Bought C3500 basket case

[jumpsoffrock]

I'm from the Heavy Haulers area('67 C50).

I recently bought a total basket case kinda running 1 ton C3500 truck. Has the 402ci, sm465, and can't figure out if it has an H052 or H072. I don't think I got a good deal but it is what it is(found lots of things once home). I bought this truck to work, not be restored pretty.

Cab is absolutely done, rusted to hell.

Was told truck came with flatbed, they took it off long ago. Many years later last owner found chevy longbed, cut my trucks frame, moved leaf springs, deleted Aux springs, and dropped the longbed on.

I'm kinda pissed that I somehow missed the suspension deletions, but that's my fault. Most of the parts are gone. I'd like to add them back but have no visuals on what the original setup looks like.

The GVWR on the plate says 9000 but I'm sure it ain't that anymore.

Any idea on if I can add aux springs back to a shortened frame? not sure how much was cut, probably 3-5"

Sorry the pics suck, I'll get better ones later.

[Getter-Done]

That's a pretty good start.

Here's a Thread about the H052/72.

Lots of info in this thread about parts and identification
Link: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=536119











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[dagnabbitt]

I've seen worse cabs, mine for example. I think first of all you need to see if the shortening was done well or not. If it were mine I'd look for a donor vehicle afterwards, you will have the benefit of sussing out how you want to add suspension parts.

I think its a nice truck, I don't think you did badly on it IMO.

[jumpsoffrock]

Thank you guys for the input. I am mostly happy and need to attack the power brakes, get some new spring bolts, and figure out the old electricals. Then it should be mostly roadworthy.



What does it mean if the brake pedal goes down and feels solid and stops the truck, but then the pedal doesn't come back up? There is a small spring I can see under the dash, seems fine.
Is this a booster issue?

[dagnabbitt]

Most likely explanation is you have a leak somewhere in the brake system. Replacing the master cylinder is a good idea in general, but especially if you don't have a lot of confidence in the previous owner's care of the truck.

You could also just bleed the lines and see if the problem goes away, first.

[72c20customcamper]

I guess living in California your idea of rust is different than here in NY . I've seen much worse and fixed much worse . Like been said make sure the fram is safe and if it were mine I would go threw the entire brake system . I may be on the extreme but I change all the wheel cylinders on drums and all rubber lines.

[dagnabbitt]

Just occurred to me that if they messed with the frame, then they messed with the brake lines, I would start there.

[jumpsoffrock]

Originally Posted by dagnabbitt

Just occurred to me that if they messed with the frame, then they messed with the brake lines, I would start there.

Wow this completely escaped me as well, great point. Let me see what I can do.


Apparently the front rubber brake lines for these trucks are no available. Ten years of threads with people trying to find them and not a lot of for sure answers.

[BLAZERMAN]

Is the SPID label still on the glove box lid? Just wonder if it started as a 133" or 157" wheel base. If it started as a 133" I would not see a need to both cut the frame and move spring hangers....Im betting they moved the spring hangers and bobbed the rear of frame. Its to bad they didnt hold out for a Longhorn bed.

I just bought a 70 C/30 that still has the factory flatbed. It seems they usually get changed out to something else after a few different owners.

[special-K]

If it's the rear that came under that truck then it is certainly and HO72. All C30/C3500s came with HO72s. While some HO52s may have come with the tension adjustment, the baking plates-out would be the difference

[jumpsoffrock]

Originally Posted by BLAZERMAN

Is the SPID label still on the glove box lid? Just wonder if it started as a 133" or 157" wheel base. If it started as a 133" I would not see a need to both cut the frame and move spring hangers....Im betting they moved the spring hangers and bobbed the rear of frame. Its to bad they didnt hold out for a Longhorn bed.

I just bought a 70 C/30 that still has the factory flatbed. It seems they usually get changed out to something else after a few different owners.

SPID shows it to be 133, I am not sure exactly how much he cut or why. He simply says it wasnt much......and that he moved the springs. What do you mean bobbed?

Originally Posted by special-K

If it's the rear that came under that truck then it is certainly and HO72. All C30/C3500s came with HO72s. While some HO52s may have come with the tension adjustment, the baking plates-out would be the difference

I roughly measured the brakes and they appear to be 13"

Do you have to remove the axles and hubs to see the brakes, like on a medium duty?

