Author Topic: 1979 Chevy Crew Cab Dually 454 4 speed manual UPDATED RESTORED (Read 20353 times)

yzrider · « **on:** April 05, 2013, 01:21:18 pm »

I named the title part 2 because its a pretty neat story. In 2009 I sold the truck on ebay to someone from upstate NY I live in PA. He drove down with a buddy paid cash and drove my baby home. It hit me about the time he was backing out of the driveway and as he rumbled down the street. Selling her was a big mistake, but at the time I was driving 20k+ miles a year and needed someting better on gas.

I missed that truck every day talked about it incessantly and started looking around for a replacement but they were either rotted, abused, neglected, fuel injected, or automatic or all of the above and none of them were like "my truck"

I lost the guys number but had a letter he mailed me after he bought it and I dug that out and sent him a letter basically telling him that if he ever wanted to sell it that I'd love the chance to buy it back. Told him what I told you and said "if you have ever sold a car or truck that you shouldnt have and missed it everyday well thats what the dually was to me."

He lost the letter and meant to call me back. He found something inside the truck with my name on it and remembered the town I was from and called the operator and we got in touch. Agreed to have him drive it back down to me and gave him about 400 more than he paid for it. Its about a 3 hour drive each way again he needed someone to follow him and I know gas in that dually isnt cheap so I didnt really mind.

Now mind you this is all 3 years after I sold it and hadnt talked to him at all and 3 hours away. The real kicker is HE DIDNT EVEN DRIVE IT! He parked it inside his garage and basically didnt touch it. He towed a car trailer with it a couple of times and ran it around maybe a handful of times he said other than that it sat inside the garage taking up 3 spots he said haha.

It was just as I had left it! So happy to have my baby back! It has some rust forming around all the chrome trim, needs a carpet, a winshield, front seat cover, and maybe a tailgate as its banged up a bit but other than that the truck starts right up drives great and runs mint. I have never driven a factory carbed big block that starts, idles, and runs as clean as this truck. The original owner who I got it from owned it until 2007 or so and he owned a speed shop. He used it to drive to the shop and drag his race cars to the track. He kept it garage kept the whole time. So its only been parked outside while in my possession. I plan to strip it this spring and summer clean up the body, replace the interior parts, and hopefully find a shop who can paint this beast without it costing me 5k.

Anyway thats my story hope you enjoyed it. And heres a couple crappy cell pics of the dually.

yzrider · « **Reply #1 on:** April 05, 2013, 01:27:54 pm »

And another. I really had to shrink them down and crop them to meet the picture size haha. My dad nicknamed my truck "Roadblock" haha pretty fitting name. I love this thing! I plan to pull the motor out when I do the body work too and freshen it up. Get the heads redone by a machine shop and drop in some higher compression pistons, set of short headers and new ignition set up. Not looking for anything crazy but it burns some oil, little bit of blue smoke on start up, so I figure it needs rings or valve seals so might as well get a couple more ponies while im in there, it pulls like a train as it is but more is always better right?

bake74 · « **Reply #2 on:** April 05, 2013, 01:46:36 pm »

That is a sharp looking truck. Glad you could get it back and after 3 years not having too many miles put on it. Enjoy it, and next time think about this story if you get a itch to sell.

bake315 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 08, 2013, 04:07:58 pm »

Pretty truck!

zieg85 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 08, 2013, 05:14:19 pm »

I love a happy ending!!!

big bear · « **Reply #5 on:** April 09, 2013, 07:48:53 pm »

great story man..what a beauty that truck is

BlueCollarRon · « **Reply #6 on:** April 09, 2013, 11:04:47 pm »

good lookin truck, what a stroke of luck getting it back

yzrider · « **Reply #7 on:** April 16, 2013, 10:38:56 pm »

Thanks everyone for the compliments on the truck! Im very happy to have it back. Looking around on this forum so many of you have some amazing trucks. I only wish I could afford the restorations and modifications I see on so many forums. Its really quite amazing! Ill be happy getting her back to 100% though so no worries.

yzrider · « **Reply #8 on:** November 21, 2015, 07:44:51 am »

Hey guys a update on the truck. When I got it back realized the rust was worse than I thought. Needed new doors up front, fenders, rear cab corner patch, bottom of rear doors, rockers, front floor panels needed some help, and on and on!

Painted whole underside with por15 or zinc paint, painted interior floor and found a quart of rustoleum in brown leather is a pretty close match.

Lots and lots and lots of work, its ALMOST done!

Engineer · « **Reply #9 on:** November 22, 2015, 06:42:55 am »

Back when I was truck pulling one of the guys that I travelled with had a truck exactly like that one. Same year, engine, trans, colors, etc.

Our competition trucks were 6200# pro-street 4x4. Only thing is the rest of us had one truck whereas he had two. He pulled both of his trucks on a 40' triple axle gooseneck. His towed weight was about 20,000lbs. I can't ever remember him having problems and we did this for a lot of years. He finally bought a Kodiak with a Duramax. That Kodiak never did see the miles that his old '78 C30 saw.

yzrider · « **Reply #10 on:** November 26, 2015, 09:46:33 pm »

Joec123able · « **Reply #11 on:** November 27, 2015, 01:36:03 am »

Wow that is one bad and beautiful truck, I don't see too many of those 70s crew cab duallys around.

LTZ C20 · « **Reply #12 on:** November 27, 2015, 01:45:50 am »

Man oh man I would LOVE to add that truck to my driveway! I have a huge soft spot for duallies, that beast is beautiful! Your a pretty lucky dude to have been able to buy it back! Lots of jealously here.

Engineer · « **Reply #13 on:** November 27, 2015, 11:22:15 am »

Please, please, please.........

And I'll say this to everybody (not singling out you OP), take pictures of your trucks in landscape mode, not portrait mode. (Turn your phone 1/4 turn either way.) That way we see more truck, less asphalt and trees.

Otherwise it is a sweet truck. Take care of it.

LTZ C20 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 27, 2015, 12:18:16 pm »

Quote from: Engineer on November 27, 2015, 11:22:15 am

Please, please, please.........

And I'll say this to everybody (not singling out you OP), take pictures of your trucks in landscape mode, not portrait mode. (Turn your phone 1/4 turn either way.) That way we see more truck, less asphalt and trees.

Otherwise it is a sweet truck. Take care of it.

That's longbed mode! Upright is shortbed mode. Lol

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