that my grandfather bought in 67 and my dad still has it today. I sold a 1964 chevy II and got a 1964 Buick grand national and then traded the buick for the truck. Its a 70 C10 SWB with a 68 nose job 350 with 3 on the tree hoping to put 350 trans in this winter

[SactoJim]

Waaaaay back in about 1990, a good friend's brother had bought this truck from the original owner, never registered it and only had it for a few months when he decided he didn't want it.

I've always been very fond of the 67-72 body style.......with the radiused wheel wells and wide looking stance, there's not a better looking (non-fendered) truck out there!

I had to have this truck mainly because it was a SWB Cheyenne model with original shiny paint and no rust at all. The one odd thing about it was the the original owner ordered with a 3 speed on the column. I drove it that way for a bit and then converted it over to a TH350 with a factory tilt column. It was my daily driver for about 6 years before I parked it. The first pic is around 99 when I started taking it apart for a total "nut & bolt" frame off resto, and the second is as it is now waiting for my new wheels to get here. Got a few more odds and ends to complete and it will be back on the road after a looooong vacation.

[68cajun]

I called a cousin of mine up and asked if he knew of any in his area cuz there were none to be found in my area. He said he knew of two of them and would call me back. He called back in an hour and said the guy wanted 500 for both, just the bodies. I went and picked them up the next day. That was five years and a lot of money ago and still haven't been for a ride.

[boraxman]

I bought mine off my lil brother. He picked it up at a car show in Long Beach, Ca., drove it a few times and parked it for 3 years.

[Palf70Step]

In 2002, as I ay it, mama gave me permission to have a toy. I had not had any real projects since I had moved back to the US from Japan in 85. Money and other issues prevented having just a project vehicle. Well I originally was looking for a 49-55 era GM truck. I was doing some computer work for a customer/friend from ourchurch. He mentioned he had his dad's Chevy truck and was thinking about finally letting it go (this guy is in his 70s then) Turned out it was a 1970, I did some research, (found this board) and eventually got it. Drove it home and eventually started to do work on it.

Several years later, (right after Katrina) I had the option to pick up a 69 short fleet. I though I would drive it while I finished the 70. The 69 turned out to be less tahn a good deal. So I decided to turn my 70 into a fleetside, upgrade to V* and automatic, so I took the best of both and combined, sold a lot of the rest to compensate what I was behind with on the 69.

The 70 and 69 the day I broght them hom and what the combined effort looks like today.

[Broken_down?]

Got my 68 50th from My grand father who got it from his brother when he passed away. His brother was the 2nd owner. The reason I got the truck is I had almost finished a restore of my 72 Chevy Blazer me and my dayd started before he passed (bad4x4 has it now) but anyway My grand father wanted the running gear out of it for his 74 chevy truck. He was moving to Oregon and I had to get my 72 off his properity before he moved. He offerd to give me the 68 for my 72. I jumped at the chance. So he towed it up there and drove the 68 back down to me. The cool thing was that when I was a little turd about 5 or 6 yrs old when I went to oregon with my grand father we went to the lake in the 68 and from that day I had fallen in love with that truck. When my grand father offered it to me I could not believe that his brother still had the truck after that many years. It had sat under the snow roof free of snow/rain etc for years. Though he had taken the 327 out and oped for a 350 (Shes getting a 400 soon, then a few years the 327 is going back in). I ended up finding out later that it was a 50th edition and no one new it.

[Daubs]

Decided to get myself a 71-71 4x4 and started looking in the winter/spring of 2005. Looked in newspapers, ebay, on-line and even here. Thought I had found a truck or two, but they turned out to be not what I really wanted.

Was talking with my secretary at work and she said, "hey, my husbands boss has an old 72, maybe he wants to sell."

One visit and a test drive later and I was the proud owner of my 72 K-20 4x4.

Strange how I looked nation wide and finally found one right in my own back yard.

[72BlckButy]

For my story it is fate....

For a few months I kept seeing a black '72 C/10 SB, drive through town, or in front of me on the way to work. Well one day the wife and I were heading to town and I noticed the truck pulling out of the car wash, I looked over at her and I said "I will own that truck one day." Well, we went to town and before we left we stopped so I could pick up a Wheels n Deals, a local car advertisement. While on the way home I started flipping through the pages, and **BAM** there on the left page in the center was that truck. I called them up, met him that night, and bought it.

