1972 4x4 Short Bed Project "Seven-Deuce"

[yfs200p]

I am finally getting around to starting this build thread. I have been wanting one of these 67-72 trucks since i was about 13, but never had the money to buy/build one. Now that i am out of college and have the time to put into it, as well as a job to support it, my dream of having a SWB 4x4 finally came true. After looking for months all around the country for one that i liked, i eventually found this one less than a mile from my house. As far as the history of the truck, all i know is that this guy bought it on ebay in 2005 or so and had it shipped here to Long Island from Michigan. He drove it for a few months and then parked it behind his house where its been sitting ever since. I brought it home in late october and started taking it apart, but am finally just getting around to starting this thread. Its an original 1972 4x4 Short bed, with a 350 and 4-speed. When i picked it up, we dumped a few gallons of fresh fuel in it, towed it a few yards, popped the clutch and it fired right up... i was impressed. Anyway, heres the pictures.

The Day i brought it home:

[yfs200p]

Gotta love the Northeast Rot....





First order was taking the Bed off..

[yfs200p]

Then we got it inside and finished taking the body panels off




Freed up the cab and got that out of the way

[yfs200p]

Yanked the motor and trans and was left with just the rolling frame

[yfs200p]

After the frame was cleaned up i painted it with POR-15, i think it came out pretty good. I have to upload the more recent pictures , this was early december or so.

[Dieselwrencher]

Very nice project and great progress!

[Maxxd07]

Nice project! I like the custom made 67-68 trim.

[Gene]

Very cool, will be watching this one.

[yfs200p]

How it sits now....

[Dieselwrencher]

Very nice! Are those 4" lift or stock rear springs?

[yfs200p]

Those are stock springs just painted gray. Im planning on doing a pretty much stock rebuild, no lift.

[Dieselwrencher]

Cool deal. What color do you plan to go to on it?

[freakshow108]

Nice start but i highly recomend not using your compressor to hold up your frame, just kidding, good luck and keep the pics coming.

[yfs200p]

Originally Posted by Dieselwrencher

Cool deal. What color do you plan to go to on it?

I plan on doing a dark green and white 2-tone, and a green interior with hopefully a highlander seat cover. I love the way that plaid looks...

Something like this one, just without the lift. Belongs to See Ten, who is no longer an active member from what i understand.

[Dieselwrencher]

That's going to be beautiful!

[yfs200p]

The only thing that i am hung up on right now is wheels. I dont want to just throw a set of american racing eagles on it like many people do. I am leaning towards just a regular 6-Lug steel wheel painted white with those stock dog dish hubcaps (not the full ones). Id really like to do the 8" wide steel wheels, but they are really hard to come across for any kind of decent price. Maybe something like the wheels on this truck.....? Sorry if it belongs to a member, ive had it saved on my computer

[yfs200p]

Some updates from this week...

1. Got the front axle painted up and put new calipers, brake pads, and a chrome diff cover on it. Still waiting for the new steering stabilizer to come in.

2. And yesterday, i took a trip up to Connecticut to get a new cab that i found on Craigslist. The guy said he had it shipped up from Arizona for his project, but then ran out of money. So its a 95% rust free cab from out west that i got for $650. I also picked up a nice set of doors from him, a brand new stamped (repop) tailgate, and a brand new radiator support. He also threw in a rear slider that i think is going to end up being garbage anyway. So all that for $1000, i think i made out pretty well. Its going to save me a ton of time/money in bodywork. Heres some pics, its hard to see the little rust spot above the windshield, but its just a little bigger than a quarter id say, and all around it is solid. The rockers have some very tiny pinholes and the pass cab corner needs a little attention.

Here it is on the Long Island - CT ferry.

[arkracing]

Wow. I'm really glad that another board member got that cab. I assume it was the one in Putnam/Dayville (Northeastern CT)?? I had expressed some interest in the cab to the guy when it was first posted on CL.

He actually emailed me the other day with this:

"i have an offer of 650 and he wants to pick it up sat. so unless you have enough cash to do better than that and can get up here before sat , i will sell it to him. if you think you can let me know."

I replied to him with this:
" I guess you'll have to sell it to him, because I can't get there before Saturday. Also I don't like people who tell someone that they can have something for a certain price, and then go trolling around to others who were interested in it for "Higher Bids". Just bad business practice.
Thanks for your time."

He sent me back a nasty message, but again I'm really glad to see this go to another board member.

Good luck on the project, it's looking great so far.

[Conroe trucker]

Man I remember those tear-down days...........

[yfs200p]

Originally Posted by arkracing

Wow. I'm really glad that another board member got that cab. I assume it was the one in Putnam/Dayville (Northeastern CT)?? I had expressed some interest in the cab to the guy when it was first posted on CL.

Yeah thats the same one. He called me friday to make sure i was coming on sat. because he said he turned down an offer for $700 for sunday. The neighborhood he lived in wasn't exactly Beverly Hills ( if you know what i mean) but the guy seemed nice enough. Either way i'm happy to have a cab that needs way less work than mine.

Conroe - I can only hope my truck comes out as nice as any of yours. Those trucks are awesome and have been an inspiration to me, especially the 67 SWB 4x4. Feel free to throw up a few pics of it to keep me motivated!

[yfs200p]

Some small updates with a few pics. Finally got my 4th leaf spring back from the guy who was pressing new bushings into it. Turns out the LMC bushings make the overall spring eye a little wider, so it was a real PITA to get in. I could not get the holes to line up, so i resorted to BFH and a little home made tool.



My home made punch from an old spring bolt


So i got it back on 4 wheels and rolling again for the first time in a few months, it was a nice feeling. Got the garage all swept out from where it was sitting which was nice too. Next on tap is the Motor, the tax refund check should be in next week and i have a moderately large purchase in mind.....





And whats made it all possible... haha

[onebadbowtie]

looking good!!

[Gene]

Looking great, keep us posted!

[yfs200p]

Couple few updates.
Stripped and painted the brake booster and got a new master from carquest for 20 bucks. The master was a little bigger so the lines weren't bent exactly right. Ended up getting them in. I used High solids paint in semi gloss black, i think it came out nice.




Painted the yoke and put in a new pinion seal.


And thanks to Eric (too much stuff) i got a set of 15x8 steel wheels that i sandblasted and painted white. Still waiting on the dog dish caps. Used the same high solids paint in gloss white. This paint is supposed to have good rust preventing qualities.

[yfs200p]

Ive made some tiny progress here and there in the past 2 weeks.

1. Got the Tranny/Transfer painted in hi-temp gray/red. Pretty sure its not the factory correct colors, but Rack Man did his like this and i think it looked awesome.