Hey guys new here. and a couple few questions.

[fatblockvelle]

This is my first post here and i love the site!
Back when i was in high school I Got my 1972 Chevy pickup (2wd 3/4 ton longbed). Nice rot free truck. love the truck but i really dont drive it anymore just because i have another toy and the longbed doesnt do it for me anymore.

Well the truck is just sitting in the garage and ive come to a waypoint in life and i either need to sell it or do somthing that will make it what i want. (1/2 ton swb). Ive heard of guys making the short beds out of long bed boxes. Basicaly ive been out of high school for about 9 years now and its time.

I have an air ride bag kit and want to sit the truck on some 17's or 18's and slam the truck. I want to do a nice tastefull low truck with a six speed manual with a pretty stout bbc. (I have the motor , tranny, and super solid truck.) Just need a Rolling frame and box (meybe cut mine down.)

Just looking for some advice and some direction from you guys that have been into it for a while as i fell into the muscle car stage.


Cliff notes

Hi everyone! Happy to be here.

[68gmsee]

my 2 cents opinion...

Since you don't drive it and have lost some interest in it, I would recommend selling it now. Do it before the price of gas and other restrictions make it so difficult to own and drive one of these old trucks. There's a lot of buyers out there that are looking for a nice rust free truck and don't mine having a long bed.

Also, as you probably already know, once you start adding to and changing the truck, the value is greatest to you but not necessarily to the buyer.

Not to mention the time and money you would have to invest.

[fatblockvelle]

Well the truck has alot of sentimantal value to me so I really dont want to sell it but I cant justify the prece of gas as being a reason to get rid of it. Id like to do the truck up... Thank you for your input... It is an option.

Oh and this is my street car, So as fare as gas prices I Dont care.=)

[68gmsee]

Well the truck is just sitting in the garage and ive come to a waypoint in life and i either need to sell it or do somthing that will make it what i want.

The reason I mentioned sell, is because you said you had lost interest and it just sat in the garage... And, there's a lot of people interested in completely stock, rust free, trucks.

However, if you say it has sentimental value and want to do a complete make over, I'd say go for it. Just remember that if you change your mind sometime in the future, you may not recoup all of the time and money you will have spent.

Awesome Chevelle.... I wish I still had mine that I bought in 1970 and sold eight years later for $250. Needed a valve job... Come to think of it, if I had all of the old classics I've owned, I'd probably have a gold mine!

[fatblockvelle]

Originally Posted by 68gmsee

Well the truck is just sitting in the garage and ive come to a waypoint in life and i either need to sell it or do somthing that will make it what i want.

The reason I mentioned sell, is because you said you had lost interest and it just sat in the garage... And, there's a lot of people interested in completely stock, rust free, trucks.

However, if you say it has sentimental value and want to do a complete make over, I'd say go for it. Just remember that if you change your mind sometime in the future, you may not recoup all of the time and money you will have spent.

Awesome Chevelle.... I wish I still had mine that I bought in 1970 and sold eight years later for $250. Needed a valve job... Come to think of it, if I had all of the old classics I've owned, I'd probably have a gold mine!

When i was saying "lost intrest" I was saying in the way the truck was. But i can see how you took it.

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by fatblockvelle

When i was saying "lost intrest" I was saying in the way the truck was. But i can see how you took it.

Now, that's more like it... Welcome to the board. You'll get some good input if you need it, but looks like we may be asking you for some input.

[special-K]

WELCOME!!

I think that`s agreat plan.I don`t see the day these old vehicles aren`t driven.Unless nothing is driven on fuel anymore.I`m sure we`ll come up with something to burn in them.Fuel has been crazy high in Europe forever and guys drive American iron over there.Can`t beat O/D for helping consumption.
I think there`s info on shortening trucks in the EAQs section.Quite a few have done it.You see short frames pop up on here from time to time.Once you start looking you`ll have some pop up along with beds.You can build a complete shortbed now with new parts.The parts are well made and make a nice bed.You can either use pieces from you longbed o, if it`s pretty nice,sell it for decent money towards buying what you need.

GO FOR IT!!

[kcjones]

I'm one of those guys - if you ever need to dump your rot free lwb, I'd love to have another. I'm still looking for the perfect 67 swb, but long doesn't bother me at all - and I'd pay a lot more for an unmolested truck than I would for one that had been cut and bagged and [insert whatever else]. I also agree with the idea special-K mentioned: get yourself an swb frame, and move the good stuff from the lwb to it. It's a lot easier than cutting up a good truck.

[fatblockvelle]

Originally Posted by kcjones

I'm one of those guys - if you ever need to dump your rot free lwb, I'd love to have another. I'm still looking for the perfect 67 swb, but long doesn't bother me at all - and I'd pay a lot more for an unmolested truck than I would for one that had been cut and bagged and [insert whatever else]. I also agree with the idea special-K mentioned: get yourself an swb frame, and move the good stuff from the lwb to it. It's a lot easier than cutting up a good truck.

WELL What do you think its worth? 72 2wd long bed. 402 bbc th400 , disk brakes , tilt, A/C, Power Steering.

[TotalChevy1]

Originally Posted by fatblockvelle

WELL What do you think its worth? 72 2wd long bed. 402 bbc th400 , disk brakes , tilt, A/C, Power Steering.

