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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: minden la
Posts: 80
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plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
over the years all the 67-72 trucks i have seen has 1 common problem. the cowel area leaking rainwater down into the vents rotting them out then going down to the rocker panels destroying them and eventually rotting out the cab corners. i know someone has come up with a better way to prevent this from plauging trucks after the damage has been repaired. i painstakinly repaired all the damaged areas 7 years ago and now it has returned. what can be done to prevent this??
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1972 C-10 SWB 350CI TURBO 350 TRANNY, TILT, POWER WINDOW & BRAKES, TANK UNDER THE BED W/MARKER LIGHT FILLER. 3.08 GEARS, CLASSIC AIR ![]() ![]() 2000 chevy blazer 1990 nissan pick-up 1984 mazda pick-up (son's project truck) |
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: NW, WA.
Posts: 1,421
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
Flushing out the cowl area every couple of years helps, look at the puddle of leaves and dirt on the ground. All of that mess builds up in there and retains moisture. A screened cowl will help keep the garbage out, some vendors sell them or make your own from Stainless steel screen.
I have considered opening up the bottom drain and making it bigger so that it would dry out quicker. (see red arrow) It would also give me room to spray some undercoating in there. Anyone else have some ideas? |
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: North Louisiana
Posts: 4,501
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
I cut a door into mine(where the red sqaure is)while the fenders were off, cleaned it out, blasted it, undercoated, and screwed a sheetmetal plate over the hole. I bought a screen to keep the leaves out of the cowl also. On the rockers and corners, I undercoated them good on the backside. Hopefully they will last a while.
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Wynne 70 CST short fleet Hugger orange & white, 350/350, ps, pb, air, tilt, tach/vac/speedwarning, original buckets, AM/FM, oak bed floor, shoulder belts, 3.5"/5.5" drop, 20" American Racing VN425s. Build thread 53 Chevy shortbed 69 Camaro Click here to subscribe Chevy GMC International Truck Club Louisiana Charter Member http://www.louisianaclassictruckclub.com Last edited by HuggerCST; 01-31-2007 at 12:38 PM. |
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#4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Arizona
Posts: 835
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
What about sealing off the cowl area? I remember seeing a post of someone welding it closed. I'm not even sure what purpose it serves any more with a new style AC available or if it even had anything to do with heater/AX. The only thing I can tell is it's for the side vents in the kick panel, which I'm closing off as well.
Having just repaired the rockers and kick panels, I'm of the opinion that: 1, this isn't something I would like to do again and would like to prevent it from happening in the future (or at least minimize it, but my truck won't see much weather or water once it's done) and 2, there is no such thing as an original rust free cab. |
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#5 |
'69 Step
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Marion, Texas
Posts: 722
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
I cut the bottoms out of mine, undercoated the cowl channel and put in the garbage screen
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#6 |
Questionable
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 13,376
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
Shave your cowl
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If I've got anything up for grabs, it'll be here: 7-hole gauge cluster for a 67-72 p/u FREE (link) I can't check the forum daily. If I don't reply to you within 24 hours, drop me a PM! I'm (hopefully) still alive and will reply faster to a PM. |
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#7 |
Semi-Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Washington, MO
Posts: 390
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
You're right about the side vents. However, with the factory a/c &/or heat systems, the cowl is where the air that the blower blows, comes in.
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'68 50th Anniversery LWB Custom Fleetside, '77 305 v-8, turbo 350, factory speed alert (still works), '71 drivetrain w/front discs. Some call it ugly yellow, others call it Ochre '83 Jeep CJ-7, <80,000 miles, original owner '04 Chevy Suburban, 4x4, 2500, 6.0 ltr, Predator Diablo programmer '95 GMC K1500 Extended cab |
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#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: minden la
Posts: 80
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
i also like the idea of closing off the vented cowel area,welding a plate in place of the grid wood be good. maybe someone will post us some picks of how theres was done
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1972 C-10 SWB 350CI TURBO 350 TRANNY, TILT, POWER WINDOW & BRAKES, TANK UNDER THE BED W/MARKER LIGHT FILLER. 3.08 GEARS, CLASSIC AIR ![]() ![]() 2000 chevy blazer 1990 nissan pick-up 1984 mazda pick-up (son's project truck) |
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#9 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: oklahoma
Posts: 10,670
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
I clean them out and seal them as well as I can, rusty metal primer and black equipment enamel and sometimes spray in bed liner. But the main key is keeping the leaves and twigs out. The cowl trash guards are a must! If they put them in at the factory I have a filling that 90% of the cowl rust problems would be solved. The only thing that you cant prevent is salt. Just my opinion
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#10 | |
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Ponca city now kingfisher Oklahoma
Posts: 1,221
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
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#11 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Victor, Montana
Posts: 386
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
I've been considering shaving mine also but was worried about A/C vents. Just today I read on the forum that the Vintage Air A/C System doesn't use outside air. So with this in mind, I'm back to considering shaving the cowl and using part of the kick panel vent to submerge part of my speakers.
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04 4x4 GMC Ext. Cab lifted 71 2wd GMC / Ramjet 350 ready for sheet metal 49 Studebaker pickup |
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#12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: oklahoma
Posts: 10,670
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
davidh I dont think they were factory but dont quote me on it. As there are some rarely seen options out there but I think the screens/ trash guards are aftermarket.
