My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

BLohnes · 09-20-2011, 05:53 PM

Hey everyone,

Scooped up a new project that I think everyone will dig. It is a 1968 Chevy C50 wrecker! I bought from a guy in NY, basically unseen, and drove it 500 miles home...at 6mpg! The truck has a 292/4-speed combo in it now, but I plan on putting a big block in it, for fun. The whole wrecker unit works, the truck runs like a top and I think it is pretty neat. You just don't see the old working trucks around anymore. The seller was going to crush this one and I couldn't bear to see it meet that fate.

If you like a good road trip story, hit the link! There is also a photo gallery of the truck to go along with the story.

http://www.bangshift.com/blog/Grunt-...0-Wrecker.html

Brian
BangShift.com

partsman3 · 09-20-2011, 06:06 PM

Sweet truck. Great find.

domeier · 09-20-2011, 06:53 PM

Wow. That's a great story, and great pics, and... MAN, WHAT A COOL TRUCK! It's like the ultimate Tonka Toy.

bobs409 · 09-20-2011, 06:59 PM

Very nice! Good looking truck.

I don't envy you on that MPG though. Just think, when that truck was new, gas was about .25 to .29 cents a gallon.

I just thought of something, MPG hasn't changed much on big trucks. A few years ago, I rented a large box truck to haul my 4 post lift home and it only got 7 MPG! It was fairly new, maybe a 2006 or so? Yours is much nicer to look at. lol

eldogg · 09-20-2011, 07:18 PM

Great story!

original-71 · 09-20-2011, 07:23 PM

cool truck.

71swb4x4 · 09-20-2011, 07:44 PM

Sweet truck and even better story!

I found a small typo for you about 3/4 of the way through it, I think you want uneventful here:
Other than some close calls with the overheating situation, which actually pegged the gauge all the way over on the Mass Pike at one point, the rest of the ride to home was uneventful. It was expensive and slow, but eventful. I drove straight over to my mom and dad in law's to scoop up my two missing intrepid companions. They were super stoked to see the truck and their expression in this photo, pretty well sums it up.

BLohnes · 09-20-2011, 09:47 PM

Thanks for the good words guys!

Bob -- seems that even the best engineers in the business have not figured out how to beat the laws of physics yet.

It will be interesting to see what the mileage is when I get the 427 into the truck this winter/spring. It literally can't get worse than 6mpg...can it? HA!

At one point the bank called me to make sure no one had stolen my card because so many purchases were being made at gas stations with such frequency.

I passed exactly one vehicle in 500 miles of driving and it was a Prius. I laughed on the way by.

bobs409 · 09-21-2011, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLohnes

At one point the bank called me to make sure no one had stolen my card because so many purchases were being made at gas stations with such frequency.

lilred67 · 09-20-2011, 10:00 PM

brian, love the truck and bangshift.com. long time subscriber, keep up the good work...

Hubscrub · 09-20-2011, 10:23 PM

that is so freaking cool i loved reading the story too. I'm a wrecker freak

67chevy1series · 09-20-2011, 10:32 PM

thats awesome!

tow guys · 09-20-2011, 10:57 PM

Sweet find! best of luck with it and keep us appraised of it's progress

**70cst** · 09-20-2011, 11:08 PM

That is just way

VA72C10 · 09-21-2011, 12:45 AM

Very cool truck and great story!!!

**special-K** · 09-21-2011, 07:08 AM

I saw that truck for sale. I'm glad you ended buying it and bringing us a colorful story. There's something very special about "the ride home" with that newly purchased ride.

MARKDTN · 09-21-2011, 07:52 AM

What kind of wrecker is that? It looks like a Holmes.

20+ years ago, my dad bought a 64 GMC big dump truck (I don't remember the model) from my uncle. I think it was about a 12' bed. It had a 351 V6 and 2-speed rear. My uncle also had a bit bigger Chevrolet dump that had a 327 crate motor and 2-speed rear. The GMC had an electric 2-speed while the Chevy had a vacuum 2-sp. My uncle said the electric was better. After a short lesson on driving 2-sp rears, we loaded the truck with rock for a chimney (the purpose of buying the truck) and I was sent on my way home 350 miles. He warned me that the brakes were good loaded for only a few stops, so not to overheat them. I made it home just fine, and it got around 5 mpg loaded or empty. I made another round trip to get more rock, and it did fine on that one too. After the project was over, he sold the truck to a local contractor and I saw him about 6 months ago. He told me the truck was burned when his house caught on fire. He sold it to someone who wanted the dump bed.

