[Liz]

primered thunder

Manufacturer: GM / Chevrolet
Year: 1972
Model: ½ Ton SWB Pickup
How long have you owned this truck?: December 2001, 3 years
History behind the truck:
I was able to purchase my 72’ SWB on December 17th of 2001, the day before my 15th Birthday for the sum of $5700, which came straight out of my own teenage pocket (I had been saving for a while!). The truck had just recently been painted Torch Red and was lowered on some GM painted rallye wheels. However, after we brought the truck home after Christmas, we realized it needed some major help in the drive-train department. The engine was pulled in April in favor of a fresh rebuild which besides the machine-work was done by myself with some help from my Dad. While the engine was out, I went to work cleaning, painting and detailing the firewall and frame under the hood. In late July, the day came for us to fire-up the engine for break-in, which was done in our driveway…pushing 2,000 RPM for 30 min…WITH OPEN HEADERS! Needless to say, it was quite an afternoon. A few weeks later I was able to get a custom exhaust bent, and after jumping through some hoops with the DMV, the truck was finally drivable after working on it for the last nine months.
That following Saturday, a local cruise-in was taking place and I was so excited to take my pickup down there. It had been my dream since I was little to someday have a cool older car or truck to show-off, and this was my big chance. Even though I only had my permit and my Dad had to ride with me, I still had a Grin from ear to ear when we pulled in. I even got to park next to a 71’ SWB that was almost identical to mine. Even today, it is still one of my most fond memories with my truck. After that I continued to drive the 72’ when someone was willing to ride along since I hadn’t got my liscence yet, but there were a few occasions when I did sneak out a do a few burnouts unattended! J
When my 16th Birthday finally rolled around I went and took my drivers test, got my liscense and thus began driving the 72’ to school everyday. Since then, my truck and I have been through a lot together, everything from trying to pick up some girls downtown to jumping a curb and running over some bushes on a rainy afternoon. During my junior year, I decided to make my truck unique, even though I had already added some new wheels and a loud stereo, I felt I needed to stand out a bit more. So I embarked on converting my truck to air-ride suspension. With some help and encouragement from some friends and fellow board members, I was able to get everything on the truck and going over the summer…and without breaking the bank. However, I neglected to put Teflon-tape on the brass fittings, so I had massive leaks everywhere! Needless to say, I had to fix this if I was to drive the truck over any distance, so on a late Saturday in October I began to take everything back apart to redo and stop the leaks. It all seemed good until the following Wednesday when I found out that a very good friend of mine had gotten into an accident with his 70’ Chevelle, hit a telephone pole which ended his life.
This friend and myself had spent the previous summer talking and getting excited about how we were going to cruise together in our rigs and go hangout when I got my truck all together, but as it ends up, my truck was in pieces all summer, so the day never came. The funeral was Saturday, and I ended up spending the night prior from midnight to 6-o-clock in the morning putting my truck back together so I could take it to the funeral that afternoon so he could finally “see my truck all together”. I know today he’s still watching down over me from up there, and I always tell him he’s free to ride along whenever he wants.
I didn’t drive the truck much more that year until the late spring of 2004 because of high gas prices, but I toughed it out and made it through the summer at 10 mpg…I even won second place at a local Car Show for 60-72 full-size truck. Having this truck has taught me so much. By having to pay for everything myself, I’ve had to work for what I’ve wanted, and learn to do things the hard way. I’ve put in lots of late-nights, hard earned dollars, and bloody knuckles to get the truck where it is today, and I couldn’t have done it without my Dad instilling that “Truck Bug” into me when I was a little kid. Now it’s my senior year in High-School, and there’s nothing better than watching my life go by sitting behind the steering wheel of an old Chevy Truck…and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Chassis

Suspension type: Air Ride
Front Brakes: Stock Disc
Modifications: The front was put together using Air Ride Technologies Brackets and Firestone Air Springs, also running a front Sway bar. The Rear consists of Air Ride Technologies Brackets and Firestone Air Springs. I also modified the stock tracking-bar and mount to keep the rear-end centered with the amount of suspension drop.
Rear Brakes: Stock Drum
Steering: Stock GM Power Steering
Front and rear tire/wheel type: Allied Series 62 Chrome Rallye Wheels, 15x8 front/15x10 rear
Rear differential type / Gears: 12-Bolt Open 3.07


Body

Color Scheme: Solid GM Torch Red Paint
Modifications: Shaved Gas Filler (Tank Relocated to Rear), Trenz Billet Grille Insert
Paint Type: Single Stage


Interior

Color: Black
Seats: Honda Accord Buckets
Material: Cloth
Upholsterer: All interior was done myself
Wiring: Stock
Modifications: I built a custom Center Console from Plywood and covered it in black Speaker-box material. The seats were mounted using boxed 2x1 steel tubing. Currently the Air Compressor and Storage tank are located behind the seats in the cab as well.
Steering wheel/Column: Newer GM Steering Wheel, Non-Tilt stock Column
Stereo/Speakers/Amps: Panasonic CD Head Unit, Sony X-Plod 6x9 Speakers
Instrument Gauges: Wood-grain gauge bezel, vDo tach

Engine

Cubic Inch: 350 ci.
Manufacturer: Chevrolet
Camshaft: RV Stage 2
Cylinder heads: Rebuilt GM with 1.94 intake valves
Valve Covers: Edelbrock Signature
Intake Manifold: Edelbrock Performer
Ignition System: Stock HEI, Mallory wires
Exhaust type: Heddman Full-Length Headers, custom-bent Aluminized 2 ½” Exhaust with Flowmaster 40 Series mufflers.


Transmission

Automatic / Standard: GM TH350 3spd Auto
Torque Converter: B&M Holeshot 2200 RPM Stall
Modifications: B&M stage 1 shift-kit
Shifter type: Stock Column
Drive Shaft: Stock two-piece