Where/How did you find your Truck ?

[Matt Cramer]

Had a big block '90 Suburban that was used to haul stuff, but my wife had a lot of landscaping and gardening projects that would do better with open air hauling. One day she spotted a '72 Chevy truck parked outside a mobile home just outside of Porterdale, Georgia with a For Sale sign in the window. I came by to look at it and the owner said he was selling it because he wanted something bigger. "Like a big block Suburban?" I asked. We ended up working out a trade deal.

[Already Gone]

Thanks for the stories everyone.

[JCD]

I was 7 years old in 1969.. was given a huge set of Hot Wheels in that 'Mag Wheel' case from my favorite uncle. My dad brought home all these Hot Rod pictorial magazines of the day, and the 24 year old brother of my sitter had a dark Aqua 1967 Barracuda that he'd trailer to the strip behind a 1969 El Camino.. apparently it wasn't strong enough, or maybe it wasn't big enough.. but he quickly got himself a brand new 1970 C20.. He took me for a ride in that Barracuda, and it all came together for me at the same time.

Been hooked ever since.

Today I have a 67 Formula S Barracuda..
An El Camino.. and the truck..
I started looking for a 1970.. but this '72 presented itself to me..
Rust free, rebuilt motor and trans.
Something I could drive and beat on, and not have to wipe with a diaper.

J.

[hfd410]

saw mine from the window of the school bus, went back with Grandpa that afternoon and drove it home.....26 years ago

[oldiron]

Found both my 68 and 71 here on the board.
Stillookn sold me his 68 1ton cab & chassis when my wife and I went over to his house to look at a 68 1/2 he had for sale. The 1ton he was going to strip for parts.
The 71 I got from CG. Traded a 41 Caddy for it.
Pictures are before and after:

[Mike_The_Grad]

Got my '72 c/10 long bed from my then girlfriends father. Was the first vehicle I owned, and was 17 at the time. Got it for $1000. My dad gave me $500 as a down payment/graduation present. Working part time and going to community college, was hard on the wallet. I had saved the last $200, and was gonna give it to her dad on his birthday,just a coincidence, pulled out the wad of cash right there at the dinner table. He gave me this look of pride which I will never forget because it made me proud also. He gave it back and said, "buy something nice for the truck." I still own it and am in process of restoring it.

[Lemield]

I was browsing auto trader online when I saw my 1970 C20 Custom camper with a Mitchell Safari camper on the back. I went and looked at it and bought it from the 2nd owner. It's been a good old truck.

I had been looking for a 4x4 for a couple of years and had looked at a lot of bummers. I then saw my 1971 K20 on Craigslist at John Elway Chevrolet. I called to inquire about the truck and was told it was a diesel conversion and that it was really nice. Sure, I thought. Nice is a relative term. But I went down to look at it anyway. As soon as I crawled under the truck and saw that it has zero rust, I knew I was going to buy it. The test drive was just a formality. The original owner (in his 90's) had traded the truck in so he could get a new Duramax. The K20 has original paint, zero rust and an SM465 4spd, Ranger overdrive and a 6.2 turbo diesel. I just love it. Sometimes you find exactly what you are looking for.

[slow-1]

This is a good reading thread, thanks everyone for sharing.

My Grandfather bought "Ole Green" in the early 70's, no one in the family can remember if he bought it new or used, and I never thought to ask him...guess it doesn't really matter.

I used to spend several weeks with my grandparents every summer and can remember riding all over Rowan County (NC) with my Grandfather at the wheel. I remember the way the clutch pedal creaked as he gently worked the 3 on the tree shifter. I remember sitting next to him, being his "intermittent" wiper operator when it was drizzling.

When it came time to head to the beach for the family vacation, I always rode in the back with my younger brother...I'm sure it was miserable hot inside the camper shell, but all I remember is the sound of glass packs rumbling as we traveled. If it got to be noon while we were on the road, it was Beanie Weenies and saltine crackers on the tailgate sitting beside the highway (all 2 lane then).

When I turned 16, my Grandfather sold the truck to my Dad for $1k and when I got out on my own, my Dad signed it over to me.

When I run into folks I know, they ask how my wife and 3 kids are, and they ask me how Ole Green is doing.

[jabborabbo]

Originally Posted by SCHRUMGMC

1959 GMC 100

Great Grandfather bought this Brand new, and when he died in '76 my grandfather got it and used it hauling hay and cattle for many years it started breaking down and then it was pretty much abandoned for 18 years after my Grandfather parked it into our pasture.Eventually it got sent to a Local junkyard where it sat for many years until someone bought it and recently I found it with no VIN or anything. It has the Original Documents etc, and the handwriting was confirmed to be my Grandfathers and others confirmed the truck..Originally was a Light green

Still had my Grandfathers things in the Glove box that he had bought and left in there when he parked it.Even had a Bottle opener mini and I found another one in his Tool box outside and thought that was Cool.

