The One You Wish You Had Back

[67C10Step]

Here is my 1970 CST from my teenage and college years. This truck was built by some local guys many years before I got it. They put the 71/72 front clip on but the SPID on the glove box was 1970 CST. Power steering, power brakes, tilt wheel, A/C (never worked). Had tail lights from a 1970 Kingwood station wagon in the rear fenders and and shorted, chromed rear bumper. Had a TH400, 350 with Quatrajet. Got probably about 9-10 mpg on a good day. My dad bought it, brought it home and told me, "Your truck is outside."

My sisters used to make fun of me saying the first six months I had it I worked on it more than I drove it. I believe they are correct. Remember many days driving it to school and straight into the shop that afternoon and working on it until I went to bed.

This photo was taken sometime after I did the disc brake swap on the front. It originally had Keystone Classics but they would not clear the brake calipers. Grabbed the front end and rear axles from a wrecked 71. Also got an original seat as the one that was in the truck when I got it had come from a car and you could see the floor pan through it. Not too bad for a kid doing the work himself. At some point in college my grandfather helped me rebuild the old 350. Great memories there.

Drove this truck tens of thousands of miles between the ages of 16-22. Sold it and bought a 1979 CJ7 after I graduated college. Wish I had that one back, too.

[1971Stepside]

I sold this truck to someone from Texas that found me via this forum. I wish I had her back. I was on my way to Chiefs game one morning and I saw it sitting in a driveway. I said that I would stop and buy it if it was there on my way back through after the game. It was, and I picked it up the next day. Dave Ramsey is to blame here for letting her go!

[CG]

In hindsight I wish I would have kept the first one of these trucks that I bought and never bought another. But you can’t go backwards.

[kwmech]

Had a 69 shorty that I changed over to a stepside. Truck had all the goodies. PS, PB, AC, Tilt/ Tach, buckets I got rid of the trailing arms and converted to leaf, changed the whole braking system to 3/4 ton so it would stop. Dropped the suspension 2'' all the way around. Painted jet black with light blue and red striping and lettering. Was a sharp truck


Back in College I had a 76 luv truck that I put a 327 in with a built T350. That was a lot of fun also till somebody ran a stop sign in front of me

[Killer Bee]

nothing special but this was the first truck I ever bought..

[farmall]

If it was close to stock, yes. But I had to go and modify it beyond practical use, all the way up to 44 M Mudders and 14" wide American Slots.

Me in 1978 somewhere between Preston, Campbell, and Coit. Dallas Tx.

I sold a 70 Boss 302, Calypso Coral, standard interior, Slats, Spoilers, and Magnums but no shaker to buy that Blazer.

[jocko]

and

[Killer Bee]

you win Jocko, oh my

[special-K]

I wish I had my first one back, but I was t-boned in it and that totaled it. '72 SWB Highlander solid Ochre paint, upper-only trim, 402/3spd/posi. I'd like to recreate that truck, only with a car Muncie 4spd

I could trim it down to maybe a dozen I really want back. The ones I restored and sold shortly I never got attached to or I wouldn't have sold them. Not that they couldn't have become keepers.

I think the one I most wish I still had is the '72 K/20 Highlander. Everything was right on that truck. The colors- Medium Blue & White w/Parchment & blue plaid, all original. The running gear- 400SBC/4spd/4.10 No-Spin. Steering & suspension- all rebuilt, ran straight and rode good. Options- Yes... tool & stowage, aux tank, tow hooks, tach, tilt, a/c, hand throttle, aux battery, am/fm, Custom Camper. Ran great, drove great, got 12.5 mpg, and I used it!



EDIT: I have these on this newer 'puter, so wth. (didn't want to leave my keeper out of this)

[kwmech]

Nice K20. So the question is---- why did we sell one of our most favorite trucks? I had a 71 long bed also. I must've put over 300k on that truck over the course of 20 years along with 3 engines. Converted it to 4wd in the later half of that span. I wouldn't hesitate to go across country at a moments notice in that truck.

[MDPotter]

Originally Posted by 1971Stepside

I sold this truck to someone from Texas that found me via this forum. I wish I had her back. I was on my way to Chiefs game one morning and I saw it sitting in a driveway. I said that I would stop and buy it if it was there on my way back through after the game. It was, and I picked it up the next day. Dave Ramsey is to blame here for letting her go!

I wanna know what Dave Ramsey does for fun. I feel a little irresponsible spending all this money on my truck, but it's something I have not only enjoyed building with my dad, but will enjoy driving for years.

[1971Stepside]

I wanna know what Dave Ramsey does for fun. I feel a little irresponsible spending all this money on my truck, but it's something I have not only enjoyed building with my dad, but will enjoy driving for years.

Haha! I don't know, but he pays cash for it I guess....

[special-K]

I forgot to mention, I don't think I ever took pictures of that first truck. I didn't always take pictures of my vehicles back then.

Originally Posted by kwmech

Nice K20. So the question is---- why did we sell one of our most favorite trucks? I had a 71 long bed also. I must've put over 300k on that truck over the course of 20 years along with 3 engines. Converted it to 4wd in the later half of that span. I wouldn't hesitate to go across country at a moments notice in that truck.

