Safety Updates

[gmc684x4]

Nice clean truck
I would repair the panels before i would replace panels aftermarket hoods and fenders need a lot of work to fit gaps right

Looking at the rearview mirror wondering if that was a dealer option i have a 69 with the same rear view mirror

72s normally have a glued on rear veiw mirror

Only thing i dislike is the din cut out tape deck

[72c20customcamper]

I wouldn't give a new driver a 50 year old plus vehicle let alone a truck . I would save it for her and buy a used 10 to 15 year old car. Airbags anti lock brakes crumple zones. Let her get practice on a disposable car have her help restore the truck so there is some investment in it on her part. In a few years let her start driving it.

No matter what you do to these trucks for safety they will never compare to a 2000 and newer car or truck.

Just my two cents

This is the engine restraint used on these vehicles.

[Camaro Misfit]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

I wouldn't give a new driver a 50 year old plus vehicle let alone a truck . I would save it for her and buy a used 10 to 15 year old car. Airbags anti lock brakes crumple zones. Let her get practice on a disposable car have her help restore the truck so there is some investment in it on her part. In a few years let her start driving it.

No matter what you do to these trucks for safety they will never compare to a 2000 and newer car or truck.

Just my two cents

This is the engine restraint used on these vehicles.

When she first gets her license she will only be driving 2 miles to school and back. She will not have it on roads that go over 35 mph. If for some reason she needs to get on the highway she'll be taking my car, a 2014 Chrysler 300 that has a 5 star safety rating. She'll then be saving her own money to buy a cheap daily driver so the truck isn't driven every day. We can't afford to buy her a newer car and restore this truck, it's one or the other and she's the only one in the family that really wants to drive the truck. Well I guess I would, but I've already got my project car and my husband just doesn't want the truck due to some ill feelings between his dad and him. If she doesn't get the truck then it needs to be sold and the money will then be divided between my husband, his brother, and my MIL (she gets 1/2) per the will. This is the best option when you consider everything.

[Stephen717]

I honestly think it's great that another young driver is getting into this community. Don't forget to get her an account on here . If you're worried about the fuel in the cab a blazer tank fits well where the spare tire would usually be under the bed and it is a bit easier to run EFI that way since I'm pretty sure they need a return line. That would also make room to put better speakers behind the seat. Since the dash has already been cut you can put a better stereo in it than what the truck originally came with and you can run a cabin mic so that if you have to call her she can talk hands free and focus on driving. I know on my truck I'm keeping the tank in the cab but that's cause I grew up riding in my grandfather's 51 and the gas tank was under the seat and for a long time there weren't any seat belts in that truck. I am definitely upgrading to 3 point belts though and think it's a major safety upgrade that has to happen to most older vehicles. As far as the drum rear brakes, vehicles are still made today with drum brakes in the rear, front brakes do 70% of the braking anyhow, the rears are just there to help slow you down. I'd also add power steering if the truck doesn't have it. I don't know if 72's had a 13", 15" or 17" steering wheel (never took the time to measure the 68 steering wheel that's in my 69) but when you're on anything other than gravel they're not the easiest to turn unless you're moving. Other than that though, front sway bar, shocks, maybe a rear sway bar if you're worried about her turning to hard and the rear end wanting to get loose, engine tune up, instead of LEDs if you want to save a bit of money you can get chrome spray paint and paint the inside of the light housings so that the bulbs reflect off of them better and I'd replace the old faded lenses with some new shiny ones that people can see better. And I'd look at doing an led headlight upgrade. then a good polish and she'll look like new. I'd also put the cb back in it but that's just me

[mr48chev]

I'd say that you guys are getting a bit carried away with the crash thing. Almost to the point of nonsense.

You actually want the front of the truck crumple some if you are in a front end impact to absorb the impact.
New top quality 3 point harness. Disk brakes, Check the whole suspension and have it in top shape.

