how did you get hooked?

[botboy]

When I got my licence, I had bought a '90 dakota with a bad rear pumpkin, so for the first two weeks of driving before I had that fixed I was pimpin about in my dad's '69 Crew LWB, 350/SM465/4x4, got about 7 MPG, wouldn't stop for anything less than my entire weight on the brake and wouldn't burn out either.

Got my dakota, sold my dakota, bought a '70 Chevelle Malibu, sold that because it had more rust than I wanted to deal with fixing despite how much it hauled ass. Went without a car for a while, decided I really wanted a pickup again, was perusing ebay when I found a '72 C10, LWB, Coil spring rear and beefed engine in a local impound lot that nobody had come to claim, body in rough shape. Bid a grand on it, won it at $910, paid to get it retitled, sold the mopar carb off of it and put on a Q-jet, been driving it ever since. Getting a nice body and bed for it tomorrow (hopefully!).

[dinnut]

one day my moms friend took me over to his sisters house and her son had a 68 shorty with a fairly built engine and took us for a ride and after that i looked around and found the 72 but it was too rough so we found a 70 that came with a parts truck and the sickness has been growing ever since...

[72gord]

Mine started in high school also...72 Blazer, sold it and bought a 72 k-20 cheyenne from a relative when her husband died. Sold it to my brother a year later and got a Toyota, (mistake) the k-20 was passed through 2 more owners before I got it again. Changed cab, box, motor, and new paint...drove it 2 years and sold it again(2nd mistake) bought it back 1 year later. The truck was with me for 2 years or so and I sold it again(3rd mistake) bought it back from this guy about 1 1/2 years later.
Yes I have purchased this truck 4 times...it is pretty rusty now, but my son and I are going to fix her up again and she will be here to stay hopefully.

[68gmcdually]

My dad had a 1968 GMC tow truck that he sold long before my time, but the stories of that truck still remain to this day. As long as I can remember it has always been my truck of choice so when I was 17 I bought my current 1968 LWB GMC, did nothing to it but drive it for 2 summers. Finally decided to bring it into the shop for a quickie, maybe pull out the inline six and drop in a 350, well two years later it is still in the shop, sitting atop a GMC 3500 chassis, 350, 5 speed, dually, complete with a 20" cab extension. Oh when the bug bites it bites bad, doesn't it.

[72c10step]

I honestly don't remember what got me really into the 67-72 trucks, but I've always loved the style. Bought mine a year and a half ago, and can't wait to graduate from college so I can start putting some money into it!

[jcueckert13]

i got hooked on these trucks when i was about 4 or 5 and i would ride in the 70 gmc longbed stepside that my grandpa owned. actualy that is the same truck i own today

[GMCjunkie]

I learned to drive in a 68 GMC longbed.... Ive always loved the calssic lines of these trucks. I was looking for a larger truck than my 4 runner.. as my kids were getting over crowded... I saw my burb sittin on the side of the road with a "for sale" sign on her... and knew thats what I HAD to have... few months later.... she was mine...

[super-k]

I was into building AMT model kits.I always thought the idea of hot rodding a PU was super-cool(like drag racing station wagons).They were usually shop trucks or support vehicles for race cars.When GM came out with the`67,wow!The truck of the future,yet so`67.This was the height of the muscle car hey-day.The Camaro came out,You could get anything with a big block or SS`d.The truck looked right at home next to these cars.They have had a following ever since.I chuckle when,over the years from time to time,people say,"those trucks are really comin`on".They`ve been runnin`around lowered and lifted since day-1.I just appreciate the old fellers(not so old when trucks were new)that have held on to them all these years.My first,a`72 SWB CustomDeluxe w/Highlander pkg.Bought in`73 off Chevy lot for$2800 because it had a big block.About 2 years later I was t-boned at an intersection,sad day.Since that truck,I`ve owned 6 short beds,2 Suburbans,4 Blazers,2 1tons,3 long beds,and 8 K20s or K2500s.I had 2 nice`78s only to sell them to get a`67-72.Just can`t kick it!5 at the house now,after selling a couple,had to thin-out.Also 2 buildings full of parts(none for sale,Grrr). :p

[bouncytruck]

I was actually considering a Jeep at first, then I realized that jeeps are for girls. My brother mentioned that the old Blazers were full convertable. I started looking for a 73-75. Then I realized that the 69-72's Blazers were much cooler. I bought a '72 CST. Had to sell it when the appartment complex I lived in wouldn't let me keep more than one car on the lot, but I swore I would get another. I told my wife (before we were married) that after we bought a house, I had to have a Blazer.

