1975 Chevy's

[SRH916]

Ok. First off, I'm new to the forum, and i don't have my own truck yet. I've been looking around for a project and have found two that look like good canidates.

I'm just looking for some oppinions here. and maybe some thoughts of where to go once i purchase one of them.

I have found a 1975 chevy C-10 longbed with a sb350 and a turbo400, it looks basically stock, except for a camper on the back that i would pull off. Its in good shape, and has been kept in really good condition.

I have also found a chevy that is almost the complete opposite. It is also a 1975 chevy c-10 shortbed stepside, but it is pieced to gether from alot of parts from junk yards. its all primered, body is done. the best part is that it packs a 454 Rat pulled out of a chevelle ss, and a turbo400, the stock differential(i have no idea what it is gear wise, so any ideas of what it could be is helpfull[the guy does have some 4.11s , but the top end speed would be about 80, even if i could get to there in about 2seconds]). but this truck is running 12's at the strip.

Im not sure whether i should go for a restored truck, or go for a resto-mod/drag truck.

I just got bored and decided to post something since i need some more oppinions of this. thanks for the help, and i will try to get some pics up soon.
thanks guys

[Mickey_D]

First off, welcome to the boards!!


For me it comes all down to dollars and cents. The first thing I think of when I see "454 Rat" and "12;s at the strip" is horrendous gas mileage and never being able to enjoy driving it because it takes half a paycheck to prime the carb.

I personally would much prefer driving in comfort and style for a longer distance than going like a bat out of hell once a month.

But I'm living paycheck to paycheck working nights at Walmart, so you might have an entirely different financial situation than me. But I'd go with the first one if it was me.

[77GMCTruck]

I'd have to go with the daily driver as well, but nothing says you can't modify the daily one to make it a little more fun to drive. I plan on doing that to mine over time. Great part is I can still enjoy the truck as I work on the mods.

[1Ton]

Buy em both!

[Eyegore]

Welcome to the board. You said that you were looking for a project so I take that to mean not a daily driver, hope I did not miss that. The way I look at projects is not to settle on the first ones you come across take your time and find exactly what you want. As far as opinions, I will always go for the the shortbed first longbeds are a dime a dozen, well at least here in Phoenix. I also avoid anything pieced together, look for the stock - untouched truck to start with, then you can decide to keep it stock or modify it. But whatever you buy will be up to you, enjoy the hunt, be patient and do not settle on anything less.

[old Rusty C10]

personally i like the longbeds.. i have had many over the years and i use em as work trucks.. as long as you have a truck there is always people willing to pay you to haul stuff and you can always make a few extra bucks with it.. my advice is to get a good unmollested truck that you can build the way you want to.. MY feelings on the stepside is its all looks and no function and the junkyard ressurection is probably going to give you alot of problems as well as be a real bad gas eater, not that any of these trucks could be mistaken for a honda hybrid at the pump, but a 454 will suck gas quicker than you could pump it in
my last project cost me $300 and im already into it for over a grand... have about three more grand going into it before its done but i started with a junky start.. sometimes it pays to sit and be patient to get a better base.. but its all according to what you want to do and how much work you really want to put into things

[spudz]

Originally Posted by old Rusty C10

my last project cost me $300 and im already into it for over a grand... have about three more grand going into it before its done but i started with a junky start.. sometimes it pays to sit and be patient to get a better base.. but its all according to what you want to do and how much work you really want to put into things

I'd rather start with a POS. Or a few POS's and make one.. It makes me feel like I've done something.. The truck I am building now was no more then a parts truck at best.. lol. I paid $200 for it, and $150 for the parts truck, then sold the converters off of them for 80 bux. And i'll get prolly more of my money back out when I scrap the left overs. What I am sayin is.. if you start with nothing, and end up with something....that feeling just does it for me.. Plus knowing that I saved another truck that was goin to be crushed. But be prepaired for alot of extra work.

[BigDaddyDave]

Welcome to the board,You will never go wrong buying an unmolested or at least clean as possible truck to begin with.My last project was a mess,the past owner had screwed more up than he fixed,i have spent 3 times the amount of time and money,redoing his mess!

[xtreme80]

Originally Posted by BigDaddyDave

Welcome to the board,You will never go wrong buying an unmolested or at least clean as possible truck to begin with.My last project was a mess,the past owner had screwed more up than he fixed,i have spent 3 times the amount of time and money,redoing his mess!

Agreed. I'm in the same situation. Everything that could have possibly broken on the drivetrain, did.

Get something you know has been taken care of.

