72 to 73

[dajn]

Back when it came out, were people happy with the change? I'm curious if there are people on this board that had bought a brand new 72, then bought a new 73. I've never owned a new pickup. Not even close, but i have owned new motocross bikes before and i remember the excitement of the new model coming out. Nothing against the 73 style. I like them also, but not as much as the old style. I imagine at the time it didn't make much difference.

[hugger6933]

I can barely remember 73 due to my age but I will say this it was a great farming year here and it is still pretty much common to know that by the amount of 73 Chevy truck and GMC's that are around here. I can think of about 6 of hand that I still see in use on a regular basis and one is a red and white GMC that still looks pretty good. There also was a black ls3 454 truck that roamed around up until about 7 years ago when the owner died and has family sent it to junk. Jim

[dajn]

My 86 is still going strong. $800 pickup but its great for me in the Minnesota salt. Good solid beater. There's not a gm pickup made that i don't like but i was just curious if there was disappointment in the 73. That seems to be when ford took over number one in sales

[Orange67]

My Grandpa had a 75 Custom Camper with a 454, he thought it was ok, but I remember him hating how easily it rusted. He also wasn't thrilled that my Dad could keep up in his 67 (now mine) with a sbc 350 and an rv cam going up Parley's canyon, and both trucks had fully enclosed 14 ft campers. I believe most people liked the looks of the newer trucks, but between the emissions crack down (loss of power) and the quality of steel GM was using were the biggest issues.

[dajn]

Thank you orange. I appreciate the reply. I know what you mean about the 454. They can be an unbelievable beast in the right hands, but in stock form they feel like a strong 350

[Orange67]

With horrid MPG to boot! Definitely can be a beast. Unfortunately, my Dad loaned it to a friend who ran it low on oil, started a rod knocking and tossed a connecting rod out the side of the block..... Got to say though, one of my all time favorite bodies is the 85-87 Chev trucks.

[kcsa75]

I was 14 years old in 1972 and already making plans (in my head anyway) to buy a new Blazer. Even then, I thought our trucks were the best thing since sliced bread. The sales guys at our local Chevy probably got sick of my coming around and asking questions, but they never ran me off.

When the '73s came out I was shocked! Shocked I tell you. I thought the designers at Chevrolet had lost their minds. How could they have taken the best lookin' thing on four wheels and changed it to a "squarebody?" To this day, I've never been able to get excited about the squares. I've seen a few that "looked pretty good" and considered buying one a couple of time, but never did.

Four years later, I bought a brand new Ford F-150.

[dajn]

Solid reply ksca75. I love history. Very interesting to me.

[factorystock]

GM took a lot of flak over the 67-72 styling because it was considered too feminime. The first attempt to modify the trucks was 1969 with the taller hood. In 1973, GM knew they needed a more masculine styling and went with the straighter body lines and squared out fenders, which both Ford and Dodge were using quite successfully. Refinemints such as longer wheelbases and standard leaf springs proved GM was more serious about a more truck like pickup. I personally liked the 73 thru 78 styling, after that, it was all about aerodynamics and efficiency, things that I don't find very inspiring.

[dajn]

Very nice. I love the square bodies but to me the feel like work horses while the 67-72 feel like gems. Maybe your either on something or onto something. Ha-ha. Feminine? Lol. Definitely not.

[lolife99]

One of the older guys I use to work with,... bought a used 1971 K10 in late 1972.
He told me all the 1972 models remaining on the car lots sold extremely quick, when the 1973 models came out.
He was too late to get a new 4x4 '72.

Said he was lucky to buy this "1-year old" used 1971 from his then co-worker who was going to trade it in on a new truck.

He still owns his '71 Ochre K10 to this day.

[dajn]

Dodge offered nothing more and nothing less than the ugliest pickup ever made. They should still be ashamed of themselves. At least ford offerrd a decent pickup to rival chevy

[slikside]

Originally Posted by dajn

Dodge offered nothing more and nothing less than the ugliest pickup ever made. They should still be ashamed of themselves. At least ford offerrd a decent pickup to rival chevy

HAHA! True dat! They are very respectable looking now, but then? Hideous!

[YBNORML]

Cool conversation. Some great points here.

[hugger6933]

In late 73 my dad bought two 74's 454T400 3/4 tons.He would pull a stock trailer to the Memphis stock yard from our house [about 90 miles]filled the trucks at our house we had our own gas pumps at home[those were the days!]Had to fill up on the way over and on the way back coming home empty to make it home. It ruined him from big blocks forever. well that and that year the General had a piston problem that by 50 k on both truck between the two they had had 9 motors under warranty and both were smoking like a late freight train. Dad drove Fords until the 80's when I talked him into the first S-10 truck that was sold in this part of the state[we had retired from farming by then and he was just riding] and not needing a truck to do much work. Jim

[WIDESIDE72]

