Opinions on a 67-72 4x4 as a daily driver

[Slammed66]

Hey guys just wanted you opinions, I sold my 98 k1500.
I was looking at 99-06 reg short 4x4's BUT now I've got this idea about buying a 67-72 4wd.

I know it doesn't have the modern conveniences my summer DD is a 72 c10.and I love it

I am looking at a nice solid 72 K10. Nothing wild pretty much stock. But has been gone through mechanically.
The plan would be to suffer through this winter , and perform an LS SWAP Next spring/ summer .

Will I hate life , or should I go for it. Those of you who daily drive these trucks in winter ? Is it a love hate relationship?

Am I just crazy? Is it feasible to run one of these. It get pretty damn cold here.... Any thoughts / opinions , I'm all ears thanks!

[Stocker]

Go for, no worries. You're not crazy, and it's entirely feasible to DD one of these trucks in winter. '71-'72 have factory front disc brakes which I think are a great thing, though some guys don't think are all that important. My '72 was my DD from 1977 into 2009, when I retired. You say you're looking at a good solid truck and I think that's important. I wouldn't feel comfortable with any DD that wasn't in sound mechanical working order.

As far as getting cold there, these things have great heaters, though the defrosters aren't as good as more modern rigs. They're capable enough, but blow onto a single area on each side of the windshield instead of all the way across the windshield. And the trucks are excellent at putting down the power off-road or in snow (I prefer my '72 in bad conditions to our 2005 Tacoma 4x4). Just remember they don't have all the electronic anti-skid nannies -- it's up to the driver to maintain control.

One downside is if your winter roads are salted. You won't find much (if any) corrosion protection on a '67-'72, and it would be a shame to let a good old truck rust away before its time.

[dieseldawg142]

long as it's kept it mechanically fine, it IS a lot more fun to dd than a newer truck, who cares 'bout power this, power that. had a 2wd '68 for 14 yrs i dd off & on when i couldn't afford a second vehicle. drove it yr round, snow was a b**ch, 255/60's with a 383 stroker, powerglide, & 4whl drum brakes, even towed our tent trailer on a 2000 mile trip to the yukon with zero issues. back in the day they were everywhere, now it's a rarity (at least up here) to see them d.driven other than nice dry days...

[Stocker]

Forgot to mention my 3500+ mile round trip (many years ago) from N. Calif. to eastern Kansas & back, in winter. My K20 made it with no problems, handled the snow easily, just took a lot of gasoline.

[andrewmp6]

If its mechanically sound and you trust it i would drive it daily.Only bad things i can say are like hard on gas and a carb can be harder to crank over in the cold but you get use to that.

[Slammed66]

I'm 31 now and from 18-24 my daily driver was a lowered 67 2wd and I sire miss it.

I'm sure the first winter won't be ideal but if I toss in an LS engine next yea id have the best of both worlds. I am a mechanic, so I'm not too worried about repairs. Etc,


Hmmmm getting closer to pulling the trigger..

[mx289]

Do it.

An LS motor will help bigtime with the the fuel bill !

I DD my C10 till about Nov.I hope to DD my K20 next year as well.

If we didnt salt the roads around here i would drive them year round.

[i82much]

I drive my 72 K10 as a daily driver in Spokane, we have cold winters although not as cold as yours. Doesn't bother me a bit. I have a 396 in my truck. For winter usage, one big key is to have a functional heat riser to heat the intake. Other helpful items include thermostatic air cleaner, vacuum advance, and thermal fan clutch.

I don't know whether the LS is necessary really. I'd say get a wideband and tune whatever classic engine you have, preferably with an adjustable vacuum advance. A lot of mpg gains to be had just by leaning out the cruise and transition on an older truck.

[jeffahart]

I would keep a close to stock 350cid and gear for highway with stock exhaust for quiet ride. I feel like life cannot be simpler with that setup: is it getting spark... is it getting fuel... almost that easy to trouble shoot.

Yes, can be good commuter vehicle if you can get out on the highway.

[jamesjones]

I daily drove my '72 Blazer w/ no top for about a year. Granted, I live in San Diego. As long as it's mechanically sound and you're prepared for the gas bill, it's worth it.

A huge plus is that it won't lose value after you buy it like just about any modern 4x4 you could buy.

[72nativestepside]

DD my 72 stepside 4x4, mildly amped-up 350 with studded pizza cutters for the winter time..it likes the mud too! This era truck reminds me of a fine, older wine. Enjoy it, neither it nor you will last forever!

[72chevyk10]

my truck is FAR easier to drive in colder weather than hot. keep hubs locked in cold season and its shift on the fly 4wd no worries if it engages or not. heater works great in just a few minuets. only downside is down here in cali its friggin miserable to drive down here cause of heat. used to live in washington when i was daily driveing it. i personally MUCH prefer colder, wetter climate than here..

[Campbel45]

I like this thread. I too will be considering my 71 k10 as a DD or at least I'm making it absolutely capable of being a DD if it ever needs to be. It will also be my first 67-72.

[79Betty]

I Dd my 74 k20 and it's fine. Ya it sucks paying $20 a day in as to work and all butnit is totally worth it.

[60sIron]

Our K20 Suburban was our family daily driver for 10 years. Logged over 100,000 miles. Getting ready to do it again. Two thing to remember. First is maintenance, once every month or two I'd have to check thinks out bumper to bumper. If I didn't reliability suffered. This isn't an issue for most on the site as we tend to work on our own stuff. New cars just put gas in'm and drive, change the oil when it tells you. Second, is safety, sorry, a 40 year old car or truck isn't as safe as a new one. I can hear the screaming now. I was a paid Fireman for 30 years. Just because the old stuff is made of real steel does not mean it's safer. The newer cars and truck are designed to keep you safe in a collision. Air bags, seat belts and better designed structural members work. That's my 2 cents.......

