First a little history on the truck.
It's a '71 lwb that i bought in 1993. It wasn't really what i was looking for at the time but winter was on it's way and the only transportation i had was a VW roadster. Not so good in the rain or fog. I wanted an older truck like a '57 but the engine ran great, had good oil pressure and didn't smoke or make any weird noises. The body was a little rough in spots and the interior was painted a baby diaper brown and it had power steering. I figured for $750 it was a good deal. I repainted the interior smoke gray, redid the door panels, headliner, had the seat reupholstered, put in a tilt column, slapped some 15x8 Ansen Sprints on it and drove it daily for a couple of years. Later i added A/C, replaced all the door rubbers and window channels and insulated the interior and added new carpet.
One night on my way home from work the engine just rolled over and died. I slapped a rebuilt 350 in it, had the turbo 350 rebuilt, bolted on an Edelbrock Performer intake,600 cfm carb, headers, and dual exhaust with cheap turbo mufflers. I primed it gray and slammed it. It wasn't really a hot rod but it ran great and i loved messing with guys in their new trucks. More than a few rice rockets fell victim to that ratty looking ole Chevy.
One night I was coming home from work running in the fast lane with the peddle down when the oil pressure gauge fell to zero. The engine had less than 30 k on it. I had just changed the oil a few days before so i new it was full. I pulled it over, let it cool down and checked the oil. It was full. I fired it up and the oil pressure gauge slowly creeped up to about 20 pounds. I'm only a couple of miles from home. It either makes it home or it don't. I bought another truck and parked the '71 for awhile until i could build a stroker motor for it.
It sat in the garage for a couple of years while i worked on a few other projects. Then in '03 my wife bought a new Mustang so instead of moving the truck outside i traded it to my brother-in-law. I figured i was never going to get around to building an engine for it. And i really didn't want to let it just set and deteriorate. He slapped a used engine in it and drove it for awhile. When that one gave up the ghost he pulled the engine and tore it apart for a rebuild. It sit for a few months while he gathered parts.
In June of 2006 he died in his sleep. He was only three weeks past his 58th birthday. We (me, my wife, his son, his other sister and bro-in-law) were on our way home from the funeral home after making the arrangements (he was cremated) when i popped off to his son, Darrell, "To bad your dad's truck's not running. We could give him his last ride in it. You know how he loved that truck." I saw his eyes light up. He had a '58 step side at home with a good engine but a bad tranny. The '71 had a fairly new tranny but no engine. He calls up his best friend Robbie from high school and tells him what's up.
Now between Darrell and Robbie, they both have about as much mechanical ability as a peach. But it was like they were driven. They were determined Dad (Robbie had always called him Dad since he was a little guy) was taking his last ride in his truck. They spent the next two days, and most of the night, pulling the engine out of the '58 and putting it in the '71. I offered up any help they would need. "That's okay, Uncle Larry. you have other things you have to take care of." When they got it running they brought it to my house. We sanded and rattle can primed it. A few days later we took him for his last ride in his truck.
Darrell drove it daily for several years until the engine and tranny wore out. It sit in his yard and deteriorated. Last year he decided to sell it. In a moment of weakness i decided to buy it back. One new years day i drove out to Darrell's house and bought it back. I'm not sure why. With the T-Bucket and the '56 the last thing i need is another project. My wife just smiled and shook her head.
My son was looking for a project and i wasn't sure if i would actually ever do anything with the truck so i gave it to him. I thought about building it for my grand daughter but it really needs a total rebuild. I happened to mention to my buddy at work i was looking for a car....he has a mini van that's worth more than the truck....i could trade or sell the van....he's always wanted the truck....his wife, Mona, loves Chevy trucks....
Mona already has it planned out. It'll be flat black with some type of old school rims and a Mexican blanket on the seat. I was so glad to hear it'll stay primed. It's been in primer since 1997. It just wouldn't look right in shiney paint.
Here it is a few years back in fresh gray primer.
