Why are our trucks so popular?

[67ChevyRedneck]

They DO make fiberglass cabs for theese trucks... if you have about $1,000 laying around.

[Skruffy]

Originally Posted by Boog

My take on this is GM was in the beginning of building less of a plain old work truck and a more refined comfortable all around truck. With a wide variety of power trains available they were still tough trucks but with the nicer trim and interiors the trucks were welcome in other than work situations. One of the most beautiful trucks of the 67-72 era is the 72 Chevy, ALL black with ALL the trim. It's just hard to beat that one for looks.

I agree. I think a lot of the appeal is that they are not only great looking, you can jump in them and cruise comfortably cross-country at 80 MPH. The technology (IFS, disc brakes, AC, etc) reached a point that they aren't a PITA to actually use for transportation.

[rmurray25]

I personally don't have a reason to like these trucks. My father never owned one nor did he ever even so much as drive a truck. I just love them. I got my 1st one, a 69, when I was 16 and unfortunatly it caught fire and burned to the ground 12 hours later(the guy primed it by pulling th hose off the carb and sucking gas into his mouth and then spitting back into the carb. He forgot to tighten the clamp back down) Then when I was 18 I decided I needed another pickup so I went in search and drove 4 different trucks. 3 from the mid to late 70's and a 69 which has always been my favorite body style. This is the truck I still own today. I fell in love with this truck more than any other vehicle I have ever owned.

[49studebaker]

I took my 16 year old girlfriend to the prom in a 67. But the biggest reason I love these trucks is there are so many parts out there for them. I'd rather drive an older truck, but like my Stude, it just doesn't have the engineering to be a daily driven ride. Most parts on that truck were hand built, fabricated, etc. Talk about labor intensive! And like others have said, it's my way of revolting against the new, over complicated, over expensive trucks. I can afford to buy a new one, but chose to drive older trucks. Everyone else at the gold mine I work at has $40,000 plus trucks.

[jkaylor68gmc]

The reason they are so popular is because they are the modern classic truck. You are able to have an old truck that came with power disc brakes, A.C, PS, bucket seats, tilt wheel, but they are still all steel. They are the perfect truck to cruise ecause of these options but they still have the appeal of the steel dash and interior.

[rigon4]

I dont have a clue why i like these trucks, only 18 years old an my dad is not in to old cars/trucks. the only thing is that they look great and there is a ton of aftermarket. no RICE here

1971 blazer 2wd 355/t5 in the works , 1987 camaro z28 305/700r4 1987 k-10 355/th350 , 1984 c-10 305/700r4

[wolfthing2000]

Just Look At Em'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[70rs/ss]

I am a mix of two, one being my dad owned many of them when I was a kid. I remember going to N or S Carolina to buy these when they were older (I was born in 71), so we are talking 76 or a little later, because they were cheap and not as rusty as the ones from PA. The second and most important reason is that my older brother gave me (helped me build) my first vehicle and it was a 67 short step with an I6/3-speed converted to the floor. I loved and beat on that thing in the late 80's into 90 when I graduated and sold it to get something "better", since then I have owned nearly 20 of the trucks (long and short, but still love the shorties!) and Blazers as well as Suburbans. I love the way they look and drive (plus the attention you get!) My brother passed away over the summer from a car accident, so I found another 67 to replace the one he gave me 15 years ago, and my old man loves the picts of my fleet, past/current/and some of the future ones as well.

[hevy_chevy67]

Im only 17, so I'm not sure how I got so attached to them. The first time I rode in one was in fall of 04, when I bought a 71 rust bucket. I guess it all started there. I even got my dad interested now, as we recently crossed the border to go and get a nice one.

[cflvulcan]

im 19, im a minitrucker at heart but ive loved 67-72 chevy/gmc trucks all my life. they have everything youd want in a truck. good looks, can haul anything,their easy to work on... my father had alot of older chevy trucks, maybe that has something to do with it. my 69 c10 definitely brought me closer with my dad cause we never really got along until i got my truck and we started working on it together. later...

tom

[68gmcdually]

I dunno, I fall in love with trucks and just can't seem to shake it. When I was 14 I bought my first S-10, fixed it up and sold it and bought my second S-10 when I was 16, still have it to this day. Then I decided that I really, really needed the '68 that was for sale on my dad's lot, so I bought it, customized it a bit and still own it. Then for good measure I bought a s-series Bravada for the wife to drive. Now I have an impressive fleet.

I am kinda partial to the GMC 67-2 over the Chevy though, I know that will comment will cause some discussion.

[CPNEJR]

i like these trucks cause of their design they easily fixable can clean it off and go crusin if you want with em. i didn't grow up around these things but when my bro got a 71 C/10 i loved it and loved working on it with him and my dad.

[OhioChevy]

I guess my story is a little different. My dad worked for a ford dealership
and in our family "Ford" was the only brand to buy. I bought a new ford
truck in 1970, 1974, 1979 and again in [ 1992 of which I still own ]. In
2002 I bought my first chevy truck. Its a extended cab Z71. I always
liked the looks of the 71-72 chevy trucks better than any of the earlier
trucks. So when I decided to buy an older truck to restore I went looking
for a 67-72 chevy. Ended up with a 71 cst.

[Tx Firefighter]

They have a great rear suspension with the trailing arms and coil springs.

Parts are completely interchangable for many year span, example front crossmember swap for disc brakes.

They had sixes, small blocks, and big blocks from the factory, so GM did the engineering for us. All you have to do is decide what you want and use factory parts to get it.

