Need help on buying another truck

[westong]

Ok....i say an add on a local classifieds page for a 72 c10 part out. Im currently looking for a 12bolt coil spring rear end for a project truck that i need to get to be a "rolling " project. Well my delima is that the dang truck is calling my name....and i definitely do not need another truck as i have a yard full of trucks/projects all ready. The truck i went and looked at is a 72 1/2 ton 2wheel long bed auto cheyenne truck...the kicker of the deal is it appears to be a factory big block truck. The badges say 400 and all of it lookes to be original ...the motor os in pieces in the bed....I have been into these trucks for alot of years and 1/2 ton big block trucks dont surface to often....the only bummer is the glove box SPID is so faded that u can no longet make any of it out. I have no reason to believe that it is not an original big block truck but with out the SPID does it still demand the price of ad n original big block truck????

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

If that has a build sheet, usually located underneath or behind a seat, the title and tags add up, and some homework, then you should be able to rebuild a SPID.

The block, intake and transmission have all kinds of stamps. If it all adds up then there's another clue. Search for the part numbers on-line, sites will tell you exactly what you're looking at. Date codes should be close to the build date.

I recently learned a nice clue is the frame on a BBC is different. There's a cut out on both sides to clear the exhaust manifolds. If needed I can take pics of mine.

Forgot to mention. Since it's all apart, doesn't seem a BBC is worth a lot more than SBC. Maybe 5-10%, which in the case of that truck isn't much a difference.