Picked up a 70 Longhorn w/ a 396/ TH400 and a NICE rust free cab!

[WIDESIDE72]

No photos but I have made some progress on the Longhorn. I sold the stepside in my profile pic, so I had the itch for a truck to drive. It didn't take much to get her going. I had to install a mechanical fuel pump and pushrod as it was propane only before. I installed a q jet that i was running on the stepside as it was too rich and I couldnt get it to cooperate. Not a problem on the 400. The starter gave up on me after a couple of trips to the parts store. I removed the old seam sealer from the cab gutter and installed new sealer, Reset the glass in the driver door and installed new fuzzies and channels as well as weatherstrip on the driver door. I had to disassenmble the tailgate handle as it was frozen up and would let the gate latch. A few minutes with a can of pb blaster and a hammer had it loosened up. The rusty chrome 16.5" wagon spoke wheels and bias ply tires were pulled as the tires were flat spotted so bad, it wouldn't do more than 35 mph.I installed a set of stock 16" steel wheels and tires off my 01 2500hd but I am not too happy with the offset. They are really tucked in. I have been looking for something for the 01 as the aftermarket 17" Eagle Alloys and michelins I found for it on c list for $400 stick out too far IMO. Then I could put the 17's on the Longhorn. I missed out on a set of stock alloys and good michelins off a 10 2500hd for $500 by just a few hours. Oh well...I need to install a new heater core, as the old one started leaking like a sieve, so I had to loop the heater hose. I have been making short trips. We put our house in town up for sale and moved back out to our 4 acres in the country, so I have been using it as my "pasture truck" to haul limbs, as I wasn't keeping on top of things outside as well as I should have for the five years the place was a rental. Long term I am still thinking I will use the cab front clip and engine in the short bed chassis, and although I have a stepside bed, I have built two stepsides, so I am thinking I could use all of the good existing bed parts (front panel, wheel tubs, tailgate and possibly the bed strips) minus the sides and build a fleetside for $1000...Selling the stepside bed as well as the extra stepside fenders and tailgate I have would help offset the cost somewhat...Photos soon!

[WIDESIDE72]

She aint too pretty, but she is a driver!

[WIDESIDE72]

I swapped a set of take off wheels and tires from my 01 2500hd. Not too crazy about the offset though. I have a set of 16" wheels off a mid 80's truck that i started to swap the tires on to but do not have any caps for them. I figured it was cheaper to buy hybrid lugs that are english thread but have the outer thread for those dreaded plastic nut covers that hold the caps on. Those were around $32, but then the 01 caps were too shallow to fot over the axle stub out in back, so another $35 for a pair of dually caps!

[trac209]

Very cool,glad to see she was kept together. There’s very few of those longhorns around where I am,in fact I’ve only seen one in the last 25 years.

[stsalvage]

I'm looking to convert my 1968 longhorn to a 1/2 tonI'm using up dated spindles for disc brakes and using a 1973--87 rear end an sense there all leaf springs it makes it easier to swap.Will not Change the lic to 1/2 ton cus if some one wants to put it back to 3/4 ton then it be easier.mine is fulley loaded with 396 th400 AC roof lights carpet bench seat its a blue with a white top but PO painted it all one color metallic Blue

[WIDESIDE72]

Yours looks like a pretty solid truck!

[WIDESIDE72]

Originally Posted by trac209

Very cool,glad to see she was kept together. There’s very few of those longhorns around where I am,in fact I’ve only seen one in the last 25 years.

I am just trying to get her usable as a backup truck. I still have not ruled out swapping the cab clip engine aNd trans onto a 71 swb chassis i have. I have an 01 2500hd duramax that is my tow beast. I dont really need anything with an 8.5' bed and a swb fleet has aleays been on my wish list. If it was a 71/72 longhorn with disc brakes, i would contemplate seapping the 8 lug suspension into the swb chassis, just to be different, but would do that with the drum parts. I believe that at the end of the day, all of my machines should earn their keep. Im also into old farmalls and they all have some attachment such as a mower. Its also easier to justify having so much junk if you can claim you use it. I sold the garage queen truck in my profile pic for this reason. It was what my dad thought he wanted but he lost interest when my mom passed away. I had to take over putting it back together in order to get his money back. Probably broke even not figuring my time.

[stsalvage]

I'm not much of a short bed truck my self.I'm a working class type of guy I've always driven old.New stuff dose not do any thing for me.The longhorn has always been a soft spot in my life cus is was the 3rd truck i bought on my own over the 20 something I've bought.I love to see a pulling match from your new work horse to my 3 ton bob tail with the 327 4 speed with 2 speed split rear end with 22.5 tires.I bought that truck for 500.00 1964.But later found out it had the 400 small block.it did a wonderful job for 3 years but the lic and the expense.To running a 3 ton bob tail with drum brakes and no power steering got to me.But for the 3 years it was fun to drive back in 1994.Now days in Calif i would not even try.Out side Calif if i can have a 1990 chassis with the power brakes disc brakes and better gears or a automatic Allison with a 2 speed I pull any thing But a 18 wheeler with a 16 foot stake bed.Love them old big trucks.I own 9 trucks.Yes i own a short bed a 1966 short bed fleet side big window.For a guy driving trucks all his life.The short bed just seems out of place.I have my 1971 Cheyenne 1/2 ton and my 1972 3/4 ton deluxe I'm driving the 1972 now working on the 1971

[stsalvage]

this is the out side of the blue one i think

[stsalvage]

this is my 1964 short bed before i swapped the cab to the big window

[WIDESIDE72]

Originally Posted by stsalvage

this is my 1964 short bed before i swapped the cab to the big window

It's a funny coincidence that back in the late 80's to mid 90's, my late brother had a 72 in the same color combo as yours. It was CHERRY. Absolutely no rust anywhere, ever. It had a 307 and 3ott, originally, but he put a th400 in it. He added a tach dash a tilt column, as well as replaced the standard vinyl seat with a full foam seat and cheyenne super cover. It was his daily driver til it got stolen from his work parking lot. THey found what was left after it was stripped. THe only thing left was the cab and wheels. (THey couldnt find the lock key for the rally wheels.) He had full coverage and got around $10k for it, not bad for the time. THey wouldnt sell it back to hi, so we went to the insurance auction but it sold for $2,000, so he passed. He gave the new owner the protecto plate for it.

As for the black truck, my other brother has a black 72 Cheyenne like it. My uncle bought it new at AJ Foyt Chevrolet in Pasadena/ Houston Tx. It has a 400/400, AC PS BP, bedside tool box, tilt wheel. I gave him a tach dash for Christmas one year that he added. He also added a red/ black houndstooth cheyenne super seat cover. It has been "amateur restored" to mostly original. Runs and drives good, but the 400 is getting tired. It is his truck for home depot runs, etc.

[WIDESIDE72]

I was looking through this thread today and it is amazing how time gets away from you. I bought this truck 7 years ago. It is running and driving, but I haven't done much with else with it. I did ad some three point belts, a new radio, and painted a grey dash pad aqua and installed it. My daughter will be going into third grade in the fall. My dad and truck hunting/ swap meet buddy passed away this past November at 81 years old. (I bought a 57 3200 NAPCO 4x4 just a few miles from home and I am sure he was still riding shotgun with me when I went to load it up.