[special-K]

Bobbed is a term used for shortening the tail end. He would have taken 6" off plus or minus. The axle would have been moved forward that much to give the 127" wheelbase needed to mount the bed

Yes, you pull the axle shafts to remove the drums. Full-floating rear. The drums are mounted on spindles like on front.

[LT7A]

Looks like a neat truck with an interesting, if checkered, past. Seems like your plans for it are reasonable and only really require that you get the brakes sorted and check the rear spring installation. You can get heavier duty springs or helper bags and probably get all the capacity you need out of it. Maybe do a build thread?

[special-K]

I can't read the model# on the SPID. Can't read the VIN either but that's a good thing. I can't tell if it's a '71 or '72. What it the digit after CE3, 4th digit? If it's a '72 then CCE3, 5th digit. That tells us if the truck was a cab & chassis (3) or a pickup (4). If it is a 4 then we need the model# to know if it was a Wideside or a Fenderside

[jumpsoffrock]

Tim I'll post a new pic in the morning, I'm sorry to make you struggle, that pic is almost useless.

[special-K]

My eyes make me struggle a lot . I'm getting used to it. No worries and no struggling here. I just thought of that detail we do not know yet. You sparked my curiousity

[BigBird05]

special-K the doors look like it's a 72.

[jumpsoffrock]

Its a '72

[special-K]

I missed that door interior picture when I posted. Thanks for pointing that out. So the VIN has a "T" added to indicate GMC, Chevy got a "C". By the numbers the truck began life as a Fenderside. I bet the box was in bad shape and the reason for the alteration to accept the standard longbed. The 133" WB trucks got a 9' bed. Bedsides and steps are hard to find

[Bigdav160]

G60 for leaf springs:

[jumpsoffrock]

Thank you dave.

Originally Posted by special-K

I missed that door interior picture when I posted. Thanks for pointing that out. So the VIN has a "T" added to indicate GMC, Chevy got a "C". By the numbers the truck began life as a Fenderside. I bet the box was in bad shape and the reason for the alteration to accept the standard longbed. The 133" WB trucks got a 9' bed. Bedsides and steps are hard to find

What's odd here is the supposed backstory of the truck.

The truck was bought new by a guy. That guy used it on some huge farm here in CA that they owned. Guy passes truck down to his son. Son sells it to longtime best friend #1. Friend #1 sells it to much later-in-life friend #2.

I buy it from Friend #2.

All stories are from friend #2, who said the truck came from the factory with a flatbed. The farm family decided they could use the flatbed for storage racks better than on the truck and therefore remove original flatbed from truck.
Friend#2 locates the bed currently on the truck and alters the truck accordingly to install this bed.



There is almost no way I can verify any of this to be true other than it is a CA truck and didn't have this bed. From all the grind marks I'd also say all the fram mods are for sure, but I haven't actually measured the wheelbase.


Thanks for the info on what this truck actually was. A bit of a surprise though. I really didn't like these trucks as fendersides. Not a good look.

[special-K]

I looked a little further and found specific 70/71 GMC VIN breakdown that says the 42 after TCE3 denotes model and 42 is chassis only, not cab & chassis. Those have 03 in the VIN. I am assuming '72 use the same system but could be wrong. I wish I could find a breakdown specific to '72 trucks

http://outintheshop.com/images/static/70_71GMC.JPG

That's the VIN. He only has one model# chart for all 67-72s and says the same system was used throughout. I don't get where your model# fits in after the CE3, the 6004. I went with the 04 for body. By that chart your model# should be CE31009, for a factory flatbed

http://outintheshop.com/images/static/model_decode.GIF

[BigBird05]

I find that confusing. Why would you need a Vin at all for a chassis?

[Getter-Done]

jumpsoffrock

This thread reminds me of;

Link: https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...sions+of+frame








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[BLAZERMAN]

Originally Posted by jumpsoffrock

Thanks for the info on what this truck actually was. A bit of a surprise though. I really didn't like these trucks as fendersides. Not a good look.

Many guys dont like the long stepside or fenderside trucks. There is a small cult like following out there that loves them, and the 1 ton 9 footer is the Holly Grail of these trucks.