20 years

[78 Chevyrado]

On 6-25-2026 I'll have had my 78 C20 for 20 years.  Grandad special ordered it new.  You older guys remember me because I posted all my restoration stuff on here while I was doing it.  Unfortunately my big build thread got wrecked when photobucket went to pay only.  Oh well.  Photobucket broke half of the internet.

Well I'm gonna make this a likely long thread.  As I get time I'm going to post a pictorial history of my truck, both before I had it until today.  I'm gonna upload a lot of old pics that are likely gone from my build thread.  All this is my celebration of having my C20 for 20 years.  I'll never have another truck unless something should happen to this one.  I have it just like I want it.  I don't need anything more.

So first set of pics is first day I had it in 2006 vs i think 5 years later...  Enjoy yall!

[78 Chevyrado]

More of first day vs 5 years later

[78 Chevyrado]

Build Sheet and such.  On the build sheet the Engine is a TDS.  no one knows what that is, even the experts.  any clue guys?  been trying to find that out for 20 years.  Also the original Cruise control instruction card that hung on the turn signal lever when new.

I do still have the dealer Emblem for Jerry Brown Chevrolet that came on the tailgate.

It IS a Scottsdale.  When I restored it you couldn't get Scottsdale Emblems so easy but Silverado's were readily available, especially with a 20 on them so I went with Silverado.  It Is a Z62 Scottsdale truck though.

[78 Chevyrado]

Oldest pics I have of the truck.

1st is Grandmother and my sister on a road trip in 1981.  Not sure where.  I was 1 then...lol

2nd is a Trip Grandad to Wyoming in 1982 to go hunting and such for a month.  He had this framed in his mancave room.  His truck with the camper (no trailer) is at the far top right.  Grandad only used the camper shell and didn't take the airstream unless grandmother came with him.

3nd is Grandmother and Grandad Visiting Sanborn IA in 1983.  Grandad usually had that camper shell on it with the airstream.  the airstream is parked at the campsite so they're driving around in the truck.

4rd is me in 1986.  5 years old in IA the airstream with the old truck in the background

5th is my Grandmother, Nell in IA in 1986

6th is me and my sister by the Pocahontas statue in Sioux City, IA in 1986.  Truck with camper and airstream in background.


On the Iowa trip when I was 5 me and mom and my sister made the trip in the back of the truck in the beds in there.

[78 Chevyrado]

These pics are the first day I had the truck on 6-25-2006 when I unburied it and got it out of its garage grave.  It'd been sitting about 12 years.  only had 76k on it.

1st pic is it in its resting place...lol

rest are when I drug it it out, aired up the tires and got it running again.  surprisingly I just pumped a bunch of r-134a into the ac system and it worked for another 3-4 years.   

[78 Chevyrado]

2005 or so, before I got it out the farm cat had some kittens that lived under and in the engine bay of the truck...

Kittens all got rehomed to places like SC, PA, OH and MS.  I was told by my aunt dang near every one of em lived 18 years.

[78 Chevyrado]

My Desk in 2008.  Finally found some Scottsdale 20 badges well after I committed to the Silverados.  eh.  You can see everything there is truck stuff!  I was well into it all! 

[78 Chevyrado]

2010 Using the truck to build grandad's wheelchair ramp.

[78 Chevyrado]

2010, Daily Driver Stuff.   Saw the DeLorean!!!   

Can't drive and take photos.  you can see me floating into the other lane while taking pics.  don't do this! 

[zieg85]

Thanks for the reminder.  I loved your restoration build.  Thanks for sharing.  I hope to continue on my 2 builds with write ups.  Life gets in the way and even though I built my dream shop it is so packed I can't work on either at the moment very easily.

[Shifty]

Thanks for sharing! 

[78 Chevyrado]

Thanks for the reminder.  I loved your restoration build.  Thanks for sharing.  I hope to continue on my 2 builds with write ups.  Life gets in the way and even though I built my dream shop it is so packed I can't work on either at the moment very easily.

Dang that was a long time ago.  I guess Chris's site has stood the test of time.  Best Chevy truck site on the web.

Life has a way of getting in the way.  I've had 3 cars since I got the truck, one crashed, ones my fav daily driver ever and one is my new project.  But the old truck just carrys on.  Only been towed twice in 48 years.  not a bad record.  one for a frozen brake caliper and one for the fuel lines rotted so bad the engine was sucking air.

[78 Chevyrado]

Thanks for sharing! 

I'm gonna add more stuff later, stay tuned.  Gonna give yall a good history of where me and my truck been all these years!

[78 Chevyrado]

2008  Got wrecked.  If it hadn't have gotten wrecked I'd have kept it like it was but added the things I added to it anyway.

I was turning left and a woman ran the redlight and hit me hard.  for a second i saw nothing but blue sky out the passenger side window...   almost rolled over.

First two pics are phone pics  the rest are with my actual camera..  thats how old this is...

[78 Chevyrado]

8-2008  Front end rebuild.  The crash bent the lower control arm on the rh side and even wrecked the steering box.

New parts.  All MOOG back when MOOG was the best!