Need Some Help from the Experts, (Truck Identification)

[Jaykane]

First let me say thank you in advance for any help received.

I picked this truck up last week as it seamed rather rare and the price was right. But now that i dig further im finding less and less information about it. I am aware that the early 70's was a wierd time of dealer installed parts and kind of a learning period.

Any insite would be awesome.

Here is what i do know.

1972 c-10
Has A/c with Montgomery ward control unit in the cab
5 lug truck

That's about all i really know. If you need any more information to help answer anything i will try my best, and again i appreciate all the help.

[michael bustamante]

I swear that looks like a nissan emblem on the passenger fender! lol
Major mods... is that a dually rear end?

[Jaykane]

Lol certainly not a Nissan badge, there is a "Cheyenne" badge and Custom-10 badge.

Not a dually rear end standard 12 bolt 5 lug rear from what i can tell, they are "dual" wheel adapters.

other than that the truck appears to be stock.

[davepl]

It's a 127 in wheelbase truck so not a dually, as already noted. It would have been a 133 otherwise.

Wheel Adapters, Fender flares and a 70s or 80s Cheyenne emblem on the side, methinks.

[SS Tim]

Pretty much a basic C10.
As built it had a 307 V8 with a 3 speed column shift trans.
Power nothing including the disc brakes since a booster was optional.
The few factory options it has are good to have.
Gauges, real mirrors and HD rear coils.

Underdash A/C was a common addition at the time and many national store chains with automotive centers sold and installed kits. Montgomery Ward and Sears are but two that come to mind. Even then these were just branded kits made by vendors selling dealer install kits. Often it was added to used vehicles to enhance resale value.

It is interesting to note this truck had an optional painted standard rear bumper since replaced by a step bumper at some point. So many trucks today are just the reverse.

The dual wheels are very much a period accessory and truthfully not a good one. The scheme was you replaced your lug nuts with these custom extended studs that screwed down over the stock wheel. Then slid a tubular extension with a flange over the studs and mounted a second stock wheel. The second wheel was then snugged up with typical lug nuts. The full wheel covers were always a give away on so converted trucks. Unfortunately the outer wheel had little support and broken wheel studs or extensions were common. While they worked to some extent, the bearings and semi-floating axle shafts took the brunt of often overloaded trucks due to a perceived added ability. In reality they were no more than two tires acting like a really wide tire with a huge amout of wheel offset. Think 15x12 with 4" backspacing to picture the loads.

The fender extension were accessories as well and I have been looking for years for an intact set to at least document. So no matter your plans please don't just trash them and if possible I'd love to have more pictures and measurements to make molds down the line.

[Jaykane]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Pretty much a basic C10.
As built it had a 307 V8 with a 3 speed column shift trans.
Power nothing including the disc brakes since a booster was optional.
The few factory options it has are good to have.
Gauges, real mirrors and HD rear coils.

Underdash A/C was a common addition at the time and many national store chains with automotive centers sold and installed kits. Montgomery Ward and Sears are but two that come to mind. Even then these were just branded kits made by vendors selling dealer install kits. Often it was added to usd vehicles to enhance resale value.

It is interesting to note this truck had an optional painted standard rear bumper since replaced buy a step bumper at some point. So many trucks today are just the reverse.

The dual wheels are very much a period accessory and truthfully not a good one. The scheme was you replaced your lug nuts with these custom extended studs that screwed down over the stock wheel. Then slid a tubular extension with a flange over the studs and mounted a second stock wheel. The second wheel was then snugged up with typical lug nuts. The ful wheel covers were always a give away on so converted trucks. Unfortunately the outer wheel had little support and broken wheel studs and extensions were common. While they worked to some extent, the bearings and semi-floating axle shafts took the brunt of often overloaded trucks due to a perceived added ability. In reality they were no more than two tires acting like a really wide tire with a huge amout of wheel offset. Think 15x12 with 3" backspacing to picture the loads.

The fender extension were accessories as well and I have been looking for years for an intact set to at least document. So no matter your plans please don't just trash them and if possible I'd love to have more pictures and measurements to make molds down the line.

SS Tim I really appreciate the feedbackand you are 100% spot on with the read "Adapters"

And no worries about the rear fenders, As i am a glutton for punishment, and heavily rooted in the aftermarket performance world i am actually planning to do an 8 lug conversion to the truck and make it an actual dually retaining those flairs.

[SS Tim]

Glad to be of help. As far as keeping it a dually, there really isn't much point when you consider the coil spring rear suspension and frame stiffness will negate most of the gains. But it does look cool. Chevrolet even offered 3/4 coiler dually chassis cabs up through 69 or 70 IIRC.

[Jaykane]

Tim, yeah the dually would be stricktly for looks. I love the unfinished rat rod semi look. Ill make sure to share the build plans as soon as I have them completed. Again thank you for your input.

[SS Tim]

Any updates???

[jocko]

I may have missed it in the details above, but the Cheyenne emblem is a square blazer emblem.

[toolboxchev]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Glad to be of help. As far as keeping it a dually, there really isn't much point when you consider the coil spring rear suspension and frame stiffness will negate most of the gains. But it does look cool. Chevrolet even offered 3/4 coiler dually chassis cabs up through 69 or 70 IIRC.

If I remember correctly those add-ons were notorious for coming loose on the road.

They had to be re torqued from time to time.

[jerry moss]

Originally Posted by jocko

I may have missed it in the details above, but the Cheyenne emblem is a square blazer emblem.

correct-my 77 K5 has those emblems on it.

['68OrangeSunshine]

Those are Ford style mirrors, not the GM below-the-eyeline type, like on the green/white truck in post #2.