It's a '71 lwb that i bought in 1993. It wasn't really what i was looking for at the time but winter was on it's way and the only transportation i had was a VW roadster. Not so good in the rain or fog. I wanted an older truck like a '57 but the engine ran great, had good oil pressure and didn't smoke or make any weird noises. The body was a little rough in spots and the interior was painted a baby diaper brown and it had power steering. I figured for $750 it was a good deal. I repainted the interior smoke gray, redid the door panels, headliner, had the seat reupholstered, put in a tilt column, slapped some 15x8 Ansen Sprints on it and drove it daily for a couple of years. Later i added A/C, replaced all the door rubbers and window channels and insulated the interior and added new carpet.
One night on my way home from work the engine just rolled over and died. I slapped a rebuilt 350 in it, had the turbo 350 rebuilt, bolted on an Edelbrock Performer intake,600 cfm carb, headers, and dual exhaust with cheap turbo mufflers. I primed it gray and slammed it. It wasn't really a hot rod but it ran great and i loved messing with guys in their new trucks. More than a few rice rockets fell victim to that ratty looking ole Chevy.
One night I was coming home from work running in the fast lane with the peddle down when the oil pressure gauge fell to zero. The engine had less than 30 k on it. I had just changed the oil a few days before so i new it was full. I pulled it over, let it cool down and checked the oil. It was full. I fired it up and the oil pressure gauge slowly creeped up to about 20 pounds. I'm only a couple of miles from home. It either makes it home or it don't. I bought another truck and parked the '71 for awhile until i could build a stroker motor for it.
It sat in the garage for a couple of years while i worked on a few other projects. Then in '03 my wife bought a new Mustang so instead of moving the truck outside i traded it to my brother-in-law. I figured i was never going to get around to building an engine for it. And i really didn't want to let it just set and deteriorate. He slapped a used engine in it and drove it for awhile. When that one gave up the ghost he pulled the engine and tore it apart for a rebuild. It sit for a few months while he gathered parts.
In June of 2006 he died in his sleep. He was only three weeks past his 58th birthday. We (me, my wife, his son, his other sister and bro-in-law) were on our way home from the funeral home after making the arrangements (he was cremated) when i popped off to his son, Darrell, "To bad your dad's truck's not running. We could give him his last ride in it. You know how he loved that truck." I saw his eyes light up. He had a '58 step side at home with a good engine but a bad tranny. The '71 had a fairly new tranny but no engine. He calls up his best friend Robbie from high school and tells him what's up.
Now between Darrell and Robbie, they both have about as much mechanical ability as a peach. But it was like they were driven. They were determined Dad (Robbie had always called him Dad since he was a little guy) was taking his last ride in his truck. They spent the next two days, and most of the night, pulling the engine out of the '58 and putting it in the '71. I offered up any help they would need. "That's okay, Uncle Larry. you have other things you have to take care of." When they got it running they brought it to my house. We sanded and rattle can primed it. A few days later we took him for his last ride in his truck.
Darrell drove it daily for several years until the engine and tranny wore out. It sit in his yard and deteriorated. Last year he decided to sell it. In a moment of weakness i decided to buy it back. One new years day i drove out to Darrell's house and bought it back. I'm not sure why. With the T-Bucket and the '56 the last thing i need is another project. My wife just smiled and shook her head.
My son was looking for a project and i wasn't sure if i would actually ever do anything with the truck so i gave it to him. I thought about building it for my grand daughter but it really needs a total rebuild. I happened to mention to my buddy at work i was looking for a car....he has a mini van that's worth more than the truck....i could trade or sell the van....he's always wanted the truck....his wife, Mona, loves Chevy trucks....
Mona already has it planned out. It'll be flat black with some type of old school rims and a Mexican blanket on the seat. I was so glad to hear it'll stay primed. It's been in primer since 1997. It just wouldn't look right in shiney paint.
Here it is a few years back in fresh gray primer.
