Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

This is my first post, great site.

Looking for some information.

In the next couple of days, I’m going to be looking at two trucks, both have flatbeds, duallys, and 4 speeds. One is a 66 which the owner can not take pictures of because he is 90 and the other is a 68 which I have seen pictures of but it needs an up close and personal inspection.

Both of them are in the $2500 range and both of them are 1 ton which will haul what I need to haul - water and waste totes.

The 66 hasn’t run in 24 years, it was parked in a lean too 10 years after the owner bought it to use on his farm, he doesn’t remember why he parked it but it wasn’t mechanical. He mentioned he bought a larger grain truck to use. So I expect the typical mouse house situation and as we discussed it is a Michigan truck with some rust so I am expecting it to be Swiss cheese. He knows it is a v6, his grandson wanted the truck and take the “old crap” out of the truck and put in an LS something. He told him no and decided to sell the truck instead to someone who could use it. He thinks the engine is a 400 cu in engine, so when I get there I will see what it is.

The 68 is about the same but the owner says it has a 351 cu in v6 in it, it looks complete from the images he sent me, a little messed with on the body, it's the same thing - Michigan truck and rust but nothing really bad. He said it has not been started in a long time and never tried so I expect it to be the same as the 66 in the condition of the engine. The owner says there are extra parts to it, the interior looks intact but the images can be deceiving.

Both most likely need brakes and tires. I am going to take the one in the best condition unless I find one for almost nothing (Yes I can dream) that doesn’t need work.

I have owned 67-72 Chevys before, so I am familiar with them but never a the V6 so I am new to them. The better informed I am, the better I can judge the trucks. My Hollenders and my shop manuals are all in storage, so I have to ask others about the trucks because I just do not remember.

1 -any thoughts about these two years of truck? I know the 67-72s have a big following, parts are all over the place it seems but the 66 I am unsure of.

2 - what else should I look for that is unique for a v6 truck?

3 - what transmissions and/or bellhousing works with the V6 engine?

4 - is the clutch hydraulic on these heavier trucks?

Thanks in advance.

Re: Looking for information
 

Welcome to the site, VWGreg! You should be able to get answers to all your questions here. Subject to corrections by others, I'll take a crack at answering your questions.

1. Without seeing either truck, and assuming they are both indeed in the same condition, my own preference would be the '68 truck. Much more rare with a V6, and a more popular body style.

2. Confirm the engine size by looking at the flat spot on top of the block right in front of the passenger side cylinder head.

3. The only bellhousing that works is the one it came from the factory with. Most GM manual transmissions from that era will bolt up to it. However, an automatic trans will require a different and rare flywheel and adapter.

4. Clutches should have mechanical linkages, not hydraulic.

Good luck, and share lots of photos with us!

Re: Looking for information
 

Welcome to the forum VWGREG!

You got some great advice from Ed.

Check the Jolly site (Tagged at the top of the forum Page) for more V6 information and lots of details.

https://6066gmcguy.com/

Re: Looking for information
 

As Ed said, look at the engine number to check the actual displacement. The 401 ci (if true) should have been swapped in from a larger truck. The 351 was an option in the pickups in 66 and 67 (68 too?) and is much more desirable over the base 305 ci V6.

When pulling spark plugs, be sure to blow out the spark plug cavities in the cylinder head using compressed air.

The 66 should have a unique hood with the V6 emblems and the GMC turn signal lenses.

Re: Looking for information
 

Just a quick reply. Thanks for all the replies, I really appreciate the advice.

This morning, I saw what was advertised as a 1968 GMC, which turned out to be a 1972 Chevy.

It is rougher than I thought it would be, it needs body work and some parts (door cards and one door handle).

However, it does have a 305 V6 (thanks Prowbar), not a 351 V6 as claimed. I know that's not the original engine, that was a 350 v8 with a hydromatic behind it according to the options list.

I did not find a GVW tag anywhere on the truck, the Vin confirmed it is a Chevy C30 and the options indicate that it is at least a 6600lb GVW, which will work for me.

I don't think the owner knows what it really is or how to figure it out, so I will tell him when I talk to him Monday about what I know to be fair.

