73 with a newer tailgate question

[jstap]

I just bought a 73 c20 that has been painted already so i would like to make the tailgate work,from what i can tell it looks like  it has the second style tailgate,removable without tools style on it, but it does not close correctly and sits to high,not level when open and has a big gap on bottom when closed. does anyone know what i would need if can be made to work, or do i need the older tailgate to make it fit right?
                                             
sorry no pics yet

[bake315]

I just bought a 73 c20 that has been painted already so i would like to make the tailgate work,from what i can tell it looks like  it has the second style tailgate,removable without tools style on it, but it does not close correctly and sits to high,not level when open and has a big gap on bottom when closed. does anyone know what i would need if can be made to work, or do i need the older tailgate to make it fit right?
                                             
sorry no pics yet

I swapped a '73 tailgate onto an '85 bed.  The "guts" swap over; if it's an 81-87 tailgate, then you need the 70's guts, including the parts that bolt to the bedsides, in order for that to work.  I'll bet you can find an old beat up tailgate to get them out of.

[jstap]

ok, do you know if I will need all of the internal parts in the tailgate also?
and it would have to be from a 73-76 ?
thanks

[bake315]

ok, do you know if I will need all of the internal parts in the tailgate also?
and it would have to be from a 73-76 ?
thanks

I'm pretty sure the innermost mechanism is the same, but the hinge points at the base of the tailgate as well as the sections of the latch bars where they exit the tailgate will have to be switched over to the older style.  Tailgates all the way up through 1980 should be compatible with your '75.

Might as well grab everything if you're going to get all of that.

[jstap]

Ok thanks, I will check the junkyards but
there are not to many old ones left up here in NH

[thirsty]

Ok thanks,I will check the junkyards but I may have to go with   if still available
there are not to many old ones left up here in NH

Welcome to the site from NH also jstap.
Depending on what part of NH you are from you may have a hard time finding these trucks in junkyards. Craigslist and just spotting one in somebodies back 40 is your best bet. There was a yard in Richmond, NH that had some but I have never been there myself.

[bake315]

Ok thanks,I will check the junkyards but I may have to go with   if still available
there are not to many old ones left up here in NH

Check with the site owner/administrator (Captkaos) also.  Even if the parts aren't in the forum store, he may still be able to get them for you.  Great to deal with.

[jstap]

ok thanks for the help guys
Thirsty I am in Portsmouth, I haven't looked yet but I figured  they would be hard to find

Hey Bake, do you have any pics of you interior,if it is stock? mine is a Cheyenne but the dash has been covered and instrument cover has been changed so i was wondering what it looked like originally, but I also don't know if super Cheyenne was diffrent, do you know?

[bake315]

Hey Bake, do you have any pics of you interior,if it is stock? mine is a Cheyenne but the dash has been covered and instrument cover has been changed so i was wondering what it looked like originally, but I also don't know if super Cheyenne was diffrent, do you know?

Here is a photo of when I first got the truck.  It's original, but I colorized the photo in Photoshop to give a glimpse of how I would like it to look.   

The Cheyenne Super was the top trim level for the Chevy trucks through the end of the 1974 model year, discontinued and replaced by the Silverado beginning in 1975.  What you'll notice right away is that the Supers had quite a bit more interior trim than the Cheyennes did, especially with regard to the door panels.  They are no longer produced and not available as a reproduction, either for the Supers or the Silverados through the 1976 model year.  So if you want 'em and find some used ones in decent shape, grab 'em!


I have several other interior pics, including several of the original dash.  PM me your email & I'll send you what I have.

[Captkaos]

Can you post a picture of the problem?  The tailgates are dimensionally the same, so it being high and gaps etc sounds like another problem.  Did you see the post on tailgate ID?  for alignment on a 73-76 bedside, you need the 73-76 style, or the 75-76 if you want easy removal.

BTW, the tailgates we sell, aren't the weak stuff that bends, you can actually use them as a tailgate.

[jstap]

Here are some pics of the tailgate...

[Captkaos]

That is an 81-91 tailgate.  It doesn't go level when down due to the bedside having a 73-76 hinge mount location which is higher up.
As far as sitting high, in the picture it looks a little low on the passenger side.  As for the gap at the bottom, that is normal...

[jstap]

Do you think I can make this work with new mounts? or will I need a diffrent tailgate

[Captkaos]

You can make it work, just need to lower the bed mounts.  I honestly don't remember how they are setup on the 73-76, can you take a pic?

[jstap]

Pictures of mounts bolted to bed.