When did you get your truck? What was your cost? Tell us your story.

[68bowtie]

1. 2015

2. The cost was a bit of “relational credit” from my wife, and what I considered to be a fair amount of cash.

3. Here is the story I posted back then...

so i have been looking for a 67 or 68 shortbed for a LONG time. i've been wanting something special to keep long term, and i'm super picky. well i finally found the one. it's a pretty funny story how i ended up buying it, so i thought i would share...

i have been religious with my searching (to the point i'm surprised my wife puts up with it). i can't count how many sellers i have asked to see the "factory options sticker in the glove box" and 9 times out of 10 the trucks for sale (at least in california) no longer have it. which has been a sticking point for me. well last week i was headed out of town for a 9-day hunting trip out of state that i'd been planning for 5 years with some good friends. the plan was to leave saturday morning at 3am. well the friday afternoon before, an ad popped up that looked interesting. 68 swb fleetside, primered, lowered, camaro rally wheels. looked like a decent truck so i called the guy. he called me back around 5pm that night while i was doing my final packing for my trip. i asked him to read me the SPID (which i was surprised it had). he read through it quickly, and a few things caught my attention like the color (black/white) and custom trim. when he read the engine size he just said "v-8". when he was finished reading i asked what size the engine was and he said "uh it's a v-8". so i left it at that.

i was showing my wife the pics of the truck and telling her i was seriously thinking about it. a factory black/white custom swb would definitely do it for me. then the guy texts me a pic of the SPID, and i see it immediately... 396!!! i couldn't believe it. i called the guy immediately and told him i would give him his asking price. so my wife and i spent the next 30 minutes trying to figure out how/when to get it home. it was located 5 hours away, and i was leaving in 9 hours for my trip. my wife said she would go pick it up after i left (which i wasn't entirely comfortable with), but she couldn't get to it for a couple days. i was nervous he wouldn't hold it that long since he had other people calling. then my wife says "let's load up the kids and get it now". needless to say my wife is VERY understanding! so i talked the guy into letting me see the truck at 11pm. threw the rest of my gear together, my 3 kids into the car, and headed north. bought it. drove it 100 miles back to my parents house part way between to store it while on my trip. put my wife and kids up in a hotel in sacramento, just in time for my friends to pick me up in sac on the way out of town. didn't sleep at all that night, but it was well worth it!

i'm so excited to have the truck, and so thankful to have such a supportive wife. i've always wanted a big block shortbed, but never thought i'd find one. i finally have my dream truck! here are a couple pics. still formulating my plans for the truck, but i have a 396 that will be part of it...

Someday this truck will get a proper factory restoration, but that’s a future story.

Now:


Someday:

[yuccales]

I posted this 7 yrs ago. I have had the seat redone and changed the rear bumper, but still have the step bumper. I would sell all my toys if need be, but never Hugger.


Recently lost a great friend of 40 yrs to a long fight with cancer. Over the years we went back and forth about who had the best truck, talk about trips taken, loads we hauled, etc. My buddy willed me his truck! It's had a couple of re-paints and two engines during it's life. Runs perfect! In his honor, I'm leaving it just the way it is. I did have his obituary laminated and put it in place of the build sheet behind the seat springs.

[FirstOwner69]

I'm sure I've bored members here with this story before. But, you asked so here goes...

On a whim in early October of 1969, my wife and I decided to take a weekend drive from our home in Fullerton, CA, to southwest Utah. We drove most of Friday night and slept in the frigid car Sat. night. We visited Zion and Bryce National Parks and saw many deer and a fair amount of snow. On the drive home Sunday on I-15 we met many trucks with campers pulling Jeeps which were heading to Utah for the deer season opener the next weekend. We had grown up in Wisconsin as avid campers and I as an avid deer hunter. We decided we NEEDED a truck and camper and looked at campers Sunday after dark before we even got home.

We purchased our 69 CST-20 with bucket seats, A/C, 350, TH-400, etc. new at Barton's Chevrolet in Yorba Linda, CA, on Nov. 20, 1969. We paid $3425 plus tax and drove it off the lot the next day. I was 24 at the time. The truck was built at Fremont the 1st or 2nd week of December, 1968. I'm not sure why it sat around for almost a year but have a suspicion that it may have been used by the dealer since the speedometer was disconnected when we test drove it. Regardless, it appeared new and was sold to us as a new truck. It was my daily driver until 1980 when we bought a 1979 Blazer. From then until we bought a 1986 Chevy crew cab dually in 1987, it was used sparingly as a camper hauler. It was then stored in the garage and used just enough to keep things working.