Power steering and brakes were factory options too. Simply bolt on and no engineering needed.

Old enough to be exempt from the smog Nazis.

[TP from Cntl PA]

I am in my early 20's and I like them for two main reasons.

#1 Both my grandfathers had '67-'72s and they both rate them as the best pickup they've ever owned. Reliablity, comfort, and looks were by far the best of any they've owned.

#2 I've been around about every year pickup built by the big 3 in last 30 years, and these trucks will take the worst beating you can hash out and come back for more. Living on a farm we worked the snot out of our first '67-'72, a '69 C-10, 250 with 3 on the tree.............No power anything, just a plain jane work truck with a short step box. We towed, pulled, pushed, hauled, etc, etc, huge loads that were by far exceeded what the pickup was designed for, but it never let us down. All we did to it was an oil pan gasket, heater core, radiator, and put 33's on the rear for more tire chain contact for when we chained it up. Other than the bodys rusting out so badly, I can't think of one thing I'd change on them, except maybe a bigger inline 6 with a cross flow head or a factory Detroit Diesel 4-53 option

[weasel29gm]

This will sum it up.... Simply the best ever!!!!!!!!!!! enough said!!!!!!!

[cstanley]

because they're bad a$$

[rage'nrat638]

BECAUSE THERE SO FREAKING COOL

i have never had so many thumbs up as i have had in my truck.
with the other 20 cars i have owned

[Stocker]

It's the rounded fender openings. Tires are not square or trapezoidal.







Oh yeah, all the rest of that great modern/classic styling, comfort & convenience features, all-around toughness & durability stuff too....

[subtle71]

I'm hoping that was a retorical question!

[bad68bowtie]

The things are just flat out awesome. I can't really pinpoint one particular thing about our trucks that explains why I'm so attached to them. I picked up a love for cars and mechanical stuff from my grandfather, but the gene passed over my dad so I didn't grow up around cars or trucks. NASCAR fueled my passion for Chevrolets and what brought me to trucks was that I always thought muscle cars were the coolest things on the planet. Starting when I was about 14 I started looking at ads for SS Chevelles, 442s and the like but I eventually realized there was no way I was ever gonna be able to afford one so I started looking at trucks. Through a chain of events and a few influences I ended up with my truck and there isn't a single 396 Chevelle or anything that I would trade it for now.

I think the 67-72s are the best combination of style, comfort, configurability and ironically enough, safety. I wrote off 73-87s with the gas tanks and the previous generation just isn't as good looking in my opinion. I'm 17 (the 1-8 is this weekend!) and I'll never forget the awesome response I got when I drove it to school the first time last year, the things are just timeless and everyone loves them, it's helped me out with getting girls too, haha.

[3damnboyz]

In 1980 my dad bought a 10 year old beater that had been worked as a farm truck. A 70 long bed with a burned out 305 that smoked pretty bad but would still squeal the tires if pushed. I was 10 years old then and I had an older cousin that worked at a salvage yard and we came across a 350 that came out of a wrecked 79 silverado. We swapped out the engine one weekend and I remember the first time we fired it up..........i was hooked.
I learned to drive in that old truck. I wrecked it pretty bad when I was 18 and had to replace all the sheet metal in the front. (both fenders, the grill, the hood, the radiator) I found the parts and put the truck back togeather in less than 48 hours with the exception of painting it.
I was driving that plaid truck when I got married in Dec of 90.....(so I know she didnt marry me for the money!)
I finally got bought a new truck and gave the old beater back to dad and he sold it a short time later.
In 96 I found my current hobby truck............a 72 cheyenne short bed.
I guess the reason I love these trucks so much is because they have always been a part of my life, bonding with my dad, running around with my buddies as a teenager, dating, starting a family. I have tons of tales about my 70 and 72, and I plan of having a lot more.
My oldest boy is 10 now...........time to let him in on the rebuild of the 72!

[davidh]

I grew up in OKLAHOMA and when I was 13 (1985) all the older +16year olds drove the 67-72's since they were the cheaper trucks of the time. Often handed down from their parents. I learned how to work on vehicles through a friends 67. The 283 got bored , balanced. I've never seen a motor take as much abuse as that one did. It went through 3 turbo 400's. Tore a flywheel from the center.
My dad seldomly worked on cars. He liked cars and seeing the new ones come out. Working on them changing plugs were about it. He absolutely despised pickups for some reason.(I later found out he looked at buying a new crew cab international since there were 3 of us) I have always liked them. He doesn't make comments about hating trucks anymore. I scared the hell out him with my 82 that has a built 350.
I like these trucks a lot. And my GF does too. She likes the smell of an old truck to her its like well broken in gloves. She's also raised as a chevy fan.
Her and her son can pick out the 67 small windows quite easily these days.
If I come across a $500 running 67-72 I just cant seem to turn it down. I've also got the neighbor kid who is 13 years younger than me into them now. I sold him a 68 longstep side. He's bought several since then.
I've been away from my truck hobby now for 3 months bc of work and I'm about to go stir crazy. I got get one going for the cruise in June..

[fearnatine13]

Well all i can say is that in southern california, its really rare to see trucks like these without lookin hard for them. I bought mine from a friend of mine and never regretted it. They are slick looking, just as comfortable as a newer model, roomier, and hey who doesnt like putting on a new carb or intake? Getting this truck actually brought me and my dad closer together, as he has a '63 studebaker lark.

[A.P.]

My truck was a gift to me by my older brother, when I was in high school. He thought it was funny that the truck was built in 1972 and I was born in 1972. It is the best gift that any body has given me.