1971 Chevy Cheyenne

[bojoe]

I am new here so go easy on me.

I am looking to buy a 71 Cheyene 1/2 ton

• 350/350(cam lobe wearing off/sounds like)
• long bed
• very little rust
• bucket seats(need re done)
• tach dash
• factory a/c
• factory posi rear(rebuilt recently)
• about 120,000 miles
• the guys dad bought new

I know you need pics to tell a fair value, but how much is it worth and how rare is it with these options?

[Longhorn Man]

Being in your neck of the woods, you need to REALLY look for rust repairs. I have only seen a few older vehicles out of your area that were not total rust buckets.
What you list does make it a fairly desirable truck, but needing an engien and torn up seats, along with being a LWB would all bring the price down pretty good IMO.

[ChevLoRay]

Welcome to the board, from Benton, Arkansas....the Heart of Arkansas!!

You'll find the board is very knowledgeable and that pricing another vehicle isn't easy to do. Some people have a knack for "picking up a real deal" while others, like me, find themselves neck deep in their trucks and still looking for a ladder to climb out of it.

You didn't mention what the asking price is. Based on your inquiry, you must feel that it has some merit. There was a total of 72,609 light trucks ('71 Chevy's) with the Cheyenne package. Of the total production run, 3 percent had bucket seats; 25 percent had air conditioning; 11 percent had positraction; 65 percent had the 350 engine. There were 206,313 LWB Fleetside trucks, out of a total of 277,497 C-10's. I don't have the numbers on the tach option, but the percentage of total production would be a low number, maybe corresponding to the bucket seat percentage.....still, just a wild stab.

Your best bet is to compare the prices to what you see in your area. Some common rust spots include the rockers, floor pans, rear of cab corners, cab mount brackets, just above the floors in the kick panels (underneath the vent grilles, and the inner fenders, particularly beneath the battery. Also, pay attention to the sheet metal just above the windshield. There are several layers of sheet metal that comprise that part of the cab structure. Most other rust spots would be more obvious.

But, welcome to the board.

[bojoe]

The guy is asking $1800 for it. I though it was a little high, but I am a tighta** by nature anyway. I took a magnet to the whole thing a did not find any major bondo spots. It is going to need new rocker panels, and the cab corners seem a little thin. Besides that it really doesn't have the typical bad spots on the bed. I had originally went to his house to find A/C cab for my '75. He has a '80 model with a A/C cab on it that is fairly rusted away. He said he would throw the '80 model(whole truck minus engine and trans) in on the deal if I bought the '71. So that is worth a little. Just let me know if I am in the ballpark or way off here.

[special-K]

Welcome from Maryland.Not being hard,but you should know it`s spelled Cheyenne.Donut keer tu mudje fer corecked spellen sept fer modil naym.Don`t figure that`80 in the price,you`re just doing someone a favor hauling off a rust bucket.Tell him you`ll give him $1,600 for the Cheyenne or $1,500 for both.

[Long Roof]

By your discription and the area in which you live it doesn't sound like a horrible asking price. I would offer maybe $1000 and see how serious he is. I would be concerned with rust first and the condition of the engine second. All in all pictures would help to determine best offer. If you go back to check it out further take a digi camera.

Aaron

[bojoe]

I offered him $1500 and he told me that he was firm on $1800.

Special K
You know I spelled it Cheyenne and it did not look right. I stand corrected. All I had to do was look at some emblem pictures and I would have known.

I am going to go back and look at it again and when I do I will post some pics.

[PanelDeland]

Make sure when you go back you crawl under and look at cab mounts and also the cross sills in the bed floor.They are prone to rust and may not be noticable.Also pass side inner fender and front fender cup will probably have some rust.Use the rust areas you fing as bargaining tools.Some people think these trucks are collectors items because they are popular.The options and condition are the things that make them worthwhile.Beware of the "rare 3 door suburban".

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Good luck on you quest and welcome to the board from southern oregon..

[special-K]

I`m sure you would have figured that out on your own.I do that all the time.Even if I spell something right,I think it looks wrong.Then,I get all screwed up.Good luck on the truck quest.You know where to look for rust,right?Rockers,cab corners are light duty stuff.Look under the carpet at the kick panel,the cowl under the hood,and driprail.Sometimes there can be rust in the header panel above the windshield.

[stllookn]

Welcome to the board from sunny Seattle, WA. A truck with those options is really worth looking over. It does sound a bit steep for all the problems but really look hard at the front of the cab (firewall) for rust, above the windshield (pull the rubber gasket down), upper rear window (pull the gasket back), drip rails and caulk in them, (4) cab supports, "z" bar (cab supports front to rear), frame, and lower sheet metal all around the truck.