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#13 |
Questionable
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 13,376
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
I have seen people shave. The only thing I've heard on the topic is that you need to leave the cowl bolted in while cutting out and welding in or it will lose its shape. I've never seen a factory shaved cowl. I read that No Limit Engineering was probably selling a shaved setup for our trucks, but I have yet to see it. If it was out there and less than $200, I would buy it.
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If I've got anything up for grabs, it'll be here: 7-hole gauge cluster for a 67-72 p/u FREE (link) I can't check the forum daily. If I don't reply to you within 24 hours, drop me a PM! I'm (hopefully) still alive and will reply faster to a PM. |
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#14 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 398
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
There are screens that can be installed under the cowl opening. LMC has them, I'm sure one of our favorite board vendors have them also.
But just do what I did years ago and cut a piece of window screen to fit under the cowl opening. I'm out of town right now, or I would go out and take a picture of what mine looks like installed. |
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#15 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Saint Francisville, Louisiana
Posts: 157
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
I did the same in trying to head off future problems with leaves and such by making a screen for my truck. I used aluminum screen that I had left over from covering my gutters. Easy, cheap and seems to work great. I wish I had taken more pics.
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1972 GMC K2500, stepside, stock 350, 4 speed. Former F/D truck with 32,000 miles, no rust. 1973 Jeep CJ 5, 304, 33's with side pipes 2008 GMC 2500HD, CC, SWB, D/A, SLT |
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#16 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 1,332
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
Another problem that can have the same results as trash in the cowl drains is water leaks around the door hinges, top rear fender bolts, and rear cowl bolts. All these holes go into the 'A' pillar, the box section upright that goes from the roof all the way down to the rockers. There is no drain at all in the pillar, and water in it can eventually rust out the bottom inside the rocker. If it gets really bad in there, it can rust to he point that the lower door hinge comes off. The best fix is to use sealer around the hinges and the bolts that screw into the pillar. Also, if you have the front fenders off, remove that 1" plastic plug at the front of the rocker and you can see the bottom of the pillar in the rocker. Drill a hole in it, so the pillar will drain into the rocker (just be sure that your rocker drains are clear!).
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1967 GMC CM-2500 Camper Cruiser, 351E V-6, NP 435 4 speed, Dana 60, and factory A/C. 2012 GMC K-3500 WT regular cab, 6.0L Vortec, 6L90. |
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#17 |
Wrenchin & Sandin!!!
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Joliet, IL.
Posts: 523
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
Ok for those that have put some sort of screen under there....how did you attach it?
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Randy ![]() Shorewood, IL. My Favorite eBay Searches My Driver Restore Thread 1971 C10 Longbed 2005 Silverado Shortbed 2005 FXDWG |
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#18 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: oklahoma
Posts: 10,670
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
If you buy the aftermarket ones they just atach to the stock locations. As for home made I am unsure.
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#19 |
Special Order
![]() ![]() Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Mt Airy, MD
Posts: 85,859
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
If you "shave" the cowl vent area,water will still be getting in.
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"BUILDING A BETTER WAY TO SERVE THE USA"......67/72......"The New Breed" GMC '67 C1500 Wideside Super Custom SWB: 327/M22/3.42 posi.........."The '67" (project) GMC '72 K2500 Wideside Sierra Custom Camper: 350/TH350/4.10 Power-Lok..."The '72" (rolling) Tim "Don't call me a redneck. I'm a rough cut country gentleman" R.I.P. ~ East Side Low Life ~ El Jay ~ 72BLUZ ~ Fasteddie69 ~ Ron586 ~ 67ChevyRedneck ~ Grumpy Old Man ~ |
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#20 | |
Questionable
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 13,376
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
Quote:
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__________________
If I've got anything up for grabs, it'll be here: 7-hole gauge cluster for a 67-72 p/u FREE (link) I can't check the forum daily. If I don't reply to you within 24 hours, drop me a PM! I'm (hopefully) still alive and will reply faster to a PM. |
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#21 | |
blood type; Retumbo
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: next to my reloading bench
Posts: 10,269
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
Quote:
![]() I will have to do something soon. is there a way to shave the cowl yet allow fresh air for the stock heater? |
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#22 |
Questionable
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 13,376
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
If you look at the setup of the fan, I think the heater pulls its air from the area we're *****ing about having leaf/debris buildup in (the box shown in first and second posts)
__________________
If I've got anything up for grabs, it'll be here: 7-hole gauge cluster for a 67-72 p/u FREE (link) I can't check the forum daily. If I don't reply to you within 24 hours, drop me a PM! I'm (hopefully) still alive and will reply faster to a PM. |
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#23 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: oklahoma
Posts: 10,670
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
Yup. And that fan shreds it nice and fine and blows it on you until the heat or a/c box fills up with leaves. Dont ask how I know about the last part.
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#24 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Ponca city now kingfisher Oklahoma
Posts: 1,221
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Re: plague of the 67-72 chevy truck
That funny. I remember changing a heater core out of a 69 and it blowing out crap every time I put on the defroster, leaves dirt twigs. I found it amusing really. I sold it a while later.
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