[dieseldawg142]

Originally Posted by 60sIron

Our K20 Suburban was our family daily driver for 10 years. Logged over 100,000 miles. Getting ready to do it again. Two thing to remember. First is maintenance, once every month or two I'd have to check thinks out bumper to bumper. If I didn't reliability suffered. This isn't an issue for most on the site as we tend to work on our own stuff. New cars just put gas in'm and drive, change the oil when it tells you. Second, is safety, sorry, a 40 year old car or truck isn't as safe as a new one. I can hear the screaming now. I was a paid Fireman for 30 years. Just because the old stuff is made of real steel does not mean it's safer. The newer cars and truck are designed to keep you safe in a collision. Air bags, seat belts and better designed structural members work. That's my 2 cents.......

true, new vehicles ARE much safer, but driving an older truck also gives you "the bigger hammer effect" safety net over most cars nowadays. while you are going to have big problems if you crash over 50mph, in most lower speed accidents, that extra steel does give you an advantage.
twice it has happened to us, wife was driving my '68, guy went threw a stop & was going under the truck till the front corner caught the rear wheel & spun my wife into a light pole. whole front of guys mazda was wasted, written off, his face was cut up, my wife had not a scratch & $1500 bucks later my '68 was back on the road
4 yrs ago lady ran a red as i was lefting, mercury topaz vs my '85 crew with 38's. drove RIGHT OVER her car, from dr front corner right across her hood, up her windshield onto the roof & dropped off her car by the rear door. her car was dead, killed, wasted, whatever you want to call it, for me it was even less this time- $1200, back on the road, i literally felt nothing, she was in big time shock, i guess when you see a 7600 lb big hammer driving over your 3000 lb topaz....

[jeffahart]

Ha Ha Big hammer with big wheels. I Was in a similar wreck back in the 80s in a big 73 F250. Had a pallet of blocks in the bed too. We drove right over the front of an Olds Cutlass Supreme. My buddies truck, he was driving, hardly felt it. Olds totaled Lady was messed up pretty good. Bet she looked twice after that when making a turn!


Get in.. Sit down.. Hang on... and shut up.

Oh and umm "DON'T SLAM THE DOOR"

[ryanroo]

ill toss in a heck yes. i DD my 72 K20 turned K30. i hammered it together with spare parts last fall. over 11000 miles since. its rough and a bit of a beater, but i get ignored by the fuzz and respected by most of the traffic. it advertises that i care less about mine than they do about their brand new 700$ a month payment-mobile. its hot in the summer and only sort of warm in the winter, but if i took the time to fix the issues causing that, it wouldn't be so bad. I DD'ed a 67-72 all through college as well. they are reliable if you listen to them, fun to drive and they are just plain cool. i walk past the new BMW every day to hop in my 72, or if the mood strikes me i get in the 67 jeep. no need for fancy and new!

[esoxman308]

I drive my 71 SWB 4x4 almost everyday....North Dakota winters get pretty chilly, you just have to left the trucks warm up a bit longer, watch idle time and cylinder wash down....I try to change my oil right before the really cold stuff hits and hope I make it to the warmer months before I need to do it again....

[O'l Buck]

My k-20 is the only 4x4 I have at the moment (transfer case isn't putting power to the front on the Dodge) so it's gonna be my crappy weather rig this winter, which is fine with me...I prefer the 67 to the Dodge and if it wasn't for having to take all 3 kids and the wife sometimes, I probably wouldn't have anything else. It was good enough for a daily driver all it's life, why stop now...other than the price of fuel is 4 times what it used to be and the mileage isn't great.

[D.PASSMORE]

Since 1986, my DD has been a few different 71-72 Chevy trucks/Blazers. You have to keep'em mechanically sound (Buy good parts). I drive my 72 Blazer, 16 miles round trip every work day. The weird thing is that could sell it every day too and at least break even.

[jerrya59]

Sold my 2010 SS camaro and purchased my 67 4X4 last October and has been my DD from that day, winter is not a problem here in Phoenix, but its a little warm now! maybe vintage a/c soon. I enjoy driving the truck and never plan on going back to the modern stuff, now I just need to talk my wife into selling her new Tahoe and life would be good!

[Davetopay]

Been a while since I've been on but, here goes.....

I daily drove a 70 K1500 for a few years when my Mustang became more racer car than street car. I still have the truck, sold the car.

The 350 with a Qjet has been problem free since it has an HEI conversion.

The SM465 trans has been trouble free, whether towing, hauling wood, or just going camping.

The NP205 has been trouble free aside form a little leaking. I just top it up at each oil change.

The PO was nice enough to do a 72 disc brake swap so brake services are a bunch easier.

It has 2.87 gears in the axles, so on a 31 inch tire I routinely get 15+mpg on the highway if I keep my foot out of it. If I need the grunt, it has the granny low.

The biggest issues I have run across are little age related wiring problems, but as they pop up, I fix them and carry on. I did have to go through the steering box when the seals gave up, but heck, it was 40 years old.

Beyond that, change the oil, rotate the Co-Op Grip Spur tires, keep it clean(ish), and use it like the truck it is......oh yeah, the original carb did go to Qjet heaven this week, so I just slapped a reman on it and set the idle. Good to go.

[60sIron]

May I add one more thing. Extended tow coverage. It's not very expensive and as I said earlier most of us work on our own stuff. If it breaks and you have to take it somewhere for a repair chances are your ride is older than the repair person......

[0_71chevy]

I'm debating this to, selling my 07 silverado z71 for a 4x4 and 2-4" lift won't be driven quite every day mainly to tow my boat and drive in winter have a lsx s10 to drive to and from work.