It had 118,713 miles on it when I started the restoration in May, 2010. Even though it was very presentable and had very little rust, I wanted it to be "new" again. I removed everything but the cab then had the body shop pick it up. They removed the cab and returned the the chassis and drive train for my restoration. If I recall correctly the only significant items that were not original on the truck were the alternator, one head and the starter. The body shop refinished all the sheet metal then picked up the restored chassis and returned it in November, 2012, with the cab mounted. I then added the refinished body panels, installed all of the interior components, installed the new bed floor and had them return to help install the bed. The job was complete late in 2013.

I am purist at heart and restored a 1958 Corvette during the late 80s to NCRS specs. However, with the truck, I replaced the original 350 with a GMPP 350/330 HP crate engine with Vortec heads, added a correct tilt wheel, factory shoulder belts, correct AM/FM, factory tach/gauges and Hummer H-2 aluminum wheels. The bed floor is stained oak. I have retained the engine and all the original parts so all modifications can be easily reversed if my estate eventually sells to a purist. We also still have the cab-over camper we purchased at the same day as the truck.

Pictures:
1 & 2- purchase agreement
3- when new
4- 2010
5- 2016

[FirstOwner69]

Interior and under hood.

[KQQL IT]

Been told before. I'm a sucker for nostalgia.
Long story- readers digest version.

June 71 parents move to California from upstate NY
Me- born September 71

Family daily truckster-

Sometime in 74 was stretched into a long bed
Shop tow pig- race car toter wanna be 3/4t gained a 454 th400 squarebody front x member til 86 when it was sold to fiance a growing towing company 1st roll back.
I was heartbroken only pickup I'd ever known.
Kinda kept track of it.
Family friend had old blue then was traded off for a T-type regal.
Then sold again to another guy local ish to us. Guy knew the history and tried to capitalize on it, and I wasn't in a good place to buy another old truck.

Fast forward February 2017 apparently it'd been given to guys son as a graduation present and the kid parked it For Sale a few blocks from my home..

It's now another part of my family.

[demian5]

Dads neighbor in Napa, CA. Truck was bumped and it bent front and rear bumpers. Got it for $1500 about 3 years ago. Of course I have quadrupled that in making it mine...

Geeze, in the past, I had been given trucks and suburbans and such. How times change...

[72supr]

My son bought the pickup in 2007. I bought it from him two years later.I have put quite a bit of money into it and have it fixed up fairly good.Lots of fun to drive so it’s worth it.

[drewbert41]

I traded a really ****ty 98 s10 for mine.

[Chuck A]

Good idea for a thread!
I found my truck in Saint Clair Shores, Michigan. It was listed on Craigslist and I purchased it August 9th, 2018. The seller had a few people look at it and pass because the SPID indicated a 127” wheelbase yet the truck is a short box. People were explaining to him that they did not want a cut down long bed truck. My gut told me that this was not the case (I suspected the glovebox door had been replaced). I could not see any evidence of the frame being modified and the bed was a two pocket bed. In addition, the cab and frame numbers matched!
So now I have this neat little truck with some great options and no SPID. To me, no SPID is a good thing. I don’t plan on selling the truck and because we can’t prove otherwise, I can put it together exactly the way I want it and have started to do just that.
I have found evidence that would indicate that this truck was restored/modified prior to 1994. If anyone knows this truck and can enlighten me with its history, I’d love to hear from you!
Since purchasing the truck I have added LED headlights with relays, all new suspension parts, the hood letters and period correct camper shell. It has the 350 with a 700R4. I plan on doing everything I can to make the truck safe and reliable. It will be used as my daily when I retire in 2025.

[332rick]

Originally Posted by Gigem

Never, ever, ever, EVER.... do the math!

I have a box too. Scared to open it and start adding. Maybe some day just for laughs.
Posted via Mobile Device

[custom10nut]

The Third week of May 1992, at Ft Campbell Ky, is where we met.
I bought her from a Helicopter pilot Warrant Officer that Just had “too many toys”.
He wanted $2500, but I brought cash and he accepted $2200.
I
I’ve had her ever since and through the rest of my 30 year Army career, it was a struggle to keep her. I could never replace her if I would have sold.
I’ve been offered a lot of money (to me anyway) , but since both my kids learned everything they know about vehicles, while under the hood with me, I’ll never sell her.
Now I’m retired and once I get my new shop built, she’s gettin semi restored.
After I’m gone? It’s already decided that my son gets her.
Oh,, and BTW, her birthday was 16 January 1970, 50 years ago, week after next��

[HO455]

Here is a reposting of the opening post of my repair thread ( WMB link below) I found it on Craigslist in August of 2015. It was a bit of an eyesore with the purple exterior and 503 green interior. Not to mention only half of a 69/70 grille. I had looked at several other Burbans and Wagoneers before I drove this one home this one for $5400. After a little work it is now my daily driver and has been so for several years.


