just a comment about my truck

[Buddy]

well guys, I got the truck home tonight. I just put the mirrors on and got the grill almost in, front bumper is on, side marker lights few other odds and end on.Let me tell you had all the guys that helped me during this rebuild stop by and everyone of them cant get over how good it looks. Very happy. I will post some pictures after i get a little more done. took some pictures tonight but they didnt tuen out. Next suuny day i will pull it out and show it off. Thanks for all the comments. great feed back.

[Grim 82]

Glad to hear, better to see. Bring on the pics!

[78 Chevyrado]

All the money I had spent on mine bugged me...  Until I got the truck back from the body shop and started installing all those new or restored parts on it.  Since then It doesnt bother me one bit.  I just don't tell people what I spent so they won't look at me like I'm nuts...  except my best friend...  but he knows I'm nuts.

And I'm not done yet...  Still have to get a bedliner, E-fan, Engine, Tranny put in.  I Just havent done the engine and trans yet because they still work well.  but the smoke cloud on start up is getting irritating...

[1980c10]

That engine and tranny thing can get expensive.

[discot315]

This is such a good thread. Didnt know there was others that felt like I do. Im sorta like 79chevykid im 17 and been working on my truck for over a year and just recently actually got it on the road and driving it just makes me feel so good having people stop to look at me drive past or talk to me about my truck feels awesome knowing I did everything on the truck and spend all my hard earned cash on it. I almost quit on it 2 times over the last year but im so glad that I didnt. Even with everyone telling me its a POS and a waste of money and its never going to run right and stuff. It seams like therapy to me too, through everything its always there to work on and clear my head and just focus on that its sorta like escaping reality. Sometimes I will even just sit outside in my yard with my truck and have a drink and sit looking at it lol and at school I always eat my lunch on my tailgate    even in the hail storm the other day hahaha

[1979C20]

discot315, ironically im in the same boat. Bought the truck when I was 16 for 300 in march 2010, not running, rebuilt the engine and resealed the tranny and some other odds and ends. I was in the hole 2300 when I got it running in mid august, a little over a week before my 17th birthday. Ive got about 3500 into her now to get her reliable. Ive worked for every penny ive got into my truck. I love it. I get a lot of compliments from random people. My girlfriend finds it attractive that I built it, and that my family brags about me to everyone. Im real proud. Theres no other feeling like it.

[discot315]

Yeah exactly there is no other feeling like it. I just feel so proud driving my truck. lol I bought my truck when I was 16 too but for $1250 and insured it a few months later when I got my licence and had it on the road for 5 days and the motor blew, I didnt realize about how much blue smoke would actually come out of the pipes at the time but I learned my lesson pretty good. Oil is pretty important hahah. Put it in the shop put a new motor in and been working on it ever since. I worked and saved up to buy the truck then been working ever since and put all of my money into it, sometimes I think its too much money but its totally worth it in the end.

[bigchevyc30]

Ive been reading the board and man i agree to me having the classics working are the best. i don't know what is it but to me i love the older trucks. I'm 18 and my first and only vehicle so far is my 1980 c-30 4-door 1-ton truck and man its the best ride even compared to the new vehicles. one reason ill never get rid of the truck is i have blood and sweat in the truck. Ive had to replace the motor by selling the boat i got for one of my birthdays. just cause i didn't want to get rid of the truck. to me the cost is not so much as to what the reaction i get showing up and people looking. in my town Ive seen the newer versions of 81-87 trucks of mine but none like mine. the feeling i get driving it is so good cause as i know the motor i put in is was getting it down the road. thanks to my dad and friends that helped me to get it back running are great. to me a nice old Chevy can make anyone come together to get them working again. it might not be the most fuel efficient vehicle with 9mpg but hey i don't care i work for the money to get it to roll down the road and its better than it being lost in the timeline of rust or scrap. thanks guys it was good to see people like me that love the old trucks from when they were really trucks

[Phil.]

This is why I'm loving this forum. Everyone says these trucks are money pits, fall apart blah blah blah

My wife wasn't to happy when I got my truck although I traded my old Camaro with 274k for it. But when I got it home she instantly fell in love also my Father in law said it was a pos but my truck starts first turn EVERYTIME I love my truck and I will never get rid of it no matter how much rust or what things need fixed it's mine!

[78 Chevyrado]

One thing about those old carbs...  If they're setup right they start a lot faster than ANY EFI.  But I have to retune it for summer and winter..   I enjoys doing that too though and it means everything gets a good going over at least twice a year if not more.

[daschlag]

My wife was skeptical of the old Chevy when I first brought it home.  But 3 days later, she drove a little to far up the driveway, and the front tires of her Civic went over the edge and into the soggy grass.  She was stuck!  With a tow rope and about 3 minutes the truck easily pulled her car back onto the driveway.  That was enough for her - she now refers to the truck endearingly as "Scotty" (due to the Scottsdale badge on the fender) and compares him favorably to our Infiniti FX45, which required $2500 of electrical work within 2 months of buying it.  She says the FX is like a high-maintenance girlfriend, and "Scotty" just wants to get dirty and work.  Her father thinks I'm nuts for buying it.  Bottom line, people who know what these trucks are capable of and how long they can last will always appreciate them for what they are.

[Canadian 4X4]

My Grandpas marine business is running a 77 k10 400/350 the truck is bullet proof after 34 years of some pretty heavy hauling of boats, blocking, stands. the box rotted off about 10 years ago and the cab has some decent size holes in the floor of the cab haha. the rockers have pretty well disappeared, but that truck sat from December till 2 weeks ago and "old gray" fired up instantly. the old truck will take anything you throw at it. the motor is starting to get week and the t case leaks a little but takes a beating for a don't fix it till its broke truck.