Wife got me a 72' C20 for Xmas

[Larry]

My wife picked me up a 72’ C20 today at an estate sale in a small mountain town for only $300. Funny thing….we went to the sale to look at a 69’ VW beetle the wife wants me to restore for her to fill the void left in her heart from when she sold her first car (VW Beetle) when she started college.   Unfortunately…or fortunately for me, her sister beat her to the punch and scored the Beetle before we got there.…LOL  

 

I noticed the truck right away when we pulled up to the sale but I didn’t think I would have any chance in the world she would let me have another truck to add to the collection besides we were there to look a toy for her.  When I asked how much they wanted for the truck, thinking they would say somewhere between $800 to $1500, I about fell over when they said $300.  As I walked around the garage looking at other junk and thinking of ways to pursued my wife to let me have the truck she reappears after a being nowhere in site for a few minutes then hands over 6 fifty-dollar bills to me and says Merry Christmas!   It appears as I was poking around in the junk in the garage she walked across the street to the ATM.  

 

The truck had been sitting for several years but after I purged the fuel tank of the 5 year old reminiscent of gasoline, threw in a new battery, scratched off the green goo growing on the points I was able to drive it 8 miles to her sisters house. I am planning on borrowing a trailer this weekend and dragging it home from sis in-laws place about 50 miles away.    It will make a good beater to use around the house and a beater I won’t mind leaving at the airport to get door dinged. ( I really hate leaving my new HD at the airport) The truck has a rebuilt 350 with less than 8000 miles on it, TH350 and 4 extremely bald dry rotted tires.  

[bassdog]

Congrats on the new truck  

 

Isn't it amazing when the wife surprises you like that...they leave you speachless  

 

 

bassdog

[Kansas Kid]

Sounds like you came out pretty good from that sale.  No VW bug to fix up, and a truck for a Christmas gift.  I certainly wouldn't complain, especially for the price.  No mention of rust either, lucky you don't live in Michigan anymore.  

 

btw, it kind of strange to look at your signature and not see all the truck years end it 8.  LOL

[Larry]

Your right, I am certainly not complaining

 

Well the old jalopy does have two rust spots, the common rust spot that all 67 – 72 trucks have as standard equipment, rust at the bottom of the right front fender thanks to the leaky batteries these trucks originally came with and some rust on the drivers side floor board courtesy of leaky front windshield.  I probably won’t worry about the fender but I do plan on mig welding in small patch on the floor to keep the field mice out of the cab.  Compared to a Michigan truck of this vintage my 72’ doesn’t really even have rust.

 

I am headed up to get it tomorrow so I’ll post a picture of it when I get it home.  I already went to the bone yard yesterday and scored a HEI distributor for it and I also discovered that I had a Saginaw 708 power steering gearbox sitting in my garage so I guess I will put that on it too.  These trucks are a piece of cake to convert to power steering.  

 

Yeah, trading in the 98’ Z71 for the 01’ HD and now a 72’ C20 broke my pattern of years that end in 8 - LOL.  

[Larry]

Here is a picture of the old beater as it being unloaded.  

 

First order of business this week will be to relieve the old jalopy of the god awful camper shell then rebuild the carburetor and install the HEI distributor that I swindled the other day.

 

Notice the original grill isn’t even broke.  Supposedly the rig only has 74,000 original miles on it.  

Btw…I loved the way the HD yanked it down the road like it wasn’t even behind me..even the ZF was on better behavior under a load.

 

 

[Kansas Kid]

Hell, for $300 in my area I wouldn't have even be able to drive the dang thing down the road, let alone it be in that good of shape.  I'm looking at a 61 C10 that is in much worse shape then that, and it has a ton of rust and doesn't even start.  (it would cost me about $300 if my uncle didn't own it)

[MountaineerTom]

Congrats on the new truck.  Heck of a deal for $300.00!  

[RyanbabZ71]

old beater

 

You have got to be kidding.

 

it loooks very nice.  $300 was a great deal

 

just curious is this a fix up project and then sell or are you going to fix it and keep it?

 

I also agree the cap has to go.  New rims possibly?

[DigUout]

And I get excited when my wife bakes me brownies!  

 

Larry looks like you got a fun project from a great lady.  Keep the rebuild updates coming!

[Larry]

just curious is this a fix up project and then sell or are you going to fix it and keep it?

 

It will probably be a keeper for a while but I may concider selling it or trading it for another 69’ – 75’ Blazer/Jimmy someday.  This truck will make a nice airport vehicle though.  I am sure the wife won’t let me get another old Blazer that I so badly want until I get rid of something.  I know that I won’t be getting rid of my 68’ as I have had it since I was 15, too much time and money in the 78’s and the 48’ is hers so the 72’ will have to go someday if I want a Blazer.  