My uncle bought it from GA Power in the early 70s with no bed on it. He found an old 50's truck with the dump and swapped the bed onto this one. So the bed the latest guy got will have been on at least 3 trucks. Funny how that all works out.

chevy72pu · 09-21-2011, 08:04 AM

Wow, what a truck! And an even better story. Thanks for taking the camera and recording everything. Can't wait for the report on your 1000 mile trip.

thirdstreettito · 09-21-2011, 08:10 AM

Very cool! Congrats on making me jealous!

67ChevyRedneck · 09-21-2011, 08:41 AM

Wow, SIX MPG... Makes me so glad I have a half ton with a 700R

Quote:

The Pacifica, a car that I have openly hated since about 13 minutes after we bought it

This made me lol too

That thing is beyond cool.

Katrina/10 · 09-21-2011, 10:17 AM

Awesome truck and great photos!

bigguy69 · 09-21-2011, 10:50 AM

Cool. Just plain cool.
Posted via Mobile Device

ChevLoRay · 09-21-2011, 01:11 PM

Twin booms....that allows for some "special" recovery work. Nice. I love wreckers...always have.

When I was a kid, dad subscribed to Popular Mechanics, Popular Science and Mechanics Illustrated. I think it was a PM magazine that had an article about a Mercer Raceabout that had belonged to Buster Keaton (Keystone Kops), and when found it had been used as a wrecker. I enjoyed the article and always remembered it as being proof that you can restore just about anything. So, while it made a neat wrecker, it was too valuable to be left that way.

BLohnes · 09-21-2011, 01:14 PM

Thanks everyone!

Mark, the wrecker is a Weld-Built unit, with twin 15-ton winches. I am working with Weld Built to get all the info as they have record of building this wrecker setup back in 1968. It was a custom order with the two big winches.

I am going to give an old stump "the big tug" this weekend and see how the truck does. I'll tie it off to a tree with one of the winches and pull with the other, putting the booms out 90-degrees to each side. Should be interesting!

Brian

MARKDTN · 09-21-2011, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLohnes

Thanks everyone!

Mark, the wrecker is a Weld-Built unit, with twin 15-ton winches. I am working with Weld Built to get all the info as they have record of building this wrecker setup back in 1968. It was a custom order with the two big winches.

I am going to give an old stump "the big tug" this weekend and see how the truck does. I'll tie it off to a tree with one of the winches and pull with the other, putting the booms out 90-degrees to each side. Should be interesting!

Brian

OK, Thanks!

Enjoyed your road trip story. It brought back memories.

09-20-2011, 05:53 PM	#1
BLohnes Registered User Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Abington, Massachusetts Posts: 11	My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Hey everyone, Scooped up a new project that I think everyone will dig. It is a 1968 Chevy C50 wrecker! I bought from a guy in NY, basically unseen, and drove it 500 miles home...at 6mpg! The truck has a 292/4-speed combo in it now, but I plan on putting a big block in it, for fun. The whole wrecker unit works, the truck runs like a top and I think it is pretty neat. You just don't see the old working trucks around anymore. The seller was going to crush this one and I couldn't bear to see it meet that fate. If you like a good road trip story, hit the link! There is also a photo gallery of the truck to go along with the story. http://www.bangshift.com/blog/Grunt-...0-Wrecker.html Brian BangShift.com

09-20-2011, 06:06 PM	#2
partsman3 Registered User Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Argyle tx Posts: 36	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Sweet truck. Great find.

09-20-2011, 06:53 PM	#3
domeier Registered User Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: San Jose, California Posts: 784	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Wow. That's a great story, and great pics, and... MAN, WHAT A COOL TRUCK! It's like the ultimate Tonka Toy.

09-20-2011, 06:59 PM	#4
bobs409 1969 Custom 30 wrecker Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Pottsville, Pa Posts: 2,611	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Very nice! Good looking truck. I don't envy you on that MPG though. Just think, when that truck was new, gas was about .25 to .29 cents a gallon. I just thought of something, MPG hasn't changed much on big trucks. A few years ago, I rented a large box truck to haul my 4 post lift home and it only got 7 MPG! It was fairly new, maybe a 2006 or so? Yours is much nicer to look at. lol __________________ Bob 63 Impala 283/PG/3.36 (under restoration) 66 Impala 327/PG/3.36 66 Chevelle SS 409/M22/3.55 69 Chevelle 307/PG/3.08 (future restoration) 69 C10 short stepside 454/TH350/3.73 69 Custom 30 tow truck 350/4 spd/4.10 (resto done, CRUISIN TIME!) 71 Cheyenne 20 fleetside 350/4 spd/4.10 71 Chevelle 6/PG/3.08 72 Chevelle 454/M21/4.10

