72 c20 lwb stepside

[popsthebuilder]

Hello to all. I'm new to this site. I have a 73 c20 Cheyenne super camper special that I purchased a few months back. I fell in love with this truck. I use it as a daily driver for my carpentry business and it's great. I'm still working out some minor issues to make it a little more dependable but all in all it was money well spent. So, based on the success I've had with this truck I have gone ahead and bought a 72 c20 lwb stepside. I did a little research before purchasing and came to the conclusion that the truck is relatively rare, and considered to be the ugliest of all 67-72. At the same time I have heard that it is the most desirable from a collectors point of view. I thought it was a base model but it has a sliding back glass. There are know badges on the truck. It has a 307. Anyway, in yalls' opinion is this truck worth restoring? Should I just bring it up to drivable, or is there a market for the supposed ugly duckling. Any input whatsoever is much appreciated.

[SS Tim]

Welcome to the board! C20 stepsides are out there but there really isn't much of a market for them and certainly not a premium. However if it has rarely seen combinations it may have some nich market. If you want, post up a picture of the SPID and I will be happy to decode it for you if you want. We love pictures here so I will just tell you up front "no pictures ...it didn't happen!" :-)

[popsthebuilder]

All I have at this point is the vin#. Still waiting on the truck to be shipped.
ce242a149756

[popsthebuilder]

Looking at the picture, it looks like a short bed to me but I'm not familiar with these trucks at all.

[SS Tim]

Its a long bed just the camera angle and probably a wide angle camera phone at that, twisting the image. Shipped, does that mean you bought this sight unseen?

[popsthebuilder]

Yeah pretty dumb, I know. But parts are cheap, and truck was only $750. As long as the frame is in good shape I think I'll be o.k....I hope.

[Shyguy]

I had a '67 lwb stepper with a 250 L6 and a SM-420 and liked it because it was unique. After using it around the farm for a couple of years we got an idea to make it a swb stepper.

The swb stepper came out real nice with a 454, but I kind of wish I had kept it original as a lwb stepper now.

[popsthebuilder]

Yeah, I'm excited about it. depending on the condition, I may use it for a work truck temporarily while getting my 73 more work ready, and cleaned up. It has survived well for this long, but I'm afraid the humidity down here will start to take its' toll before too much longer.

[popsthebuilder]

Finally got truck in today. Looks like I'm not taking on a new hobby, but a conquest! Everything is excessively rusted on the bottom of the truck Especially the cab. Fortunately it looks like the frame is salvageable to me showing only surface rust and no real bubbling. I knew i was going to need a welder. Look, I'm really new to this. Is there a post that would list the names of all the body panels? I don't know what parts to associate with the names. I also need to know what to address first as far as body damage repair/ replacement Any links would be great.

Also how can I i.d. an engine, namely a 350 without pulling anything?

S.S. Tim -

Model was #ce20904

Did have a couple of items on the spid. I'll take a pick and post later when I get back from work.

[SS Tim]

Its a start....

[wreckedchevy]

Some of us like the ugly duckling's

[GASoline71]

"Camper Special" = Ford.

Gary

[SS Tim]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

"Camper Special" = Ford.

Gary

Play nice Gary! For the 73MY it became "Camper Special/Deluxe Camper Special", 72 was the last of the "Custom Campers"

[wreckedchevy]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

"Camper Special" = Ford.

Gary

now i'm confused because I haven't seen the below truck since I robbed the front clip off it 15 years ago but I thought it was a longhorn camper special. has the 8' bed with an extra box extension built in it don't know the total length. going to steal the speedo out of it next time i'm out at the ranch so i'll have to snap better picture and and see what it is.

[Don Quixote]

I have a stepside bed for my truck and I really want to put it back on, I happen to really like the 8' stepside or even a little longer. I do like a nice truck but mine is a workhorse and one day I will put my stepper back on if my friend in NH still has it. I am a big fan of simplicity and you can literally just bolt one together and throw some lights at it and poof! you have a new bed. Right now I am running a fleetside but only because it fell on my lap.

[GASoline71]

HAHA! I missed the '73 part.

Gary

[special-K]

My '71 Custom Camper had Camper Special on the SPID,as well as many others.

[popsthebuilder]

Here is the spid.

[Dachdu69C10]

Looks pretty good, are those original cab lights? They aren't on the spid. We need more pics!
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[SS Tim]

Pretty straight forward truck.
72 Custom/20 Stepside
350 V-8, 4-speed,
gauges, HD battery, HD cooling,
side mounted spare tire,
coil springs with the reverse helper leafs,
white painted below eye line mirrors, hubcaps and front bumper,
black vinyl interior, solid orange exterior and interior metal.

No radio and the cab marker lights were added as was any rear bumper.

[71sixgun]

Looks like a neat piece to me! I kinda like the lwb steppers. They are.. unique! It's not every day you find one, I'd run it. Have fun!

[Dano69c10]

Not to hijack, but,.....
Would a full size camper that fits in a 8' fleet side bed fit in a 8' long step bed?

Thanx
Dano

[wreckedchevy]

did once with my stepside, you lose the storage you would normally have down the sides.

[SS Tim]

Originally Posted by Dano69c10

Not to hijack, but,.....
Would a full size camper that fits in a 8' fleet side bed fit in a 8' long step bed?

Thanx
Dano

A lot depends on the camper. Older camper designed to go on both are usually not a problem as they fit between the wheel wells and have straight sides. As noted though the access doors to the storage areas outside the camper are not much use. If you look throught the RV brochures you will see Stepsides with full campers.

Originally Posted by wreckedchevy

now i'm confused because I haven't seen the below truck since I robbed the front clip off it 15 years ago but I thought it was a longhorn camper special. has the 8' bed with an extra box extension built in it don't know the total length. going to steal the speedo out of it next time i'm out at the ranch so i'll have to snap better picture and and see what it is.

Chevrolet trucks from 67-72 that met equipment requirements could be ordered with "Custom Camper" emblems. In 73 they actually became a seperate equipment package so one RPO would get you a "Camper Special" vs the earlier method of ordering a number of items and the emblems. It became a much more consistant capability option.

Now Longhorns while intended for the camper market were just pickups built on 1-ton frames and sprung as a 3/4 or a 1-ton. The wheelbase was the longer 1-ton's at 133" and the front of the bed was extended the same 6" as the chassis was over the standard 3/4 8' Fleetside. Longhorns did not have heavy springs or camper equipment as standard.

So pretty much any light truck in 69 could be ordered as a "Custom Camper" from C/10s to Longhorns but none were by default.

[cheyenne shortstep]

Long steppers are so ugly only a mother could love them, or a true truck enthusiast. Maybe that's why I love 'em, very cool truck.