New Project

[W.I.P.72]

Hey guys, I'm new to the site. I have done many other builds, but only newer cars, this is my first classic. I don't have a game plan for it yet, I was hoping to get some inputs from the people that do this everyday. As you'll be able to tell, i don't know very much about classic trucks, so I hope to learn a lot from this site.

So, I watched craigslist and ebay for a long time and I was determined to find a late 70's early 80's model stepside. I have always loved how they look. After about two months i found the truck i wanted, and its not what I was looking for. I found a 72 C-20 stepside, but the bed looks to be off a 74 or newer. Straight 6 with 3 on the tree. Paid $1500.

Basically want I am hoping to learn from this site is more about the truck I have and what everyone thinks I should do to it. I am from cali, so I want to lower it and make it look as clean as possible. All info is appreciated, thanks.

[Billett]

I think the stepsides look fantastic lowered and you can bag these pretty easily. Looks like a pretty clean truck all in all. What do you want out of it? DD, street/strip, etc

[OSM 70 C20]

WOW! I wish mine was as nice looking as yours. Mine is still in the rough stage (as in, tetanus shots requires for close proximity)

[W.I.P.72]

I think i am looking for dd/strip. Really, I just want something to work on.

[bonnieclyde100]

are you going to lower the cab and front end to match the bed?

[Billett]

I noticed that too, but I have a lwb fleetside so I thought maybe it was supposed to look like that...

[CC69Rat]

What's up buddy .. Welcome to the forum. You have come to the right place for input! That's for sure.

Here's what I would do with it.

Not because I don't like it as is.. but if it were mine:

I'd look for a 68-72 bed for it. If you like steppers, that's awesome too! I have both but I'm still 51/49% Stepper.

The reason for the bed swap is nothing more than the 73+ wheel wells are squared off. The difference in the front and back (round / square) looks a little off to me. Again, just my taste.

As that point, put her on the ground. 6 lug or 5, makes no difference really but I'd convert it to 5 lug just for more wheel options. Of course this would be a good time for discs, new balljoints, etc.

Does it run good and drive etc.? Six lug steel wheels? Dude you could do a lot with this truck. Slammed and polished Coys? Your could look this good without a whole lot of work.

( Photoshop I did for another member) Get it looking like you want it, and drive it while you fix whatever else you want. You have a great start though.

[Billett]

That truck definitely looks awesome but I'm going to have to disagree with you on one point. A good looking truck is useless if you can't drive it anywhere. Make it run like you want first and then worry about looks. Plenty of people will still enjoy looking at your truck even if its rusty as hell. You just need to be able to show it to them haha just my .02

[CC69Rat]

You have good points too, no doubt. I guess it just depends where it is mechanically now and where he wants to go with it.

[W.I.P.72]

As of right now it runs great, only motor issue is an oil leak and I am going to take care of it this weekend... hopefully. Other then that it runs great and shifts clean.

On to the bed.... I do think I am going to put it back to the original. I just want to start with suspension and converting the breaks. I am hoping to put it on a lift tomorrow morning so I can get a good look at everything down there, but how difficult it converting it to 5 lug disc breaks? Are there kits? What am I looking at price range? I have another car that I am selling right now and I will be getting around 5k out of it, with that I want the truck lowered, new shoes, and maybe a new grill. Is this a reasonable budget for that to get accomplished?

Thanks for all the help guys.

[W.I.P.72]

and another question, when i looked at vin decoders it showed that the first character is one letter, C, but mine is CC, what does that mean?

[W.I.P.72]

nevermind on that last question, a little googling and I found that the 72's are like that and that it stands for chevy... But another one i do have is where all can i find the vin on my truck, it seems like it was pieced together, and I would like to know what is original to the truck

[Billett]

Mine was on the cab just below the drivers side door latch, but if your cab was pieced together that won't help either. And since it is in mechanically good condition then definitely go for some fun aesthetic parts. Like I said before if it won't run you can't show it to anyone, BUT if it looks terrible there's no point anyway haha. Granted yours looks pretty good as is, but if you want to spruce it up and have the cash definitely go for it. And post pics!

When you say you want a new grille do you just mean a newer grille that you already have? like a nicely chromed 72, or are you looking to swap out to another year's grille?

[CC69Rat]

Your truck has a 69 grille in it now as best I can tell. Is the truck titled a 72? It may be that the cab is 72 (?) Ex. cab was swapped onto the 69 frame at some point in it's life maybe?

What I'm saying is if it's a 72, it should already be 5 lug disc.

Definitely not a big deal but what you may have is an earlier model front suspension. the drag link, center link, ball joints, may all be 67-70? But I'd say since it's 6 lug now it wouldn't be any newer than 71 assuming it's factory stuff. Discs started in 71. I hear early 70 but I have never seen one myself ?)

I'm saying this not to discount your truck but to let you know when ordering your drop kit and / or brake conversion stuff if you get it for a 72 it will be different than your 6 lug stuff. 63-70 setups can be easily converted to discs and drop spindles etc. but they are better known as conversion spindles. .. they're slightly unique to that year model and 71-72 are different as well. It's in the way the tie rod ends / sleeves join together.

another thing to look for would be the width of the rear end housing. in 67-late 69 GM installed a narrower rear end housing in these trucks than late 70-72. (70 was the transition year) The width of the rear end had to change to compensate for the discs up front. The track width is wider up front on a 71-72 model truck than prior years.