As for the condition of the engine, I think it is frozen, I tried with a breaker bar and socket to move it but it didn't move, messed up my back trying. the sparkplugs are out of the head but it is complete. I was very surprised at how big it looked by the way. I know near here there is another 305 engine out of the truck which the owner claims it runs but I don't know if I should bother with it or not, I will make an offer for it if the 66 doesn't look better.


I would post pictures of the truck but not until I talk to the owner to be fair.

Re: Looking for information
 

Hmm. I'd pass on that one if the other is in better shape. There is a large chance that water got into the cylinders because the spark plugs are missing, causing rust and locking up the engine.

Since it is a manual conversion, it can be done properly or shoddy. Have to check for that also.

Re: Looking for information
 

Well, I do like the 68/72/whatever it is, more. Nothing against 66 or earlier (I like 61/62) but parts are all over the place which makes it easier for me.

I would expect to pull the head and see it full of water. On the other hand, I have located four V6s, three 305, and one 351 under $500 within 100 miles that all claim run. The 351 has one thing I want, a factory-mounted air compressor. The offer I have in mind still sits within my budget with another engine, just getting it swapped out would be a little problem (the engine lift is in the back of my storage container).

I looked at the clutch linkage, it looked alright to me. I tried it and found it to have good resistance, so I have to assume it is functional. If I get this truck and pull the engine, I will surely make sure everything is right.

I just had a thought, I wonder if they just removed the cab and bed and put it all on another chassis. I have to look for the frame serial number - anything is possible.

I did look at the '66, here is what I found.

it looked good from a distance, but up close, you can see the painted rust on the doors and fenders.

The interior is non-existent (meaning no seat covers), raccoons were in it, they ripped everything up, even chewed up the steering wheel (seen this happen a few times with raccoon damage), and raccoon poop everywhere, some fresh. I don't know where they got into the cab but I think the door was left open and shut before I came to see the truck.

The cab has rust, rockers, cab corners, and a windshield area. The floor isn't bad one or two spots of rust our but small. it isn't as bad as I've seen on 73-79 trucks so it is workable for me. What is with these trucks and no wiper arms? these two (1966 and 1968) both don't have them.

It does not run, brought a battery to try (suggestion by the seller) to get it going, but nothing with a little starting fluid. Didn't try much but it is free! it is missing a couple of parts (the fuel pump line to the carb is missing and the regulator). Under the engine, it looks like there is a rear seal leak, the oil has the same smell as what is on the dipstick, which smells odd, something like Castor oil of all things. It is a 305 V6, he said he didn't remember but thought it was a 400 or something like that.

Looking at it for the first time, it has not moved in years, the tires are all flat and dry-rotted. Not too worried about the tires.

It is a 3000, 10k gvw on the tag, which also says it is a 305 V6. It has a 12-foot bed on it but the wood is rotted in the rear which gave me an idea of what was going on below it.

Now the really bad part - there is frame rot in the back at the left rear spring perch, it is a very odd type of rust out both the web and the flange are rusted, I have never seen it like this. I put my finger through it in four or five spots in the area. It looks like the truck was used to move or spread salt or some other very caustic material. It is crusty on the right frame rail, exactly opposite of the rust. I wonder if I can even patch the frame or if this will be a parts truck. I didn't take measurements of the webbing to see if I can get a frame section that size but if I get it, I will find a piece for a repair.

I also found serious rust up near the cab, the rear cab mounts are flakey, and I don't trust them much to hold up without removing the cab to replace them.

So I talked with the owner for about 45 minutes about the truck, about different things, and found out he worked for my cousin in the 1960s, which was nice to know.

However, there were some inconsistencies about the truck that came out, like the title status (*not important to me) so after a while, he was starting to be reluctant to sell it.

Toward the end of the conversation, I made a fair offer, it wasn't close to asking but it was fair for the condition of the truck. He said 'Maybe' but then he said it has been part of the family, blah blah blah, and decided not to sell it at all which I get, I have dealt with elderly people like this most of my life and just don't get upset about it. I told him the offer was good for a couple of days, and if he changed his mind, he could call me.