The rest is history......

As for why I bought it... It was a great deal, a shortbed, and it was my dream to rework one of these trucks.

[Billla]

I had a '69 in High School that I loved. The 350 was slightly warmed over and a hoot to drive. I learned a lot on that truck - had to change axle seals, do the brakes - all kinds of stuff. I sold it when I bought my next car (74 Vega GT - don't ask ) but always had in the back of my head I wanted a truck.

Fast forward about 20 years. Sold my first '69 Corvette and was thinking about what was next. Keenly felt the need for a truck since I had been renting trailers and pulling them with my wife's car. Looked around in the paper and found a '72 - drove 100+ miles in North Iowa to meet the farmer selling it. It was pretty clear why he was selling it - it was a rustbucket and had a sick transplanted 305. Still...it caught my eye a bit and I figured it was headed for the crusher otherwise, so I paid my $200 and drove it home...floored, making 50 MPH Arrived in the driveway on 5/20/98.

Started a 350 build right away...and then hit a rock. Quit my job, moved to Seattle. Had to fly home to QUICKLY get the rebuild done and in so I could get it out of the rented garage. Dropped the engine - OUTSIDE - in the middle of a HUGE snowstorm in Minneapolis) Transported the truck to Seattle as I didn't have time to drive it back.

Today, she's still running strong on that rebuild from '98. Made some repairs and improvements and the overhaul is slowly progressing week-by-week.

I think the 1972 is one of the iconic Chevy trucks. The LWB lines are perfect, and the massive grill up front tells you Something's Coming. I absolutley love the looks, I love the way it fits me, and I love the amount of crapola that fits in the back. It may be a POS - but you'd have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands

[bryanw1968]

I had a '74 K5 4X4 Blazer as my first ride in HS. A friend of a friend had a short wide '68 w/a 307 in it. I don't know why but I had to have it. So I traded my blazer for it. I took the 307 out and built a 396 for it(with lots of help). I ended up getting frustrated with it because I was just learning about mechanics and traded back for the blazer(dumb move). About 6 years later I got the hot rod truck bug again and got a '78 short/wide with a 383 in it. I drove that for about 4 years learning more and more. I decided to go back to school and sold it(yet ANOTHER dumb move). About 5 years after selling it and missing it every day I decided to get another 67-72. I looked for months and finally found mine in a parking lot for $3500 and walked away with it for $2500. Seven years, about $12,000 and a lot more learning and work and I still have it! I'll have to be about to lose my house before I sell this one.

[69TowRig]

My K5 purchase was the result of more than a few years of liking 71-72 Chevy trucks. Every once in a while I would see a 71-72 K10 Orange and White and they always looked MEAN so I just kept it in the back of my head.

I had a coworker that was a gearhead in Corpus Christi that had seen a heap of a K5 parked in the backyard of another coworker's house. He kept telling me that I needed to pick it up and rebuild it. That was 2003-04, and I didn't want a project because I was building my Nissan for offroading at the time. By late '04 that project was done and I was talking to the 2nd coworker about it and took a look-see when I was down from Houston on a job. It had been in the guy's family for decades after being retired from the US Immigration Service in El Paso, TX. The old girl was rough around the edges, and he had been using it as a storage unit of sorts, but it was still cool looking and I liked the fully-removable top. I had just purchased a boat and I thought I could build her up to a towing rig (hence my screenname).

One day late in December '04 I drove down with the intent of driving it home. One fuel pump and one battery later it was rolling but not well. Left me on the side of the road about 5 miles outside of town. I figured out the issue but decided to take it back to his house and avoid being stuck hours away from home. A week later I was back with a trailer and have been tinkering with it ever since. One day it will have a 4" lift and orange paint, to look a little closer to those 71-72s that got me started...

Day 1, parked in POs backyard (where it had sat for 4 years):



Last September:

[indyracer]

Well, I had never even thought of a 67-72 pickup. On a July day in 2006 my best friend was down at my home for a cookout. We were sitting on the deck talking and he said "Mom is selling the old green truck". I said "the truck we spent so many hours in as kids, traveling to the lake and camping"? He replied "yep, she says it isn't running so I need to get rid of it". We continued to talk about it some and later that night I told my wife I wanted to get it. It was that night that I also found this website. I did my same routine when I get an interest, which is to get online and find info about it. I never knew what year this truck was until that day last year. I never thought about things like this when I was younger.