 

I don’t plan on turning this one into another garage queen like my 68’ GMC but I will do some carburetor work and update the ignition system to make it more reliable.  I will have to replace every hose under the hood as it sat for many years and the hoses are all dry rotted.  Since I found a power steering gearbox lying around my garage I will eventually add p/s also.  Need to do something with the wheels though…probably just get a set of 16” stock steel wheels with the original hubcaps to replace the 16” split rims in the front and 16.5’s baldys on the back.

 

I know one thing for sure…on my first test drive after rebuilding the carb and installing the HEI distributor I defiantly have to take a detour by the dump to unload that camper shell….that thing is just horrible.

[chevy4x4trucks]

I don’t plan on turning this one into another garage queen like my 68’ GMC but

Just give it time

Looks like you got a great deal on it though.  For 300 bucks it is in great condition.

[Larry]

Keep the rebuild updates coming!

 

OK, here is an update.  

 

So far I have spent some time rebuilding the little 2-barrel carburetor at the cost of $45.  I also threw a new $28 Wal-Mart seat cover on it, $25 worth of hoses and belts, $50 for a HEI distributor, another $45 bucks in spark plugs, cab, rotor, wires, and air and fuel filters.  Probably about another  $20 bucks in paints, cleaners and degreasers. So far the old terd had cost me a total of $513, which includes the purchase price.   I don’t think that is very bad for a decent old beater truck.  

 

The only thing I need to make this jalopy road worthy is tags and tires.  I have a free set of used 245/75/16’s lined up from my buddies Dodge Ram but still need to score a set of non-split-rim 16” wheels to mount them on.  The wheels will probably cost $10 to 15 a whack.  I imagine the dump will stick me another $20 just to relieve the old rig of that ugly camper shell.  Then again, I might be able to sell it to the aluminum-recycling center for a few bucks.  

 

I haven’t been able to install the HEI distributor, plugs, and wires since it has been so cold and windy in Southern CO the last few weekends.  Maybe this weekend…it is suppose to be calm and in the 60’s.  

 

Once I get it road worthy I might consider selling it to some moehal to take back to the old country for 60 to 80% profit and use that money towards an old Blazer or Jimmy that I rather have.  The boss has already pretty much granted me free reign to any profits make from this project for future projects.  You can tell the way she allocates my play money that she works in accounting..LOL

[pacodiablo]

thas cool.  if it were mine id get some rims for it, get a $250 paint job, and sell it for $1500

[Larry]

Keep the rebuild updates coming!

 

Here is an update on the ole beater….

 

So far I have $591.00 invested into it including the purchase price and tax & title plus $10 back for selling the camper shell to the recycling center.  As you can see by the pictures the most obvious improvement was the wheels and tires and unloading the camper shell.  I had planned on using a free set of 245/75/16’s from a buddy but I refused to bend over for the local salvage yards and pay 45 bucks a whack for 16” factory steel wheels to mount them on.  Being the cheap skate that I am, I wound up using a set of 33/10.50R15’s on 15” 8 lug (Yup…15” 8 lug) white spoke wheels that I took off my 78’ 4x4 this past summer. A little bit of grinding on the front brake calipers and the 15’s fit like a glove.   The 33’s fit fine on the rear but rub like #### on the front so I bought two used 31” tires to use on the front.  

 

After rebuilding the 2-Jet carburetor and converting the conventional ignition to HEI in addition to the new cap, rotor, plugs and wires she runs like a dream.  I also threw some new heater hoses and fuel line at it too.  The interior turned out pretty decent.  It is amazing what a new seat cover and Armoral tire foam will do to an interior.  I still need to bend up some pipe and throw a set of mufflers and bang out the dent on the drivers side rear quarter panel.  I don’t know if I will bother painting it or not yet.  If I paint it, it won’t be a beater truck anymore and I will actually have to take care of it like the rest of the toys.  

 

Here are more pics:

http://communities.msn.com/LarrysGMTruckTo...evroletc20.msnw

[Kansas Kid]

I didn't realize how horrid looking that cap was until I seen a picture of the truck without it.  I can't believe anybody would actual buy something like that to put on there.  I doubt you can do anything else to the truck that will improve its appearance as much as getting that cap off of there.

 

I looked at the interior pics, looks pretty good for a truck that you only paid $300 for.  I noticed it has the optional gauges instead of just the warning lights.  Does it have a factory tachometer as well?  I've only seen 3-4 trucks with the extra gauges, and never one with the factory tach.  Its something I'd really like to have on a truck from that era though.  Was also kind of suprised at the interior being blue when the truck was original orange.  I'd think a truck with an orange exterior would have a black or brown interior, but I guess not.

 

Now I really want that guy to hurry up and sell me his old K10, I need something to work on after hearing all your updates.  LOL