When I was ready to leave, his son pulled up. I had a nice conversation with him. He filled me in on the truck and what it was used for before it was parked (spreading salt and another caustic material), he said he would talk to his dad about the offer (which he would have said yes to because it wasn't worth much more than that) and see if he would accept it. He said there is a title to it, and he also offered to move it to my place for free (60 miles) if I do buy it but I told him he already said no and the offer is good for a few days.

I was told about another truck, it is a 66 4500(??) grain truck with a v6, it is larger than I want but I will look at it sometime later this week.

Re: Looking for information
 

Hm. That truck is even worse... The 68/72 is better in that case, especially if you can get the running 351 with that price!

The 66 GMC 3000 is a very rare truck actually, not many were sold of that size as a matter of fact.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Another update and a question -
I looked at two more trucks this past week, and I don't understand why they are all missing wiper arms but they did.

The 1968/72 was sold from under me, I am a little disappointed but that's how it goes, there is another that popped up and I will see that tomorrow.

I saw the '66 grain truck, it was just too big. I measured the bed - 18 feet long. Before I left, the guy had sold it to another who was there looking at it at the same time.

It was in really good shape but the real problem was it needed brakes all the way around (it stopped but not well) and had a 'knock' coming from the engine, it wasn't a knock like a rod knock but a knock with a ring.

The other I looked at was a 1969 GMC 3000 stake bed with a 305 V6 4sp, GVW 10k.

The owner said that the engine was not original, and the SPID confirmed that fact. He said the owner before him pulled the engine out of a smashed '67, The problem with it is all electrical - no lights, no charging, no blower motor (I am good at sorting out electrical issues). He said the original engine had internal problems and the reason for the swap.

I bought a battery with me, put it in, and got it running. It idled well and moved well, but it seemed to wander all over the place. I spent an hour with the truck, and 15 minutes with the seller, made an offer, and waited for him to tell me either way. I don't think he will accept the offer, he said he had others.

A couple of questions -

I am looking at one-ton trucks which are not easy to find. I ran across a lot of 3/4 ton trucks. I read somewhere that a 3/4 with HD suspension can handle the weight I need to haul (about 3400 lbs) and tow the heavy trailers I have (2100 lbs empty). I also read that the pre-73 trucks have better frames. Is this true?

Where can I find a GMC master parts catalog in PDF format?

Not an assembly manual but an actual parts manual for 67-72 trucks.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Been on this road before myself and friends of mine. First thing I would do is look at your State's Motor Vechicle guide lines on GVWs. If the GVW is over 26,000 pounds ( an example ) you may need - different operators license, commerical insurance (farm trucks rules vary) and higher road license plate tax based on the tonnage. This is a problem with older grain trucks that have a beautiful cab/body and would make a easy swap onto a smaller tonnage frame. But the VIN# on the Title/ and Plate on the cab tells the WHOLE story at the Courthouse DOT Office. You could change the VIN Plate on the cab but the title has its VIN # - I WOULDN'T EVEN think of messing with any alterations to either. Just walk away. Just do your homework before you make any decisions.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Thank you for the post.

I know about the issues with registration and the state. I can have and have had an over 26k GVW truck before - FL80. I no longer have a class A CDL but hold a chauffeur license.

The thing with Michigan, where I live, is vehicles before 1984 are licensed by manufacturer's curb weight but after it is licensed by MSRP. The exception is with commercial vehicles over 26k. So if I got the 1966, it would be strictly on weight and cost $48 for plates on the truck. I am trying to avoid anything after 1980 because I am so sick of emissions and auto transmission problems.

The title and Vin stuff always make me nervous, I have owned problem vehicles in the past, and I have one sitting here that I can not apply for a title for thanks to claims of ownership that have to be established by a property owner who sold it to me and they are no longer the owner of the property and I can not find them anywhere.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Hi all, just an update.

I have looked at maybe a dozen trucks since I started this venture, fell in love with a great looking 1962, but the owner would not budge on the price so I just gave up on it, and went on to other things. Then I just looked at FB marketplace for the heck of it there popped up a 1970 GMC c3500 within my price range.

I saw it was posted an hour before and contacted the owner, who responded fast. He said come on down and look at it and I did.

