My Build Thread, 78Chevyrado's 1978 C20

[78 Chevyrado]

That looks the dogs danglies! Awesome work- just lovin' it.

Slightly gutted (mild understatement) re the dents that have appeared 

I cant get used to the dents...  they still suck like when i first found them....

[78 Chevyrado]

Now I'm working as a general Contractor Remodeling Homes to be sold, here's about 1/2 of the junk I tot in the truck daily, I Love the LXT Makita line... Great products, and this is from a Pro. Pro what you ask?  I dunno, but a pro...  ha!



A few New pic I took today with my new car..  Nice pair

[78 Chevyrado]

I had the day off today and went to see Grandad... He put it better than I ever could have about the truck... He said "That was the last truck I ever worked out of and it's the first you ever worked out of" (you is me)

He's right... all other jobs I've had until now all i had to bring was a full toolbelt.. I now run my own stuff in my own truck.... I teared up a good bit over that statement.

I've already decided... even if it makes the truck get dents and scrathces, I'm gonna work it's ass off. For him, BECAUSE HE SURE WOULD DO IT TO IT.

I told him I'm glad it's a 3/4 ton as my old 1/2 ton would be dragging ass hauling what I haul daily... He said "What did you expect?" He tells you how it is, period....

I printed this out for him to see what I'm doing lately. This is about 1/2 of my tools loaded up...
I had the day off today and went to see Grandad... He put it better than I ever could have about the truck... He said "That was the last truck I ever worked out of and it's the first you ever worked out of" (you is me)

He's right... all other jobs I've had until now all i had to bring was a full toolbelt.. I now run my own stuff in my own truck.... I teared up a good bit over that statement.

I've already decided... even if it makes the truck get dents and scrathces, I'm gonna work it's ass off. For him, BECAUSE HE SURE WOULD DO IT TO IT.

I told him I'm glad it's a 3/4 ton as my old 1/2 ton would be dragging ass hauling what I haul daily... He said "What did you expect?" He tells you how it is, period....

I printed this out for him to see what I'm doing lately. This is about 1/2 of my tools loaded up...
I had the day off today and went to see Grandad... He put it better than I ever could have about the truck... He said "That was the last truck I ever worked out of and it's the first you ever worked out of" (you is me)

He's right... all other jobs I've had until now all i had to bring was a full toolbelt.. I now run my own stuff in my own truck.... I teared up a good bit over that statement.

I've already decided... even if it makes the truck get dents and scrathces, I'm gonna work it's ass off. For him, BECAUSE HE SURE WOULD DO IT TO IT.

I told him I'm glad it's a 3/4 ton as my old 1/2 ton would be dragging ass hauling what I haul daily... He said "What did you expect?" He tells you how it is, period....

I printed this out for him to see what I'm doing lately. This is about 1/2 of my tools loaded up...


He said He's proud of me and That I'm following in his footsteps.  He also likes I'm using to truly start my career the last truck he used to finish his career.....  God it makes me tear up something fierce...  OH LORD, this it amazingly AWESOME!  Forget the rims or whatever else JUNK....   I'm carrying on, in the best way....  This is now a work truck....  I won't trash it, but I WILL USE IT, PERIOD.  If it gets hurt, I'll fix it.  If it needs a rebuild in 5 or 10 years, well I'll need a project later...

This 3/4 ton will be working for a long time..   It's got 35 years under it's belt so far...  I mean to make it get at leat 35 more years, as a hard working heavy built machine.... 

[bake315]

Gotta be an awesome feeling for you, Kenny!  Very VERY cool!

[78 Chevyrado]

Gotta be an awesome feeling for you, Kenny!  Very VERY cool!

Yes, sir!

[78 Chevyrado]

Stuff I left out....

Here's how my truck made it through the ADAIRSVILLE, GA tornado in early 2012.
There's some cussing.  but I just lived through a tornado and didn't die and my truck was untouched in any way, so I deserve to let the cussing slide.


1st    the first run by.  I had taken everything of survival value out of my C20, and patted and kissed the dash and told my truck goodbye...  I said goodby and expected to never see it again.  I literally petted the dash on the passenger side and kissed the dash goodbye...  literally.  It felt like leaving a good dog outside to the storm...
http://s160.photobucket.com/user/wes2880/media/VID_20130130_124730_zps088d90d1.mp4.html



2nd    this is after the first tornado went by, me and mr brown, came out of a closet in the middle of the house we were working on...
There was one death nearby because of the storm, the fireman you saw running came up and asked me to show him my tablet...  he was 4 blocks off from where the man was trapped.  so I helped them find the one man but too late.
http://s160.photobucket.com/user/wes2880/media/VID_20130130_114607_zps216cf90f.mp4.html
The little level I mentioned in the 2nd video...   I had my miter and table and skill saws on the front porch, well when we came back out all those saws were gone forever, but for some inexplicable reason my little cheap plastic torpedo level was still on the window sill....



3rd   this is after the second wave went other...  everything you see that's messed up was in place and as it should be 2 hours sooner.  even the cops and fire dept couldn't get to us.  we were stranded, until the tractors and loggers could come and set us free,
http://s160.photobucket.com/user/wes2880/media/VID_20130130_112907_zps514f38cf.mp4.html
We couldn't leave for 5 hours until they had removed enough of the big trees fell over the roads to make it possible.


