My 1972 Chevy C20 Custom Camper (needs love but getting there) somewhat:P

[lha1992]

Hi all! Well back when i first joined here i was i think 16 or 17 can't recall but at the time when i first found this site i was getting ready to buy a 1972 Chevy Cheyenne longhorn fully loaded with AC, BB chev 402 and everything. Well as soon as my dad (at the time) saw the bed that the wood was all rotten and gone he was like no your not getting it and i regretted that big time still being i saw pictures from a few years ago and it was in great shape. Oh well you win some you lose some.

Anyways, this past April i was looking through craigslist and found a ad out in Bothell for a '72 C20 2-tone green and white truck for $600 barely running. Called the guy, found out he was selling it for his uncle who owned it since 1993 who bought it from the 2nd owner who bought it from the original in 1988.

Went out to see the truck, was ROUGHHHH and looked like it hadn't been washed in ohhh 10yrs??? IDK really bad it wasn't taken care of and was wanting some love. Went there that day saw the truck and at first didn't like it but as i got to looking more and more i began to love it and I told him i'd give him $475 and he took it and shook my hand there!!!!

He told me had been trying to sell it for a few weeks and all the people who came out all they wanted to do was part it out part it out yada yada yada and he wanted it to go to someone who'd use it.

The truck has the original TH350 tranny in it that was rebuilt in 2001 with only 12,000miles on the rebuild with paperwork and had a edelbrock performer intake on it and i prolly got my moneys worth right there alotta people are saying. Plus it came with 4carbs! 2 old quadrajets (1being the original) and a carter that looks like a edelbrock carb and a holley econo w/e idk.

Here's some pics of how she looked when i got it!



It looks like blahhhhhh :P I told ya'll it didn't have a wash in prolly 10yrs!

[lha1992]

So when i got the truck as i told you the truck was barely running. The motor in the truck is a 350 from a '76 chevy that was rusted out and the original motor blew up from some idiot towing a horse trailer up Stevens Pass in 2000 at 70mph apparently. It had the original 1972 Quadrajet on it that the accelerator pump went out and started dumping gas in it.

Well ended up putting a practically brand new holley truck avenger carburetor that a buddy of mine had that he got from some guy and he didn't need it and gave it to me for a song. Practically brand spanking new holley 670cfm so that was good. Buttttttt, still didn't solve the problem of it running like $%&! and it would back fire when you'd rev it, shoot off pops out the exhaust everything. Turned out, the PO had crappy autolite plugs in the truck. Said he put them in in November and they were fine and he thought he put AC delcos in but nopeeeee. BTW, i'm a firm believer in that put the correct plugs in your engine that the manufacturer built them with as in AC's go for GM, motorcraft=ferd and so on and so on. I worked at O'reillys for awhile always alwaysss tried avoiding selling a autolite plug to my customers just after seeing this one of the many cases i've seen that autolite is a ehhhh plug. Just my opinion as i kno others may say different. Mod's if that wasn't supposed to be said on the forums sorry.

Backkkk to the truck! Put in a set of CR44's in and fired up and ran like a charm!!!!)))) no back fire BUT apparently the timing was stilll wayyy off and it needed a new set of points so put new points in and advanced the timing to 12BTDC and runs great!!!!! I guess the timing was retarted back so that it would fire easier with the weak battery? Heard that from a friend of mine who was helping me out.

Ended up getting a new battery and cables as the first order of business and pressure washing the CRAPPP outta the body like a seriously hot soap pressure wash at the do-it-yourself place.







Told you guys it needed a wash!

[In The Ten Ring]

Ya man, dad's don't always know best, let me tell ya!

But you've got a good one now it looks like and you can do a whole lot with it. I wish I had been on your level when I was your age.

Good luck!

Man, I love those hubcaps!

ITTR

[lha1992]

After the big wash i started having problems with well practically everything one after another on the truck and slowly but surely when i had time to i'd fix the truck up.