Staying inside the cab and in position without flopping around is the single most important thing in any wreck. I've seen too many roll overs that the driver was thrown out that you could honestly drive away from the wreck beat up and all. I did drive my 70 away from the wreck where I rolled it two and a half times according to witnesses and it was on it's passenger side when I stopped. The cab, hood and fenders were totaled but the bed barely had a scratch.
One safety item not mentioned is the steering column. 70 still had the solid steering shaft from wheel to the U joint down the shaft. Not good in a front end impact even with a harness. That is something to consider.

The worse things about these trucks is that the rear wheels lock up when you hit the brakes hard and the back end comes around. I Had that happen when I rolled the 70 an spun my 71 out when I locked up the brakes when a guy in a Geo Metro zipped out in front of me from a stop sign. He is clueless on how close he came to being killed that night if I had been distracted at all. The truck spun so violently that it broke the alternator bracket.

I go along with replacing the wiring harness with a quality replacement and I would upgrade the lights to Halogens and do the usual white paint in the tail light buckets plus brighter bulbs.

Still education = quality drivers ed instruction plus taking her out in the truck and going through some drills in a big empty parking lot in both wet and dry weather so she knows what might happen if she locks up the brakes in a panic stop go a long way. My daughter was taught by a friend of mine who was a math teacher that taught drivers ed in the summer but was probably the best drivers ed instructor you will ever find. Kids he taught know how to drive right.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I'd say that you guys are getting a bit carried away with the crash thing. Almost to the point of nonsense.
.

I've been to more accident scenes than probably 90 % of the people responding to this thread . Became a LEO in the early 80s when there were still a lot of 60 to 70s cars on the road. By my retirement I was almost amazed how many more people survived severe crashes. Requarding crumple zones these trucks have non to absorb the impact . I drive mine almost every day but I know if I get hit by a new truck or car my chances are much less than other drivers. But I also ride too.

Site to calculate impact FORCE in an accident . I did a slow speed impact


https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/car-crash-force

[gmc684x4]

Nice truck

Absolutely great thing to do with your daughter time to start a build thread
It will be a great learning experience for her to learn how to build her own vehicle
and it will mean more to her in the end

This needs to be a more how to thread then about crash politics my kid your kid

[Camaro Misfit]

Originally Posted by Stephen717

I honestly think it's great that another young driver is getting into this community. Don't forget to get her an account on here . If you're worried about the fuel in the cab a blazer tank fits well where the spare tire would usually be under the bed and it is a bit easier to run EFI that way since I'm pretty sure they need a return line. That would also make room to put better speakers behind the seat. Since the dash has already been cut you can put a better stereo in it than what the truck originally came with and you can run a cabin mic so that if you have to call her she can talk hands free and focus on driving. I know on my truck I'm keeping the tank in the cab but that's cause I grew up riding in my grandfather's 51 and the gas tank was under the seat and for a long time there weren't any seat belts in that truck. I am definitely upgrading to 3 point belts though and think it's a major safety upgrade that has to happen to most older vehicles. As far as the drum rear brakes, vehicles are still made today with drum brakes in the rear, front brakes do 70% of the braking anyhow, the rears are just there to help slow you down. I'd also add power steering if the truck doesn't have it. I don't know if 72's had a 13", 15" or 17" steering wheel (never took the time to measure the 68 steering wheel that's in my 69) but when you're on anything other than gravel they're not the easiest to turn unless you're moving. Other than that though, front sway bar, shocks, maybe a rear sway bar if you're worried about her turning to hard and the rear end wanting to get loose, engine tune up, instead of LEDs if you want to save a bit of money you can get chrome spray paint and paint the inside of the light housings so that the bulbs reflect off of them better and I'd replace the old faded lenses with some new shiny ones that people can see better. And I'd look at doing an led headlight upgrade. then a good polish and she'll look like new. I'd also put the cb back in it but that's just me

Thanks for the support. My dad competes in car audio and is going to build her a stereo system like he's doing for all 3 of his grand-daughters. This truck came with power steering and brakes. I know all about driving around without rear brakes (no matter what my dad and I did (short of replacing all the brake lines) we never could get my first car's rear brakes to work. But I just planned my stopping out and never had a single crash. It's been 20 years and I still drive like that, lots of distance and planning my stopping out. I think there's something to be said for drivers that work on their own vehicles and drive older vehicles that aren't perfect. I've got friends that do some light painting, so I might reach out to them to help with the small stuff. And I've got a friend with a hydrotank, so lots of options to help with some of these projects for the truck.