TRUCK MADE IT SOME HOW!!!!
http://s160.photobucket.com/user/wes2880/media/VID_20130130_112809_zps9f635d4f.mp4.html



4th   this is the last video.   shows how screwed up everything was around us, but me and my friends explorer didn't even get a scratch on our vehicles.  We were in the center closet in the house with living supplies and I had long ago kissed my truck goodby forever, yet when we emerged, our house, and our trucks were totally untouched. 

I'm a heavy smoker, but I couldn't smoke most of the day cuz of the broken gas mains,  I wasn't sparking anything... 

we got out later that day, but it went to a head at a creek that overflowed and was 4 ft deep.   I know my truck can't take that except one way...  hit it goin 40mph or so.   so my and mr brown took that creek goin 45mph.  it was like we hit a wall but we made it out and I took him home and then got myself home.   THIS IS TRULY A STORY WHERE MY TRUCK SOMEHOW SURVIVED THE TORNADO AND WAS ONE OF THE FEW VEHICLES AROUND THAT COULD GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE AREA AND GOT US OUT.  I figured my lights under the bumper would have been trashed and I didn't care.   but they even made it though I had to reaim them later.   My truck saved me from lots of ugliness that day.  my car nor van could have done that for me.


So Me n my truck are meant to be.  I'll never get rid of it.  we're the best of teams.   And me and it survived the storm unscathed, tho I was inside in a closet and it was outside unprotected.  I had literally kissed and patted it on the right side if the dash and kissed it goodbye.  but my truck was there waiting for me unscathed when it was all over.  only problem was literally I wouldn't crank it because of the extreme gas leaks everywhere.  they made us sick.   

Me and my truck.  my car n van are secondary...   It's me and my 78 C20 against the world.  and apparently we'll kick  doing it.

Lookup Adairsville, ga 2012 tornado.  me n my truck were dead center in it.  all houses on all sides of us got trashed, but our one house and our 2 vehicles got by untouched.  miracle if ever there was one.

[bake315]

Kenny, one heck of an experience, and one heckuva truck!  Glad you made it out of there safe and alive!

[dvdswan]

glad you're save and sound.  I'm glad I there's not much of a chance for tornados in the PNW.  been through too many watches and warnings.

[78 Chevyrado]

worst part of it, besides cowering in a closet multiple times(and you will cower when that sound and rumble goes over ya), was I couldn't smoke my cigs cuz the whole place was one giant gas leak, was scared to even try to crank our cars up.  it was bad enough we all got high off natural gas, was making all of us even the fireman and cops sick.. 

actually the worst part was, my mom (she watches news all the time and knew where i was) had called me to tell me to take cover and about 15 seconds into the call the phone hung up...  even fm and am radio didn't work...  so worst part was  it scared her so much, and I knew it would soon as I lost phone...  didn't get to talk to her again for 2 hours.  she was all crying and stuff.  I don't like her crying, ever.  so that was the worst other than cowering in a closet with another man...lmao   

[78 Chevyrado]

maybe worst part is I sound way more redneck than I think I do in these videos...   

[dvdswan]

maybe worst part is I sound way more redneck than I think I do in these videos...   

lol.  just as long as you're not on TV talking about freight trains.

I grew up in the Midwest (Illinois) and have been through a tornado.  not a direct hit but it was too close for me so I understand the cowering.

[78 Chevyrado]

So I got myself a new gopro and suction cup a few days ago and was playing with it on the truck.  i think that's just neat as heck, so I figured I'd post up my first two trys for you guys to see, no music or anything, just riding around the block for testing purposes. 

First Try right above lower trim just ahead of taillight with skeleton back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLXTI7R_6fo

Second try on the drivers door
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEQJlGSuIyQ

[LTZ C20]

Those are good. For some good videos you could put it facing the whole rear suspension, in one of the front wheel wells and looking at the engine. Just too see all the movement stuff makes when we drive. Also, I'm always liked your truck, it's really nice! C20 to like mine.

[78 Chevyrado]

Those are good. For some good videos you could put it facing the whole rear suspension, in one of the front wheel wells and looking at the engine. Just too see all the movement stuff makes when we drive. Also, I'm always liked your truck, it's really nice! C20 to like mine.

Those are excellent ideas.  I didn't know my tires moved as much as they did judging by the ride...  Thank you for the compliment!

Well i think those videos are just neat, but this is the first time i've ever heard how my truck sounds.  had it since 2008, never heard it like this.  i have heavy sound deadening and i'm always inside the cab.  i got someone to do a few drivebys in my last truck, but nothing like this... 

[LTZ C20]

Those are good. For some good videos you could put it facing the whole rear suspension, in one of the front wheel wells and looking at the engine. Just too see all the movement stuff makes when we drive. Also, I'm always liked your truck, it's really nice! C20 to like mine.

Those are excellent ideas.  I didn't know my tires moved as much as they did judging by the ride...  Thank you for the compliment!

Well i think those videos are just neat, but this is the first time i've ever heard how my truck sounds.  had it since 2008, never heard it like this.  i have heavy sound deadening and i'm always inside the cab.  i got someone to do a few drivebys in my last truck, but nothing like this...

Your welcome! What color is it exactly? Yea it's always weird when you experience your truck in some one other than normal. Like someone else driving by or riding on the passenger seat lol