Where/How did you find your Truck ?

[special-K]

Since this thread is asking from a one and only truck point of view I'll use my first here. I went with a friend to buy a '66 Impala SS off the OK Used Car lot at Sport Chevrolet in '73 and saw it. It was a yellow shortbed '72 with white interior and big block. I didn't like the change in body style and here was a chance at a barely used one that couldn't be cooler. Not a single scratch in the bed. It was solid ochre,plaid seat,402/3spd,and wood floor...$2,800

[Lou Boffa]

CL after looking every day for months, in multiple cities and going to see at least 50 trucks over a 6 month period. I'm still looking for my second one. It'll come.

[kijocoz]

i bought mine for $1800 on cl 292 w/2speed auto no rust (other than bumpers) it was able to be driven 60+ miles home,needless to say i raced over there so fast! it needed a bkake line and a new battery.

[Coley]

Ebay....yep, similar to Kennucks experience.
Backstory: I had a really nice '72 blue/white (Texas) highlander years ago that had been stolen in Toronto....never saw it again.
I thought I would never find another one as close to the originality and 'out of the box' purchase condition as to what this '72 truck was.
However....10+ years later....and probably 100's or 1000's of possible trucks I came across another '72 blue/white-C10 Highlander with air/tilt, etc...and this one was from California (north east of sacramento I think towards Reno).
Importantly..the truck was very original and in nice condition...NOT mint, but nice...and unmolested with a very clear history on the truck. That is just what I wanted.
Interestingly and importantly to me.... it was optioned EXACTLY like my first '72 that was stolen and the original ownership history story was almost identical. It was as if 2 brothers...one in Texas and one in California...decided to buy identical trucks and maintain them in some identical way in 2 different states...LOL.
So (like Kennuck) I placed a bid but it didn't make the reserve....however I put in a second hidden bid that didn't do much until the last day of the auction when another guy bid my first bid up....THEN...my second bid took over and to my surprise.....met the reserve (wtf?)....oh oh....I was 'all in'. My wife was there when I said exactly that ('oh oh')...and she just laughed. She knew how much that first (stolen) truck meant to me and us (we were 'courtin' back then)....so she was completely supportive.
Well....I won it....and had a hauler bring it up to Washington state near the border where I went down and retrieved (drove) it back...no sweat.
I love it.....and really importantly....it is a really good truck not just in good condition, but....a really good truck...reliable, nice to drive absolutely NO regrets.
However, for most people I wouldn't recommend buying off of Ebay simply because most buyers do not do their homework on what they are bidding on and this is usually why they are disappointed afterward...my two bits.
Keep them stories comin' guys!
Coley

[abraham.hd]

I recently purchased mine in san Antonio Craigslist, they had posted it under auto parts, asking 3000 bucks, thankfully the owner had hold it off for me to pick it up on the weekend.

[kcsa75]

I hadn't really been looking for a truck. I either saw a 72 on the street or on TV and remarked to my wife that I always wanted one of those. She said I should get one then. Silly me, I looked on AutoTrader and found this.

First two photos are right after I got it home. Third is more current.

[DGulliver]

Several years ago, I had regretfully sold my '72 stepper that was finished, and always wanted another. I answered a CL ad for a '77 Camaro RS a couple hours away and saw it there for the first time. It used to be a show truck with Gremlin tail lights, frenched antenna, etc., but had been put back into regular use. That was many years ago. Over time, and through several car deals later (a '70 C10 step 6cyl, an old Corvette, a '73 Burb, etc..) we became friends, and I finally talked him out of it.

the '77 I went to buy where I saw it the first time.


The 'burb I sold him


the '70 I bought



finally the '72 as it sat when I saw it (with '70 grille)



As it sits today, and still needs a lot. I love it though, and drive it daily. This forum has been a great resource!

[sean1969c10]

My buddy had my 69 c10 sitting behind his barn. He had done some work for the po and they gave him the truck as partial payment. He has a very nice 72 Cheyenne Super, so this was just sitting. We ended up making a deal, $500.00 I got the truck minus the engine and trans.