Not the prettiest thing, the paint is awful, looks like someone painted it with a brush, the color scheme is bad and so are the company logos from the 90s.

The interior is complete, the seat is actually confortable. It had some rust on the cab but the corners were nice the doors were not. The floor pan seemed to be solid, I pulled up the mat and it looked really good but there was rust on the rockers. The rest of the truck is in good shape, it has a dump body, 4-speed, but a 350.

The best thing about it, it has windshield wipers, only one other truck I looked at had them, but all the others were missing.


Everything on the options tag is right on, it is an 11,000 gvw which I can license without no issue at all, insurance is cheap, plates are $50.

Oh and it has a clear title, so it.

I wish I could find a V6 truck but I have to get something going, I need to haul 3500lbs of water. If the V8 dies on me, then I will throw in a V6.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Great to hear that you found a solid truck in the rust belt! :welldone:
No V6? oh well.... At least you're not pulling an existing V6 truck to swap in a 350... GMC folks aren't too fond of seeing that...

Good luck with your new purchase! Would like to see some pictures if you have any.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Regarding your comment, Prowbar, as I have recently indicated, replacing a good rebuildable or otherwise good running and operational GMC V-6 with an SBC 350 is a sacrilege. GMC Big Block V-6 powered trucks are unique in their own right, and replacing the Big Block V-6 with ANY Chevy V-8 spoils the value of the GMC Truck.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Well said George - :happy:

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

I agree!

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

While I definitely agree with George and Prowbar regarding keeping your V6, we have to remember that we occasionally get a new member who bought a 60-66 GMC with the original V6 already replaced with a small block Chevy (or even a Cadillac engine!). And some of the later trucks came from the factory with inline sixes. And it is possible to replace these V8s and inline sixes with V6s in the future.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Another thing that I am sick and tired of seeing is the ABSOLUTE RUINATION of collectable vintage pickup trucks being modified with stupid fat tires and equipped with suspension kits that allow the truck to basically SIT ON THE GROUND!! I saw what would have been a very desirable and original 1950 Chevy pickup that was modified in the manner that I have just described. The truck was for sale with a plenty hefty price tag on it, but personally, I wouldn't have given the owner scrap iron price for it!! In my opinion, the truck was just plain ruined, and as far as I am concerned, anyone who destroys these valuable old trucks in such a manner need their backsides kicked over their shoulders!!

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Thanks. I’ve been doing this thing with cars and trucks since 1975 and I prefer dealing with older stuff than I do the new junk. The GMC V6 world is new to me, why I reach out here, I learned a heck of a lot that helps me.

As much as I think SBC is a good engine, it is overrated for some things, not everything. In this case, this truck may be a good fit for the purpose but compared to other engines, to me, it is the cheapest and easiest to work on for most which makes it attractive to them. A lot of people don’t put much thought into actual repairs but just are parts changers.

Agree, I am a purest at heart, if it comes with a factory drive train, it should have that drive train unless there is a real reason to replace it. The body is in very good shape and I am going to just clean it up, maybe stripping the crappy paint off of it and returning it to the original blue (it is flat green now).

The only mechanical modification I can see doing to this truck is to put a Brownie in it to make it more highway-usable. The other mods I may be going to do are period mods like transistor ignition (which I think I have a couple of GM conversions in my collection from the ‘60s. Oh and better fuel filtering, but that’s it.

Just to be clear, the truck I am buying has a factory 360 in it, not a V6, I wish it was. I looked forward to having a V6 in the next truck, but alas, it didn’t happen. However I am going to buy the 351 near here that is complete from fan to the trans, it is a mid-60s engine and has the air compressor I want, which of course the engine is priced for at the same price as a replacement air compressor.

I have seen perfectly good cars be hacked up by someone and seen them try to sell them for outrageous amounts of money. I looked at a local 1967 Imperial 2 door last spring, I saw it a couple of times up close. It was all original, the paint was in great shape, and very clean, 43,000 miles on the clock with almost every option you could get. It was priced at $4500, but it didn’t sell. It stood on the edge of the road for at least three months, then vanished. It came back, the wheels were these junk urban 22-inch things on it and lowered, which made it very ugly. It has tinted windows now, the fender skirts were missing, it was dechromed and it looked like the guy replaced the seats with modern seats out of a truck. I stopped to look at it, the price of it was now $11,000. It sat out at the edge of the road until October and then pushed back to the garage where it sits today covered up.

