Just wondering--why a SWB?

[powell72]

Shortbeds suck!

Now please send me all your short fleet beds and I will take care of them so we don't have to see them anymore.

[clay68c10]

"I'm a bit surprised nobody has mentioned that a swb can go places off-road that will stop a lwb truck."
Stocker, you're not the only one thinking about off roading. Shorties can really make the difference on the trail. The only thing better is a CJ. But there aren't too many of our trucks really off road these days.

[Frizzle Fry]

Why do you think GM made the different lengths? The shortbeds were obviously not for the utilitarianism factor (although still plenty capable for most). So for a mass market the differentiating factor has to have been the looks. Shortbeds fetch more money across 55-59, 60-66, 67-72 (I can't claim I know for sure outside that range).

So why is that the case? Has to be because most people find them more desirable, and for most of those it's the looks.

67-72s are gorgeous no matter what length in my book. But if you put 3 otherwise identical trucks of different lengths in front of me and said choose one, I'd have to go with the shorty.

[72Chevrolet]

I think both are awesome, but SWB are are my personal preferance. I remember when I got mine, I pulled it in the garage and the truck is still reallly big. That bed is huge compared to most of todays trucks and a LWB is just outrageous. Its huge! If I had one it would stick a foot out of my garage. SWB I think look better, there a little more proportional, but LWB can look great to because there so big. All depends on the person.

[hogrocket]

Thanks for all the great responses. It's interesting to see the different opinions. I definitly agree that for rock crawling type 4 wheeling, the swb rules. The SWB does look good, but doesn't compare to the massivness and the long sleek look of the LWB. M

[special-K]

I like them all:long/short,2wd/4wd,6/8cyl,SB/BB,Custom/Stock,5/10/20/30,Blazer,Suburban,Panel,Fleetside,Stepside,Tow Truck,Dump Truck,RV,Flatbed,Car Haulers,and I`m sure there`s more.One thing`s for sure,sittin`in the driver`s seat with that dash & wheel in front,lookin`across that hood,they`re all the same and it just feels good drivin`them(or sitting).
If I had a longbed,I wouldn`t cut it down.I`d look for shortbed,they`re out there.Even if you start with just a short frame.There`s plenty of shorties that need beds as it is.Why create more by chopping a long frame?Even if you have a longbed and want a shortbed,you can get a shortbed and swap your stuff on it and find a bed.All that said,I cut down a longbed once.I bought a `69 Longbed Stepside C/20,396,TH400,a/c truck.I had a Short Stepside bed,sold the long one,bought 5-lug drop spindles,and back 1/2ed the frame using 4-link/narrowed rear for a pro-street build.That made sense to me since it needed cut anyway.There`s more long frames out there.
One more opinion,that`s all.

[JAKES 68GMC]

I like the short steppers better than the fleets. Look more classy/street roddish IMO. SWB 4x4's, I dont care for them as much.

[72CSTC5]

Havent read all of the post here but let me just say, (without offending anyone) leave the longbeds where they are (working) and restore all the shortbeds you can find!!

[mburgert]

I grew up on a farm where we used long bed trucks from the 70's 80's and 90's for working, towing, hauling, going to church, to the coffeeshop or whatever. Mom had a car or SUV to drive and dad drove one of his trucks everywhere, one was usaually a P.O.S. and the other one was nicer for when you went to town. And like every 10 years we would get a new truck and the next would be made the P.O.S. and the other one parked. I didnt think shortboxes looked like what trucks were suppost to look like. Shortboxes were for kids from town who thought trucks were tuff and wanted to go rip up the backroads for fun or pick up more girls because they had a truck and girls like trucks. Thats just the way I always looked at the shortbox they look too short and arent for working. The last four years of college i can kind of see where you shortbox owners are coming from, hard to get into a parking spot with a LWB, or the garage for that matter. The looks of a SWB are growing on me too. Plus the increased value doesnt hurt either when you are doing a project, but if you put that aside and put two of these trucks with same options, same color, same everything else but one is swb and other lwb.... i still choose the LWB.

[Jerry Jones]

I personally dont have my trucks for resale value, I have them to use. I like the long look. I have 2 of them... one rough and one clean.

[76bonanza]

I think us longbeders run outside the lines. Look for the more abstract beauty of the truck. I like them all but a lowered smooth long bed does it for me. In fact we should unite and break away from the shorties and form our own board of long bed lovers.

(just kiding of course) Trucks are COOL plain and simple.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by mrein3

Hold on while I zip up my flame suit.

OK.

I've said this before and I'll say it again, and this is my opinion, and we all know about opinions. But, when I see a shortbed, lowered, with loud mufflers, all I think is rice. Those trucks are a type-R sticker and a spoiler away from looking like all the other crap out there.

