Looking at a truck today...

[chev74]

its a 72 GMC. for my friend. Just wondering what i should really keep an eye out for. ill be taking pictures and posting them. just want to take a small list of what to scan since he doesnt really know what to look for.


THanks in advance

[PanelDeland]

Take a small magnet(i use a magnetic business card),carry an old blanket or creeper(I use an old furniture pad),a pad and pencil is also handy.Depending on the condition a compression test and oil sample are good ideas.
Look under it for rusted body mounts and frame,check with a magnet for bondo in the cab corners and rockers.Check the roof by the drip rail.Look at the wiring for bad splices or an overabundance of them.Look at the lenses and guages and any other plastice parts for pitting cloudyness and overall useability.
Keep in mind that the truck may have mods that were done poorly even if the truck looks nice.The real test is to sum up the truck for what you're looking for and determine if the price is one you are willing to pay for the condition of the truck.
Hopefully someone will add some other good info to this.

[Hoods69BadBowTie]

^Pretty straight forward and some very good ideas. I was going to say make sure that u test drive it and try out all the gears and check out all the steering components and 4 wheel drive if it has it. The creeper or a blanket is a great idea so u can lay underneath it and check everything out the best u can. Defiantly check the cab corners and rockers for rust and or bondo. Good luck.

[chev74]

well here they are!

tell me what ya think...

[Cyclone44]

The pictures you have look good. How is the bed is it in good shape? George

[ChevLoRay]

Doesn't look too bad. Some places to check for rust are the floor pans, the kick panels, rockers, cab corners, underneath the battery tray and on the radiator core support. The bottom of the doors, if the drain holes are blocked by debris, will eventually rust the outside of the doors about 3 inches from the bottom edge of the door. Basically, it wil take a careful eye and objectivity free from emotions to assess the overall condition.

[chev74]

More...

[tcb-1]

that's a nice clean little rig!! check the cab corners, rear cab braces, and the area under the battery. but from what I can see, that is a really solid looking GMC. doesn't look modified too much either. of course, we would all like to know how much your friend paid.

[chev74]

more...

[chev74]

didnt buy it yet. the guy wants $3000- good deal?

the cancer in front of the passenger tire is from a battery leak that was there. pretty eaten away.

the bed has a rubber mat in it, but i lifted it up and it still looks really solid. has the sratch surface rust that will be present in a former farm truck like this.

The speedo need work, needs a new fuel sending unit, new dash pad, new seat. interior looked clean otherwise.

the first pic was a magnet on the body to check for bondo...

what carb is this (it didnt say quardrajet on it) and i have a set of numbers on the axle that ill post in a sec. and the heads have a casting that ill draw a pic of in a little while

[chev74]

no power steering, no power brakes.

my buddy wants to know what it will take to convery this also...

[chev74]

also what tranny is this. Ill be back in a few minutes- im gonna go eat

[tcb-1]

tranny looks like a TH350, but the automatic guys will probably know for sure. looks clean under there too.

as far as the battery acid issue, looks like a new fender liner will be in order. no biggie.

the carb looks like a old Carter 4 barrel.

I'd like the 72 guys to chime in here. is the blue and white interior correct? mainly, the glove box door?? didn't know GM did that?

[chev74]

72 guys? a little feedback will be nice please? lol

[ksjh1316]

Looks like a TH350 min my opinion as well curious that the dustcover is missing and it is that clean. The blue and white is a combo GMC used I looked at a 70 GMC for a parts truck that was set up the same way. Looks solid.

[chev74]

what about the price guys? good deal or no?

[cruiserman]

3K seems steep to me, but I don't live in Tyler, TX. Power steering and brake conversions are easy.

[chev74]

the number for the intake was 5268751 (what does this mean?)

the rear axle had 678.0 cast on it

and the passenger side head has the left cast on it, the drivers side on the right

[68350]

i would think that's way too much for that truck, imo. also looks like someone mounted engine emblems, which a gmc never had. way too much imo, though. hope this helps

[chev74]

Originally Posted by 68350

i would think that's way too much for that truck, imo. also looks like someone mounted engine emblems, which a gmc never had. way too much imo, though. hope this helps

what do you mean someone mounted engine badges? those microsoft paint pics are shapes that are cast onto the head

the owner said its not the original motor, its a rebuild with 20,000 miles.

[ksjh1316]

I think he was refering to the ones below the front sidemarker lights. I would say if the truck is clean of rust only in the inner fender and its the truck he wants it would be worth further negotiations body costs more $$$ to fix than mechanical. Your friend may not even be interested in the current powertrain set up. These things are hard to tell what they should be worth sometimes it all comes down to if they like the vehicle and the purchaser feels comfortable with the price.

Also check the wiring as well some of the PO do one heck of a chop job on it and can at times be smart enough to hide it well.

[68350]

it looks to have 8/350 emblems under the marker lights, whereas gmcs NEVER had an engine emblem, just the gmc 1500/2500/3500 emblem. somebody might have added them when they put the motor in cause they took it out of a 69-72 with an original 350 and it had the emblems on the fender. not a big deal, but i still wouldn't pay more than a grand for the truck. sorry, just seems like tx should have more choice, espicially considering ND has those kind of trucks for a grand or less. just to put into retrospective, my brother bought a 20,xxx mile(unverified, but many signs point to) 70 custom/10, NO RUST AT ALL, with an original 350/4-speed for $1400. i have bought 3 big block trucks, one bad, one fairly nice, one really good, all for under $2400 total. all drove home, too. just keep looking, imo

Originally Posted by chev74

what do you mean someone mounted engine badges? those microsoft paint pics are shapes that are cast onto the head

the owner said its not the original motor, its a rebuild with 20,000 miles.

[brak]

I'm confused about something...
I thought power brakes were standard by 72, due to the front discs

[68350]

that's true...??? hmmm, maybe it's a conglomeration of parts??? who knows, i would definitely research that truck more before dropping that kind of money on it.

[red71cheyenne]

I'm sorry. I wouldn't spend over $500 on that. And they are right, something is fishy about the year. Might check the VIN to see what year it says it is. Title might show it as well. That would be something I would look at as well to see if they match. Sorry.