I bought this Suburban because I needed to haul sheet goods (plywood and such) and my S10 Blazer wasn't cutting it when it rained. Which in my part of Oregon is fairly frequent. It fit my prerequisites: pre 1975 no DEQ, Presentable from the outside, interior must not be too nice (I don't want to send all my time worrying about when I was going to screw it up.), reliable enough to be a daily driver. After several months I settled on this one.
The pros: starts and stops well, has been converted to disc brakes, every thing is there except the windshield washer tank. Low amount of rust for the price, I like the wheels.
The con's: Leaks inside (PO said it didn't) has a 305 (PO said it was a 350), PURPLE, (PO painted it), terrible exhaust system (looks as if it came off the PO's Chevelle racecar. Short Flow Masters 90ed down in front of the swing arm cross member. IT IS LOUD! I'm good with loud if it's fast. This not. Plus they torched the frame to get the headers to fit.). Window felts and rear gate seals are all shot. When your coasting it sounds like riding in the dump box of a gravel truck. The handling is terrible. It has front and rear air bags tee-ed to single valves. Had a 1980\90's? Covette steering column with the key knocked out so the wheel would move in and out 3 to 4 inches. The dash has been hacked for a DIN radio, &$%#%%$ kids!!
After some looking and parking in the rain we have determined that drip rail seal has failed (after only 49 YEARS). So one thing lead to another and now I'm deep into Project Waterproof. Ah yes, waterproofing, something people with lesser cars, in brighter places never think about.

[70cst]

Great stories all ...

[68350]

68 Chevy CST/10, 50th Anniversary $4500 bought early 2018
68 GMC Shortbox Stepside originally $1800 back in roughly 98-99 by my parents. Restored in 2004? or so
70 Chevy Shortbox Stepside 4x4 originally $800 in 2003? I think by my brother and treated to a frame off resto the same year i believe.
70 Chevy 3/4 Longbox, 350/auto $1200 in 2006? I think
71 Chevy Blazer, CST, 350/auto $9000 in 2012 or 2013
71 GMC Sierra K2500, 454, 4 speed $5000 in 2014 and drove to get it in Tuscon, AZ. 3300 miles on my brand new Denali Duramax which I still have. Its my first and only brand new vehicle Ive ever purchased
71 Custom/30, Open Road, 350/th400 $1100 i think in 2015-16
71 Chevy Cheyenne/20, 402/4 speed $600-700 in 2016 i think
72 Chevy Shortbox Fleetside, 496 stroker, originally $500 shortbox frame. Had a whole crappy body that i used none of. It has mant different trucks put into it.
72 GMC Sierra Grande 2500. 427/th400 originally $1800 in 2010 i believe. Sold it to my roommate for $2000 i think. He sold it to my brother for $$3500 with a new turbo and a 70 gmc shortbox that was complete except motor. Brother sold the shortbox for $1000-1200 and i still had to pay $4000 for the sierra grande to buy it back
72 GMC Sierra Grande Longhorn 2500. 402/th400, Pretty sure this one was $1000 plus i paid a buddy $500 to go get it and deliver it to me so $1500 altogether. Really pleased with it. Needs the grille replaced which i had one. And needs some trim. Motor and trans seems to work fine but need to be resealed everywhere and gone through. Body is really solid tho

[rpmerf]

My Uncle bought a 1970 C20 Custom Camper from his parent's neighbor back in 1987. Over the years he maintains it, drives it a lot. It was a daily driver for years between him, his wife, and kids. He rebuilt the engine at some point. Kept it about 90% stock. Around 2010, he develops cancer. The cancer spread to his back, and he was unable to walk. He got the transmission replaced in the truck and was trying to sell it, but no one wanted to pay what he wanted to get for it. In October 2010, I bought a house and was looking for a truck. Around January he gifted me the truck. He passed away later that year. I had to drive the truck to the funeral since everyone knew that as his truck. A couple of his friends from work / softball had to sit on the tailgate and have a beer in memory.