[Camaro Misfit]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I'd say that you guys are getting a bit carried away with the crash thing. Almost to the point of nonsense.

You actually want the front of the truck crumple some if you are in a front end impact to absorb the impact.
New top quality 3 point harness. Disk brakes, Check the whole suspension and have it in top shape.

Staying inside the cab and in position without flopping around is the single most important thing in any wreck. I've seen too many roll overs that the driver was thrown out that you could honestly drive away from the wreck beat up and all. I did drive my 70 away from the wreck where I rolled it two and a half times according to witnesses and it was on it's passenger side when I stopped. The cab, hood and fenders were totaled but the bed barely had a scratch.
One safety item not mentioned is the steering column. 70 still had the solid steering shaft from wheel to the U joint down the shaft. Not good in a front end impact even with a harness. That is something to consider.

The worse things about these trucks is that the rear wheels lock up when you hit the brakes hard and the back end comes around. I Had that happen when I rolled the 70 an spun my 71 out when I locked up the brakes when a guy in a Geo Metro zipped out in front of me from a stop sign. He is clueless on how close he came to being killed that night if I had been distracted at all. The truck spun so violently that it broke the alternator bracket.

I go along with replacing the wiring harness with a quality replacement and I would upgrade the lights to Halogens and do the usual white paint in the tail light buckets plus brighter bulbs.

Still education = quality drivers ed instruction plus taking her out in the truck and going through some drills in a big empty parking lot in both wet and dry weather so she knows what might happen if she locks up the brakes in a panic stop go a long way. My daughter was taught by a friend of mine who was a math teacher that taught drivers ed in the summer but was probably the best drivers ed instructor you will ever find. Kids he taught know how to drive right.

Thanks. The truck has the collapsing steering column. The husband was actually wrong with the year (his dad had 5 of these trucks) this was the last one he bought and it's actually a 72. She is enrolled in driver's ed and her driving instructor is a retired police officer. We get lots of rain here, so she'll have to learn to handle that rather quickly. She had her first driving lesson in my husband's Ram 1500 yesterday and did pretty good considering it was her first time on the road with other vehicles. Before that she was driving in an empty parking lot. Soon my husband will make her go to work with him on Sunday's so she can drive on I-5 in the morning when the traffic is really light then she'll be left in the parking lot alone to drive for 3-5 hours while he works. He did this with our oldest and would set up cones or trash cans to make her park between them and learn how to make sudden stops and driving in the rain. After the 72 is road worthy they'll be taking it down there and she'll be driving it in that parking lot alone (my BIL lives near there). She's got this, learning on a modern V8 pickup will actually be a lot harder for her than driving an older slower V8 pickup.

[Camaro Misfit]

Originally Posted by custom10nut

Your choice.
If it were MY daughter, then no she’s not drivin it.
My son? Yes with strict limitations.
BTW, my son is the only other individual to EVER drive my truck, since I bought it, 28 years ago.

Curious, why is your son allowed to drive the truck but not your daughter?

I don't know what kind of relationship you have with your kids, but I do know that my youngest daughter is the one I'd trust out of my 2 kids to be mature enough to handle a powerful vehicle. She is more interested than her older sister. She's more willing to get her hand's dirty. She's less eager to drive my 485 hp car than her older sister. She's more honest and forthcoming with us. And she's the type that will call people out on their BS, even if she thinks her dad or I have done something she doesn't agree with. And she's not rude about it, she asks to talk to us and holds a mature conversation. Therefore I trust this kid to be responsible enough to handle this truck. And for the record, neither of my kids drive my 485 hp car. Only a few select people do that I know can handle that car get behind the wheel of it.