I'm legit again, my "new" '68 LB

[89AKurt]

Announcing that I got my third Chevy pickup! Last century it was a '48, I just sold the '69, found this unmolested 1968 Long Bed in Phoenix via Facebook Marketplace.

It's original paint, body appears to be straight with no prior wrecks, some rust under the driver door sill. Has the 4 on-the-floor, V8 (I feel stupid not knowing what size it is, SB must have been replaced), no frills such as a/c, power steering or brakes. I wanted simple, and not a rolling wreck. It has dual exhausts, and new front and rear bumpers. Not going to restore it, but update as necessary, starting with replacing the headlights with Hella like I did with the '69.

First part will be an ignition switch! The seat needs to be redone, so will look for the topic about that here. Several other parts that I got for the '69 like a glove box box are going to get ordered today.

Funny how the '69 grew on me. Glad it went back to the original family.

[89AKurt]

I need to relearn how to post pictures.

[chevy71super]

Nice looking truck! I agree, keep it original looking with a few updates for drivability and comfort.

[cornerstone]

Congratulations on you new old truck! It really looks straight and clean, plus its one of the best color combinations in my opinion. Great plan too. Looking forward to seeing any progress and updates you can share

[trac209]

Wow very nice original truck there.

[derotoreut]

Very nice find. Looks great!

[BC10]

What a beaut! Can't wait to see the project!

[bill3rail]

Nice! More pictures now that you figured out how to post them.

[89AKurt]

Thanks everyone! Don't get your hopes up, it's not going to get restored, hot rodded, slammed, nothing like that. I just wanted a useable working pickup.

I have tried to change the profile picture on my Control Panel, does not seem to be replacing the old picture.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by 89AKurt

Thanks everyone! Don't get your hopes up, it's not going to get restored, hot rodded, slammed, nothing like that. I just wanted a useable working pickup.

I have tried to change the profile picture on my Control Panel, does not seem to be replacing the old picture.

Hi Kurt, Are those vintage Ariz. plates on your rig?

[89AKurt]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

Hi Kurt, Are those vintage Ariz. plates on your rig?

YES! Sharp eye sir. That was on the car I grew up with. I have also put the Historical plate on, saves money besides being cool copper.

I started making parts today, and digging into what else needs to be fixed. The hood trampolined while driving, so put a support in. Made a gas pedal. Took out the junk heater control, the pot metal levers were the achilles heel of these trucks, weren't they? Need to get the rear wiring harness, one taillight bulb sort of worked when I started twisting it, then couldn't continue, discovered the plastic keeper things were broken, then I looked underneath at all the splices and bare wire. More rust than I care to see under the cab, but the seller said it had bad areas. Figuring out what oil seals are needed for the engine is next.

[89AKurt]

For my own use, my first post on this forum.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=693245

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by 89AKurt

YES! Sharp eye sir. That was on the car I grew up with. I have also put the Historical plate on, saves money besides being cool copper.

OK, so you have the state copper historical plate on the rear. I wondered how the MVD allowed you to use a '69-'72 Yellow plate, but under current laws only the rear plate counts. I wanted to use the '73+ Orange plates I put on the '68 C/10 Stepside when I finally registered it in AZ c. '74-'75. In 1989, I had to change to the Maroon plates that are on the truck now. MVD wouldn't let me use the Orange plates as YOM [Year of Manufacture] plates.
On my '71 GMC Jimmy, I was in luck, as I had a Yellow '69-'72 plate with a 1971 sticker, even. So I was able to switch its Maroon plates, along with getting collector car insursance and '71 YOM plate and thus I escape having to run the truck thru annual emissions. I thought the '71 plate had once been on my Dad's '64 Olds wagon, but MVD said it did not trace back to my family. It may have been found in Chrystal Cave in the Chiricahuas. I used to collect license plates as a teen.
Now I need a White w/Black letters AZ 1966-'68 plate for resurrecting my '67 K/10 Suburban. I've seen them on ebay, but not currently.
Just for amusement [a lot of Beemers, Mercedes and Audis have moved into my neighborhood] I put a West German plate on the front of my pickup.
And a shot of the Yellow plate on my Jimmy.
I may have a spare '68 Gas pedal. You can have it free if you need it. Just reimburse me for postage.

[Two Stall]

You out west boys and a rust repair advantage over us mid-west rust belt guys.
Nice bones on this one.

[89AKurt]

Originally Posted by Two Stall

You out west boys and a rust repair advantage over us mid-west rust belt guys.
Nice bones on this one.

That's what I hear.
Welcome to the forum!

[89AKurt]

When I was evaluating what needs to get done, I also made parts.

But I should show the very first thing that was changed, the Historic plate. It's actually cheaper than "normal" plates. I didn't think of asking if there was an 89 in the short stack in his drawer, but I like 8 and 4, since my first pickup was a '48.
The first trip home! by Kurt Womack, on Flickr

The first part I made was to keep the hood from doing the trampoline while driving. I used Corian instead of wood for pushing up the ridge.
First parts by Kurt Womack, on Flickr

I used some scrap metal, heavy wall steel tube, and aluminum angle. I scrounged for bolts that would match the tap sizes.
First parts by Kurt Womack, on Flickr

Now I have a custom gas pedal.
First parts by Kurt Womack, on Flickr

The heater controls were junk. These are the achilles heel of these trucks, aren't they? I can reach under to do the defrost/cabin lever, cut some scrap wood blocks so the on/off heater control can be worked. But I have no idea what to do for the fan switch, yet (yea it's somewhere on this forum).
First parts by Kurt Womack, on Flickr