I’ve seen this happen a lot of times with a lot of rare cars. The saddest was a single owner 1936 Packard 120 sport coupe which was an absolutely beautiful and rare car. The guy bought it for $8k, drove it to his garage and chopped, channeled it, lowered the car, and stuck a BBC in it. Then he painted it with a god-awful purple. Everyone seems to think what was done was art, but seeing the original car, it was so sad to see someone hack it up so badly.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Young folks, like we used to be, have been doing that since Model A days and 32 ford days and T bucket days and many of us did that ruination. Had fun, learned about mechanic'in. Let those who have never done that cast the first wrench.

There was no such thing as antique, collectible, old valuable cars...and nobody owned a truck. Just old jalopys no one wanted. We put that new fangled chevy 265/283 V8 in everything. The definition of cool. We now appreciate the unique value of GMC/V6. I think we can welcome others here and help them with everything but their V8 and super-mod questions. They are having fun and learning and are just as excited as we were.

This is just my too sence.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Personally, I have always had a love of anything old and historical in nature. I am one of the few individuals who frown on these radical modifications of perfectly salvageable and restorable pieces of automotive history. Seeing the outright "butchering" of these vintage vehicles by those who think they are creating something that they think is a work of art is enough to make a grown man who appreciates the true beauty of that which is old.....CRY!!

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Well said, George!

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

I couldn't agree more!!!!!!:happy::happy::happy::happy::happy:

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

I see that some of our members have gotten my point. I just don't understand the mentality of these individuals who would take something as rare as a 1967 Chrysler Imperial, or an even rarer 1936 Packard 120 Sport Coupe and destroy those vehicles in the manner that they did. Obviously they have no appreciation whatsoever for the history of these automotive companies, or what they produced. As I said, and as far as I am concerned, what they have done to these vintage vehicles is a SIN, and they rightly deserve a good swift kick in their backsides!! Yes, I did convert my old '63 Chevy one ton from the Chevy 292 I-6 to a GMC 305 V-6, but that did not affect the original appearance of my truck, nor did it decrease the value of my truck. Disagree with me if you like, but as far as I'm concerned, the conversion that I did only increased the value of my truck, since the GMC Big Block V-6 engine was a far better engine than the Chevy 292 I-6!!

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

George, no one is arguing with you. You are a passionate GMC guy and passionate about saving other kinds of vehicles. I am in the "keep it original as possible" camp. I do consider safety, drivability on hiways and reliability of the old trucks I've owned. I always like to keep the exterior and interior original.
This site is all about keeping 60-66 GMC's and their motors pure. It's a site for helping that cause. But this site is in America. We can't score GMC owners/members or judge GMC owners/members or punish them or admonish them. I hope there will never be a list of rules about how pure a GMC has to be. Many posts about carb/manifold mods, brake mods, steering mods, wheels, gauge cluster mods, alternators, trans mods, etc. are discussed from time to time. Motor swaps even. No reason to rant. Your opinion is a popular one here. There are lots of things that have changed in my lifetime. I don't like most of them. But to each his/her/them/they own. I guess. Be assured there are many closet (garage) Chevy V8 members. Maybe some of that goes in "Other Rides and Projects".

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

You do have a point. Maybe it's just me, but seeing some of the things that I have seen done to vintage classic vehicles just plain irritate the He** out of me. That said, I will now leave well enough alone. Thanks for putting up with my aggravation about the destruction of vintage cars and trucks.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

I wasn't trying to bash you or maybe I'm reading into something that isn't there. My point is the same as yours. I am careful to make sure I expeience my new truck as it was inteneded to be driven, just like my Corvair, I am not going to hack it up with all kinds of modren mods to make it like others, it is unique just by being mundane raggy car.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

No, I didn't think that you were trying to bash me, and I appreciate your willingness to keep your vehicles as original as is humanly possible. I was venting my frustration(s) about some of these "artists" on TV who will go to any length to deliberately destroy and modify vehicles that should be left alone for their historical and collectable value. Those clowns shouldn't be allowed anywhere near vintage vehicles with tools in their hands!!