Again, lets say you order 5 lug conversion axles for the rear you'll want to know which year rear end housing you have. Early / Late .. wide or narrow.

Lay under the truck and measure from one backing plate to the other. The early rear end housing will be 55.5" wide. The later one will be 57". Just saying .. there are 70 model rear ends out there with 6 lugs and 57" wide. Ask me how I know.

Usually the 6 luggers are 55.5 (earlier year models) and 5 lug is 57" .. but my 70 has an oddball I guess. Mine was 6 lug / 57". I am converting to 5 lug.

[W.I.P.72]

thanks for the info, is there anywhere on the fram were the vin would be so I can verify what year the fram is that way?

[72k10stepside]

Nice truck mine is a rust bucket

[Tinkermc]

It is very important to know what year it is , so many little differences. Change the rear fenders to get some money and buy the correct 1's, 67 are different from others. Welcome to the forum.

[W.I.P.72]

thanks everyone, I'm going to mess with it more tomorrow and try to get some more pics.

As for the grill, I was thinking same year frame, but maybe a billit grill, or is that tacky?

[CC69Rat]

Im thinking the frame is a 69-70, .. I am not 100% sure but I believe the radiator support mounting brackets is a good way to tell .. there may be others too.

The 67-8 trucks have different grille of course, hood, rad support, hood latch, etc. If it were my truck I would think someone compiled their best parts and made a great truck.

Again.. this is not a bad thing and my truck is the same way
69 cab and frame, 84 front suspension, 68 front clip, 72 seats and 70 door panels.. : lol:

Theres a lot of interchangability in these trucks. You can easily just pick the look / features you want and make it your truck. A lot of people really like the 73+ bed (?) And if you did its totally cool to leave it. I love the truck like it sits personally but just me, Id look for a nice 68-72 bed. What if you swapped over to a 71-72 grille if you dont like the 69-70 look? Just a thought.


Dont sweat the differences, people swap parts over all the time.
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[67c10rustbuket]

Hey man nice truck ! And Welcome to the best forum from another Okie

I beleive the gas tank in your new truck came out of my truck, seriously I sold the tank last summer for $20 to a guy in okc who said he had a 72 with a 73+ stepper bed. He came over in a dropped midnight blue S10 to get the tank.

The frame VIN is on the top of the frame rail between the steering gear box and the control arm. I can post a pic later today to show you exactly what to look for if you like.

There should be a stainless VIN plate in the door jamb as others mentioned under the latch.

I'm guessing that must be a '70 or older frame having 6 lugs all the way around. You can bolt up 5 lug spindles (stock or drop) from a 73+ as long as everything that touches the spindles is for a 73+ due to the taper on the joints being different. Or swap the entire front susp/eng crossmember from the same 73+. I prefer the 73-79 goodies because they had standard 1.25" brake rotors while in '80 and newer 1.00" rotors were standard and the old 1.25" was a heavy duty option.
For the rear you will likely need "conversion axles" while there are several other ways to do it. Some '70 model 6 lugs had the wider width rear housing and will accept 71+ axles if you can find some budget axles(lucky me I have a wide 70 housing & a farm parts truck). Find a good 71-72 rear end on CL locally I have seen a few for $100-$150 on OKCCL.

I wouldn't worry too much about mismatched parts, I prefer the '69-'70 Grille over the '71-'72 anyway but I like others think the correct bed or possibly just bed fenders would make it look much better. Later

[W.I.P.72]

yeah, i looked for the vin on the frame, mines not stamped, you guys mentions the radiator mounts, anyone got a pic of the differences of a 70 and a 72?

As for the bed, I think before i get any paint done I am going to do the original bed on it, but we'll see what it looks like after suspension.

Now for suspension, I am really considering bagging it, I found a highly reviewed shop here in OKC that would do it for me. Parts and labor 2800... to lay frame. Not sure what I want to do yet.

Thanks for all the inputs guys.

[suspect]

welcome to the site & okc. nice truck you got. what is the shop in okc?

[suspect]

i just want to let you know in case your not aware. there is B & H Supply on nw 39th expressway on the south side of the road just west of meridian, it's next to a real small car lot. it's a body & paint supply. they have everything, i love going in there.

[W.I.P.72]

Suspect, thanks for the info, and the shop that I'm looking into bagging my truck is Phat Phabrikationz. It's in Del City, a couple blocks behind fantasy island, the strip club... the place is hard to find, but there are usually a few really nice trucks outside.

Well, I just got done changing the valve cover gasket, hopefully that will fix my oil leak. The last person to touch those bolts didn't even but them hand tight, so I am very confident that this was at least one of my leaks, time to monitor it...

[67c10rustbuket]

Here is a pic of where the frame vin is. they are pretty light and are usually covered in paint and/or oil and grease. Use a wire brush in that area and you should be able to find it pretty easy. Yours may be a little farther forward.