New Guy from Southern Oregon

[diggerdan11]

Hi Everyone,

My Name is Daniel and I am from Southern Oregon. I just joined this site, but I have been browsing it for quite a while.

My grandfather just recently passed away. Of course I am very sad about it, but I know that he is no longer suffering. It was a long time coming.

Anyway in 1977 my grandfather picked up a brand new 77 K20 Silverado Camper Special, 400 engine, Cordova Brown/ Santa Fe Tan, with the Mandarin Orange Interior. My Grandpa pretty much only drove it from home to work from 77-90 when he retired, then the truck was rarely driven and it only has about 42K original miles on it. Its in very good shape mechanically, the interior is faded, and there is very little rust on the truck. I have driven this truck many times and it still runs great. My grandparents never got rid of anything and they still have the receipt and a blank check for $7,654 from when the originally purchased the truck.

My dad went ahead and told me that the truck is mine if I want it. I am very excited about this. I am a die hard GM guy and I have always loved the square body's, and I have a lot of great memories about this truck.

My dad and I are currently restoring a 69 Chevy C/20. Once we are done with that I plan on doing a little work on the 77. I will probably keep the truck the same exterior color, but I might change the interior from Mandarin Orange to a tan or brown since its almost impossible to find replacements parts in the Mandarin Orange. Im excited to learn all I can from this site.

Here is the only picture I currently have of the truck, as you can see the truck matched his house.


To make the passing of my grandfather even worse, just hours before he passed away while he was at the hospital on his death bed,  thieves broke into his house stole his TV, Guns, Jewelry, his Trailblazer, and other Misc Stuff. They also stole all the keys to everything including the keys to the truck, but luckily they did not take the truck. I live right next door and I never heard a thing. The police have recovered his Trailblazer, but we know that we will never recover anything else which includes his Korean War medals and ribbons, which makes me more angry than anything else. The criminals obviously cased the house and knew that he was gone. Lets just hope these criminals get whats coming to them.
 I just ordered a new matching lock set, and the truck is currently sitting without a battery and a few things disconnected which should deter a thief from steeling it. Once I have the new locks I will replace those and take the truck to a secure location.

[zieg85]

Welcome from NW Indiana

[DustyRusty]

Welcome from Alaska, Dan.  The 77 K20 ought to be a fun project.  Ill be watching for it when the other one is finished.  I'd like to see a photo of the interior before you change it.  Don't think I've seen a mandarin orange interior before.

Very sorry to hear the sad news about your grandad.  I was very close to my maternal grandparents.

I hope the thieves are caught.  Do the police have any good leads?  Did they even bother to come investigate?  'Round here they don't investigate too much; just tell you to fill out a report online to get a case number for the insurance company.

[diggerdan11]

Welcome from Alaska, Dan.  The 77 K20 ought to be a fun project.  Ill be watching for it when the other one is finished.  I'd like to see a photo of the interior before you change it.  Don't think I've seen a mandarin orange interior before.

Very sorry to hear the sad news about your grandad.  I was very close to my maternal grandparents.

I hope the thieves are caught.  Do the police have any good leads?  Did they even bother to come investigate?  'Round here they don't investigate too much; just tell you to fill out a report online to get a case number for the insurance company.

No leads yet, but the neighbors living in the house on the other side of my grandpas have previous records, are know druggies,  and the police know them very well. Just a few days after my grandpas house was broken into one of the friends of the lady next door stored another stolen car in her backyard, which I recognized from a Facebook Post and I turned it in to the police. All the police did was tow it and talk her. I know people that know this lady and they don't think she was involved but she probably knows who it was, and they probably gave her drugs to let them store the car in her backyard.

My Grandpas former caregiver (she knows the lady who lives next door)said she is 99.99% sure who did it, she let the police know but who knows what will come out of it. She told us that the people she thinks did it actually have more to fear than being arrested. Supposedly they pissed off some people that you really dont want to mess with. Thats all she would tell us. I hope that the police come through and find the culprits, but some street justice might not be so bad.

The only thing that I wish we could get back was the grandpas ribbons, and medals from Korea. My grandparents never owned anything of much $ value, but they had things of sentimental value.

[1982 Daily Driver]

Welcome from South Carolina. Hope your luck turns around.

[Irish_Alley]

Welcome from Maryland

[Jason S]

Howdy from Oklahoma.

[74k20]

Greetings from NW Oregon

I too have my Grandpa’s truck, who passed away almost 2 years ago.  A 74k20 he also bought new.  The thing is, yea the truck is in my name now, but it will always be “Grandpa’s truck”.  Ok so maybe it will become “Great Grandpa’s” truck someday for my son , but not anytime soon.  I’ve had lots of cars, but this car is the 1st that actually has feelings that come out of it.  It’s NOT about the hunk of metal, it’s about the MANY memories and visions forever burned into my head associated with my beloved grandpa and a truck that he was always proud of.  Some people don’t get this.  I DO.  Enjoy.

[friscobob]

Welcome from Sutherlin, Or.

[DuckAholic1]

Welcome from Ca.

[bake74]

     Welcome from California, love to hear about the stories of our trucks, not happy to hear about your grandfather though or the break in.

[diggerdan11]

     Welcome from California, love to hear about the stories of our trucks, not happy to hear about your grandfather though or the break in.

Thank you. It is what it is.


I have been so slammed busy the last couple weeks I have not been able to change out the locks yet. I'm taking some vacation around Christmas so hopefully I can work on it then.

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[dvdswan]

welcome from WA

[Tazman]

Welcome from AZ and good luck,hope the idiots are caught.

[diggerdan11]

Here are a couple pictures of the Orange interior. As you can see its nice and faded and ugly.




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