[69Rumbler]

I won my truck on a hand of poker

[Rockit]

I found mind striped and dumped in an empty lot next to the Rail road tracks. No motor, trans, front fenders, hood to name a few things missing. Doing a little research I found that the owner had quit paying on it and the dealer who sold it had died. I talked to the dealers wife and she said that she would do the paper work and I could repo the truck and give her $350. The guy got wind that something was up so he moved the truck. But I had the plate number and I got a cop to run it, found that the truck was In his father In laws name so I drove by his house and there it was. With the papers in hand, knocked on the door, gave them the papers, through a chain and couple of tires on it and I was out of there and now a proud new owner of a 71 swb.

I was always worried that the guy would try and get even. So wouldn't you know it he rents an apartment next to were I work. I started having trouble with the breaks, when I checked under the truck I found the break lines cut. That was 30 years ago.

[SCHRUMGMC]

Originally Posted by Rockit

I found mind striped and dumped in an empty lot next to the Rail road tracks. No motor, trans, front fenders, hood to name a few things missing. Doing a little research I found that the owner had quit paying on it and the dealer who sold it had died. I talked to the dealers wife and she said that she would do the paper work and I could repo the truck and give her $350. The guy got wind that something was up so he moved the truck. But I had the plate number and I got a cop to run it, found that the truck was In his father In laws name so I drove by his house and there it was. With the papers in hand, knocked on the door, gave them the papers, through a chain and couple of tires on it and I was out of there and now a proud new owner of a 71 swb.

I was always worried that the guy would try and get even. So wouldn't you know it he rents an apartment next to were I work. I started having trouble with the breaks, when I checked under the truck I found the break lines cut. That was 30 years ago.

Crazy story my friend, any trouble lately ?

[IronX]

my mother bought mine new in 1971, mynparents took it on vacation with a slide in camper until I was 16. me and my brother learned how to drive in that custom 10 truck and one day she got tired of looking at it in the yard. She called me to come and get it so its now sitting in my workshop and its being restored and has everything it came with new.

[Rockit]

Spent the winter doing up grades. Rear disk breaks, moved the gas tank, cleaned up fire wall, bucket seats, 78 power steering box, rebuilt rear end AND NEW BREAK LINES

[CGerow]

Had an older gentleman come in to where I worked and said to me...."you remember me?...you asked me if I ever wanted to sell my truck to let you know. I could not remember having that conversation, but I bit and agreed to go and look at it. Turns out it was about 6 blocks from my house, and it was a 71 LWB Cheyenne. I immediately fell in love with it, and was not leaving with out it. When I asked what he wanted, he said, "I figure its worth about 1500,i couldn't write the cheque fast enough.....that was 26 years ago this spring, and it is still very much a part of our family.

[allchevy58]

Found mine about a mile from the house. I had just sold a 70' K10 project days before this 72' was brought out from the backyard and a For Sale sign put on it. The 72' was a nice driver, just needed a good cleaning up and some tranny fluid. Been driving, cleaning and fixing up since. Got 72' for $700.00 more than I sold the 70' for.

[WIDESIDE72]

Mine was sitting in a pasture in Mustang Ridge, Tx. I had previously bought 67-72 parts from the p.o. and gotten to be friends with him. He called and told me about the truck and said he would sell it to me for $500 delivered, which was about 50 miles. No engine or trans, originally a sbc v8/ auto military truck, now a Cheyenne

[Syndrome]

My Grandpa bought my truck new in 1970 for $2595. Just months after purchasing it he was killed by a dynamite explosion while trying to put out a fire in a neighbors yard. Had he been around longer he probably would have opened a Chevy dealer branch in the area. There are a few other trucks around that were his but the current owners will not give them up.

I ended up getting it from my Dad he only had it for 1 day before he gave it to me, I told him years prior that I wanted it.

Years ago the motor was blown by my eldest uncle, naturally they took it out and sent it to the crusher..

Now it has a 350 tbi out of a 87 Chevy van, I've gotten it to run for about 50 feet then the pickup line got plugged and I haven't been able to get back to it since. It will be warming up in a few months and I will get it running and road worth soon.

[Haggis]

Was talking to the wife, we decided that we needed a truck. The budget was tiny, but she didn't care what it was as long as it could get us to Home Depot and back. I took my chance and started looking. Found it in the local classifieds after looking at one other truck that had almost no floor left, had been posted for only 2 days and he already had other people interested, so I grabbed my cash and headed out. It had the usual rust, nothing unexpected for the price, but it ran and drove fine. $1500 later I was on my way home. Only thing I had to replace was the mirrors and I drove it all summer just like that. I've started a minor resto now but its still the family workhorse.

