Finally Mine After 13 Year Quest! (and a few questions)

[mdwilf]

I've been "lurking" on here for a few years, doing a lot of reading but never posting until recently. Anyway.......... I just have to tell the story of my 13 year quest to get "Jean" (named for the previous owner). It's a long one, so run to the bathroom if you have to & get a beverage on your way back.

Jean is a 70 1/2 ton LWB. 350, auto, factory air. I got her (indirectly) from the widow of the second owner, who acquired her in 72 or 73 and loved her (so I'm told). I've loved the 67 -72's since I was a kid and it was love at first sight when I saw this truck. I had to have her. As soon as I knew the lady of the house well enough (her husband had alzheimer's by this time), I told her I would like to have a chance to buy the truck if she ever sold it. With a loud sigh she said "That truck. Everyone wants it, but I'll add you to the list. You'll be number 6. The first few are nephews & family. The rest are neighbors & friends." (I guess she literally had a list) Over the years, I would drive by the truck nearly every day for my job and cast long loving looks, and if the opportunity presented itself I would remind the owner of my interest. Steadily I worked my way up the list to #3 (!!!) I went on to restore a 72 with a friend & started acquiring parts and pieces for my own restoration "someday".

Fast forward to 2008. I had several parts of trucks sitting around, nearly enough for a truck of my own, and I was driving an unrestorable rust bucket 69 with a 67 front clip. I was hip deep in a family toy project & since gas was $4 a gallon, the budget was already tight. Of course, as life goes, that is when the phone rang. "I'm ready to sell my truck & #s 1 & 2 have passed on it." My heart sank - I just couldn't do it right then. She asked if I knew anyone else who might be interested, so I gave her number to a friend that owns several 67 -72s in hopes that at least she would go to a good home. He bought the truck, so my chance was gone - this guy NEVER sells anything. I ended up building a very solid cab out of two cabs in my spare time & was hoping to finish my restoration later this year.
I started a restoration on a 68 swb for a friend late last year, only to discover that the cab was not worth saving. The owner made me an offer on my cab sitting in the corner, and before I knew it I was hunting for another truck for myself. As I was passing the word around that I was looking for a solid cab, my friend told me he would consider selling me "the gold truck" because he'd gotten sidetracked on other projects and "after all the previous owner will be happy knowing you have it". Yes!!!! A second chance!!! He was kind enough to let me buy it for what he had in it. A true friend - you know who you are. I keep looking in the yard to be sure that after 13 years of drooling, hoping, dreaming, I finally have her!!!!

To be honest, she's not quite a cherry as she looks. Underneath it needs the floor supports, and just a little floor work - but not bad. At some point in the past, the rockers have been replaced and the whole truck was repainted. There's some rust bubbling on the quarters and the tailgate, but its complete & pretty much unmolested. The only thing not original is the motor and the carb, which was replaced with a new GM motor in the mid 70's because they had it in the dealership for service over the weekend & someone broke in and stole every v8 out of every vehicle in the service department! The carb is some sort of an old Holley.

Well, if you haven't quit reading by now I have a few questions: on the tag in the glovebox (see pic), I noticed the option codes have more letters than others I've seen. Anyone know why? Also, the trans (turbo 350) seems to have a drain plug on the front of the pan - anybody ever seen this before?

As far as my plan, she'll get a frame off sometime, I'll convert her to 5 lug, keep the trim, probably move the gas tank, and keep the gold & white, but change it up a little - maybe with some sort of blue accents or something. But for right now, I'm going to do what it takes to get her on the road & enjoy the fulfillment of a 13 year dream!!

Thanks for reading my post & feel free to chime in. Ignore the dates on the pictures.

[OARNGESI]

Congrats the truck looks great glad you got it after all that time sounds like you got a pretty good friend too

[justagoodolboy]

Congrats on getting the truck of your dreams after all these years.Looks like you're not far north of me.And I'd say you better hang on to your friend.Remember, a good friend will bail you out of jail, but a true friend will be sitting beside you saying "that was awesome, man!" LOL.

[srea76]

Great story. I wanted a 72 ever since my senior year in high school(94), when my best friends dad bought him one for a graduation present. My friend still has his 72, but it is not on the rode right now. Took me about 15 years to finally find one in good condition at a great price to start my dream truck. Grats on yours!

[madmopar]

cool truck, cool story... whats with your wheelbase reading 000 on the spid?

[madmopar]

Where are you in JC? I work in JC - I drive in from Frankenstein - about 70 miles round trip daily.

[GOPAPA]

Great truck and story with a happy ending ,,well ,,,,meaning ,,The truck you wanted is in your drive way ..LOL

[pat 70/71]

when I was a kid I used to mow lawns on our street. There was this old man with a truck exactly like yours! I would mow his lawn($3.00 for the front& $3.00 for the back) and wash that truck every saturday($2.00) made me smile when I saw this post! thinking back,$8.00 for three hours work not bad when your ten years old! Your truck is great! best of luck to you! cheers,Pat

[lolife99]

Great story, and a good looking truck to start with.
Change the rear bumper, swap out those mirrors, throw on a set of ralley wheels, and drive it!
I noticed the "000" in the wheel base section of the glove box SPID label.
I've never seen that before. It should say "127".

If you ever need any parts,... look me up.
I'm only 25 miles from you.

[ChevLoRay]

Built in St. Louis, it was Nr. 6091, for the '69's. Both of my '69's were built in the same factory. Both of the SPID's had the identification that yours has. Don't know why the additional two letters were added, because it's only the first four characters that identify the option.

I like a good story with a happy ending. No bathroom break/beer was needed to enjoy it.

One more thing: An older man (I'm 63) on my bus route to an elementary school had a '72 that he bought new. After he got a new truck a couple or three years ago, I stopped and asked about his "old" truck, which he had moved out of the double carport and parked behind his house. He kinda laughed and said I was one of several, but his son/nephew in Washington (state) was going to be the next owner. So, it sat and was moved very little for the next until this past summer, when it vaporized from my view. It was a white LWB with a 350/automatic. Clean and straight, it woulda been nice, but it was too long for me (makes me feel better saying that since I didn't get it).

[Zoomin]

That's cool had you wound up with it. Persistence pays.

I'm glad it wound up in good hands too. Keep us up to date on how it's going, and congrats!
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[72BlckButy]

In the JC area myself... great looking LWB!

[madmopar]

Wow, this has gotten a lot of action today for a post that hasn't been touched in 6 months... He's going to be suprised when he logs on!!!