Barn Find C20

[LSV8]

I know the original owner who bought it new in Feb, 1967. I knew the man he sold it to and his entire family but I had NEVER seen this truck until last week. The sons of the family knew I liked these trucks and they finally decided they would sell it to me. This was parked in a cattle barn in 1982. In 2006, it was moved to the barn you see here. It was bought at Hare Chevrolet in Noblesville, Indiana and still has the warranty book with it. The bed and tailgate are rust free. The wood in the bed floor is still good. It has the usual outer rocker rust and the seat bottom is broken down. No upper windshield rust. 283/4-speed, 93K miles. This one is the 7500# GVWR (rear coils) with leaf helpers. The rumor is that the 283 shaved a cam lobe but they had it running in 2006. So that's the first step, pull the 283 and get to it.

[Hawghauler]

Sweet find!
It looks pretty good and it's obvious that it's been in a barn for a while.
Make sure to take lots of pics! We're going to want to see all of it.

[LSV8]

I have a jack under the engine cradle so the water would drain out the gate. Kudos to whoever invented the pressure washer.

[Saclandman]

Awesome find! Wish mine looked that good after sitting for over 30 years.

[LSV8]

I don't think it has any options outside of the engine/transmission selection, two tone paint and deluxe gages. I found the radio delete plate (both clips) in the glove box. It appears Harvey added the radio. The missing pedal pads, gas pedal and body trim were all under the seat along with about 20 pairs of gloves.

[sambudo]

Originally Posted by LSV8

I don't think it has any options outside of the engine/transmission selection, two tone paint and deluxe gages. I found the radio delete plate (both clips) in the glove box. It appears Harvey added the radio. The missing pedal pads, gas pedal and body trim were all under the seat along with about 20 pairs of gloves.

Love it! Great truck! I have the same color interior on my 68. But it doesn't look as nice as yours.

[c20olive]

Wow great find

[LSV8]

Thanks! The interior might look good for its age but it STINKS to high heaven. I'm going to have to take the heater and all the ducts out, new foam and recover the seat and maybe even paint the inside of the cab to get rid of the mouse smell. Rats chewed through every single coolant hose. So, in this case, the barn saved it from years of weather but it got used as a mouse factory. The things we do for old trucks.....

[Alex V.]

Nice truck!

[SCHRUMGMC]

Awesome find

[72 tigger]

Very nice truck- especially for one that's spent its whole life in Indiana! The cam lobe deal is what saved it from years of salt! Looks like a good project- what are the long term plans?

[hugger6933]

Congrats really sweet find

[LSV8]

Well, long term plans...hmmm. I had been trying to coordinate buying this truck for about a year and it had been hard to coordinate with the family who had it. It wasn't advertised and they weren't motivated to sell it. I felt like I was pestering them and backed off. I started building a 68 short bed fleet side in April. Have all the parts for the '68 but the bed sides that appear to be on eternal backorder. Then two weekends ago, I talked to one of the sons of the family and he brought up this one again. Just going to keep the 283 4-speed for now. Most likely, I'll add a tach, PS & power disc brakes.
I think you're right that the missing cam lobe basically got it stored for 30+ years.

[LockDoc]

-
I would pull the valve covers and do some checking. I bought one in about the same condition with the same problem, would start but ran real rough with no power. I thought cam also. I pulled the valve covers and got to checking it out and lo and behold, #1 and #6 intake studs were pulled out of the head. Double nutted them and drove them back in with a lead hammer and I have been driving it with no problem ever since....

LockDoc

[Jfarns03]

Keep the patina and bag it Check out this truck built by Delmox I think the truck is called Gumby?

[In The Ten Ring]

Keep it original. Please keep the: 283, 4 speed, and bench seat. Don't do anything to its stance either.

Congrats on the find....sorry about the mice.

[Ol Blue K20]

Nice find/truck....we need a lot of pics to document it...I agree with Lockdown diagnosis it before pulling it out

[Tropical Snowstorm]

Killer find, I need to start digging in barns... I love seeing these kinds of stories!

[Jfarns03]

The way I look at it is, These trucks that we restore get a new lease on life. This truck was parked for 30 some years and it just sat. Give it a freshen up and ditch the old and out with the new. Its not going to be 100% original when you replace the rockers, fenders etc.. your going to cut it up to replace the damage. but while your at it maybe do some things that will increase value (LS swap) better suspension. Its an investment that at the end of the day it all comes down to money. Make it unique. Now of course if this was a plymouth forum and this was a 1970 Cuda with a 440 six pack then that'd be a different story haha

[Mr Chevorlet]

Very nice find, hopefully all the wiring is not all chewed up too. but still a great find.

[Alex V.]

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

Keep it original. Please keep the: 283, 4 speed, and bench seat. Don't do anything to its stance either.

Congrats on the find....sorry about the mice.

This. Everybody has their "swap", but getting in a time capsule is something not everybody can do. Although, above all, make the truck what you will be proud to pull up to a car show in.

[LSV8]

The mice did chew on the front light harness so I am going to make new ones for the dash and engine bay. You just can't trust the wiring abilities of rodents.

[LSV8]

I hear what you're saying about the "time capsule." For some odd reason the right fender has all the damage and the left escaped. I like the look of the weathered paint but as soon as I replace the outer rockers and the right fender, we will be multi-colored. Another worry is that the old lacquer paint is porous and I don't want the truck's metal to be subjected to the elements around here. So then becomes the question of where to stop or how far to go. I think we've all been there at some point. I will probably repaint it in a way that could pass for stock paint. The other truck is going to be resto-modded so I'd like to keep this '67 C20 pretty stock. I haven't built a small block since the early 90's, so it will be just like old times. Pretty much every single thing that comes thru here gets the LS upgrade. My experience is that the low compression of the 283's seem to be less affected by today's junk gasoline. So stock it stays in this case.

[factorystock]

I look at this truck as an historical artifact. This is not an modified primer bomb that doesn't even come close to the way it looked in '67. IMO, I would preserve history for the family that preserved the truck the best they could all this time. These type of trucks become more valueable over time to serioius collectors, while the modified restorations just become another fish in the sea.

[leddzepp]

Nice find. Build it the way YOU want to.