Absolutely AWESOME story!!!!!!

[seankanzig]

I found my first a 69 c20 (sitting on a swb frame with a step side bed on it), about sixteen years ago when I was fourteen. My neighbor's soon parked it in his back yard. Of course I didn't purchase it until this year. This truck is actually the reason that I fell in love with this vintage trucks.

[colgad]

I answered an ad in Craigslist for some tailgate chrome. When i got to his house I found out he was moving to Key West and selling everything. There sat a 72 swb 4x4 in the garage with a perfect cab but all apart, it had been there for 16 years. We worked out a price of 2500 and that included a 350 that he had just had a speed shop rebuild. I said Ill be right back with a trailer and a friend.

[Already Gone]

I'm really glad to see this thread back up because I love the stories.

[IHeartGroceries]

There's a few stories here that're similar to mine -

My great uncle purchased a 72 Custom Deluxe LWB on July 1972, and he used it for many years on his ranch in Fort Worth, TX. Later, he used it to pull horse trailers to and around Sanger, TX, and later still, pulled a camping trailer to Colorado and New Mexico for late life vacations.

When he died, it then went to my grandfather. It was in his possession for 17 or 18 years, before he passed it down to me.

I've had it since 2010, IIRC.

How she sits now, taken just a few minutes ago...

[fourspeedwagon]

I'm a Craigslist junkie so of course that's where I found mine. It was advertised about 200 miles away with 2 tiny, blurry photos- probably a cheap cell phone camera with vaseline wiped on the lens. It was listed for several weeks and I kept seeing it pop up so I called the guy. He said he'd hardly had anybody call and nobody come to look at it. Said it was his daily driver but was selling because of a dwi. After we talked a bit I decided to make him an offer. Slightly less than asking price but he would have to meet me at hundred miles away. I figured if it was reliable enough to make the hundred it'd be worth the price. It doesn't happen often but this time I was right.. It is as reliable as a hammer and worth more (I think) than I paid for it. Starts as easy as a fuel injected and runs great. She ain't fast and it rides rough as hell but I enjoy it.

[kowboy63]

I was at work when my dad and one of his co-workers came in, I had a calendar with old cars on my desk and we start talking about old cars & trucks. He said his dad had a 70 swb that he had bought new but had been sitting for several years. After a few months of his dad changing his mind a couple times, he finally decided to sell so I went & picked it up before he changed his mind again.

[1969_CM2590D]

I sold my Smart convertible exactly a week before Christmas last year. For many years I knew what sort of truck I'd want and had a sort of hierarchy in my head while I looked. I drive my company car about 90% of the time (free gas, service, insurance, etc), and was thinking of a backup vehicle to replace the Smart. A truck was the way to go, and I knew what the prefect and "near perfect" truck would be.

With the Smart sold on Wednesday, I looked Thursday locally in KY on CL and found nothing. I then thought I'd check out the Athens, GA CL as my sister lives about twenty miles from there.

I found my perfect truck- the pinnacle of desire for me- 67-72 base model GMC V6 3/4 ton, granny 4 speed and stripped (no radio or lighter!)with only functional HD options. This one was a 1969, the last year for the V6 in a pickup from the factory.

I couldn't have done better if I'd got caught in a time warp and ordered at the dealer (OK, I would have went for power brakes and a gauge package...).

I called about it that night, got intrigued enough to drive down that weekend for a look.The truck was as stated- surface rust only and low miles (40,900),with excellent original vinyl seat and dashpad. We dickered for about 30 seconds and settled on the price. Gave up the cash two weeks later.

The thing i'm most amazed by was findibg this truck on the first search. I figured I'd spend several months or even more than a year- even then it might only be near perfect, I'd have to settle.

As found...

[supercheyenne]

Twas Friday Sept. 6, 2013 at approximately 2pm. I checked Nextech (Classifieds website) and the ad said "1967 narrow bed pickup - $2000" with a phone number. The ad had been up for 18 minutes and I had visitors who had just pulled into the driveway when I told my wife I had to call!

The guy on the other end of the phone knew about cars but he wasn't really an expert on old chevy trucks. He description over the phone left alot to be desired but in hindsight I think we was just trying to be honest and describe all of the trucks faults. Talking to him I figured out this was a short bed truck and it was located 200 miles away. I work 2nd shift (remember it's Friday afternoon) so I asked the guy if I could come see it on Saturday. He agreed to a mid day meeting. I told the wife "I think this is a wild goose chase but lets just go for a Saturday drive".

Now I get off at midnight and I have to get some sleep. go rent a trailer, and then drive 200 miles within the next 12 hours. I forgot to go to the bank so I had to scratch as much money together as I could so I had $1400 cash. Sometimes my enthusiasm leads me to make poor decisions. But I make it on time. I call the guy when I'm within 30 miles of the truck and he informs me he will be a no-show due to a family emergency. But the truck is out in the open and I'm free to inspect it. When I pull up visually I tell my wife "If the frame is rust free and straight, this is the truck!". Upon closer inspection it basically has rust issues on every panel but it's a 20 footer.