[deth_1970]

one day comig home from school, as i walked up to the house, I see this damn old truck no engine, no font clip, blue and white, all kinds of parts in the bed, and my Mom and Dad digging through the, bed, i was about 13 at the time, my dad was a maintance machineist, with the theory, anything could be fixed, and saw the hidden potential in this truck, turned out to be a 71 custom camper, needless to say, I earned my GOfor status offically on that truck, we did the enigine, a nice rebuilt 350, 6 months later dropping a 327 into it, my dad blew the 350, 8 months later put another 350 into it, we ended up putting 5 engines into this truck but when it ran it would do anything, living in nothern california, go out cut wood load it down, and drive like it was empty, well the last engine we put in to her, was a buick 430, would light them tires up, big 31's on the back, lol he ended up blowing that motor also, he had a knack for blowing them up, my dad aka "lead foot", but ever since that truck i have always wanted another one, so i did, my 71,
sorry about being so long winded on this, lost my dad last year, writing this brought back alot of good memories
John

[Dean]

My dad had a 71 C10 longbed 307 auto when I was a little kid. It couldn't haul much and he moved up to 3/4 & 1 ton 4x4s, but I still liked the look of the 71......

I had my first 71 K20 in high school and never looked back....Here is pic of my first 67-72... I still know where this truck is. It is just a chassis sitting in a barn now. I did a body swap on it when I had it so it is ready for its third body...lol Gotta love the rust belt... Reason mine hibernate in the winter.

[Zonaman]

My dad had a '69. I forget how it was equiped, I just remember being plastered to the back of the seat when he stepped on the accelerator. Used to go blazin' accross the desert in that. Learned to drive on it. First time behind the wheel was coming out of that "crater" that holds Bartlett Lake- Some of you seasoned Zonies might recall when that was a gravel road. Figured I was going to spend at least 20K on a new car- Why not pick up one of these and dump money into it? I've spent a fraction of that and my '69 is already like a new truck!

[toddtheodd]

I first saw a 67-72 in the movie Dazed and Confused. Didn't really think too much of it. Fast forward about 2 years. I've just blown the motor in my chevelle (lead foot here as well) and so I was needing something in a hurry. Ran across my 72 sitting on a car lot. The guy agreed to tote-the-note it to me (can you believe I financed a 72 only 2 years ago? they usually want cash). It was cheap, lwb, good motor, and it fit everything I needed. In the last 2 years it has moved me twice. It has hauled parts for the chevelle. And it has pulled the chevelle as well (you didn't think I was going to get rid of my chevelle did you?).
I must say that I love these old trucks. I swear that my fullsize bed is bigger than today's fullsize beds because I can fit a whole lot more into my trucks bed than my friend can fit into his new dodge ram's.
Sorry if I rambled on a bit.

[stickshift_or_walk]

I was six years old when Dad brought the brand-spankin' new '68 C10 LWB home from the dealer. Light blue with the white roof. I wanted it then, but couldn't reach the pedals.

A month or so later, he had it outfitted with the cabover camper and we headed west. So all of my memories of the best family trips to the Grand Canyon, Rockies, etc. have that truck in the background. We took a trip every year until he discovered hotels and we started going in cars.

It had the 307 V8, overload springs, and dealer-installed air. The only thing wrong with it (my opinion) was the slushbox, but it was a TH400, so I really couldn't complain about that. Anyway, these days I know how to fix that problem .

He sold it before I got to high school, but it was too late, I was already hooked. Everything from '73 up just looks like a cookie-cutter truck to me. So when I got out of the Army and settled down a bit, it wasn't long before I bought my '72, then my oldest boy's '69 (when he was 10), and now I'm eyeballing another '70 that's for sale down the street for my youngest son.

