The Essence...
 

... of a short bed Cheyenne. Is it a 100% correct restoration? Nope. Is it close enough to not matter when you sit in it? It is for me :cool:

I found a picture of this truck and saved it as an example of a Monte Carlo emblem on a '71/'72. Didn't realize it was a video. I love this truck! It would be a perfect little brother for my K2500. I'll keep it pictured for future reference.

http://youtu.be/9Sw0wAgkhq8

Re: The Essence...
 

It is nice. I wish he had spent some time just showing the whole truck and not all closeups. I like to stand back and look at something at least some of the time. What do you think of this hood ornament? I don't think I've seen one before. I would like to see this done on my favorite year truck, 1969.

Re: The Essence...
 

Those Monty hood ornaments seem to have found their way to a lot of trucks back then.

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Oh, so it is one of these.
Attachment 1991348
https://www.jegs.com/i/Trim+Parts/216/1620/10002/-1

In the video is it not really clear. But your experienced eye knew what it was. That does look nice on a restored truck. I would need a pitted and corroded one for my truck. For 1969 it may not look as nice with the bowtie right there under it on the hood. It looks nice on 1972 truck since the bowtie is lower and on the grill.

Re: The Essence...
 

That's a beautiful truck. I can't call something with rallies, radio plate, never made by GM seat cover, and a hood ornament a resto, but that's just me. Would be proud to own it

(So that I could then replace the seat, get white steelies with FWCs, pray the dash isn't hacked for the radio, and toss that Monte Carlo emblem in the turlet). But that's just me.. ;)

Re: The Essence...
 

Original or not, that is a real nice truck. White and all trimmed out is just plain classy in my book. I don't give a hang about badges.

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Beautiful truck!!. I wish Michelin still made those XW4’s

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“Badges”! “We Don’t Need No Stinking Badges” !

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When I was growing up, the devious crowd would always go around breaking those things off.

Dang shame.

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I'm still learning, so correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't that truck have the rear view mirror glued to the window instead of bolted to the windshield frame? Makes ya wonder if it's replacement cab?

Having said that, it's a beautiful truck!

Re: The Essence...
 

It definitely is a restoration by definition, just not a correct restoration, although very close. They aren't all aiming for 100 pts. It still has the original GM factory vibe about it, too. I always called this style "Hybrid Stock". It's not 100% stock but it carries the 100% GM vibe, like what GM could have done. It certainly wasn't done to be a custom or hot truck. classy and tasteful, just like how these trucks were built. Done in a way that didn't change the truck from what it was built as. And it certainly could be put to 100% correct with very little effort. Sounds just right, too!

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Ask a person that had a Dodge Ram about hood ornaments. Go ahead ask me but you better close your ears!! Have a good one eh.

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Re-Pops available here.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-Chevro...0AAOSwMuZc3dv6

Re: The Essence...
 

Sweet ride!!!!!!

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I have one I bought from Chevy for a '71 many years (decades) ago. But I decided to leave the truck alone, maybe use it on another. I had a '70 and didn't think it would look right, with already having a bowie on the hood as well as Chevrolet across the grille. How many times do you want to see Chevrolet in one place? :lol: For me it would be too busy. I realized the trucks I saw these on, and liked, were 71/72s. Maybe a 67/68 CST with no letters on the hood would look good.

I brought this thread back to take a look at other "Essence of Chevy" SWB trucks, meaning all about Chevy but not necessarily original. It seemed about 30 or so years ago this was a thing I saw and liked. A gentleman's truck, only personalized not customized. Things like '73-up bedrails, the kind with woodgrain. Maybe a Monte Carlo emblem or cross flags engine badge. Maybe a tonneau cover, dual chrome exhaust tips, vent visors, or bumper guards... comfort grip steering wheel. Cheyenne Super or at least all the trim. 8" rallyes or PO1s with narrow whitewalls. Maybe, and just maybe, lowered a bit but usually not. Oh yeah, and often they'd have knock-offs/spinners on the center caps. It's still refreshing for me, even more these days, to see a "nice enough" truck like this. A style that is timeless, otherwise known as classic

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5 more

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The white one above is C/10 perfection. Just plain old white with everything that came on it, nothing more. These truck were done right the first time!
Attachment 2050716

Ok, actually, this truck does have interior alterations. Not 100% original, but just the type of treatment I'm talking about here. The "essence" has been retained, in fact enhanced. Like what GM coulda or shoulda done. I believe the front is dropped a tad. But the interior is the big change. It is red, the tilt column is white (my truck would be red), and it has a red Comfort Grip steering wheel. This is the exact truck I set out to build in '04 on a basic '72 SWB I had. I had the 402/TH400 and it was going to be white with red interior. I was going to do the inside of the bed red also, like a '55 Cameo. I still have the 8" steelies that I had powder coated red to use PO1s with and have Diamondback make me a set of wide 70 series with 3/8" whitewalls. I was going to leave the lower trim off and have only upper trim with red accent. No woodgrain in the interior either. I was picturing the '55 Cameo and a white with red interior '62 Impala SS. I found the lowered and rebuilt rolling SWB chassis I have and decided to sell the '72 as it was and use the OEM rustfree sheet metal I had in my parts stash and do a '67 mild custom. TX Fireman came along with his white SWB with red interior (I think) and I didn't want to make something too similar. Plus, I have so many trucks in my head, but can't possibly do them all. I still really do hope I can get it together to do a gentleman's "essence of Chevy" C/10, though. Possibly a longbed. Who knows???