After a thorough inspection I call the guy and say "I see a $1000 truck"... He says no BS I'll take $1300 cash. Keep in mind I mistakenly only brought $1400. It was meant to be! I said I'll drive 30 miles to his location and hand him the money. I get to his house and he informs me he's a car dealer and he has to charge me 7% tax (he's actually a Harley dealer but the law still applies)... The total? $1399.45 (I'm not making it up) I let him keep the extra 55 cents.



BTW, it was 100+ degrees and I had to winch the truck onto the trailer with a come along.

Side story. I almost ruined the deal with my big mouth and creative thinking! When he told me he had to charge me tax I suggested renegotiating the deal where I paid $100 for the truck and $1200 for the radio. This was an attempt to avoid taxes on my part. Well the guy got offended and basically told me to get lost and that he had a sight unseen offer of $1400 while I was driving to his house! I had to calm him down a bit and admit my foolishness so we could move forward on the deal.

Lessons learned. Once a deal is a deal, just shut up and pay the guy. Also never get too greedy, it might bite you in the butt.

[fleetside71]

Bought from my bosses brother at are sister company. .saw it sitting in yard til 1 day I noticed the hood open and noticed it had a straight six. .we talked and agreed on $650 and I towed it home. .following weekend the project started. .
The day I towed to how it sits 2day. .

[black 69]

Saw it on the side of the road for sale. Seemed to be a solid pickup for a restoration. I just started a week or so ago. I'm bit by the bug

[WiggyHD]

I guess there is no better place to introduce myself than this thread. I'm Mark, and I'm a collectoholic. A friend of mine owned this truck (69' C-10) because his wife's Dad bought it new, then passed it on to Mike. I went over to visit, and help him out some since he wasn't feeling good, and that was when I was introduced to the truck. I told him how much I liked it. It wasn't pretty, but it was straight, and it used to run. Well, it still does, but not well, but that's another story. later in the spring, he was diagnosed with Alzheimers, and had to stop driving, and wound up in the nursing home at 58 yrs old. He remembered though, that I liked his truck, and that he trusted me with it. His wife wanted $1000 for it, so I bought it for me, and now I have to get it right for my daughters to drive because the insurance will be so much cheaper than having them on our other cars. I've had it for two weeks now, and my friend is happy...




Thanks!
Mark

[WiggyHD]

oldiron, LOVE that 4X4!

Mark

[darush01]

Throughout my life my dad has had every type of older vehicle you can imagine, I might be exaggerating a little but hrs had alot one 69-70 Lwb c10 inline 6 3 ott that was beautiful strangely I have no memory of it besides a picture with me in the background around tht same time he had a 71-72 that even he doesn't remember but I've found pictures of it as well then later he had another 72 c10 350 3ott that I remember well bc he put 5,rear ends and a motor in it before selling it, and he had a ramp truck tht was a 68 I think gmc with a 400 4 spd and a 69-70 panel truck I'd love to have now, all that said when he called and told me to go to a bar in the rough side of town to look at an old truck I had no clue what to expect, but when I got there I saw a 72 c20 med olive factory 350 4spd kinda rough but completely original I had to have it, the price was$1200 I paid $750 and 4 years later it's still my dd and getting restored 1 part at a time most of which I find in my dads garage, I've already used 2 carbs got a brand new set of rockers valve covers a fuel pump and radiator he had laying around

[NoNeck]

My son found "Miss Daisy" nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains near Sevierville, TN. He had advertised on Craigslist needing parts for another truck he was building when a guy responded saying he didn't have any parts but had a whole '68 Stepside with a good 327 and Muncie 4 speed for sale. We took a road trip the next weekend to take a look at it. It was completely hidden in vines and bushes on the side of a mountain. If you didn't know there was a C10 up this gravel driveway you would never find it.

We worked out a deal on the spot and made arrangements to come back to get the truck the following weekend. Looking back, we could have probably driven the truck back home (about 100 miles), but the brakes were soft. My son-in-law borrowed a trailer and we towed her home.

She was a good old truck. We sold it about a year ago.

POP

[Already Gone]

Bump

[shearjs]

My grandfather bought a gold and white GMC long bed from a local dealer some time around 70-71 He kept the truck a few years and his kids used it around the farm, hauling manure for my granny's garden and such. He ended up selling/trading the truck in and it was later bought by a local builder who used the truck for many years. About 3-4 years ago, my cousin ended up with truck on a trade, and was planning on restoring it. He made the decision that he didn't have the time/$ for it, so my dad and I decided to start our first project together. Three years later, it's finally on the road again, this time as a short bed. I think gramps would be proud to see what we accomplished.