09-20-2011, 07:18 PM	#5
eldogg Registered User Join Date: May 2007 Location: Mooresville NC/Gainesville GA Posts: 499	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Great story! __________________ Eric Evans Queen City Shop Truck http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...34#post6139834 66 GMC http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=543110

09-20-2011, 07:23 PM	#6
original-71 ///Relaxed Atmosphere Join Date: May 2010 Location: Houston,Tx Posts: 1,266	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip cool truck. __________________ 71-Cheyenne Super (E.C.E Static Drop 4.5/7". Intro Rally's 20X8.5 5" B.S 255/35/20 (F) 20X10 5.25 B.S 275/35/20 (R) 87-Silverado Static Drop 5/7" Raceline Explosion 5 22X8.5 (F) 22X10 (R) hector _________________________________ 1971 Chevrolet Cheyenne Super 1987 Chevrolet Silverado 2006 Ford Mustang GT 2012 Toyota 4-Runner 2014 Dodge Ram 1500 Sport Crew Cab

09-20-2011, 07:44 PM	#7
71swb4x4 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Brookings, SD Posts: 10,497	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Sweet truck and even better story! I found a small typo for you about 3/4 of the way through it, I think you want uneventful here: Other than some close calls with the overheating situation, which actually pegged the gauge all the way over on the Mass Pike at one point, the rest of the ride to home was uneventful. It was expensive and slow, but eventful. I drove straight over to my mom and dad in law's to scoop up my two missing intrepid companions. They were super stoked to see the truck and their expression in this photo, pretty well sums it up. __________________ Some people are like slinkies, they aren't good for anything, but you can't help but smile when you see one tumble down the stairs.

09-20-2011, 09:47 PM	#8
BLohnes Registered User Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Abington, Massachusetts Posts: 11	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Thanks for the good words guys! Bob -- seems that even the best engineers in the business have not figured out how to beat the laws of physics yet. It will be interesting to see what the mileage is when I get the 427 into the truck this winter/spring. It literally can't get worse than 6mpg...can it? HA! At one point the bank called me to make sure no one had stolen my card because so many purchases were being made at gas stations with such frequency. I passed exactly one vehicle in 500 miles of driving and it was a Prius. I laughed on the way by.

09-20-2011, 10:00 PM	#10
lilred67 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: weatherford,texas Posts: 1,003	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip brian, love the truck and bangshift.com. long time subscriber, keep up the good work...

09-20-2011, 10:23 PM	#11
Hubscrub Cruzin Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: on the road Posts: 2,835	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip that is so freaking cool i loved reading the story too. I'm a wrecker freak __________________ Lime Wife's 67https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...wZEMODaS2d94u8 Back to the Fifties 59 https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...NAeStpydfrcj_U Proverbs 3:5,6 "Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel across the country from coast to coast without seeing anything."Charles Kuralt In memory of our first baby daughter, daddy and mommy love you. Danica Grace 6/26/14

09-20-2011, 10:32 PM	#12
67chevy1series Registered User Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: a t w a t e r cali 95301 Posts: 10,713	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip thats awesome!

09-20-2011, 10:57 PM	#13
tow guys Registered User Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bayville NJ Posts: 385	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Sweet find! best of luck with it and keep us appraised of it's progress __________________ Check out my 70 GMC tow truck project here.......http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=440431 Member of the 1-Ton Club! http://www.eastcoastcarandtruck.org

09-20-2011, 11:08 PM	#14
70cst Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: New Madison, Ohio Posts: 21,365	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip That is just way __________________ A husband can be right...or...A husband can be happy. 67-72 Chevy and GMC Trucks...The Classic Truck for the Classic Folk. 1970 CST Two tone green, 402BB, 400 Automatic, Tach, Buckets, AC, AM-FM, Tilt, GM CB, GM 8 Tract, LWB, etc JOHN 17:3...The better side of "LIFE" Remember: Everyday is a good day...Some are just gooder!

09-21-2011, 12:45 AM	#15
VA72C10 VA72C10 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Midlothian, VA Posts: 25,269	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Very cool truck and great story!!! __________________ Looking for a 67-72 swb or blazer project in or around VA.