My dad bought a dark green with white top72 custom deluxe 1/2 ton lbw fleet New. It had a 307/ th350. Ps lb no a.c. My uncle also bought a 72 new, black cheyenne 10 lwb 400/400. In 74/5 dad bought an 18' bass boat and the 307 struggled towing. He and my uncle used the cheyenne a few times to tow the boat it he started looking for a a used big block 71/72 (disc brakes) as he preferred the 67-72 styling over 73+. He couldn't find one so he bought a black with red interior 74 cheyenne 10 with a 454. (With a.c. this time!) It would tow the boat all right but the mileage was horrible. It didn't tow as well as the uncle's 72 with the 400 but it might have also had better gearing. Dad hated the 454 fuel mileage so much he let my older brother talk him into swapping it for the 350 from his 73 Camaro. It got a cam headers intake before the swap and did the towing well enough and got a lot better mileage. The 454 got a rowdy "bottom of the page" cam, headers and big high rise IntKe before the swap into the camaro and a L88 hood scoop fiberglass onto the flat hood. The fat tires and slot mags were already present. Bad thing was it still had an open 10 bolt with 3.08 gears. It had a top end like a runaway log truck! It was like the "Pappas Johns" Camaro only black and silver likethe 78 Corvette pace car.

[WIDESIDE72]

We had a lot of chevy trucks over the years but living on the TEXAS coast they all rusted out. WE all prefer the 71-72 trucks and have owned 8-10. I finally had to start buying 67-70as well as they are getting harder and harder to find. We had five or six 73-87 out of necessity but it wasn't til later you noticed the door dragging on all 73-87 and hood folding over on 73-80 trucks.

[slowcpe]

Interesting stories. I would like be able to go back and talk to my grandpa about his experiences. My uncle told me he purchased a '67 brand new and almost immediately drove it from Kentucky to Alaska for a hunting trip.

As far back as I remember (born in '77) he had an early square body lwb with camper shell and 3-on-the-tree. I'm thinking it was a '73-75. He kept it until the early 80s and bought a '77 k10 and had that up until the time he passed.

My great-uncle also had a '73-74 he drove up until the early '90s. It sat out behind the barn I believe until the time he passed ('02). Don't know what ever happened to that truck. Always liked it but didn't want a long bed.

[jocko]

I'll never be a square body convert, however, they are starting to grow on me as a no-kidding daily driver work truck. Or, more to the point, a plow truck. Why, you ask would someone in the Mojave desert want a plow truck? Well, I grew up just south of Chicago and hope to end up back there someday, so I'm keepin my eyes peeled. I let an 84 K20 with original faded paint and no rust slip away, and he was only asking $2500. It still is in my town, to haunt my hesitation, ha..

[pound41]

In 72 my Dad ordered a all Black stepside 402 Turbo 400 and 411 posi. Trans had a shift kit installed and it would roll. In 1976 my Dad sold that truck. I begged and pleaded for him not to. but he did. Ordered a 76 stepside 454 turbo 400 and a 3.73 posi. We still have the 76 which is Great but I miss that 72. I have plans to build a tribute black truck one day

[Daubs]

My Dad had a 1970 3/4 ton two wheel drive with 4spd and the "400" big block (that's what he called it). He loved the truck and had custom pin-striping done. It was a real looker and Dad said it was very, VERY fast! In 76 he ordered a K-20 from the factory. It had everything, 350 v8, dual tanks, 4 speed manual (Dad never liked autos), cruise, AC, PS, PB, no power windows, but it was completely bad ass in my mind (remember, I was 9 ys old at the time).

My uncle purchased a 1976 2 wheel drive at same time. Dad and Uncle did a little non scientific research...uncle "ziebarted" his truck, Dad did not. In the end, both were rust buckets, Dad's truck was just rusty first. And boy, did that truck love gas. It got a whopping 6 MPG...that was uphill, downhill, wind at back, wind in face, full-moon, new moon...SIX. MILES. PER. GALLON.

He drove that truck for eleven years...then purchased a new 1987 GMC K-20HD off the lot. I actually purchased the 87 from him years later. Really liked that truck, but with kids, it was time to upgrade to a 1999 Silverado. LOVED that truck. The current ride, 2004 2500HD 4x4 Crew, was ordered from the factory brand new. It's a great ride. Dad thought i was crazy odering the 8.1 Big Block 496. He thought i would get 5 MPG. But with tires and a little chip work, I'm getting 10.5 around town and consistent 12.5 highway.

I'm getting ready to buy a welder and start in on the 72 K-20 build. Looking forward to it!

[Daubs]

Originally Posted by jocko

I'll never be a square body convert, however, they are starting to grow on me as a no-kidding daily driver work truck. Or, more to the point, a plow truck. Why, you ask would someone in the Mojave desert want a plow truck? Well, I grew up just south of Chicago and hope to end up back there someday, so I'm keepin my eyes peeled. I let an 84 K20 with original faded paint and no rust slip away, and he was only asking $2500. It still is in my town, to haunt my hesitation, ha..

Oh, that's PAINFUL! I really love the looks of the mid-to-late 80's K-20s!