New owner of a ‘74 Cheyenne. Many Questions!

[Corellian Corvette]

Hello everyone!

I picked up my first Chevy Truck yesterday, a 1974 Cheyenne. It has a 350 with a 4-bbl Quadrajet. 4WD with a 4 speed manual. So far it’s fun and runs well but it’s going to need a little work. I think I got a pretty good deal, too.

I’m not new to restoring/fixing up cars (I have several of the GM classics and even an old Mustang) but I’m new to the truck world. I have many questions (some random) so please bear with me! Thanks in advance for all the help.

First – can anyone explain the whole C/K/Suburban/Silverado/Blazer thing to me? Exactly what truck do I have? J I know it says Cheyenne on the side, but I’m not sure the differences between C/K and C10 vs. C20, etc. and some of the other things I see online. I quick course (or link to a good explanation) would be helpful so I know how to identify my vehicle at the NAPA counter J

Second – what’s the best place for restoration parts? I’ve seen the Classic Industries catalog, but there are some interior parts (like the 4 speed shifter boot for instance) that aren’t listed. Any other good parts sources?

Are assembly or shop manuals available for 74 trucks? That’s always my first purchase, but all I can find are the Chilton’s or Haynes Manuals. The previous owner didn’t do a terrible job hacking things up (that I can see), but I found a strange white plunger type doodad hanging from my clutch pedal and I sure would like to know what it is!

Is there a good online VIN/Trim tag decoder? The truck is blue with a blue interior but I see there are Dark Blue and Light blue parts available and I want to make sure I’m ordering the right stuff!

Is it possible/straightforward to get this truck a little lower to the ground? I don’t want it slammed, but it’s pretty tall and I’d like to bring it down a couple of inches. I assume it’s a simple leaf spring/shock absorber swap, but you know what happens when you assume J

The previous owner somehow managed to remove the ductwork to the side air vents. All the dash vents are there (it’s not an AC car) but I don’t see how to connect them? Is there a special piece needed or do I just get the flexible ductwork I see in the catalogs?

I’m nearly positive that the negative battery cable is attached in the wrong place (it’s attached to the adjusting bolt on top of the alternator). Where is the correct place to attach it to the engine?

If anyone has really good pictures of an original 74 engine compartment (from all angles) it would be EXTREMELY helpful! There is some wiring stuff going on there that I would like to figure out.

Thanks again!