09-21-2011, 07:08 AM	#16
special-K Special Order Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mt Airy, MD Posts: 85,861	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip I saw that truck for sale. I'm glad you ended buying it and bringing us a colorful story. There's something very special about "the ride home" with that newly purchased ride. Attached Images __________________ "BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~



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09-21-2011, 07:52 AM	#17
MARKDTN Registered User Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 2,144	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip What kind of wrecker is that? It looks like a Holmes. 20+ years ago, my dad bought a 64 GMC big dump truck (I don't remember the model) from my uncle. I think it was about a 12' bed. It had a 351 V6 and 2-speed rear. My uncle also had a bit bigger Chevrolet dump that had a 327 crate motor and 2-speed rear. The GMC had an electric 2-speed while the Chevy had a vacuum 2-sp. My uncle said the electric was better. After a short lesson on driving 2-sp rears, we loaded the truck with rock for a chimney (the purpose of buying the truck) and I was sent on my way home 350 miles. He warned me that the brakes were good loaded for only a few stops, so not to overheat them. I made it home just fine, and it got around 5 mpg loaded or empty. I made another round trip to get more rock, and it did fine on that one too. After the project was over, he sold the truck to a local contractor and I saw him about 6 months ago. He told me the truck was burned when his house caught on fire. He sold it to someone who wanted the dump bed. My uncle bought it from GA Power in the early 70s with no bed on it. He found an old 50's truck with the dump and swapped the bed onto this one. So the bed the latest guy got will have been on at least 3 trucks. Funny how that all works out. __________________ '83 K20-TPI '73 C10 '79 C10-ex-diesel(SOLD) '07 Tahoe(Son driving) '14 Suburban-DD '71 C10-current project

09-21-2011, 08:04 AM	#18
chevy72pu Registered User Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Sandersville, GA Posts: 298	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Wow, what a truck! And an even better story. Thanks for taking the camera and recording everything. Can't wait for the report on your 1000 mile trip. __________________ How 'Bout them Dawgs! '10 Traverse LTZ 03 Silverado Z71 ext cab 99 Yamaha Grizzly 600 72 C10 350/350 sportside bed. 68 C30 flatbed. 350 4-speed. "I've got a good memory, it's just short!"

09-21-2011, 08:10 AM	#19
thirdstreettito Resident of Here Join Date: May 2008 Location: Wesley Chapel, FL, USA Posts: 7,716	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Very cool! Congrats on making me jealous! __________________ ~Bradley~ 2004 Black GTO LS2/T56 too much to list Miss having a truck

09-21-2011, 10:17 AM	#21
Katrina/10 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Ocean Springs, MS Posts: 1,746	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Awesome truck and great photos! __________________ Gary 1971 Chevrolet C/10 1951 GMC 100 1977 GMC C15 1955 Chevrolet 3100

09-21-2011, 10:50 AM	#22
bigguy69 dazed and confused Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: marion nc Posts: 1,649	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Cool. Just plain cool. Posted via Mobile Device __________________ members met: redbaron69, billsbowtie,nc67

09-21-2011, 01:11 PM	#23
ChevLoRay Old Skool Club Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Benton, AR "The Heart of Arkansas" Posts: 10,880	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Twin booms....that allows for some "special" recovery work. Nice. I love wreckers...always have. When I was a kid, dad subscribed to Popular Mechanics, Popular Science and Mechanics Illustrated. I think it was a PM magazine that had an article about a Mercer Raceabout that had belonged to Buster Keaton (Keystone Kops), and when found it had been used as a wrecker. I enjoyed the article and always remembered it as being proof that you can restore just about anything. So, while it made a neat wrecker, it was too valuable to be left that way. __________________ Member Nr. 2770 '96 GMC Sportside; 4.3/SLT - Daily driven....constantly needs washed. '69 C-10 SWB; 350/TH400 - in limbo The older I get, the better I was.

09-21-2011, 01:14 PM	#24
BLohnes Registered User Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Abington, Massachusetts Posts: 11	Re: My 1968 C50 Wrecker Recovery Road Trip Thanks everyone! Mark, the wrecker is a Weld-Built unit, with twin 15-ton winches. I am working with Weld Built to get all the info as they have record of building this wrecker setup back in 1968. It was a custom order with the two big winches. I am going to give an old stump "the big tug" this weekend and see how the truck does. I'll tie it off to a tree with one of the winches and pull with the other, putting the booms out 90-degrees to each side. Should be interesting! Brian

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