Ended up first off the original water pump blew up and weeped like a mofo. Last owner thought it had a headgasket leak cause it lost coolant and put that copper stop leak crap in it but nope sure doesn't lose coolant since i did the water pump. Did that and thermostat and lower hose.

After that my intake gaskets took a dump on me when i was heading to work at O'Reillys and that night picked up gaskets, coolant and what not to do the surgery on the engine. Cleaned up the performer intake and everything and installed new gaskets. At the same time i decided to convert the truck over to HEI and get rid of the darn points (boy do i not like them).

The same friend of mine who gave me the Holley Truck avenger gave me the Mallory HEI unit. He got all these parts in a package deal with 2 motors cause one was a 4bolt that he is using to build a 383 stroker for his '70 Impala.

Installed the Mallory HEI with a Accel coil and button the truck back up and also put on a new alternator and voltage regulator but a few weeks later i get on my lunch break at work and open the hood of my truck to find the battery wire at the back of the NEW alternator burned completely off like it was good i didn't drive it cause it woulda meant prolly buring the truck to the ground.

I was fed up with the external voltage regulator crap and that night since i was closing at O'Reillys my manager let me that night work the last hour with wiring up the new internally regulated alternator using my phone to look here at the site on how to wire it up and it charges great now!!!!!

Oh and prolly 2 weeks later i get in the truck and turn the key and the starter just stays engaged even when i took the key out and burns up the starter so i had to get a new starter too. Practically everything on the engine to let it run is new. Sure was good to have a discount at work lol

[lha1992]

Next up for me and the truck was i wanted to freaking GET IT LOOKING like a 2-tone truck SHOULD be!!! Somewhat lol:P Well after reading here on the site i found out about using CLR and a scotch brite pad to remove surface rust on sheet metal and bring back the original paint.

So I ended up getting the brown coarser looking scotch brite pads from work and CLR and started CLR'ing the truck alll over to bring that paint back out. I gotta say, i really do think this stuff is awesome like seriously!!! It took a bit but i got it kinda looking alott better than it did. Actually can see the white in the fenders! One thing you have to do is that you need to seal the old paint up otherwise it WILL start rusting again. Trust me i waited a week and my passenger side fender started rusting a little bit so i went back over it with CLR and paint cleared it.

Here's the truck before i did the roof:

[lha1992]

Here's what the roof looked liked before the CLR'ing began. Looked bad.



And now what it looks like now after all the CLR'ing and what not done to it. Took a bit but she looks like a okay 2-tone truck to roll around it actually! Even if it does still have bad paint and have a snaggle tooth on the front end of it lol:P

[lha1992]

Anyways, she still needs ALOTTT of work that which comes to my next big UH OHHH and that is RUSTTTTTTTTT........As we all know hey these are 41+yr old trucks they're gonna have rust and well this has me now at a stand still with my truck. Let the pics show an ya'll can see:



I don't know if this might just be surface rust from water possibly getting inbetween the door rubber and the frame on the door and it bubbling up?



Prolly maybe surface rust i guess or i hope from some of the drip rails idk ya'll decide:

[lha1992]

Here's on the inside windshield channel:




And the roof drip rails into the roof cleaning:

[lha1992]

So this brings me to where i'm at now. Kinda at a stand still being that i've wanted to get ya'lls input on what i should do? I've thought about taking my grinder and wire wheel and seeing if i can clean that stuff up and take the windshield out and putting a precision brand gasket in.

Then i've thought crap what if the windshield channel is really gone and it needs a big time welding? New roof or new cab all together? Still it needs cab corners, rockers (inner and outter) new kick pannel at the bottom, drivers door and not to mention the front of the bed is rusted bad from a camper being on it for a long time and water resting so i might as well just get a bed too idk. Frame on the other hand is SOLID like seriously it was undercoated like no tomorrow underneath. Its just from poor maintenance and the last owners doing nothing to it is how it got this way i believe.

