1974 Chevy Truck Project

Many years ago I got the itch to restore an old Chevy stepside pickup.  The original purchase was a 1979, Chevy shortbed stepside for $200.  I believe that every body panel was dented or rusted and it didn’t have a motor and was a rough start.

I think my wife thought I was crazy…for awhile I believed her, but she supported me through it all.

 

In the daytime it looked even worse.  Some of the body parts were unbolted and some just fell off. 

The next few pictures will show before an after images in order to appreciate the magnitude of the project.  The paint, body, and motor work were all done by Alan Purvis or Molino, Florida.

 

 

The rotted wooden bed before restoration…

The new bed with new oak planks sporting seven layers of urethane and polished stainless runners.  A new tailgate, new front bed panel and new bumper were also added.

 

The interior was completely worthless and the firewall of the cab was rusted beyond repair.

Some used interior panels were found, a new steering wheel, used tilt column and seat, and new carpet kit were installed.  What a difference!  However, this cab is actually a cab from a 1974 Chevy fleetside pickup…see below:

 

I went hunting for a used passenger’s door and ended up purchasing a whole truck.  The floor of the cab on this 74 was rusted but the firewall was clean.  So we cut the floor out of the 79 and welded it into the 74.  Then we used the 74 cab and title and placed it on the 79 frame.

 

 

The frame was sanded and painted black before the old and new body components were reassembled.

 

Another frame shot.

 

The rear fenders and siderails were in suprisingly good shape compared to the rest of the truck.

 

Once the frame was painted and key areas of the cab as well, it was time to mount the cab and front clip and then move to the engine compartment.

 

The engine compartment before the overhaul…

The engine compartment after a freshly rebuilt small block 400 with a few upgrades.

 

Here’s a view of the motor before installation.

 

The seat in the original truck was shot so I dug this one out of a salvage yard.  It had good padding but just needed a facelift.

I had it recovered to match the new dark blue color scheme.

 

A used set of door panels with a can of vinyl spray paint and they looked as good as new.

 

Here is a shot of the finished product.  I eventually had the windows tinted and a factory, in-dash A/C system installed.

 

Hard to believe it is the same truck, huh?

 

The total cost of the project ended up around 11K; too bad I only got 4K for it in trade at a dealership a few years later.  I hated to see that old hotrod pickup go but I need more seats with an expanding family.  It was fun while it lasted!