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Longhorn Man · 01-05-2007, 04:03 PM

Sounds like an interesting truck, some things don't seem right though... can't wait for photos to see what exactly it is you have here.
The clearance lights were an option, avalible on any chevy/GMC pick up, and required on all cab/chassis trucks.
Your truck should have had the longhorn badges, they just fell off years ago. Most were glued on.
The sport package you speak of, is probably the CST... Custom Sport Truck.
Your VIN decodes as follows;
CE2482I74909
C 2 wheel drive
E V8 engine
2 3/4 ton
4 cab and bed (doesn't say which bed... just, a bed)
8 ... ??? you sure that wasn't an S or maybe an F? *see below*
2I74909 Is SUPPOSED to be the Vehicle Serial Number , but again, it isn't right. Is that an I in there? This should be a 6 digit number. I have found conflicting info on the Vehicle Serial Number part, and finally some info that makes sence.
Most people will tell you that the first one down the assembly line started with 100001. However, I've seen trucks built in december, that would be a real low number, actually start as 500xxx. I read that some plants stated at 500000 instead of 100000. I recently read that if one single plant had 2 assembly lines putting out the same model vehicle.. as in 2 lines with light duty trucks coming off, then the 2nd line started with 500000.
So ignoring the I in your Vehicle Serial Number, you have a production number of 274909 ... making it the 174909th truck to roll off the assembly line for 1968, at that particular plant. This tells me your truck was actually one of the last trucks, a late 68, just before the chainge over to 69. Is there a sticker in the drivers side door jamb? It should have the month and year, along with the VIN.
1968 was not a full year run for longhorns, the first one supposedly rolled off the line in march, making it a mid year into on the dealership lots. With that info, it made 68 the lowest production numbers of all 5 years of the longhorn run. only 1902 C/20 longhorns, and 213 C/30 longhorns.
I mentioned the plant code was not right, here is the list of what that 8 should be;
Assembly Plant
A = Atlanta
B = Baltimore
F = Flint
J = Janesville
N = Norwood
P = Pontiac
S = St. Louis
T = Tarrytown
Z = Fremont
1 = Oshawa
I am interested in seeing the option sheet... and photos of your whole truck. Is the model number still on the sticker? This will be the only way to know that your truck is a true longhorn, but I can't see it being anything else. The VIN tells us it had a bed, and there were no 133 inch wheelbase stepsides with a 3/4 ton rating... so it has to bea real longhorn even if the bed was swapped with one from another longhorn.
Your tool box in the bed also verifies that the bed was swapped, being that it was not offered yet in 68.

01-05-2007, 04:03 PM	#11
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,690	Re: Phatom 68 Longhorn with AC and 396&400 Sounds like an interesting truck, some things don't seem right though... can't wait for photos to see what exactly it is you have here. The clearance lights were an option, avalible on any chevy/GMC pick up, and required on all cab/chassis trucks. Your truck should have had the longhorn badges, they just fell off years ago. Most were glued on. The sport package you speak of, is probably the CST... Custom Sport Truck. Your VIN decodes as follows; CE2482I74909 C 2 wheel drive E V8 engine 2 3/4 ton 4 cab and bed (doesn't say which bed... just, a bed) 8 ... ??? you sure that wasn't an S or maybe an F? see below 2I74909 Is SUPPOSED to be the Vehicle Serial Number , but again, it isn't right. Is that an I in there? This should be a 6 digit number. I have found conflicting info on the Vehicle Serial Number part, and finally some info that makes sence. Most people will tell you that the first one down the assembly line started with 100001. However, I've seen trucks built in december, that would be a real low number, actually start as 500xxx. I read that some plants stated at 500000 instead of 100000. I recently read that if one single plant had 2 assembly lines putting out the same model vehicle.. as in 2 lines with light duty trucks coming off, then the 2nd line started with 500000. So ignoring the I in your Vehicle Serial Number, you have a production number of 274909 ... making it the 174909th truck to roll off the assembly line for 1968, at that particular plant. This tells me your truck was actually one of the last trucks, a late 68, just before the chainge over to 69. Is there a sticker in the drivers side door jamb? It should have the month and year, along with the VIN. 1968 was not a full year run for longhorns, the first one supposedly rolled off the line in march, making it a mid year into on the dealership lots. With that info, it made 68 the lowest production numbers of all 5 years of the longhorn run. only 1902 C/20 longhorns, and 213 C/30 longhorns. I mentioned the plant code was not right, here is the list of what that 8 should be; Assembly Plant A = Atlanta B = Baltimore F = Flint J = Janesville N = Norwood P = Pontiac S = St. Louis T = Tarrytown Z = Fremont 1 = Oshawa I am interested in seeing the option sheet... and photos of your whole truck. Is the model number still on the sticker? This will be the only way to know that your truck is a true longhorn, but I can't see it being anything else. The VIN tells us it had a bed, and there were no 133 inch wheelbase stepsides with a 3/4 ton rating... so it has to bea real longhorn even if the bed was swapped with one from another longhorn. Your tool box in the bed also verifies that the bed was swapped, being that it was not offered yet in 68.