What do you guys think? I've even thought about just buying another truck and using this as parts. But its still a good truck that i would feel bad for piecing out.

[White70C20]

Dude, that truck is great. I wouldn't change anything (except maybe the bent front bumper pad LOL)

Seriously, that is a nice truck. The rust on your cab floor is nothing compared to my truck. If I were you, I'd drive the $h!+ out of that truck and leave it as is.

I love that patina look. My new project truck has a similar look to it. I'm planning on leaving it looking "farm fresh".

[Mr Chevorlet]

For 475.00 you done real good. and the truck looks great now.

[alsriv2]

Work it slowly one part to a time. Start on the easier parts (rockers and such) and have fun with it!
You have a great truck at a very good price. Drive the tarnation out of it and enjoy!

[lha1992]

Originally Posted by In The Ten Ring

Ya man, dad's don't always know best, let me tell ya!

But you've got a good one now it looks like and you can do a whole lot with it. I wish I had been on your level when I was your age.

Good luck!

Man, I love those hubcaps!

ITTR

Deffff they dont lol:-P that cheyenne BB chev longhorn was a good truck an a 1-owner!!:-( oh well can't get everything...

But thanks man means alot! :-) she needs lots of work still an I gotta agree the hubcaps are cool!
Posted via Mobile Device

[Mister-B]

Originally Posted by lha1992

After the big wash i started having problems with well practically everything one after another on the truck and slowly but surely when i had time to i'd fix the truck up.

Ended up first off the original water pump blew up and weeped like a mofo. Last owner thought it had a headgasket leak cause it lost coolant and put that copper stop leak crap in it but nope sure doesn't lose coolant since i did the water pump. Did that and thermostat and lower hose.

After that my intake gaskets took a dump on me when i was heading to work at O'Reillys and that night picked up gaskets, coolant and what not to do the surgery on the engine. Cleaned up the performer intake and everything and installed new gaskets. At the same time i decided to convert the truck over to HEI and get rid of the darn points (boy do i not like them).

The same friend of mine who gave me the Holley Truck avenger gave me the Mallory HEI unit. He got all these parts in a package deal with 2 motors cause one was a 4bolt that he is using to build a 383 stroker for his '70 Impala.

Installed the Mallory HEI with a Accel coil and button the truck back up and also put on a new alternator and voltage regulator but a few weeks later i get on my lunch break at work and open the hood of my truck to find the battery wire at the back of the NEW alternator burned completely off like it was good i didn't drive it cause it woulda meant prolly buring the truck to the ground.

I was fed up with the external voltage regulator crap and that night since i was closing at O'Reillys my manager let me that night work the last hour with wiring up the new internally regulated alternator using my phone to look here at the site on how to wire it up and it charges great now!!!!!

Oh and prolly 2 weeks later i get in the truck and turn the key and the starter just stays engaged even when i took the key out and burns up the starter so i had to get a new starter too. Practically everything on the engine to let it run is new. Sure was good to have a discount at work lol

Cool truck. Keep at it. Things will turn the corner before you know it.

Hey, I've got a trade request for you that would help us both. You have the chrome Edelbrock valve covers, but your air cleaner top doesn't match because you've got the elite series. I have the reverse. Chrome Edelbrock air cleaner cover and elite valve covers.

Would you want to trade your air cleaner top for my air cleaner top? Mine is less than a year old
Posted via Mobile Device

[lha1992]

Originally Posted by White70C20

Dude, that truck is great. I wouldn't change anything (except maybe the bent front bumper pad LOL)

Seriously, that is a nice truck. The rust on your cab floor is nothing compared to my truck. If I were you, I'd drive the $h!+ out of that truck and leave it as is.

I love that patina look. My new project truck has a similar look to it. I'm planning on leaving it looking "farm fresh".