Yep, I'm hooked...SSOW

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

Here's my story :

My truck was originally a farm truck from 1970 until 1978, when my Grandpaw bought it. It had a 283 in it with the original TH350 transmission. I don't know what happened to the stock 350, but I wish I had it though. The 283 was OK with him, until it started losing oil pressure. So he rebuilt a 350 that was from a 70 or 72 truck and put that in, I need to check the casting #'s to figure out the year. Then around 1981 he put a TH400 transmission in it from a '67 Caprice because the old th350 crapped out, go figure. He drove that truck until 1996 when my Dad bought him a light blue/white 1983 Chevy 1/2 ton Silverado. So the old '70 got parked in a field until September of '03, when I started working on it. I wanted to drive it because I remember riding in it with him when I was younger, and sometimes my Dad would borrow it to haul firewood and stuff in. My Grandpaw's been a mechanic for over 40 years and still does work on his own vehicles. Anyway, the truck was and still is pretty rusty, as you can see by reading my user name. Other than the cab being rusty, everything else is in pretty good shape with just surface rust. My Mom hates it. "that's nothing but junk, it doesn't even work" "oh yeah??????" (get in and crank it up with no muffler ) Me and my Dad have done a lot of work on it since day 1:

new radiator
new heavy duty clutch fan
new intake/gasket
new valve cover gaskets
new plugs, ACDelco R45TS(had R44's)
new rotor
changed trans fluid/pan gasket/filter and installed drain plug
new front/rear seals on transmission
new carrier bearing
changed rear end grease and rear cover gasket
changed engine oil/filter

That's pretty much all the engine/driveline work we did. My Dad has a 327 that we could rebuild for my truck but it doesn't have as much HP as the 350 my Grandpaw rebuilt. The 327 has around 375HP and the 350 in the truck is running around 410-420HP with no external mods. Right now we're getting ready to get it inspected and go buy some new license plates. After we get it inspected it's gonna get some new tires. I have newer 8 lug rims and hubcaps from a '80 Chevy 3/4 ton truck on it that I got from the junkyard. One tire went flat so I had to use the original spare tire. I think it's original because it's the Goodyear nylon cord type with the sawtooth tread. Yeah, it's a split rim, but I ain't afraid of it. Unless I have to air it up. The split rim was in the shed at my Grandparents house, and when I took it out I checked how much air was in it and the gauge showed 25PSI! That's pretty weird, because it's been sitting in that shed since 1990 is what my Grandpaw told me. Can't wait to get the truck on the road. Legally.

[fatfords]

In 71, one of my older brothers rolled Dad's 66 C10. Living on a farm in the middle of no-where, Kansas, you had to have a truck. Dad brought home a new 71. The only "new" truck he ever owned. I learned to drive in that truck and it was the first one he had with AC! I loved it! The first vehicle I bought was a 53 F-100. I sold it to go to college. Bought a 56 F-100 after graduation (personal promise to myself) and have been working on it. Last year I needed something to haul stuff around, and started looking at $1500-2000 trucks. Most were too far gone for the crusher, IMO. I saw the 72 Cheyenne and it reminded me of Dad's 71, so I bought it the next day. I got it road-worthy and started driving it regularly (once or twice a week) and then wrecked it in May. I'm still trying to get settled with the insurance company so I know whether to rebuild/part/or start looking for another truck.

[TP from Cntl PA]

My brother was looking for an old F-Series Ford to paint and use..............He ended up finding a $200 C-10 way out in the country through my neighbor. It was rusty, frame was shot from 11" before the rear axle to the rear bumper. It did have a nice running 250, 3spd and drove ok. Well he bought it and brought it home. Mean while he tore it apart for useable parts. He then got another short step C-10 just like it(250, 3spd) and it was even the same green color! Well, paid the same $200 for it and used it as a farm truck............We tried to break it and never could! Hauled unbelieveable loads on wood out with it, raked corn stalks on the farm, pulled wagons all over the township with 2nd gear out ! We did put a new oil pan and valve cover gasket on the 250, fixed the tranny, put a better floor in the bed, put bigger mirrors on it, and put 33's on the rear And its still going strong!!!!!!!!!!! I never seen any other brand of truck take this kind of abuse and keep going.

Well, after seeing what that C-10 could do, I bought a '69 GMC 3500, 305 V-6 with a 4 spd and nice dump box............It was an ex-township truck, and it is rusty but works really good for $750

Bought a decent '71 C-20 with a 350, 3 spd, LWB last spring............Used it all over the farm and since it is on the road I drive it sometimes to school and work. Just finished up putting a stack body on it and I hope to get it painted before fall so it will stay decent until it gets a true resto!