Thanks. I can tell you why or how I ended up selling that one. I had the '72 K2500 I have still and one other '72 K/20 Cheyenne Super that I had owned and used up once already, waiting to be very restored. Along come some big changes in my life that made selling off some stuff seem like a good idea. I had the GMC for sale so I could keep the Highlander for a driver. Everybody wanted the Highlander. I even offered to do the upper trim and put medium blue on the GMC, it had a blue interior. I was off and on about selling. I'd just put a sign on it at my house, where there's not much traffic. Mostly it was people I knew and they all wanted the Chevy. Then a real good friend made an offer with cash in hand. He knew I really needed to sell one and he knew I didn't hate the GMC. He used to want my GMC before I had the Highlander. The GMC was in better shape back when I sold the K/20. It made a difference that it was him. He still has it.

[sick472]

I have regretted selling every car that I have owned that was made before the mid 70's (only two, however). That's why I still have most of the cars/trucks that I've ever bought. I miss my 71 DJ5 the most - as dorky as it was.

[Already Gone]

Great idea for a thread. In 2012 I bought the pictured black 1969 CST that had a 307 with 3OTT and Factory Overdrive as well as factory intact A/C. It had 61,000 miles and ran perfect. I drove it around for a few weeks and got pissed off as the shifter kept getting hung up in second gear at the worst of times. I had had my pinky truck for 11 years at that time and still enjoyed driving it too. I thought I'd put the 69 up for sale and it didn't take long to sell. Two years later I sold pinky but in retrospect I should have flipped pinky then and kept the 69 CST.

[Stocker]

The one I wish I had back is actually two, and they are cars (I still have my first truck).

My first Corvette was a 1965 Nassau Blue roadster, 327/365HP with close-ratio Muncie and 3.73 gears. Traded my '68 Camaro RS for it in 1968. Great fun car, very lively engine. Traded it for a '69 El Camino SS, 396/375HP in 1969. I was still single then.

In the early '70s my new(ish) wife & I found a clean '66 Corvette coupe with 327/350HP, close-ratio Muncie, 4.10 gears, and factory A/C. It was sprayed a dark brown. Sold it when we bought our first house (which we are still in) in the mid-seventies. Also had two young sons so it wasn't very practical transportation.

Always figured we'd buy another clean mid-year Vette some day, but then prices went through the roof and crushed that idea. When we had ours they were just dirt cheap used cars. Still miss both of those and would love to own another before I'm in the ground. Not likely though so I'll just enjoy the memories.

[special-K]

^^^ Now there's something right there you said. Many of us have been around since when not so many wanted the older vehicles, even muscle cars and high option cars/trucks, and they were all still around. The prices were steady and you could always go find another better one.

I decided to sell my '63 Riviera, which I loved driving, because it was mostly parked inside or driven in fair weather. I realized a convertible made just as much sense for that use. I had cool trucks with hardtops. Sold the Riviera, put the money into a truck build, figured I'd find the right convertible later. That was right when prices really took off and haven't stopped. I've only had trucks since and now I can't "just get another one of those" too easy either. I never would have sold anything if I could have afforded to keep them.

[67C10Step]

Glad to see a bit more traction in this thread. Here are a few of my father's that I wish had not gotten away:

1969 SS Chevelle 396 convertible
1971 GMC short box 4x4

He also had an SS Nova for a short bit, I believe it was a 327 car. Had a GTO as well but it was the last year, 1974. Shaker hood and 350 with manual in the floor, red on white.

[sick472]

Originally Posted by 67C10Step

Glad to see a bit more traction in this thread...Had a GTO as well but it was the last year, 1974. Shaker hood and 350 with manual in the floor, red on white.

Someone told me once that if you ever owned a GTO to keep it as you would not likely have another one. Hence, I have had mine since 84. It's actually the newest vehicle I have ever bought for myself.

[StingRay]

My first vehicle. 1969 Longhorn GMC Sierra Grande Custom Camper 3/4 ton. Dad bought it new. Not highly optioned but a nice truck. I didn't appreciate it then like I should have.

[special-K]

I liked those '74s. Many didn't, but I'm a Nova fan and how about a 455? I would convert to '72 Nova bumpers though

[Killer Bee]

Originally Posted by sick472

Someone told me once that if you ever owned a GTO to keep it as you would not likely have another one. Hence, I have had mine since 84. It's actually the newest vehicle I have ever bought for myself.

now you tell me

[67C10Step]

Thought I would bring this one back to the top and add a few non-truck items to my list.

1979 CJ7 - 304V8, T18 granny low transmission, factory A/C (odd)
1948 Willys

The Willys was my fathers but when I was 13-14 my buddies and I had so much fun in that thing what we were doing must have been illegal.

[j_cst_10]

My 68 K10, 1990 D250 cummins/5spd mint truck, and the one that bothers me almost daily...my 68 satellite sport original paint car. ughhhhh

I keep bothering the guy I sold the Satellite to, but he was in Florida and does not return my emails haha.

[Turbo1dr]

Bought this one in 1987 and sold it in 1989. Regretted selling it the whole time. However, I got a chance to buy it back in 2014....so I did! Happy Ending!