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Just an update. Sorry for the length of it

As I said, I got one heck of a deal on a 1970 GMC C3500 Dump truck, when it was all said and done, the seller got $1020 out of me for it. He said it ran but hasn't been able to get it running. I had several delays in getting the truck home and yesterday I told the wife, that it is coming home today and it is home now. I had to flat tow it home with a tow bar and my little ranger thanks to having two people back out helping me get it home. It was one heck of a trip, three lefts and four rights, and the truck did not want to track with the ranger, it would push the ranger but alas, it was all on dirt back country roads at 5 pm Sunday.

So when I got it home, I could not move it off the road where I needed it to be, I was burning up my clutch in trying to get it to turn onto the property. So seeing I live at the end of a dead-end road, no one cared if it was on the road, even the cops who came here to make sure nothing was going on didn't even slow to look. I left it hooked up to the ranger, grabbed a battery off my tractor before going into the house for the night, and made sure it cranked. It had oil pressure built up so it turned over, and went to bed happy.

This afternoon I started to work on the truck. I started with a little starting fluid and nothing. So I checked the spark, and there was none. Pulled the cap off, and the points were closed on the top of the cam so I checked again for a spark by opening the points and there was a spark. Adjusted the points to 16 thousandths, but still when I turned it over, no spark.

Pulled the points, and went off to the parts store for a new set, thinking they would have them in stock but I shouldn't been surprised at what was about to happen. I got to an Advanced Auto, and not one person in the place knew what points were. I kid you not, I was shaking my head and thinking how can anyone working in a parts store not know what they are? So I went to my next store, Auto Zone, where not one person knew what points were but one of the counter persons thought I was making it up, the manager who is 47 years old said he may have heard of them once and when I showed him the one I took off the truck, he was holding it up to everyone to show them what it was. There were even some people there who said engines don't use them.

So needless to say I didn't get new points. Instead, I dug for 30 minutes while the eclipse was going on to pull out my ignition toolbox, and I realigned the points, burnished the contacts the reinstalled the points. I had my wife crank over the engine, and I have a spark now. I got gas into the carb (tomorrow's project is to drain the tank) and it came to life. After messing with it for 20 more minutes, I unhooked it from the ranger, pulled it back away from the ranger, and turned it around to back it up where I would be working on it. It needs some brake work (weird problem, the pedal is stuck), and a bunch of electrical work, I have to get it cleaned up, it is a mouse house for sure. And I have to get a new passenger side window.

I have pictures but I can't figure out how to post them, I will as soon as I can.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Whew! You got it to the OR. Hopefully the oil pressure prevented any damage.
It is a scary story about points.
Keep us informed.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Congratulations with your new (old) purchase. It being a dump truck, is able to tilt hydraulically and comes with the PTO etc. all hooked up?
You mentioned a 1970 C3500? What engine and trans does it have? How is the condition of the bodywork?

These auto stores guys not knowing about points... Read about the lack of knowledge at auto parts stores in the US all over the internet, unfortunately. In the Netherlands it is about the same, but folks usual don't go into the full denial (idi0t) mode.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Sorry another long reply.

It has great oil pressure, I threw one of my good pressure gauges on it and it idles at 30 psi and goes up from there.

Right now it has a miss, not going to mess with the engine for a couple of weeks, the goal is to get it "road ready" in the sense of yard moves, then I can focus on the engine and trans.


Thanks. The dump hydraulics needs to be gone though, it has a cylinder leak and doesn't make any pressure at the pump but that could be several things. The PTO does need work, it is noisy. I've rebuilt a few of them at one of my jobs so that's not going to be an issue. The one thing that it does do is if I increase the speed to 1000 rpm, the pto shaft starts to whip. My biggest issue is to figure out who made the dump lift system, I think it may be a Garwood system but I have found very little on these small dump bodies.

