1971 C-20 Questions

[independentcustoms]

I just bought a 71 C-20 Camper Special, and I'm looking for some info on it. I haven't gotten it into the shop yet, I don't pick it up til this coming Saturday. What I'd like to know is what makes the camper special different from the standard 3/4 ton? As of right now, here's what I do know:it was originally a 400cid(has a 305 now) motor, and supposedly a th350 trans. I don't know for sure if that's what the trans was from the factory, I know it has one now. There's a cord running into the bed that was supposedly to run camper lighting. It has what appears to be a factory electric brake controller. I took a very quick look under the back end, and I see that it's still a coil sprung rear, but has an addition of a leaf spring behind the axle (not a full leaf, but some sort of helper leaf). It has power brakes, but that may have come standard on all trucks that year, I don't know.

Anyway, if anyone can give me some info, I'd greatly appreciate it. Are the springs different from a standard 3/4, brakes, etc?

[Shyguy]

Three quarter ton pickups come with heavy duty coils in the back with the helper springs coming from the back as you describe.

If the SPID is still on the glove compartment door it will tell you of the original options from a base model.

Base model pickups in '71 came with non powered disc brakes.

Some guys on here can decode the stuff for you if you can post a picture of the SPID.

I am not sure, but I don't think they had electric brake controllers in '71.

Danny

[Longhorn Man]

The custom camper (not camper special as you first called it... that's a ford in these years!) Is not all that much added...


Basicly HD springs or overloads, HD tires, HD shocks, a sway bar, and badges

The camper plug was a seperate option (UY1) as seen on the SPID of my 70 one ton longhorn;

[Longhorn Man]

forgot to mention the 400 engine.
If you are going by the badges on the fenders, then that 400 would have actually beeb a 402 big block, they never installed the 400 small block in these trucks. If it was a 402, then the only automatic it would have had was the TH400. This would include the Dana 60 rear end with the 3.54 rear gear also, and that's the best gear that came in the 3/4 ton trucks, although, the axle shafts aren't all that strong in them.

[independentcustoms]

Longhorn and shyguy, thanks for all the info. After looking around the site today, I found that it is complete blasphemy to call it a camper special, and for that I am truly sorry. I just found out about this model a couple days ago, so bare with me. I am going off of the fender emblem for the motor, so I'm assuming it was the big block originally. I don't get why they badged it as a 400, doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me when it's really not. I'll have to wait til Sat to see if it's still a th400. I'm kind of anxious to find out what options it originally had. It does also have the auxiliary roof lights and the towing mirrors. Here's a couple pics off the ad I bought it from

[Longhorn Man]

there's only a couple of us who jump on the camper special mistakes. I honestly do it 99% in fun... and to be honest, I've slipped up with that many times at work when we are talking about these things.
That looks like a pretty good looking truck. Most people don't care for the clearance/marker lights on top. I think they look good personally.
As for the 400 badging, there is absolutly no telling why they did that. GM did a lot of stupid things back then. They confused there own people back then, and are confusing many people to this day. If they woulda called it what it was from day one it woulda made so much more sence. Just like all the camaros and chevelles made after 69... they never had 396 either, all 402. And if you've ever heard of the caddy 501... that's bogus too, only a 500.

[independentcustoms]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

there's only a couple of us who jump on the camper special mistakes. I honestly do it 99% in fun... and to be honest, I've slipped up with that many times at work when we are talking about these things.
That looks like a pretty good looking truck. Most people don't care for the clearance/marker lights on top. I think they look good personally.
As for the 400 badging, there is absolutly no telling why they did that. GM did a lot of stupid things back then. They confused there own people back then, and are confusing many people to this day. If they woulda called it what it was from day one it woulda made so much more sence. Just like all the camaros and chevelles made after 69... they never had 396 either, all 402. And if you've ever heard of the caddy 501... that's bogus too, only a 500.

Yeah, my 72 Chevelle has a 402. I don't get the badging stuff, makes no sense.

[independentcustoms]

Longhorn, where did you get that option list from? I'd like to see the entire thing.

[Longhorn Man]

GM used to hand them out free, now they are 50 bucks for an incomplete crappy photo copy.
I'd feel ripped off at 10 bucks, let alone 50.
I can dig out the phone number if you wanna waste 50 bones.

[independentcustoms]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

GM used to hand them out free, now they are 50 bucks for an incomplete crappy photo copy.
I'd feel ripped off at 10 bucks, let alone 50.
I can dig out the phone number if you wanna waste 50 bones.

Let me think about that for a min.....no!

[Longhorn Man]

LOL!!!!

[MW826]

I just got a 71 Custom Camper myself. I would venture to say his "Camper special" remark may have come from the SPID for 1971 referring to Z81 as "Special Camper". Kinda the same as Z84 which is the Cheyenne package being called Custom Sport Truck on mine.
Also for the the specs list, I'll save you the $50, well actually GM will they now offer them all of pdf for free, I printed it out. C20s start of p25: http://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-h...olet-Truck.pdf

I need help identifying the OE mirrors for DF2, are they the real big ones that have the upper cross bar with 3 bolts in it then the two legs? I'm trying to put mine back to original.
Regards,
Mike