SWB vs LWB

[smackmatic]

Hi, this is my first post on this board.

I have been looking for a 67-72 truck for a while now, and I have found two that have caught my eye.

The first one is a 71 SWB with good cab coners and rockers, for $3500. It has been lowered, and has a 350 /auto. It has a bunch little things that need to be fixed, but the major problem with it is that it has some sort of weird flat bed on it.( I have been unable to find a complete bed) It also has rust on the fire wall and front fenders. The bottom of the doors are bubbling, and this makes me think that some rust was painted over.

The second truck is a 69 LWB(350/auto) that is in a body shop waiting for a new paint job. This truck is rust free, and I could choose my color for less than $2500.

I really like the looks a SWB truck that has been lowered with a bed on it.

Which truck is the better value?
Will I ever be able to find a bed for the SWB?

I not sure which truck to get, so any advice would be apreciated.

[71SWBChevy]

The SWB will look alot better in my opinion, but that price seems a little high for a truck without a bed, I paid $1200 for a SWB 71 in may that only needs cab corners and rockers and a little patch panel above the rear wheel wells. If those are your only two choices the LWB is the better deal, you could probably find a bed for the SWB maybe not a complete bed but you could probably piece one together.

[Palf70Step]

Welcome to the board. While the SWB are more popular, and yes I like the looks more, but my opinion would be to avoid the SWB. You are investing more money right off the bat and will be looking for a bed, plus I don't like the firewal rust problem. Of the 2, I would say you would be much better off the with LWB one, and get the color you want. Use the money you save to lower it, wheels or whatever YOU want on it.

[cdowns]

welcome to the board//yes swb are more popular, but that one you're looking at sounds like it's worth $500-$800 without a bed and mojor rust problems//my personal preferance because i use a truck as a truck is LWB or better yet a lognhorn cause you can haul more stuff

[smackmatic]

Thanks for the quick replys!
Actually I started loooking for a truck because I just bought a house that needs to be fixed up and I didnt want to borrow someones truck. Once I started looking I knew I had to have 67-72 Chevy. Once I was done with the house I wanted to hang on to the truck, and fix it up real nice. My favorite trucks are the ones on early classics home page.

[71SWBChevy]

If your wanting it for working around the house GET THE LWB! The eight foot of bed will be much better than the 6 ft of the SWB. Go get that LWB tomorrow, with the longer bed it will hold more junk and you can easily haul all the lumber you will need.

[stynchrr]

hey what part of DE you from?

[truckdude239]

i loike my long bed drove my friends short bed and the long bed seem to hug an curve better lol

[N2TRUX]

Get the long bed for using as a truck for now. Later if you want a hot rod, sell the long bed and get a shortie...

[lpaine]

or...... buy the lwb and drive it for a while, you can still convert it to a swb later if you decide that's what you really want. It would mean a lot of work and more expense, but the lwb is $1,000 less and that money will go a long way if you can do a lot of the work yourself, and it sounds like the swb cab may have rust issues the lwb does'nt. Just my .02 Oh, and by the way Welcome to the board.

[qksilver]

I can give one bit of advice, get the best sheet metal possible, cab, doors, front end,bed as possible. You can always gather a SWB and bed down the road. The interchange of mechanical parts makes that part fairly easy. If it is a keeper, the better the sheet metal the less it will cost to do it right, unless you are a professional body guy. It's a lot easier to swap parts.
Steve

[krue]

Get the lwb now, get a swb later. You can never have too many.

BTW welcome to the board from South MIssissippi.

[Longhorn Man]

I agree on the long bed... however, it is rust free only becouse it has been ground down and filled with filler.
You need to also look into why the LWB is so cheap...fresh paint and a price that low makes me wonder.



Don't forget, there's more than just those two trucks out there.... you don't need the truck tomorow, so if you find something that scares you... bail on them both.

A flat bed can be VERY handy...esp when doing home repair, however, it won't be much of an asset on a 1/2 ton truck.

[rmrtndl]

I had a very similar experience. A very nice LWB truck vs a not so nice SWB for more money. I bought the SWB and don't regret it.

They made 8 times as many LWB trucks as swb trucks. For most folks, the swb is more desirable, so they cost a little more.

