68 C20 Longhorn questions
 

my buddy called me up on Friday to tell me about the new toy that he traded his old dirtbike for. he told me it was a 3/4 ton 2wd, with a blown 327 in it (broken, not supercharged). on the phone he told me there was something funny about it, he said the bed looked like someone had added a section to it. i went over to take a look at it today, and sure enough, its a Longhorn, and a damn solid one at that! the cab needs some attention, but the bed is very solid, despite some body damage (big dents in the lower bedsides, but no creases, should be easy to pull out.) overall, its in good condition for this area.

a couple of the questions that came up are regarding the trans and the front suspension. he will be getting a mid 70s 3/4 ton truck with a big block and a 465 in it. his plans are to use the big block, will the 465 fit in the place of the stock trans? it is a 3 speed floor shift unit, and appears to be stock.

will the front suspension from the 3/4 ton bolt in place of the stock suspension? the donor truck has all good suspension, and disc brakes up front. i know the 73-87 1/2 ton units will bolt right in to a 67-72 no problems, are the 3/4s the same? also, what rear should be in this truck? how strong is it? he is planning on putting it together for a tow rig.

thats a good find, '68 was the first and lowest production year for the Longhorns. For specific Longhorn info, check out the link in Longhornman's sig. The 3 speed floor shift isn't original, the 3 speeds were column shift only, so some sort of conversion kit was installed. The 465 will bolt up but it might hit the floor of the cab. The rear axle should be an Eaton H052, they are strong. Comparable in size to the 14 bolt but it has a dropout third member and coarse spline axleshafts. Bearings are expensive, but it may have an OEM detroit locker (called a no-spin on the option sheet).
oh and I have to ask, is it painted gold and white? slim chance it may be a 50th anniversary edition.

its all white, but doubtful that its factory. you say the 3 speed isnt factory floor shift? there isnt any form of shifter on the column. is it possible that its actually a 420? and not just a 3 speed?

I was under the impression 3 speeds on the floor were available, although not as common as 4 speed op??

I've never heard of a 3 speed floor shift in any of our series of trucks.

Are you sure it's not a 4 speed all ready?

What's listed on the glovebox?

When are you going to take pictures and post them on the site???

Is the 327 rebuildable?

Is it a Custom or CST?

Am I full of questions today??

'68 was the first year of the 465, but the 420 is possible. either way, the "4 speed transmission" would be on the glovebox label. my guess is that its a factory 4 speed but the p/o called it a 3 speed because it only has 3 normally useable gears.

Sweet find....longhorns rock!
Why isn't your friend introducing him self to us?

its definitely not a 465, looks nothing like the 3 465s i have in the garage anyways. unfortunately the original 327 is long gone, and was replaced with a '64 283 which is trash due to the 1 and 2 rods deciding that they no longer wanted to be straight.

not sure if its CST or Custom, nor what is listed in the glovebox. i can try to make it up there this week to get some pics of it. and he hasnt introduced himself because, well, he's kinda computer illiterate and doesnt like to mess with them unless he has to.

Tell him not to worry. We are all computer illiterate. We just don't know any better...

And tell him now he has to! ;)

does the trans have shift rods coming out the side, basically meaning is it a toploader? if its a toploader and isnt a 465, it could be a 420 or a NP435. if its the 435, it will have an aluminum cover.

no shift rods that i saw anyways. anybody have any input on the front suspension and converting to disc brakes?

I cant help with #, options, ect.....but I smell a HOTROD! A 133" wb chev tends to go pretty straight.....if you start spinnin it, trust me ...you will have your hands full! :D crazyL :burnout:

also tends to not hook up due to a lack or weight transfer.:rolleyes: for hotrods, the shorter the better.

TELL YOUR BUDDY TO SPEAK UP.....
OR GO HOME!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D
NO SLUT'S HERE !!!!!! :crazy: :crazy:

HEY! you drive an S10, who asked for your opinion :lol: i would tell him to speak up, but he has no computer, and is computer illiterate anyways.

yes, the longer trucks do pose a challenge in the traction department! The big thing is to move as much weight rearward as possible, & remove any unneeded nose weight ;) my longhorn runs a 3 1/2" eng setback, rear fuel cell, battery under the box, no heat or air,no inner front tubs, Jazz buckets, ect. For a leaf spring truck , withan eaton posi & traction bars, she hooks up pretty good on street tires
:D tough, but not impossible....crazyL















































:D :D

Sounds nice!

There is/was a used car place around here that had a '69 GMC longhorn. That truck originally had the V-6 in it, has some type of car v8 in it now, auto tranny. They've moved all their cars, I'm assuming they changed locations, but I don't know where too. Not the prettiest truck, however. Hopefully someone will pick it up and give it some help.

There's another down in GA that needs the help even more. It hasn't moved in so long that I had to knock a small tree down to get one of the doors open.

Congrats to your friend!

Contrary to most other people, I'd say try to make it into a killer tow rig! Longer the wheelbase, the better your tow experience. Of course... after a point, it's like a bus...

the plan is to make it into a tow rig. hence the big block and 465 going into it. still, nobody has replied to the suspension question. how do you convert it to disc brakes while still retaining the 8 lugs?

take the front end parts off of a 71 and up 3/4 ton or one tn truck.
You'll also need the wheels since they went ti 9/16 inch wheel studs n 71 verses the 1/2 inch wheel stud you have on it now.

And you'll need to upgrade the back to 9/16" studs too...

It's not really too bad to do.

just found out that its actually a 1 ton, not a 3/4 like we previously though. he got the title today, and it says C30 right on it. does that change things at all?

the rear will have some internal chainges...the registration will be a whole lot more...but on the Longhorns...they are pretty much the same.