Oh, forgot the '70 K-10 my brother is restoring now

[68w/sbc406]

i have always been a GM fan. i grew up in a balls out 67 GTO and remembering the power it had to throw you into the seat i have always wanted a big motor. when i was 9 a family friend had a 72 2wd swb with a 400. had the same feeling as the GOAT did. been hooked on them ever since. 2 1/2 years ago i bought my 68 lwb 2wd 250 i6 w/ a 4 on the floor(not quite the same feeling as the 72) but she was only running on 4 cylinders and could still spin the rears in 3rd. once the oil started coming out as fast as the gas was going in it was time for the sb 406 w/ th350 swap. now i have that paste you to your seat feeling again. thats my story

[Curbstone Mech]

I always wanted a '47-53 five window pickup.I finally got one. Kept reading Classic Trucks and Custom Classic trucks to learn all I could, but I would look over at the at the articles on 68-72's.The more I learned about what OUR TRUCKS HAD TO OFFER, LIKE BIG BLOCKS, AC, AM-fM, the more I liked them.
The lines are like no other truck and they're fairly easy to work on- maybe I should say fairly simple.This is my second truck of this series. I might do a suburban next time.You gotta like the looks of our trucks(Burbs, Blazers) tho.

[damage]

My dad gave me this truck, No bed, no engine, rusted out etc... when I was 14 and told me, "If its not done and on the road by the time you are 16, I'm taking it back" hehehe. Needless to say, I got it running and final coat of primer on it the day before my 16th birthday Lots of grass mowing and freebies to get there, but have been hooked ever since. Means a lot more to me than if he would have given me a completed truck ya know.

[inline6Bill]

My first vehicle was a '67 C10 LWB fleetside that I bought in '80 for $1000, took my drivers test in it!! If that truck could talk.

I have owned one of each year '67 to '72 at one time or other, right now am building a '69 stepside just like my late high school buddy had; built 350, automatic, lowered. Too bad the one he had was the one he died in when it was totalled.

[406_SBC]

My Dad had a 72 GMC lwb, orange, had 33inch mudders on it. It was the first vechile I remember him having, we used to go hunting,fishing and 4x4ing in it all the time. Then when I was 10 he bought a 67 chevy shortbox stepside, we always use to work on it at night after he got off work. My dad did everything on it, from frame up,built his on 4 link,shorten the 9 inch ford for the rear, disc brakes,body work and painted it to, Built a 377 stroker for it. It was a wild pro street truck. He just sold the 67 about a year ago.! ever since them trucks have been in my life I love them! looking for one myself now to build!! and I know somewhare I will always have one of these trucks! weither its a street machine or a soon to be behind the shop!!!

[gabet40]

mine have been in the fam for years. handed down from my dad when i turned 16. thought it was a junker when i got it then i fixed it up for the ladies to ride in. somewhere in the process she stole my heart and sole (the truck that is). since then, whenever i have the time to put into these, theres nothing else i can think of.....sigh....lol

[atcavage]

I got my '72 from my stepmom's dad when I got my licence. He just gave it too me. It was a surprise but my dad ruined it so I wouldn't refuse it. What the hell was he thinking? I painted it and added a stereo. It ran great, except for a funky carb and a messed up linkage, until the engine died. Then I put in a crate 350 for like $4500 and got the rest of the package for Christmas. Now I just have to get it repainted (again), replace, the seat, and the windshield. I thought I'd transfer to a crappy 1980's Mercedes, but no way I'd trade down now, I love my hunk o' junk.

[passthebuck]

I got into 67-72's when my uncle was talking about selling his 67. I said I'd love to get my hands on it because I've been a car guy since I was 16 & at 18 I bought my dads '79 BelAir when he bought a new 91 Caprice. I drove the belair to death, built up the drivetrain & had fun with it, BUT you cant get much repop metal for it & isnt a "cool" car by modern standards. Its still my daily driver & I wanted something that is "cool", something that had a following & something that the aftermarket actually has parts for. I always liked the 67-72's & when my uncle was willing to pass it on, I was in there. I then got the bug bad & bought another 67 last fall.