Ok,not flaming.But,you must not have been around for long,just like ricers.Shortbed trucks(and longbeds)have been getting lowered and rodded since way before Nippon mini-trucks hit American soil.There were these rice burners on the west coast for awhile before they sprawled across the nation.But,when I was in California in the`70s shortbeds sittin`down were hip and that`s when I got hooked.Trucks have been customized ever since cars were,most were short.It`s just got nothing to do with rice,that`s all.Why did GM build shortbed 396,posi rear,tach-in-dash shortbeds in`68?

[stope4]

I've owned both. The longbed was the only vehicle I had from 1998 until 2002. I now own a short bed. I liked both. Thought the longbed rode better than the shortbed but think the short looks sportier than the long.

[JAKES 68GMC]

Originally Posted by 76bonanza

Trucks are COOL plain and simple.

That pretty well sums it all up.

[hevy_chevy67]

All these trucks look good, but IMO the swb's look much better. There is just too many lwb's and almost no swb's where I live. I've only seen one in my area, and its mine lol

[al's71gmc]

Originally Posted by Stocker

I'm a bit surprised nobody has mentioned that a swb can go places off-road that will stop a lwb truck. Then again, maybe it's no surprise -- likely not many are taken off road anymore.

That's true, but a LWB will outclimb a SWB. The frame has much more flexibility. On a steep grade where a bunch of trucks have spun out and dug holes, my LWB will keep it's wheels down and go right past a SWB. So your statement can go both ways.

[Dano69c10]

I have a 70 c-10 (v-8) swb fleetside and a 69 c-10 (L-6) lwb fleetside.
I like them both.
The swb is my cruiser/show truck and my lwb is my hauler/daily driver.
I want to buy a c-20, because it will haul more than a c-10 and I think the rear hubs on the c-20's make it look like a bada$$ pick-up!
Someday I would like to make a 67-72 crew cab dually c-30 with a 8' long bed.

In my opinion, the 1/2 ton trucks are better to have as a swb.
3/4 tons are great for work trucks.

Dano

P.S. I'm probably just going to buy a swb frame (with title), swap everything over from my 69 c10 lwb, then sell it!
On second thought, maybe just buy a rolling 3/4 ton frame and do the switch.

[local13hutch]

First off I think the step side long or short was designed to step up onto to reach into the bed for function. Second of all look in the paper and compare short to long and the shorties are way more expensive and a heck of alot less of them compared to the long boys. Personality aside ,just facts..I love the long beds and have one of each, Actually the LB is my dads but I call it mine. In my worthless opinion..I am a truck guy from the get go and alot of my friends are into the gm cars. So in order to compete with the hot rod world weight is an opstacle. And its tough to make a truck go fast. Now I am sure that by saying this alot of guys will start saying there truck will do this and there truck can do that. But in reality compared to the cars its hard to hook up and actually compete. And making alot of smoke and noise dont count unless you can get to the end of the track first. So by using a short bed you eliminate alot of weight. First off and with the shorter wheel base its easier to transfer weight to the rear wheels blah-blah-blah and than I can have my hot-rod and truck to boot Because I dont like cars. Hell my sister runs a 72 vet under 10 seconds and my brother inlaw wont let her go any faster or my dad will k@#$%^ him. Everybody in my family races drag cars Mostly for fun and I am the youngest of six. And I am the only truck die-hard so for me to keep up I have really had to get creative with this short bed of mine and still be able to call it a truck.....And my wheely bars are not for looks.....

[special-K]

Short/long,they are identical in everyway except....length/weight.Yet,somehoe that makes a night and day difference to many people.To sum up how I see it,"shortbeds are more car-like".You can work a shortbed.You can hotrod a longbed.There`s how you see trucks.There`s how the majority see`s them.

[67-250]

Originally Posted by Dano69c10

I think the rear hubs on the c-20's make it look like a bada$$ pick-up!

I've got a C20. What is up with those rear hubs?

[stepside67]

Just think twenty years from now the discussion will be regular cab versus extended cab...

[RicksTrucks]

Originally Posted by stepside67

Just think twenty years from now the discussion will be regular cab versus extended cab...

Agreed. If I were to buy a new truck today, which would probably be just for the creature comforts and gas mileage, I couldn't see it not being an extended cab. I would want all of the room I could get to make it worth the expense.

But for now, I can put a lot of gas in mine and still not have to pay the price of a truck payment or higher insurance.

[soonrfish]

i like the long beds better because thats what i have. lol

[72 Cheyenne402]

My LWB truck always seems to ride better than any SWB I have ever owned

[CPNE]

I prefer a SWB (133") C-30. You CAN have your cake and eat it too.