Finally! My own wood hauler!

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MofoG23

Feeling the Heat
Pictures will be posted soon....

I finally brought home Big Red - 250 mile drive to bring him home (did not have 1 issue during the trip). Its a 1976 Chevy K20 4x4 - 4spd man, NP205 transfer case and a recently serviced 350. Truck has 71k on the clock. The frame is rock solid and most of the body has been redone (new bed and cab). Just needs the front fender and passenger door replaced (those parts were included in the sale - owner just never installed them) - then off to see the brother in law for a paint job.

I can't wait to put it to work! This thing is like a tank compared to my fathers 2010 Silverado that I've been using...
 
Here it is! The result of checking craigslist for the last 6 months and willing to drive 250+ miles away for the right deal.

I have the new fender and passenger side door sitting in my garage ready to be installed...
 

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Looks great! That truck will do some heavy work.

Steve
 
Thanks!

I noticed you're from eastern PA - I drove to Lancaster to buy it...the PA Turnpike was my test drive home - back to Pittsburgh.
 
Perfect truck, You can toss wood in it and not worry about scratching it ;)
 
I learned to drive a stickshift on a 73 with the same granny low trans. Those old 350s, the engine just runs smooth and quiet with that single V-belt. Nice low idle.

You've got to fix that exhaust. It'll hang up on something for sure. A nice single 3" with a large but unbaffled muffler sounds really good.
 
Very, very cool.
 
Highbeam said:
I learned to drive a stickshift on a 73 with the same granny low trans. Those old 350s, the engine just runs smooth and quiet with that single V-belt. Nice low idle.

You've got to fix that exhaust. It'll hang up on something for sure. A nice single 3" with a large but unbaffled muffler sounds really good.

Yep, I'm not too crazy about the exhaust either. It will work for the time being, but its on the list of things to change or re-do.
 
Get yourself some plywood or pallet wood sides on that beast and you can load it up. We don't have any distance to go with the FIL's half ton so we haven't bothered with the sides we have been planning.

Did the tool box come with it? Unless it easily holds the saw my suggestion would be to ditch it in favour of hauling more wood. The saw/gas/oil can go on the floor in the cab or on nestled into the load of wood.

If you have to go any distance for wood I would imagine that the truck would also have no problem towing a trailer as well..... Unless you are towing a splitter at the time. All around nice find for working hard.
 
Gotta love sand over salt. My 77 had no rocker panels or floor boards and that was 20 years ago with only 40K on it.
 
She looks rather good for her age! I like it.
 
Awesome truck! I love it.

My dad had a 76 or a 78 chevy like yours with the 350 but his was 2wd. We hauled so much wood in that thing, it was sad to retire it. I love those old chevys - very very tough.

thats why I bought this:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/58512/

similar to yours also but slightly newer.

i love the color of your truck - i want to paint mine that color
 
FLINT said:
Awesome truck! I love it.

My dad had a 76 or a 78 chevy like yours with the 350 but his was 2wd. We hauled so much wood in that thing, it was sad to retire it. I love those old chevys - very very tough.

thats why I bought this:

https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/58512/

similar to yours also but slightly newer.

i love the color of your truck - i want to paint mine that color

Thanks - I actually saw your thread and it just fueled my urge to find the truck I was looking for - NICE TRUCK as well! I just wish those came with the 4sp manual....
 
fyrwoodguy said:
i bought a 1975 3/4 ton 4wd new ,took the pick-up box and installed dump flatbed. put longer wheel studs and started running duals.
250,000+ miles original motor and trany-4 speed. tuffest truck i ever owned

th_SPRINGPUTTOGETHER100.jpg

Wow! One of the reasons I bought a truck of this era - they are tanks!

From what I understand the SM456 tranny and NP205 are some of the strongest drivetrain parts ever installed into a non commercial truck...
 
fyrwoodguy said:
i bought a 1975 3/4 ton 4wd new ,took the pick-up box and installed dump flatbed. put longer wheel studs and started running duals.
250,000+ miles original motor and trany-4 speed. tuffest truck i ever owned

th_SPRINGPUTTOGETHER100.jpg

Pretty interesting way to secure your saws. Any reason you need four? Is it because they aren't Stihls?
 
MofoG23 said:
Thanks - I actually saw your thread and it just fueled my urge to find the truck I was looking for - NICE TRUCK as well! I just wish those came with the 4sp manual....


yeah, i would prefer to have your tranny - I really need one more gear. It shifts into its 3rd and final gear at 25mph!
 
Highbeam said:
Pretty interesting way to secure your saws. Any reason you need four? Is it because they aren't Stihls?
if you get rear-ended wouldn't you want something inconsequential to get the brunt of the damage? I'd hate to see that firewood get damaged, so he put the husky's in the way.

(i'm only kidding)
 
Danno77 said:
Highbeam said:
Pretty interesting way to secure your saws. Any reason you need four? Is it because they aren't Stihls?
if you get rear-ended wouldn't you want something inconsequential to get the brunt of the damage? I'd hate to see that firewood get damaged, so he put the husky's in the way.

(i'm only kidding)

Man - you guys are rough on a dude that probably cuts 10 times what all 3 of us put together do. :lol:

Cool truck bro. Those things are a good old dog to put to work. They can take it.
 
Nice old truck there. (for a Chevy) Just kidding. They are all good. The old iron is nice and easy to keep running too. Good luck with it.
 
Why is it empty in the pic? Wheres the wood? :lol:

Nice 70's model ;-)
I've got a 78 Bronco (the big one), can't wait till I get to rebuilding her...
 
Cool truck!

I run a one ton Dodge with a NP435 and 205 transfer case. I like the granny low out in the woods and when the truck and trailer are loaded with wood.
 
Chargerman said:
I run a one ton Dodge...

One of the most under rated load capacity of any pickup truck that hit the market. Those suckers could haul 4 thousand pounds all day long. :lol:
 
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