Hey thanks man! Deffff next thing on the list is to remove the bent front bumper pad lol:P as my friends dad said it looks like it has a snaggle tooth

Well i have a few more pictures i'll post of the rust and ya'll can see what you think about it. I'm deff for one driving the crap outta the truck i can tell you that!!! Still gotta do the brakes sooner or later and get a set of shocks cause she's like just wore out.

Originally Posted by Mr Chevorlet

For 475.00 you done real good. and the truck looks great now.

Thanks for the kind words! I bought it for that much and prolly put almost that much into it as of now. Its looking better as time goes on so.

Originally Posted by alsriv2

Work it slowly one part to a time. Start on the easier parts (rockers and such) and have fun with it!
You have a great truck at a very good price. Drive the tarnation out of it and enjoy!

Yeah I guess. I just need to pull out the windshield and see how bad it really is underneath the windshield seal. The trucks got rust in the corner of the firewall on the drivers side too if ya'll can see that in the engine picture idk.

Deff driving the crap outta it i can tell you that! Gotta adjust the valves cause it has a tick so.

[lha1992]

Thought i would post the pictures of the rust i was telling you guys about. Its a bit i can tell you that.

Passenger side rocker:


Passenger side inner rocker, lower A-pillar, and cab mount:


Drivers side rocker and kick panel:


Drivers side inner rocker, A-pillar and cab mount:

[lha1992]

Thought i'd post up the spid sheet too:

[Mister-B]

Did you see what I said about the air filter cover? If you don't want to trade, it's all good, but I can't tell if you even saw my post
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[lha1992]

Originally Posted by Mister-B

Did you see what I said about the air filter cover? If you don't want to trade, it's all good, but I can't tell if you even saw my post
Posted via Mobile Device

Hey Mister-B! Sorry for not responding i missed your post between posts actually.

Anyways i never actually even noticed that to be honest! I'll PM you later tonight because i'm gonna be getting rid of the edelbrock covers and get factory ones possibly. Or might just keep them and exchange you.

I'll let you know and sorry for seeming like i was ignoring your post.

BTW, your truck looks nice!!!!!!!!!!

[Mister-B]

Originally Posted by lha1992

Hey Mister-B! Sorry for not responding i missed your post between posts actually.

Anyways i never actually even noticed that to be honest! I'll PM you later tonight because i'm gonna be getting rid of the edelbrock covers and get factory ones possibly. Or might just keep them and exchange you.

I'll let you know and sorry for seeming like i was ignoring your post.

BTW, your truck looks nice!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks!

Yeah, I'm interested in the round air filter cover you have. Mine is just like it, but chrome, so we might be able to figure something out. Maybe you could measure the distance from one side to the other and I'll do the same on mine, and them PM me later and we can see if we can work something out
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[67ctener]

I had 3 cabs on cl for FREE for a few weeks. Too bad you missed out there in truck heaven now. Everyone that called wanted to scrap them. I wish they had went to use
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[lha1992]

Originally Posted by 67ctener

I had 3 cabs on cl for FREE for a few weeks. Too bad you missed out there in truck heaven now. Everyone that called wanted to scrap them. I wish they had went to use
Posted via Mobile Device

You have got to be kidding me?? 3 on cl for FREE???? Oh my gosh that suckssss...

[67ctener]

Originally Posted by lha1992

You have got to be kidding me?? 3 on cl for FREE???? Oh my gosh that suckssss...

Kind of a long story but acquired 3 cabs and on parts truck. All and all had 4 cabs and wanting to bring a fifth home.
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[Syndrome]

Craigslist rules, the more you ask the more you get. You put them up for free and of course they will get scrapped. You put it up for 100 you get 25-50.. put it for 400 and you will get 250-300.

[lha1992]

Originally Posted by 67ctener

Kind of a long story but acquired 3 cabs and on parts truck. All and all had 4 cabs and wanting to bring a fifth home.
Posted via Mobile Device

Dang!!! I really missed out big time...you bringing a 5th one home though?