What Should I Do........

[Mike00]

Hello every one! My dad gave me his old 1972 Chevy Cheyenne that he has owned for the last 20 years or so. It has a 350 crate engine that was bought new from the dealership years ago & has about 40K miles on it. The trans was rebuilt about 2 years ago. It has been sitting for over a year & a half now. The body is in pretty bad shape due to the South Texas weather. I have always wanted to restore it but it just seems to be in too bad of a condition to do so. I'm now thinking of pulling the eng & trans out & looking for a 85-87 chevy truck to plant the eng/trans into. I'm just not sure what I should do yet. I don't have a lot of $$$ either. So what would you guys do in my situation???

Here are some pics of the truck:

[Mike00]

Few More:

[72chevyk10]

if it is in driveable condition i would use it as a daily and do stuff to restore it as i go

[hotrod 80]

that thing has got to be like a part of the family . Id drive it as is and start looking for a cab . I my vote NOT part it out and fix it as i drove it .

[Mike00]

It's driveable, just need to get a new carb & few other things since it has been sitting for a while.

[matthufham]

man i have family in corpus, portland... i looked for a 67-72 truck for myself years ago and came to realize everything's rusted bad. found on in west texas fairly rust free. if i were you i'd build it but it's going to take lots of time and money

[Mike00]

Originally Posted by matthufham

man i have family in corpus, portland... i looked for a 67-72 truck for myself years ago and came to realize everything's rusted bad. found on in west texas fairly rust free. if i were you i'd build it but it's going to take lots of time and money

Anything old over here will be a rust bucket. There is lots of rust hidden under the old bondo & paint. Not sure what I want to do yet cuz i have a mustang that most of my extra $$$ goes into. My pops said I should just get rid of the truck since it needs so much work.

[70' GMC]

I thought everything was rust free in texas

[thirdstreettito]

Originally Posted by 70' GMC

I thought everything was rust free in texas

So did I!

[70' GMC]

Originally Posted by thirdstreettito

So did I!

Them old westerns make it look very very hot like lone ranger for example.

[jrdv]

Most of them old westerns were filmed in California...

[dave2953]

There are a lot of rust free vehicles in Texas; just not on the coast. El Paso is very different from Corpus. That being said, you should be able to find some rust free parts to rebuild it if you choose. That cab is rough, along with some other parts I'm sure. Be that as it may, it's still cooler than a newer body truck (85-87 or whatever). Not to mention the fact that it has family history tied to it. I'd keep it...just my .02

[Mike00]

Thanks for the tips guys!!! I'll start looking for a cab first.

[90\87Formula]

Definately check the frame and the trailing arms for rust-through. Make sure it is roadworthy and then drive it; while looking for a better shape cab.

I lived in Corpus for just a little over ten years; Flour Bluff the last couple of years we were there, so I know about the rust and high humidity. We bought two news cars while living there and had them undercoated. Loved going surf fishing out by Bob Hall pier.

Welcome to the site.

[70' GMC]

is that the original seat if so its in real good shape

[skchevota]

Yea, I vote for the restore. It looks as though a cab swap would be the cheepest and least time consuming way to go. The bed doesnt look to bad, its just the wood that looks toast from the pics.I have seen people start with alot!!!!! worse trucks .

[Mike00]

Originally Posted by 70' GMC

is that the original seat if so its in real good shape

No, it's not the original seat. We had a friend redo it a few years back for $50.00 That's the only thing that looks good on the whole truck. Since it has been sitting for a long time what are some of things I need to replace/check to get it running right??? I know for a fact the it's needs a new carb.

[hotrod 80]

Originally Posted by dave2953

There are a lot of rust free vehicles in Texas; just not on the coast. El Paso is very different from Corpus. That being said, you should be able to find some rust free parts to rebuild it if you choose. That cab is rough, along with some other parts I'm sure. Be that as it may, it's still cooler than a newer body truck (85-87 or whatever). Not to mention the fact that it has family history tied to it. I'd keep it...just my .02

[lpaine]

I'd keep it, and start getting all the important like brakes, exhaust,etc, working well/safe, and just keep chipping away at it, you can get tons of advice on here to help you along the way,and you won't have to break the bank to fix that old truck. Lew

[Mike00]

Thanks man! I'm going to need lots of advice & guidence on this truck. I know my pops would love it if I were to restore this truck. Now I need to just come up with a good plan on what to do first then next & so on.

[WorkinLonghorn]

I like that truck,the grill looks good,all the sheet-metal is pretty straight and it looks good from a distance.
If it was me,being a cheap-a$$, I would set my sights low at first,not worrying about "restoration" but just getting it running safely and reliably.
I would cut up some new plywood for the bed, wire-wheel the rust and treat it with naval jelly or whatever and drive it like that fixing things along the way.
And of course you have this site which is a goldmine to help along the way.
So keep it I say.

[nvrsatisfied]

keep it.....drive it...fix it as you go. it will seem like forever but when it is done it will all payoff.

trust me, if you seen what i brought home to "fix up", your truck belongs on the cover of classic trucks.


sell the ford to fix the chevy....better investment just kidding

[Mike00]

Thanks for all the help guys!!! I will keep it & get it running & fix it while I drive it. I'm not in any hurry so I don't mind if it takes a few years. My stang comes first, sorry fellas... Here is a pic of it.

[Yukon Jack]

How mechanically inclined are you and do you have a fair amount of time you can devote to the truck?

A cab swap isn't the most difficult thing to do, but you'll be doing alot of work to get it done - if you don't have free time, it will be a very slow project - nothing wrong with that of course.

I'd start looking for a good donor cab and if that donor truck turns out to be in better shape than this one, I'd jump ships and go with the donor.

First thing to do like mentioned above is do a detailed inspection and see what you're up against. Make a list of the problem areas and post it up for us to review.

[Yukon Jack]

That's a nice Mustang btw!