If you are going to just restore, sounds like a good truck to start with. I agree with you on wanting a short bed, but those are hard to find. If your not hauling with the truck, I would change out the springs, brakes and axle , drop it and make it a 1/2 ton lwb sleeper.

[fatblockvelle]

Originally Posted by TotalChevy1

If you are going to just restore, sounds like a good truck to start with. I agree with you on wanting a short bed, but those are hard to find. If your not hauling with the truck, I would change out the springs, brakes and axle , drop it and make it a 1/2 ton lwb sleeper.

i already have the spare motor for my chevelle whitch is a 496ci afr headed motor.(650 hp =)) and the t-56. so i really wanted to do an air bagged kinda "G" machine. Im just afraid if i go through all that work and put it together and its still a long bed...... What if i hate it.

[68gmsee]

Wow! That's a nice looking for a northern truck.. A lot of them have gone to the rusty grave.

I gotta say that, being a retired lover of classics, I like the original, stock look. Especially one that already has all the amenities. Doesn't mean that I won't do some tweaking here and there, but I would't cut it up. Lots of nice long beds out there.

My vote is to keep it stock, find another one that's not as nice as that one to makeover. At some time in the future (like 20-30 yrs) you're going to be glad you did...

[70' GMC]

How bout turning it into a mud slingging truck

[fatblockvelle]

: :

Originally Posted by 70' GMC

How bout turning it into a mud slingging truck

2WD

[kcjones]

68gmsee is right: spend all that money and time on something you really want - investing thousands of dollars and hours on something you're not happy with is not good, and you can never sell them for what you put in. If it were me (and it's not!), I'd drive the lwb, keep it running, keep it straight, and keep my eye out for that swb project - you never know when some guy who just started one needs to pay for his most recent speeding ticket. Happened to a buddy of mine looking for the "perfect" starter 67 valiant...had one when he was 16 and always wanted another. picked one up straight, running, rust-free, untouched straight six for like $600.

Everyone may not share my opinion on this, but patience is a HUGE virtue when it comes to this hobby.

[kcjones]

BTW, if the cab's got no holes, and it runs, I'd give you 4-5k easy, more if it's a 4 speed. If I lived where you do and couldn't find one rust free, I'd pay more, but then again, lwb doesn't bother me...I'm not trying to get into Truckin' Magazine.

[fatblockvelle]

Originally Posted by kcjones

BTW, if the cab's got no holes, and it runs, I'd give you 4-5k easy, more if it's a 4 speed. If I lived where you do and couldn't find one rust free, I'd pay more, but then again, lwb doesn't bother me...I'm not trying to get into Truckin' Magazine.

The truck is rot free.... Not one ounce. All original paint. Ive been offered alot more for the truck around here, but thanks for your offer.

[special-K]

Just thought I`d say,"Torquey little Chevelle you have there."That truck restored would sure make a pretty hauler for the Chevelle.But...

I figure when a guy hangs onto a truck and keeps it alive long enough he can do whatever he wants with it.You have a plan.Sounds good to me.

[HomerJ]

Originally Posted by kcjones

Tell me this isn't "nice", despite it's longness:

Sweet truck!!! I have always like our series of truck in long bed form. It just looks "right" to me.

What wheels are those? They look like 6-lug Torque-Thrusts...

Originally Posted by BigSky71

I say make it what you want and love it.

I definitely agree with BigSky71. If it's not going to be something that you love to drive when you're done, then you're doing a resto-mod for someone else's pleasure. You would most likely sell it or let it collect dust, which would be a shame......

HomerJ

[fatblockvelle]

Originally Posted by special-K

Just thought I`d say,"Torquey little Chevelle you have there."

.

hahah thanks...

[chevy72blu]

Welcome to the board! Killer 'Velle.... you'll get along well here.

Im also a member of the 'LWB cut down to SWB' crew. I found a donor truck for around 1,000 for the bed, front disks, and power brakes. I resold the cab and frame for around 500 and made out well. Some guys on here have actually sectioned a LWB making it into a SWB and made it look damn good (a little over my head... I did mine when I was 15 =P).

[fatblockvelle]

tHANKS GUYS... IM GOING TO TRY AND FIND A ROLLING SHORT WHEEL BASE FRAME..... I CAN DEAL WITH FINDING A BOX LATER... BUT I GUESS RIGHT NOW THE HUNT FOR A ROLLER FRAME IS ON.

tHANKS FOR THE COMMENTs

Originally Posted by chevy72blu

Welcome to the board! Killer 'Velle.... you'll get along well here.

Im also a member of the 'LWB cut down to SWB' crew. I found a donor truck for around 1,000 for the bed, front disks, and power brakes. I resold the cab and frame for around 500 and made out well. Some guys on here have actually sectioned a LWB making it into a SWB and made it look damn good (a little over my head... I did mine when I was 15 =P).

[PanelDeland]

Look in the sub forum in the header.Member rockcrwlin has done this and documented it very well.I believe it was on a 1/2 but that info is also in the FAQ's and in the build(I believe) section.
Welcome to the site.
BTW I say build it how you want it and will drive it.