I have seen a few shorty beds available in this area of the last year. They are out there. Also you can buy all the pieces to build a new bed. A steel bed floor is not available but a wood kit is. It will cost you though.

The bottom line is, ask yourself what you really want and go get it.

[Castiron9]

Better yet find your self a LONGHORN...

[shelby987]

if you are looking to fix up a house, the lwb as mentioned will be much more useful......be sure to look anything you are interested in over very carefully....but if the lwb is a good daily driver, I say get the paint done, give it a tune up, and invest the saved $$$$ into the house......once thats done start making it into the toy you really want.....I can't imagine a dropped truck with low profile tires will be what you are looking for to haul plywood for home repair....but maybe I am wrong

[Swbman]

IMO I would say go for the long wheel base truck first, sounds as though it just needs painting and its ready to ride, shortbed trucks pop up all the time sometimes at killer prices so just get something that will be practical for you to use and that trouble free especially since this will be your first truck.and Welcome Aboard.....

[shifty]

My personal opinion? If you looked at either truck and neither one jumped out at you and screamed "I AM YOUR TRUCK", pass on it.

The first time I saw my truck I knew that was the truck for me. I could just feel it. I looked over at least a dozen other trucks before mine. Took several months for just the right truck to come my way - and I couldn't be happier.

With that said, the Longbed sounds like a good deal. Lowering is cheap to do. LWB's can look cool when lowered, but I think they look best with a raked stance. I think the front end of the 69-70 looks a hundred times better than the 71-72 also. The 71 you're looking at sounds like trouble right off the bat because you have no idea how much rust is underneath that thing and the rockers or cab corners could just be a good bondo job (I'm using this with the doors as an indicator of the PO hiding rust).

If you gotta pick one of the two, review the body work on the 71. If it looks clean, go for it. You could probably paint it, fix it up and sell it for three times what you're paying for it.

[truckdude239]

[smackmatic]

I will have to look at the LWB again, from what I remember it was down to the bare metal. It also had the upper and lower trim.

I just found a step side SWB truck for $800, but it looks like every body panel is rusted. I wonder if it would be worth geting for just the frame, then switching everything over from the LWB truck later?

-Stynchrr.. I am in wilmington, I have been looking at the SWB truck at a small car dealer in Odessa near the police station on rt13 north.

[weasel29gm]

All the advice so far is great,I've been lookin' also. But some is way off base on price. 68 LWB, 3-speed, every panel is rusted. Wants 3500, worth about 1200. 71 SWB, auto. same shape,wants 3000, worth 1000. I'm not payin' 2-3K for a truck thats rusted and needs alot. I'd pay more and get a better ride. Anything I see for less than a grand, don't waste my time on em'. Seems lately theres always 5-6 for sale in our local ad paper.

[Longhorn Man]

Just remember, a truck for $1000 out of the desert west ...shipped out east at 700 bucks, automaticly becomes a $3000 truck...regardles of how it runs. Not to mention, you'll be 2500 ahead in body work/rust repair.

If the money is there, it is almost stupid to buy a project from this side of the country.
JMO here.

[roughedup72]

I know there is a 72 cheyenne with A/C for 2500 in S.C. and its in really good shape.wish I would have found it before I jumped on mine.

[qksilver]

Do you have the name of that shipper. The guy who will bring a truck east for 700? I have had to get 4 I bought out west myself. $700.............I will give you a finders fee!
Steve

[special-K]

I agree with Longhornman.Yet,on the Delmarva Peninsula you can find some pretty un-rusty stuff since snow is rare,so are salty roads.
A lowered longbed looks damn sleek to me.Shoetbeds are the more costly way to go,for sure.And,that`s mostly because of the availability of it`s namesake,the bed.I bought two California bedsides for $400 each.A clean(sort of)complete bed here in theeast is a $1200+ item.You can buy a longbed,keep looking for a cheap shortbed donor for the frame(under $400),and save or piece together a bed in time if that`s what you really want.I paid $1000 for the one I`m working on.The Fleetside is there,but pretty bad for a resto,yet usable.I have two I bought,pretty stripped short cab`n`chassis for $300-500.I found a StepSide that just needed a floor for $350.I jumped on it like a skidrow wino on a 1/2-full bottle of fermented Welches in the back of a garbage truck.That`s how I build shortbeds.Here`s a $300 short truck I have: