Project Neglected 72

[Tropical Snowstorm]

I've had this truck since September of 2008 and it has unfortunately lead a pretty forgotten life under my watch. It replaced my dark olive and white truck that was stolen with this one and ever since my life has been a whirlwind...

Here is the green truck, my first real build and one I thought I'd always have. It was stolen April of 2007 and never recovered.


Here is the yellow truck when I first got it... hard to tell the bed, rockers, and cab corners were all made of bondo I knew when I bought it that the body was rough, it had a new crate engine and ran like a champ. From 20 feet away it looked pretty good and for the price it filled the gap of the green truck.






I drove the truck occasionally like this over the next couple of years and then ended up moving from Atlanta, GA to Alaska in 2010. So it went into storage up at the family cabin and sat forgotten for almost 4 years. This is what I found after I moved back from Alaska and put it at my parent's place






A couple years ago I found a bed for it and talked my dad and his neighbors into helping me swap it out




Fast forward to now, after getting married, having two kids, and moving 4 times in 3 years I'm finally in a place with a shop and have all the toys captured in one place! The Camaro came with me on the last 3 moves 1970 Camaro Thread and the 1965 Impala that my dad I put together when I was 14 came to Tennessee when we moved. Last night the truck finally showed up! My two year old son loved the tow truck and I am looking forward to getting it back on the road. Here are some current pictures:

My son pumped to have a tow truck in the driveway



Settled in the driveway



It's new home, hopefully it will be out and about this summer



Plans for now are to go through the fuel system, brakes, and necessities to get it running and driving reliably. Then very slowly (A two year old and a 9 month old plus a 60+ hr a week job) work on the cosmetics. I miss having a 72 to bounce around in, it brings back so many good memories, the green truck was my DD from 2001-2004... I'll update as time and money allows!

[Farm Shop]

Looks like a good project. Its amazing how much effort people will put into half a$$ body work, when fixing it correctly wouldn't take that much more effort.

[flashed]

Wow ,whoever did all that bondo work was quite the artist ,it looked so nice before .It will be better now that you know what is there . The Camaro is still looking sharp .

[Tropical Snowstorm]

Cleaned it up a bit in preparation for tear down. Right now I am going to focus on the back end, taking the bed off to clean up the frame and deal with replacing some hard lines for the brakes. Then work on the taillight and side marker light wiring for the new bed. Then on to painting the bed and hopefully installing it... We'll see what time allows!

Doesn't look half bad from the right angles...



Settled in for the long haul next to the other standstill project

[flashed]

Tell us a little about the convertible .

[El Dorado Jim]

Sucks about your old truck being stolen, glad you got another one to restore, looking forward to your build

[Tropical Snowstorm]

Originally Posted by flashed

Tell us a little about the convertible .

It's my first car, a 1965 Impala convertible. A great 20 footer but showing it's age having been restored by my dad and me when I was 14...

Here it is when we found it, a 14 year old's enthusiasm can lead to trouble



After driving it home we realized the carpet was structural... New floor pans and off to body work.



How I drove it through school. Four wheel power drums and a wiped cam lobe on #6 was a great education in planning maneuvers both going and stopping It got a lot of attention though, I didn't appreciate it as much as I should have and lusted after the green truck above...


As I got out of school and started working the interior and engine (stock 283 1bbl, runs like a sewing machine!!!) got the love they deserved. I was able to enjoy it and my dad drove it a good bit over the years.




Fast forward to Christmas of 2013. I got the itch to start playing with it again. Did front discs with 2" drop spindles and rebuilt the front end. As I moved to start working on the rear suspension I found structural rust in the frame where the rear control arms mount... so unfortunately it will need a frame (was an Indiana and Connecticut car before we got it in 97), a top rebuild and recover, and quarters on both sides... it's hard to see in pics but she's showing her age Glad it lives inside now, was in a carport at my dad's until the move to TN so the damage has stopped growing but it will be a major undertaking and I am not financially equipped now. Once the kids are grown and my time and money are mine again I hope to finish what I started almost 20 years ago... for now just try to keep it in one piece and enjoy what I can of it, hope to drive it locally this summer after finishing up the suspension work up front.

That stance

Trip "home" to Tennessee... hasn't moved since we got here.

[Tropical Snowstorm]

Small update for the weekend, the weather was beautiful so between working on the house/yard and playing with the kids I got out for a bit and managed to wire brush the rear portion of the frame and paint it. Doing the rear end and suspension next, mounting the bed and then moving forward on the frame as I replace cab mounts.

Got the bed off in the evenings after work:


Before:

After, still a ways to go but progress is progress:


Also cleaned up the front end, new LMC bumper and painted the headlight surrounds. Amazing what a difference the small details make:

Also managed to get most of my license plates hung, need to find more wall space!

[El Dorado Jim]

nice truck, looking forward to your build

[72 Super]

Just read through your thread. Sorry about your Green truck, that's a real shame. Your Yellow truck is coming along great! Frame looks good. Nice shop also.

Ray

[Tropical Snowstorm]

Work and family have hindered any major progress but I got the brake lines completed and the bed reinstalled for now.


I took the interior out to see how bad the cab is... I am pretty pleased with the floor considering how bad the rockers and corners are. The supports need attention but are not completely toast. Not sure what time will allow for repairs but it definitely is the biggest issue looming on the truck.

[swamp rat]

Be sure to run a 2" rolex or equivalent on the cab supports to clean up and inspect, i thought mine were fine but after i cleaned them up i took an ice pick and started poking around and ended up popping thru a few times, by the time i had removed the outer rocker it was clear by looking inside the support i had to replace the it too.

Hard to tell where your rusty picks are taken because they are so close up, but i think one is in the cab support area, looks pretty toasted.