A few pictures of my "Junker"

[HAULIN IT]

Guys, I took a few pictures for a member about the "painted bumpers" & thought I'd share a story about the beater since I had the pictures. It's a bit long & slightly confusing but a good story.
 Here it goes: One of my best friends (We rode the bus together the first day of Kindergarden!) that I still keep in touch with bought this truck the summer we got out of school. It was a 20 footer...Green stepside with some poor fitting panels & bad cab corner/rockers replacement . I helped him do a frame up resto on it in '89 or so. His older brother has been a GM mechanic since he got out of trade school in the early '80's...he rebuilt the engine & transmission. We did springs, shocks, gas tank, rad. all tubing, rubber hoses, bushings, ect.
Anyway, he liked the "theme" of the "new" then Baja S-10's/full size trucks so I painted it the Red & sprayed the Silver Bowtie on the hood. He found a Silver dashed line "CHEVROLET" that fit on the generic gate perfectly & installed a Silver double tube mushroom rollbar, put the newer 4x4 above the rear tires, installed new style bucket seats & steering wheel, tilt column, delayed wipers, ect. ect.
The truck was boarderline show quality & he drove it all through college. He decides he needs more room in the bed & buys the fleetside bed & we put that on.
 Something about '97 he sells it , still looking pretty nice but showing it's age just a bit...I think he got $3200-$3500, so it was still decent.
The kid that bought it beat the poo out of it...beat, bent & destroyed EVERY bodypanel on it (your seeing "the good side"). In about a year, maybe Two it was really rough looking but the drivetrain survived somehow. Another friend of ours bought it for $500 & drove it through the winter for Two years. One day I was at the farm & he said "I don't know why I keep that thing, I should sell it, junk it or something it's been sitting there for over a year."
Sooooooooo I offered the $500 that I knew he had paid for it...he said $400 was plenty.
 I fixed only what I HAD to & beat it around for about 4 years, but really didn't/don't have a need for it so it now just sits around...I drag trees, haul stuff around the yard once in a while. It was last inspected in 2005. I ran it last summer (not this past, LAST) for a few weekends when I was working on my garage. It hadn't been started since then. Well today I put a booster pack on it & poured some gas in the carb...it started right up, idled after a minute on it's own just like it was ran yesterday! You just can't junk the thing!
I called the "original" owner & told him I had it running. He was shocked to hear I still had it...it's been laying behind the garage for basically 6 years
I found a pretty nice stepside bed a year ago for a song so I bought it. I can't believe I'd bother redoing it again, but who knows.
Gotta love the old trucks...even if they are ugly ducklings! Lorne



 

[audrima]

Love the story! lot like mine, my 78 was sitting for 7 years and got going about the same way. looks awesome hope your going to restore it!.

Mariah

[bigchevyc30]

man you got to love the storied behind these old trucks. just wish i could know what the life of my dually was before me but hey ill have my own story in years to come

[thirsty]

I can't believe I'd bother redoing it again, but who knows.

I say rebuild it Lorne! Seems it has a strong will to live.

[bake74]

     Any rebuilt truck always have more meaning than a new off the lot one, it would be nice to get it back and just keep it nice so when you need it, it is there.

[84chevysilverado]

I also say rebuild it. cause of all the great times you and your buddy had with it

[Engineer]

Cool.

[Bitzer!]

Lovin it.

I've got all the previous owners details through the registering dept over here. I thought about sending them all a pic of my truck when it's done but think they're not as loved over here as they are over there!

[Engineer]

Bitzer, is your truck a LH, or RH drive?

[velojym]

I'm so wanting to find my old '74. I sold it in this general area a little over 10 years ago, still trying to locate the guy I sold it to.

[Bitzer!]

Bitzer, is your truck a LH, or RH drive?

It's a traditional LHD bud, it won't make much difference 'cos I'll be taking up all the road!!

[Engineer]

Bitzer, is your truck a LH, or RH drive?

It's a traditional LHD bud, it won't make much difference 'cos I'll be taking up all the road!!

Lol!

I have never been to your part of the world, but as an amateur 8th Air Force historian, I have learned much about East Anglia. Seems more than a few stories worthy of a laugh were the result of American deuce, and a halfs during the 1942~1945 time period.

[Bitzer!]

The East Anglians are a funny lot. They speak a lot of ooo arrr!  And apparently the family is"close" if ya know what I mean!

I would imagine 90% of pick ups are ex USAF 'cos everyone moans about the paint that was used!