The Joys of Driving an Old Truck.

[toddtheodd]

Originally Posted by '72customdeluxe

They have this one emissions tester on an onramp on I-10 near my house. I floor it just above the kickdown speed into first so that it has to pull all the way from the bottow to the top of second (little rich smelling down low at wot) Driving an old polluter is sooo much fun. I like to stomp on it near hybrids as well.

Picture this (like seriously... pop some popcorn and put on your 3D glasses so you can fully enjoy this)
It's 1am when I finally finish putting the hooker long tube headers on my truck, so I obviously couldn't go put the next mufflers and stuff on it until the next day.
Well... I leave for work around 4:30 in the morning... Yeah... Didn't realize open headers were that loud.
At work, a buddy that has fixed up a couple muscle cars tells me that I have to get on the highway WOT with open headers at least one time in my life.
So... I'm SCREAMING up the on ramp WOT pushing about 75 mph into rush hourish traffic, and it was like Moses parting the Red Sea. I had a pocket about 4 car lengths front and back that was open because my truck scared everybody out of the way.
Then... I end up in the bumper to bumper part of the traffic trying to get to the exit where my muffler shop was, and I was on the highway next to a little convertible something or other... about civic size, and they had the top down.
So there they were... in stop and go traffic... stuck next to the LOUDEST thing they have ever heard... with no escape.
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

[Gumby'sC20]

BWAHAHAHA!! (I have a Civic....so I can relate)


Thats so badass!

[vectorit]

When ever I take the burb out around town, I was always thinking people are looking at me because something was wrong with my truck. Since they just open their mouth and point, while everyone in traffic is slowin down lookin at me.

After a few times of me pullin into a parking lot to make sure there wasn't something wrong, now I just keep rollin and smillin and won't pull over now unless I hear, see, or smell some thing wrong.

To this day I still get people acting shocked and amazed that Chevy made Suburban's 40+ years ago.

['72customdeluxe]

I have a story about my last truck. Just got done installing long tubes and mounting up the a/c compressor. My dad and I go around the neighborhood and on the two lanes around it. You could basically hear it echoing off stuff a mile away. Then later we head towards the exhaust shop, only taking access roads because it's so loud and we don't want to get busted. This flaming bromo (98-02 v6 camaro, rainbow ley on rear view mirror, big white womens sunglasses) is next to us. I say hit it, and a forty mph kickdown gets you into first with 3.08's. Hearing the 5000 rpm v8 wail, this dude jumped up out of his seat and landed sideways staring in horror at the sound. Open headers bark sooo hard and violently. I can only imagine it with more than 8.5:1 compression and some cam Open header idle with a stocker motor sucks though. it just sounds like piepiepiepie. Literally. On this truck I want to run open headers to school for atleast one day. One rev would set off every car alarm in the parking lot, but the police around here are wieners soo.. To the original poster, if I had an inline six, i'd run cheap split longtubes into 2.25" duals with an x-pipe and some sort of straight through bullet muffler. It would sound so nice, like a 3 series bimmer with a loud exhaust. I love the inlines

[mikajo39]

When I first started my engine with open headers I was happily surprised by a nice cam and the beautiful sound of an uncorked V8. This was followed by a 15 minute test and tune, which was then followed by a police officer coming and telling us someone reported us racing it up and down the street without mufflers. I laughed and told the officer thats not possible because my truck didnt have a transmission in it yet! I still couldn't believe someone reported us at 4 in the afternoon, nearest neighbor was 500ft away too!. maybe i shouldnt have cracked the throttle that couple of times but man Cammed+Open headers = AWESOME I can't wait till I get my cutouts

['72customdeluxe]

That's one reason why i'm trying to go with single exhaust. Makes cutout setup easy and cheap. Though I might not need one with a single 12" long xr-1 Out the left under my step

[toddtheodd]

Originally Posted by '72customdeluxe

blah blah blah... sort of straight through bullet muffler... blah blah blah

Dude... you are seriously one of the few people I have heard of that have actually heard of the almighty bullet muffler.
That is what I have on my truck.
Hooker long tubes into true dual 2 1/2 exhaust with bullets and cut off 18 inches past the cab pointed straight back.
SO... BLOODY... LOUD!!! Like straight pipe but without the annoying hissing sound.