Post some pictures if you can. It sounds like a decent deal but pictures will really help.

[bojoe]

I did look at the cab supports and the firewall, but did not look at the window seal areas on the cab. My 71 dump truck has a bad case of rust around the seal areas on the windsheild. Also everytime it rains it gets the floorboard wet on the passenger side. I am going to make the trip with a dig. camera in tow in the next couple of weeks.

[bojoe]

I am also going to try to get the $1800 price down a little as well. Depends all of what I find wrong that I did not see the first time of looking at it.

[Longhorn Man]

I would just keep in mind, depending on how far you want to go with this rig....
you couyld go in one of two directions....
$1000 for a southwest engineless beater + $800 to ship it would probably put you $1500 ahead in sheet metal repair...assuming you are going to do a restoration on it.
If it is going to be more of a beater, or you simply aren't worried about the body, then you'll be hard pressed to do better body wise shopping in your area.

[stllookn]

Joe, Nice collection of trucks aleady...especially the C60 and the Pete! Longhorn Man has an excellent suggestion and you probably know lots of truckers that could haul one of those rust free units from the west to you for a bargain or favor. New "crate" engines are inexpensive (relatively speaking) and so are trannys so you are not worried about those.

BTW...I'm looking for a '79 or older Pete steering wheel (big and skinny with a Pete logo in the center) for cheap it stumble across one.

[special-K]

I like the C/60.I`m lookin`at a`67 C/50 with a 9`service body,boom,and bucket.You know,like a lineman`s truck.Short little thing,except for the boom hangin`the bucket out front.

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by stllookn

BTW...I'm looking for a '79 or older Pete steering wheel (big and skinny with a Pete logo in the center) for cheap it stumble across one.

Mike, i looked for that today and came up empty handed. Sorry man.

[stllookn]

Andy, No sweat man...there is no big hurry on this and I am sure one will turn up someday. My only priority now is getting the stepside into primer...sanding almost evey night. I almost have the inside of the cab done and once that is done I will move onto the last big piece...the box (fenders already done). I want this rat rod on the road and then turn my attention to the Longhorns! Wife wants to drive one to Yellowstone or Glacier this year...whoo hooo!

[Longhorn Man]

sweeeeet. A wife like that is a good thing to have around. I finally found one who supports me. I said something about selling it once, she about when nuts on me.

[bojoe]

You guys make a good point about the rust free thing. I am no body man, that is for sure. I have a a bunch of 350 stuff in the shed, and an extra T350 out there too. I'll say it again I am no body man at all. I can do all the mechanical stuff, but as far as painting goes, I can paint up an old John Deere with the thing looking better than new. Just don't ask me how many hours it takes me to do the body work on the sheet metal. My wifes 1st cousin has his own body shop so he would get the body work, but it would still cost me something, and it wouldn't get done as fast as I would like it to. I sure don't have to buy this truck that is for certain. I will say that I am obsessed with the 67-72 model year.

[stllookn]

"I will say that I am obsessed with the 67-72 model year." That is why we are all here...LOL! You can't own just one!!!!

[Longhorn Man]

you can if you have to.

[special-K]

Obsessed?Who`s obsessed?I just really really really really like them(that`s a "really" for each rolling truck).I just can`t imagine ever looking out my window and not seeing at least two.Or,a few buildings full of parts I may never use,yet wouldn`t sell.I just go out and buy parts for trucks that I might get someday.I just collect every form of memorabilia related to these trucks and can`t go anywhere w/o noticing every truck along the way.Even at a glance noting the overall condition,originality,modifications,model year,and if it`s been sitting or not.Even if I only see a one foot square section I could tell you a handfull of info on that particular truck.And,can`t watch tv or a movie w/o spotting them in the background and will enjoy a "chick-flick" if they drive one(unless they treat it with disrespect).Everyone in a 25 mile diameter knows me as a 67-72 GM truck guy.But,obsessed?Better check your Funk`n`Wagnel.

[ChevLoRay]

Obsessions???? That's why we buy old/repop owner's manuals, assembly manuals, emblems, literature, shop manuals (prefer originals over reprints- go figure), and (in my case) a Truck Data Book for sales people. Yeah, we're obsessed, for sure. Well, that or we're completely dependant on our trucks to fulfill that void in our lives that isn't completed by having a house, a wife and/or girlfriend, a family, a job and/or other hobbies, etc.

Oh yeah, we're obsessed......