The body is in good shape, but it does need doors, I didn't notice but someone welded (badly) the door part of the hinge to the door, so because there are a couple of people in the area (Detroit/Ann Arbor) who have a lot of parts for this series of truck, and one has doors for about $100 each, I am just going to buy two of them and put them on. The floor is surprisingly in good shape, there is rust on the corner where the pan meets the bulkhead and rocker, and the rockers look like they have been replaced or fixed. The fenders are typical for Michigan, rusted but nothing impossible to fix. The biggest issue on the entire truck is the roof interior header where the sun visors are mounted, this has factory clearance lights that leaked and rusted out the header.

Whoever did the paint job painted the entire truck, including the interior, it is Green. The truck was Blue and I like Blue much more than Green.

The engine is an LS9, 350 4bbl. It is a typical grease-caked chevy engine (like the ones I had when I was a kid), and it looks like it is original to the truck, with a date code of October 27, 1969. It has a SM465 trans, which I am very happy to have, and a GM 7200 GVW rear axle.

The really bad thing about the truck is the electrical system, I did not think it was as bad as it turned out but it is a nightmare. Nothing I can't handle. I had no fuel or amp gauge but the temp gauge was working. the lights were all messed up and so on. someone also put in a "signal stat" turn signal that I am going to remove when it stops raining. So I found a lot of missing connections, the amp gauge was completely cut out, there wasn't a ground to the instrument cluster plus no voltage going to it. I have to still clean up the fuse block, it has a lot of rusted fuse contacts, so I cleaned it up as best as I could, got voltage where it is supposed to be, and then created a few grounds. One thing I was getting while the engine was running was 17 to 18 volts at the battery. I knew what this was, there was no ground from the battery to the sheet metal, but only to the engine. I created a ground to the radiator support, made sure the regulator and the alternator had a proper ground and tested it, 14.2v at the battery!!

When I finished up last night, I had lights, instruments, and even a dome light, oh and the heater fan was working. Still on the list is to get the two important things fixed, the turn signals which I will have to take the switch out and replace it and "rewire" the switch into the system, but the more important thing is to get the radio working.

I told the story on another forum and Oh crap, it opened the floodgates about what others go through at parts stores. My case isn't as bad as others. I am going to try Rock Auto, Amazon doesn't have a selection that I thought they would. The really bad thing for me is I used to have tons (literally) of parts for Chevy/GMC vehicles of this era and I sold them all off thinking that I would never need them. I have a few things left over like plugs, caps and rotors. I was thinking that I would stick to my Dodge products ... well I have another GMC.

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

I like the long replies :thumbsup:

Seems all these dump truck systems are made by someone in their backyard shed, but that's my very limited take on it.

Nice that you can get replacement parts for cheap over there, I suppose you could use them in the rust belt.

I suspect the 7200 GVW axle is a 14 bolt rear end?

If that truck were mine I'd redo the wiring all over if its all spliced and hacked up like so many of them are. Interesting how such a simple truck can have so many wiring faults :pullinghairout:
I envy your electrical problem solving skills, though!

For standard small parts, Rockauto is a great website. I use them to get parts over here. What you see on the picture is what you get. If you can find a part in your year/model look in another model of year, most of the times they are there.

Always had a good experience with RockAuto. Using FedEx shipping, I can forward the customs duties, avoiding any unnecessary waiting times. My last few packages arrived blazingly fast, like 2-3 workdays. In my opinion I don't mind waiting a little longer but oh well.

If you every get tired of the (tired) 350, swap in the 351 V6 you were able to purchase! You need a manual bellhousing though. If its for an earlier SM420 the retainer ring needs to be bored out to 5.125" (off the top of my head)
Need a different engine crossmember as well, I suspect your truck has 1 tranny mount at the rear of the trans?

Just a random idea :poke:

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

How did this turn out?

Re: Looking for information - Buying a truck
 

Sorry for the delay in an update, my wife had an accident a few weeks back, she has a TBI and I have been attending to her needs, so it has been slow getting anything done at the homestead.

I love this truck, I will get it done soon to make it a safe drivable vehicle, I have a lot of dirt and stone to get here with it.