[russgoodman]

I saw mine on CL about 30 minutes south of me in Texas. I watched as the price went from $4500 to $3500 to $2500 to $1800. I kept thinking it would keep going lower and then I never saw it again. My wife was watching Counting Cars with me and they had a 68 C10 on there they painted orange, and my wife loved it. She really doesn't care for any of my other cars so I figured if I found another truck in the same bodystyle she would enjoy it more. I was searching Oklahoma City CL and found an old ad for the original truck in TX. I called the number and spoke to the previous owner and he said he couldn't sell it so he traded it to a guy with a bodyshop and gave me the guys number, and that he had heard the new owner had got it running. I called that guy and spoke to him, he seemed a bit foggy of what truck I was talking about at first, but he said he would meet me and I could look at it. I lied to my wife about getting called in to work for a sick coworker and headed to Texas. I met the guy at his bodyshop and followed him to his house. Seriously this guy had about 300 old vehicles from 50s to 70s behind his house. Some were complete cars, and some were parted out. He also had sections of hoods, fenders, doors, etc. He parts cars and sells at swap meets on the side. He wanted $2500 for the truck but the other guy had told me he traded it for about $1600. I got him down to $1800 and he agreed to swap a tailgate off a 68 that he had to replace the cool airflow gate that was on there. Of course my winch on my trailer wouldn't work, and we had a heck of a time loading it. Plus I had to drive home, unload the truck where my wife wouldn't see it so I could surprise her, change into my work clothes, and unhook my trailer all in the time that I would normally be off work. I got all that done but I was sweating so bad when I got home. She never even noticed that or the trailer missing. I surprised her a few weeks later with it. 1969 C10 swb.

[95possom]

Have been looking for a factory swb 4x4 for couple years now but the ones I find were either to far gone or way over my budget. I was looking on craigslist one day and their it was. PO had put it on a later model frame and did a darn good job doing it compared to others I've seen. Suspension and frame have been painted and completed. All the bad metal been replaced to. It's still a lot work left but I'm getting their.

[54belair]

Found mine on craigslist--in Tulsa. It had been a project of the last three owners (at least). It had also spent some years sitting in a field somewhere in Ok. The most interesting thing I was able to find out was that the truck was inistially purchased by the university of Ok. and used as a maint vehicle for some years. The truck still has the asset inventory tag on the door post. Had it not been for this id tag, I might have scrapped and replaced the cab as it had lots of hidden rust. Lots of new steel and welding saved it.

[Cali72K20]

I found mine on CL about 10 miles from my house, traded a 2006 Trailblazer SS for it, straight trade no cash. I love this old truck!!!!!

[steelhorse]

My wife's grandpa bought it new and used it on the farm since he bought it new in 67. He used it on the farm till the front crank seal blew out a few years ago and we bought it from him to restore for my wife and kids to drive. We wanted to have it done before he passed away but he passed about 4 months later.

[magwakeenercew2jh]

Great stories.

My good friends/brothers found my first...a '72 LWB Fleet (the white one) in a compost heap in Mariposa, CA. in 8/98. Heads were off and it was piled with brush...All there, though.
We got a SWB frame and bed and put in a 300hp 350. By March of '04 she was in a small feature in Classic Trucks (now purple). By 2006 she was sold...my stupidity.

I retired in 2008. Retired from building and riding Beemers and HD's, too. No more gearhead hobbies on the horizon, I jonesed for a truck. But with retirement came a new money profile.

The same buddy that found the '72 had RAT all built as a nice roller out of mostly ECE adds. He had the rest of the 68/71 parts piled around or on top of the frame (green and silver, etc).
His wife asked him, "You think you're ever gonna finish that truck?" I guess he thought about it and called me.

Thanks to him, his brother, my woman, the guys at ECE, the Forum, some very special Forum Members, and 25g's (hahahaha!), I'm now driving RAT.

That's the short version.

[74baggedbug]

Found it in cl.. The truck had been brought in from California but the guy decided he wanted a 68 camaro instead so he decided to sell the truck.. It's been a love/hate relationship ever since lol