['72customdeluxe]

Originally Posted by toddtheodd

Dude... you are seriously one of the few people I have heard of that have actually heard of the almighty bullet muffler.
That is what I have on my truck.
Hooker long tubes into true dual 2 1/2 exhaust with bullets and cut off 18 inches past the cab pointed straight back.
SO... BLOODY... LOUD!!! Like straight pipe but without the annoying hissing sound.

Most people on this forum have glass packs and flowmasters. Glass packs cackle too (the longer ones are nice though, a little quiet) much and flowmasters are boring imo. I have dual flow 40's, they suck imo. To loud and droning at cruise, too quiet at full throttle. I want a single exhaust with a Borla xr-1 out before the left rear tire. Borla is sooo nice sounding.

[Boomerswany]

Love it - Great Ride my friend!

[mikajo39]

Originally Posted by '72customdeluxe

Most people on this forum have glass packs and flowmasters. Glass packs cackle too (the longer ones are nice though, a little quiet) much and flowmasters are boring imo. I have dual flow 40's, they suck imo. To loud and droning at cruise, too quiet at full throttle. I want a single exhaust with a Borla xr-1 out before the left rear tire. Borla is sooo nice sounding.

Spintechs are nice too!

['72customdeluxe]

Originally Posted by mikajo39

Spintechs are nice too!

I love spintechs. People need to venture out into the great wide world of muffler choices There's more to life than flow 40's and glasspacks. I like the more exotic Borla sound, and can't afford two of them at 130$ a piece. So a single xr-1 is in my future.

[mikajo39]

Originally Posted by '72customdeluxe

I love spintechs. People need to venture out into the great wide world of muffler choices There's more to life than flow 40's and glasspacks. I like the more exotic Borla sound, and can't afford two of them at 130$ a piece. So a single xr-1 is in my future.

Agreed! Borla sounds wonderful but they sure are expensive, I know my next pair of muffs is going to be a pair of Spintech Super Pro streets!

['72customdeluxe]

Man, with that engine of yours you need to focus on getting that one wheel peel problem fixed first :P That even holds back my stocker. It's embarrasing trying to take off hard with a one tire fire. Needs a detroit tru-trac

[*Dylan]

Haha, and who around here might have one of those for cheap that works with my 3.73 gears?

[Bert W]

Great story Dylan! It reminds me of my first Chevy truck, a 64 C10 short, stepside. It wasn't a highschool graduation present, but Mom and Dad helped me with the money. What has always helped me to keep working on them is the fact that I could drive them. I tend to lose interest if I can't, at least, drive it around the block. Work on it a little at the time and you will grow to love it. I love the completely restored trucks, but a beater is alot of fun to. Just don't get in a hurry and don't get caught up in fixing it up like someone elses. Make it your truck.

A gear change in the rear end would help some on speed and lower engine RPMs, as some of the guys have said. Good advice on grounds and headlight swaps too.

As far as windows rattling, the previous owner of my first 64 did a quick fix for shakey windows that worked well. In the front window channel running upright (back of vent window) he glued in (not to much glue) a piece of 3/8 fuel line with a vertical groove cut in the hose lengthwise. It will hold the window tight and keep it from rattling. It is a cheap fix until you get the correct parts. I've done it on some of my later trucks and it works great.

Keep on Truckin' (you are probably to young to remember that slogan, and the cool T-shirts) I have, and have owned a 64, 66, 68, 69, 70, and two 72s. I'm cruisin' in an old 68 now.

[my67chevytruck]

Dylan, Nice to see that you have it on the road and enjoying it now.

Congrats....

[Gumby'sC20]

Originally Posted by Bert W

Great story Dylan! It reminds me of my first Chevy truck, a 64 C10 short, stepside. It wasn't a highschool graduation present, but Mom and Dad helped me with the money...

Bert,

Right now I'm still working with my first (of possibly many) 67-72's, in which my Mom had lent the $1400 it took to purchase it.