I have realized it has a lot more sheet metal issues than I first thought but the cab is good and somewhat solid. A few soft spots on the floor and need to get the doors replaced, and the front sheet metal aligned right. I am not worried about the doors or anything else, with the number of used parts in the area, I won't have any issues finding parts.

It is drivable at this point. The one thing I had to do is work on the brakes, the clevis pins on the brake booster to the pedal were frozen. This prevented the brakes from being applied unless you put both feet on the pedal and it would not return unless you pulled it up. I had everything removed from the pedal forward and it took me three days to get it all loose. I did take it to a machine shop, no fault of theirs but I wasn't going to pay more than $40 for them to just throw it into the press and pop the pins out. Needless to say, I got it all loose and back on the truck. I have to work on the back brakes, which I haven't taken off dualies since 1985. It does stop and stops pretty well.

I am still sorting out the electrical problems, the charging problem (overcharging) has been solved with new grounds and cleaning/adjusting the regulator. the amp gauge works, as does the other two gauges. The other electrical issues have to do with the front-end wiring and turn signals. I am going to build a "bright box" to reduce the current off the headlight switch to preserve the switch. It is going to be plug and play box and I already have the parts (from a "you pull" yard for nothing) and it is simple to do. Amazingly it is a needed thing on Dodge Ram trucks like my 1997.

The problem it had was with the melted wires within the front light harness, most of them are replaced and need to just be wrapped up to make it look good. I have to go through and make sure that all the lights work, I have issues with the turn signal light which I think is a ground issue.

I also have to replace the bearings in the alternator and may just throw in the spare alternator with the transistorized regulator, I had it for 45 years now. The other thing I have to work on is the clearance lights, this is where it leaked, causing header rust so I have to remove them to seal them up. They do work. The rust I am going to hold off on any repairs for a while.

I have realized it has a lot more sheet metal issues than I first thought but the cab is good and somewhat solid. A few soft spots on the floor and need to get the doors replaced, and the front sheet metal aligned right. I am not worried about the doors or anything else, with the number of used parts in the area, I won't have any issues finding parts.

My next step for the engine is to replace the valve cover gaskets, which are leaking oil, and get a power washer to clean the muck off of it (which the local quarter car wash closed so I will use my own). Maybe pull the left manifold, it needs a donut and new studs, but also rebuild the carb or at least convert the divorce choke with an integral electric one (don't feel like removing the intake and cleaning out the heat riser port, not up to it at this point). The other thing is I just need to give it a good tune-up with everything new, I will do this later.

I have cleaned out the fuel system, OMG what crud and crap was in that tank, I put it into a container for my burn barrel, and won't put it into any engine. The tank looks good inside and right now I have three gallons in the tank, going to put in one gallon at a time until it is full so I know what the gauge is at with say 6 gallons.

I've driven it up and down the road a few times and may do that today when I move it to cut the lawn if I get to fixing my lawn tractor carb (it has a stuck float). That said I have to get a 15" (or smaller) steering wheel. I think it has a 17-inch one on it, and it is killing me to get into the truck (I am fat). I missed out on a period 15-inch Pontiac rally wheel for $5 at an estate sale. I have somewhere in my collection a "wood" type wheel from a Corvette that I may put in the truck.

I haven't got to the dump hydraulics yet. I did do some work on the dump box but nothing to cheer about. I need to get the hydraulics done but again I have to figure out where the port is to fill it up with oil, I think it is dry. If it needs seals, I will be pulling it all apart and rebuilding it. with my large tractor down, I can't lift the box up and prop it up to work on it (I have a Ford 3000 industrial tractor with power steering cylinders I can not find the parts for, they are Ford but not anything put on the farm tractors) I've done a lot of lift cylinders so this one will be easy. I can't figure out who made it, I am going to assume that because it is a locally bought, upfitted, and remained a local farm truck, it is a Garwood lift system which I can get some parts but worry about the pump if it needs rebuilding, I may have to get the wear plates (assuming it is a gear pump) made. It looks like it is an integral pump, so I can't use my spares (these were from Greesen).

I'll return to it soon, most of this will be in the morning because I can't take the heat as I could when I was younger.

So that's it right now