Third time is the charm
 

Well, I did it again. The wife is certain I'm certifiably insane.

Friend of mine has had a 76 for a few years, he bought it cheap, had a blown engine. He fixed it a little and used it for a farm truck. He mentioned he might trade it off.......and now it's in my barn.

1976 K20. Horrible paint, some surface rust. The front-right quarter panel as some minor wrinkles. No tailgate, but overall pretty straight.

Cosmetically, this is the ugliest truck I have.

Mechanically it might be the best! Previous owner swapped in a 292 straight 6 from a 1979 C60 grain truck (whopping 130hp). Purrs like a kitten. Rebuilt turbo 400. There are no squeaks, rattles, slop, or leaks. Steering is perfect, ride is great for a 76 K20. And it has new tires!

Interior is weak, but all the gauges work, electrical is good, and has a 'new' seat from an unknown donor at the pick-n-pull. Glass is good. Heater works. Previous owner covered the 6" speaker holes in the lower door panel with old license plates.....gives it character.

Ugly homemade bumpers but a primo toolbox. 4WD is complete and fully functional (tested it pretty seriously already)

Cost me an 11 year old fourwheeler and a 18 year old boat that didnt run.

Good ranch truck and beater to let the kids work out of.

I'm tickled with it!

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Attachment 1703447

Re: Third time is the charm
 

The collection....

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Re: Third time is the charm
 

Beautiful!

Re: Third time is the charm
 

Yes, you are certifiably insane, but you have an excellent taste in trucks.

Re: Third time is the charm
 

That's a tough old truck and not that ugly. That's that semi- rare color I was looking for a couple years ago. I forget the name of it but I have a sample still sitting next to my computer.

Re: Third time is the charm
 

Man, that thing is cool. I wouldn't have been able to turn it down either even though I already have a lifted K20. If the right side is anywhere as good as the left, I would just unclutter it, clean it all the way up, seal in that cool patina, put on decent (less utilitarian) bumpers, and drive it a lot. To me, it looks like a truck to get clean and dialed in mechanically. It'd be kinda sad for it to get beat on since it has character but it's not all beat up.

I better leave now before I make you an offer...

Re: Third time is the charm
 

Already got a stock bumper ordered. Right side is a little worse, more surface rust and the front fender has some wrinkles, not bad, but ruffled a little. Actually found some rust through the lower front part of that fender too. Just pin holes....now.
Scrubbed some of the mold off the hood. Helped, but I'd still describe the paint as: 'pretty damned used up'.
Going to relocate the spare off the headache rack to the bed.
Got to build a tailgate for it.
From there it will just get driven.

I suspect when the boy goes to college in the Fall of '18 the 76 may come on the market. I can't keep (read: Insure) them all. He will be using the 76 until then for work/hunting to save his nice truck.
The Copper/Rust/Bronze colored one may go on the market after my daughter graduates HS in 2021. It will be her daily driver until then (doesn't even have her license yet....). But I already have a buyer....unless he gets outbid (hint)

The flatbed flat ain't for sale.

Re: Third time is the charm
 

I suspect I could find a handful of similar trucks between you and me that I could buy for less than the cost to fly to Texas and the gas to get back. I just like "wearing-back-in" what somebody else gave up for "wore-out". I'm not a off-frame resto guy, but I'm not afraid of some rust, wear, and tear.

I don't expect the paint could be brought back, but there are some satin clears that can seal rust, paint, patina, and all, and can look pretty cool, especially on a cleaned up truck. A paintless dent guy might be able to massage your fender some, and after that it's just character (rust-mort the holes, seal the back - Eastwood, mix some enamel from a hobby store to match and touch up with a hobby brush).

I've also got a 1/2 ton so your buyer's offer is safe from me. I'm just a sucker for cool trucks and tend to see cool where others see old and beat. I've also never owned a round eye so I suspect "another truck I don't need" will follow me home. I keep trying to come up with reasons for another truck based on what I use them for but I'm running out. It's getting to where it'll be "this one's for going north, this one's for south, these're east and west." And from there it'll probably days of the week.

Re: Third time is the charm
 

Cleaned it up a little....

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Re: Third time is the charm
 

I like it....got character...

Re: Third time is the charm
 

Nice truck