Since I've been spending my weekends doing all the bodywork on it I like to remind Mom that I am, in fact, working diligently on HER truck. She hasn't asked for the $ back, just that I teach her how to drive it (4sp) when it's done

[Bubba4spd]

Hey 55chevy....love your truck! Laughed my butt off reading about the door flying open sometimes on left hand turns. Like I always say, these new trucks just aren't as fun!

['72customdeluxe]

Originally Posted by *Dylan

Haha, and who around here might have one of those for cheap that works with my 3.73 gears?

Sorry man, was talking about that the guy with the year one 350 That inline shouldn't even be frying one tire because of that powerglide. Maybe with a 2004r. Powerglide is like taking off in second.

[mikajo39]

Originally Posted by '72customdeluxe

Sorry man, was talking about that the guy with the year one 350 That inline shouldn't even be frying one tire because of that powerglide. Maybe with a 2004r. Powerglide is like taking off in second.

haha the 3.08's kill me too but I still get that one wheel roasting good for 3.08s if i had 4.10's id need a new set a tires every month!
gotta love the powerglide !

[fiddy9apache]

Originally Posted by toddtheodd

Dude... you are seriously one of the few people I have heard of that have actually heard of the almighty bullet muffler.
That is what I have on my truck.
Hooker long tubes into true dual 2 1/2 exhaust with bullets and cut off 18 inches past the cab pointed straight back.
SO... BLOODY... LOUD!!! Like straight pipe but without the annoying hissing sound.

i bet it sounds nice


im running a set of dynatech mufflers on my 97 chevy, there a straight through design but have a large case.

i like the sound of my magnaflow thats on my tahoe, it has a nice tone but nothing loud.

[michael bustamante]

Ill tell you what I like doing is gunning the ol girl while im a t a stoplight and a little "neuspeed" is next to me with one of those little chrome mufflers that make your car sound like its farting. My 40 series with the ramhorns rumbles like mad and (Iwould like to think) embarresses the heck out of that little honda owner
And Its true. when you drive one of these trucks you feel like you in a chevy club for these rides. Ill be driving down central and another 67-72 will be coming along in the opposite direction. we'll wave just like we done business in the past. That doesnt ever happen while driving my 2001 impala!

[vectorit]

Originally Posted by Bubba4spd

Hey 55chevy....love your truck! Laughed my butt off reading about the door flying open sometimes on left hand turns. Like I always say, these new trucks just aren't as fun!

Yea, I related to that big time. While my burb was still in service with the family. My Mother drove the truck most of the time, and the driver side door would fly open on it as well For years we use a bungie cord to keep it from doing that... When it would fly open my Mom would think noting of it, and just keep driving while reaching out to grab the door! People always would commend her on her cool nervs when we'd pull into a gas station. (My Mom is very short to, so for her to do that her right foot would have to come way off the floor to make that grab!)

[vectorit]

Originally Posted by michael bustamante

Ill tell you what I like doing is gunning the ol girl while im a t a stoplight and a little "neuspeed" is next to me with one of those little chrome mufflers that make your car sound like its farting. My 40 series with the ramhorns rumbles like mad and (Iwould like to think) embarresses the heck out of that little honda owner
And Its true. when you drive one of these trucks you feel like you in a chevy club for these rides. Ill be driving down central and another 67-72 will be coming along in the opposite direction. we'll wave just like we done business in the past. That doesnt ever happen while driving my 2001 impala!

Oh yea, I love that. Around here there is a hill and a intersection at the bottom, so when the light turns green my burb pulls that hill like no bodies business! When there is one of those little imports next to me wanting to out pull me up that hill, it's a challenge to not smile from ear to ear as my ol' burb opens up with the Q-jet secondaries a howlin through a rams horn exhaust and FM 70's! Music to my ears! I think after doing that, my baby is at it's happiest since the burb loves steap upward grades with a 327, 4 speed, and 4.56 gears.

['72customdeluxe]

As much as i'm lacking in horsepower, my 320lb/ft of torque at 2400 rpm with 3.73's and 28" tires lets me pull just about anyone of a stop, especially up hill. It's fun when someone is trying to pass and jump in front of me on the steep over pass stop light near my house They get pissed