['68OrangeSunshine]

The last time the State of Arizona issued front and back plates was with the Orange plates [1973 -1990?]. The next series was the Maroons, in 1981, and they went with a single plate.
The ''Desert Dawn'' series came out in the late '90s, IIRC.
I read your other post about the '69 Fleetside, [also blue and white]. You mentioned a Mercedes 190. My Dad had a '61 Mercedes 190 sedan, gray overall, 1900 CC L4 motor, 4-on-the-column shifter, 4 door. Ours had an accordian sunroof and fog lamps. He taught me to shift and use a clutch on it as a teenager. I never heard my Dad cuss before that.
I got to drive that car in college, but sadly I loved it to pieces. Being a kid I knew nothing about regular maintenance, and it blew up on me. Then I bought the Orange Stepside and paid a lot more attention to its upkeep.
I believe I remember one of the vendors selling stamped steel replacement Heater Control Levers. Don't recall who. You might Google it on the Search function -- use the 67-72chevytrucks.com internal search. You're right, the pot metal sucks.
No snow here yet, but it's in the mid 40s and is supposed to rain.

[89AKurt]

No way! You recognize the mountain in the background?

Grandpa's stuff 46 by Kurt Womack, on Flickr

['68OrangeSunshine]

Originally Posted by 89AKurt

No way! You recognize the mountain in the background?

Grandpa's stuff 46 by Kurt Womack, on Flickr

Catalinas?
Dude, that's my car!

['68OrangeSunshine]

Actually, I remember my Merse as being a little lighter grey. And it had that sunroof. Ours had Black and Yellow California plates, IPA 388. Never changed out to AZ plates. We moved to Tucson from LA in 1971. When gas was a lot cheaper [.25 cents/gallon for premium in Hollywood] I commuted to school in LA.
My Dad was told by the Beverly Hills used car dealer that it had been Jack Lemmon's car-for-his-maid-to use. When he fired her, he sold the car. It had just been re-ringed by the MBZ mechanics, <<Fritz und Wolfgang>> [I called them]. I was to bring it back for valve adjustments in precisely 100 miles. I didn't, I kept running it, and the 1900 cc mill threw a rod southbound on the Newport Freeway while hotfooting it to a Rubgy game.
Shortly thereafter, I was done with imports and found the Orange pickup in the LA Times classifieds in Pasadena for $1200.

As per you pic: Haircut says Late '70s. Suit and object in hands [diploma?] says Graduation. Catalinas in b.g. says Tucson, U of A? Me too.

[89AKurt]

High school prom, took it to the restaurant with my date, battery died, dad had to come down to trade for the Civic CVCC. That is actually Tanque Verde Mountain, we lived in Saguaro N. M. (now it's a Park). We moved after that to Prescott.

['68OrangeSunshine]

When I used to run it in Southern California, I'd try to park on a hill where I could popstart the clutch after coasting downhill. Yeah, they were problematic in the electrical dept. Mine had a Blaupunkt AM/FM/SW radio. Mono, but sounded great anyway. No pushbuttons, though, you had to know where your stations were on the dial. The dshboard was painted a flat black. After some of the OEM paint wore off, I noticed it was a nice hardwood. So I unscrewed it and sanded the dash board down and oiled it. It took on a beautiful walnut sheen. The black vinyl pad on the steering wheel cracked, and I pulled that off, saved the MB star from the middle and remounted it using some reddish suede doeskin.
I also had a 10 channel CB rig over the hump and a big spring-loaded whip antenna mounted on the rear bumper.
There's a Tanque Verde Wash [and Road] in Tucson. Funny how a lot of places in the Southwest look similar. That skyline looked a lot like the backside of the Santa Catalina range.
Agreed, the coincidence factor is uncanny. Also, I can tell you're a gentleman with exceedingly fine taste in vehicles.

[89AKurt]

This picture was taken in Soniota or Patagonia, note the folded over front plate.
Dads parents by Kurt Womack, on Flickr

This was brand new, when he worked/lived at Zion N.P.
Dad&#x27;s slides 131 by Kurt Womack, on Flickr

I was considering finding a '52 Ford pickup, like the one my dad owned in the day. But I like this more modern truck.
Dads slides 45 by Kurt Womack, on Flickr

['68OrangeSunshine]

Your 190 is a lot more polished than I remember mine. After a fender-bender in downtown Hollywood, [I was 19], I replaced the passenger side front fender with a very straight one from a Canary Yellow junkyard Mercedes. Mine was a Pearl Grey, not Slate Grey.
The effect made it look like an Me109 with the yellow cowling for ID during the Battle of Britain. Driving in Los Angeles in that period was highly competitive -- almost combative.
Like PHX traffic is now.
My Dad never liked white walls after the Fifties.
I took photography classes, photojournalism, TV production, cinematography in school. Learned how to develop B&W, and print pix. Lost art now.
You have an "eye".

[89AKurt]

Originally Posted by '68OrangeSunshine

[...]
I took photography classes, photojournalism, TV production, cinematography in school. Learned how to develop B&W, and print pix. Lost art now.
You have an "eye".

Thanks for that! My dad influenced my taste in cars and photography. He gave me a Kodak 828 (?), I got an Olympus OM1 later and took slides. Sure is nice to have the digital way now.

What is this vent called? It is lacking hinge holes, what is missing?
Vent thingamajig no hinges by Kurt Womack, on Flickr