[manimal]

A 454 and runs 12's says that truck has been abused. Buy a stock one and do it the way YOU want it.
-Lance

[Thumpin455]

Considering I have a 76 swb that used to be a step but is now fleet due to rust, and it has a 454 in it, well... you do the math.

If you are knowledgeable and can do the work yourself, a pieced together vehicle isnt a problem because you can fix anything that goes wrong with it and do it the right way. If you plan to haul stuff with it a long bed is the way to go. If its a fun project, well the best parts are already in the shortbox and it just needs some elbow grease.

If you cant fix anything yourself, then you have two ways to learn, the POS never get out from under it way, or the decent vehicle to start with way. If you dont want to learn how to fix it then look for a different project on both counts, unless you have deep pockets to pay someone else to fix it.

[jchav62]

Welcome for Santa Fe, NM!

Both sound cool as hell. It all depends on what you are looking for in a truck. The first sounds more taken care of. The other sounds like a weekend drag racer. What are you looking for in a truck?

[SRH916]

The only thing that is pieced together on the stepside is the body of which the only rust is in the inside fender where the battery is mounted. its a solid truck, and the guy took really great care of it. i am kind of leaning twoard the short beds, but the long bed is all original and looks like it came off of the line. extremely clean except for the camper on the back... there are a total of 8 holes drilled on the top of the sides of the bed to keep it down. I am really torn between both of these. looks i like the stepside, but for 100% there i am leaning twoard the long bed. muscle is for the stepside, but gas miles is for the long bed. hard choice. ive been looking for a while, and none like these have come along. hard choices. if i make one soon i will keep all of you posted.

Thanks for the oppinions!

[streetstar]

just from your description and not having any pictures, -- i would go for the long bed in clean condition.

You can find Chevy big blocks to swap in later if thats your thing. I would rather start off with my own block and rebuild it reliably rather than trust an old performance-oriented build done by someone unknown

i would have to see a timeslip to believe a 12 second et in one of these trucks too -- plenty of trucks with stout motors never get out of the 13's because of traction issues and horrible 60 ft times

But besides the drag racing mumbo-jumbo, thats my opinion -- start with something clean and fix it to rip later --

This is just me personally, but i am also leery of anything with "done, but in primer" bodywork too unless i have had a chance to go over it thoroughly with a magnet or unless i knew what it looked like before. Cost to just spray one with topcoat can easily exceed 2 grand and only goes up from there if the bodywork is suspect

But i should also mention that i have no preference either way, for long or short beds -- my viewpoints are for trucks in general, and a nice longbed is worth much more to me than a pieced together shortbed

[85gmcguy]

Welcome from Western NC! My .02 is to buy something you REALLY like. Don't settle for something close unless you're ready to make it what you REALLY like. Also, there is NO return on rust repair, it won't make your truck worth any more that one already in good shape and you're out the time and money. Buy the absolute BEST you can afford before you start and you'll be money ahead...

[old Rusty C10]

ya know this thhread would be alot easier to talk about with pics of both trucks

[SRH916]

i dont have great pix of both trucks, but i do have some from the long bed. it does have a camper on that, but it would go. here they are.

[streetstar]

Your right -- that truck looks cherry in the pics, although with the camper, it does look like a "Paw-paw" truck a bit

Ditch the camper, bolt on Some 18" wheels and tires, maybe a mild 2/4 lowering job, and some sport mirrors and it would look like a completely different truck

[SRH916]

after figuring out that the guy still has the tailgate, im kindof leaning twoard the long bed now. let me try to get the facts straight really quick

1975 Longbed

• second owner since 80 something.
• SB 350, new when stored with 5000 miles. new fuelpump, ect. runs great
• turbo 400 trans
• reupolstered [sp?] 15 years ago. xD
• camper :/
• has original tailgate
• total of 8 holes drilled in top of sides of bed[easy fix]
• all original except for the brand new goodwrench SB 350

1975 Shortbed Stepside

• 454 rat/turbo 400 pulled from a 67-9 chevell ss
• stock rearend
• pannels pieced together from junkyard parts, no rust and absolutely no bondo [guy wasnt good with bodywork/fixing dents]
• all primered
• 400-500 hp
• 12 second car

[streetstar]

There is a guy who posts on here with a green and white longbed with those same mirrors sitting on 20's, and the truck looks awesome (he has a green ninja or something painted to match)

i forgot his screen name, but maybe someone could refresh me and i could go back and post up a pic of that truck?

If tha long bed in the pics is clean enough , it could look similar (obviously different colors tho)

mines's not a great example because the wheels are totally 80's retro (i just got them last year, but i'm already tired of them) and it still stands up at stock height, but its a similar color with the sport mirrors --- i need to get a couple of fresh pics of this thing though with a better background - its had some work done since these were taken