73-87chevytrucks.com
General Site Info => General Discussion => Topic started by: popsthebuilder on May 22, 2013, 10:08:47 pm
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Does anyone know if a 72 lwb stepside c20 is rare.?I've been looking for pics and can't find any. Also what engine would be in it if v8 would it be a 402. And lastly The rear passenger wheel on this particular truck is locked up. Don't have truck in my possession yet and still new at restoring and mechanical troubleshooting so does anyone know what that could be? I know its a stretch but could it be the parking brake? Anyway is this a desirable truck? Thanks for any input.
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It depends and if you like the look. Long bed steppers where primarily used by the utility companies and steel mills. My buddy has a 67 or 68. A 402 is a big block. They are basically a 396 bored out .10 over I think. The fender badges said 400 on them. Locked up rear wheel is usually a drum rusted to the shoe from sitting. Used to be a fan of the 67-72 until I was introduced to our style. If you are a big guy the cabs are small and I felt claustrophobic driving them. My $.02
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thanks zieg85. I'm pretty small myself. So what about production #s? I don't know if I want to keep it for myself and sell my 73 Cheyenne Super Camper Special, or the other way around. One is going to have to go. I guess I'll make up my mind once it's sitting in front of me. I know I love the camper special and it can carry one heck of a load which I take advantage of quite often for work, but the 72 looks awesome to me. Which of the two do you think are more rare/ desirable/ worth more $? Thanks again.
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It is a toss up. I would prefer the first of the 73-87 era versus the last of the 67-72 era, plus yours sounds like it is the top of the line model where the 72 most likely is the bare bones work truck. In the end it is personal preference.
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I'll add this, along the lines of zieg 85's post, you're considering a 40 year old truck versus a 41 year old truck... One was built bare bones to work and survived. The other was built top of the line to haul a camper and play and it has survived.
In my part of the country, a 10-20 year old 3/4 ton truck will very easily be pressed into service as a farm truck hauling hay, feed & fertilizer or a roofing truck hauling shingles. Either direction can be very brutal to the survival of an older pickup and in the end most wind up in the wrecking yard. In other words a '73 C-20 Cheyenne Super-Camper Special surviving is as about on par with a '72 C-20-Big Block-Long Stepside surviving.
Again, like zieg 85 said, it is a matter of preference; Especially since both trucks have survived this long without being scrapped out. To provide somewhat of an answer to your question, I will say that for my travels in Oklahoma & Texas I see about as many of the '67-'72 Long stepside C-20's as I do '73-'75 C-20 Camper Special trucks. That being said, I don't see a whole lot of either anymore...
Is there anyway you just get the '72 and hold on to it and the '73?
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Yeah, to the wife's dismay I very well may be keeping both. Found out that the 72 is only a 307ci sbc. Did some research and a lot of people seem to think it's a crappy engine. Does anyone have any experience with one?
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307's where better than the 305's IMO
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Just about anything is better than a 305, 307 not much better though,LOL.. ;D
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305's were all choked down emission wise while the 307 were screamers like the old 283's. I had a 72 Chevelle that ran real good with the 307 2bbl in it. If I recall they were a cross between a 283 and 327
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Yeah, 305's were a smog era piece big time, I had a 307 before it was alright I guess for what it was, and I guess you could say it's in between a 283 and a 327, but I don't care for small blocks anyhow that's why I'm pulling the Vortec out of mine, LOL.. :D
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I've heard a few good things about the 307. Supposedly good amount of torque for the size hence its use in a 3/4 ton, and good gas mileage. Kind of excited to see what it's all about.
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lol??? didn't quite catch the comedy.
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I had a 307 in my 68 El Camino. ( still have the motor and truck). In its 2 barrel form it had more horsepower than many of the 350's that came in the 73-87's. The 307 was rated at 200 horsepower while the 350 in my 81 C20 was 155hp...its not a rocketbut unless you're building a race truck, its respectable.
I guess I'm getting old, but the concern for having to have high horsepower in everything I own isn't as strong as it once was. I have engines in the shop from a 200 HP 283 to a 650 HP 502 ci big block. I've been so obsessed about collecting high HP engines that not a single truck I have is complete. I have one truck with a stock 305 and another with a well built 540 HP 468 big block......both trucks run the speed limit (75 mph) with no issues. My rambling in short is if the 307 is running and driving good, build the truck, enjoy driving the truck, and upgrade engine later. I have a bad boy 427 sitting on a stand waiting to be put in my chop top and know many people who wish they had it, but I admire the guy cruising in his truck with just a stock engine because he's enjoying his ride