I bought the thing, trailered it home and stuck it in the garage. Tinkered with it over the fall, didn't do anything with it over the winter. When spring came I got on it again. All be it not very fast.

Now I have myself a full blown project and doing my first attempt at bodywork, painting and restoration. I am not trying to get a show truck, just a nice looking family truck to use when we go to Lowe's.

Project thread: Right Here

[dukes69]

has anyone seen the movie "dazed and confused"? that black 2 wheeler is why i fell in love with this body style. its funny though, i have never owned a 2wd short box.

[energiesource]

It was my dads truck, and it was just sitting at his work, so he was gunna sell it to his friend and im like **** that, so he gave it to me and im doing a frame up resto, but little does he know it'll be his again once im done.

[lilred67]

my '67 was bought new by my grandfather on my mothers side.he died in '87 and it set in the barn without much use till '93 when my grandmother got tired of seeing set in the barn. she knew i always wanted it, (i'm glad i didn't get it for my first ride) and she called me up one day and wanted to know if i was still interested, and i said yes.i couldn't hook on to my trailer fast enough to go get it. i drove it as a rolling project for 10+ yrs. and decided about 3 yrs ago to get it painted. with any luck i will have her on the road for it's 40th b-day......

[streetstar]

My '69 LWB was a gift from my dad when i was 15. That was 1987 -- he bought a new '84 and the '69 had sat for 3 years, but it had been in the family since '75 or so.

Finally had it running good and re-painted, etc. by 1989. The cheap paint started fading in a couple of years, so i decided in 1995 it was time for a frame off ---- 12 years later, i am just getting serious about it again - now that i have some momentum, it should be done within 6 months

[bad6772]

my grand father had a 67 stepside 250.3speed . i wanted that truck for ever. but he wouldnt budge, and i was not old enough to drive. when i turned 16 my dad gave me 500 bucks. and told me to go find my first car. he had done the same with my brother and my sister. so i started looking and i found a 66 chevrolet truck 327 powerglide. called my grandpa to go look at it, and he hated it, thaught it was to much money . so we left and on the way back to our house, he asked if i still wanted his ole green truck, i about shyt my pants, i said yeah are you going to see it to me , i only got 500 bucks. he said thats plenty. so we headed back to his house. poured some gas in her and was ready to go. i handed him my money. and he gave me 499 back. he thaught that was a fair price, and he couldnt wait to see how pissed my dad(his son) would be. my dad WAS pissed,because now i had a truck and 499 bucks, we did a few things to it put a 283/power glide in it and fixed(BONDO ED) the whole truck and my dad painted it with with red tractor paint. i drove that truck all the way through high school . but sadly enough one night and some new ( aquatreads ) and i ran off the road. . the truck was a goner, the vavle covers were pushed into the fire wall. and my dad said we couldnt fix it so it was bye bye. i have been in love with trucks forever, so in 98 i got my 72 . two years doesnt seem like a long time . to go with out one , but everytime i seen a 67/72 i knew i had to get one. ive never looked back and . i think im lucky now i have a 67 and a 72 . i would give anything to have ole green again. i lost lots of things in that ole truck and a few outside as well lol if ya get my drift.

['68 longbed]

A neighbor asked me "hey you like old vehicles" in a manner that seemed to say " hey you like old crap that will cost you thru the teeth to fix up"

his brother had been fixing it up for his dad and sunk about 5 grand in it doing primarily body work and replacing alot of the common age wear.

fell in love with it and for 2 grand I drove it home......and i'm paying thru the teeth to keep it on the road!! it's been a really decent truck other than the tired motor and bad brakes......oh and the really low gears that help to make a tired motor more tired.

a few more thousand and she'll be up to good standards and I can start on the "pretty" stuff.

[68 Stepside]

I found mine at the local car dealership.

I bought out of sheer stupidity and ignorance.

It was a bondo rocket many times over (which I did not check for), but all the bondo is gone now, and there's no rust or rot underneath it

[2bits]

Flippin through the local paper at lunch, not even looking for a new truck, and I saw the ad and thought it would be interesting to look at... I knew with it being in such sad shape that it would end up parted out and crushed if I didn't save it. Funny thing is that it is a Canadian truck! I am sooo glad I don't have any rust issues!