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One of the modifications I have in mind for my "new" old 51 GMC is a 3 speed Brown-Lipe auxiliary transmission that fits into the driveline where the center carrier bearing is now. That turns the 4 speed it's running now into a 12 speed, with underdrive, direct, and overdrive for every gear in the main transmission. If the truck has the optional vacuum shift 2 speed rear end (haven't picked the rig up yet) that will make 24 forwards and 6 ratios in reverse, plus an extra shifter to play with!

Flat head ? You are describing the 292 V8. With the cross over exhaust pipe. Why Ford did that I will never know.

kwg

Great example. As noted above by another poster, I once added a small aux vacuum storage tank to a 48 Chev so that the wipers would not slow/stop when accelerating or in other low vac situations.

That is a great project - please update as it happens. My little plan is more simple - - - our 1970 C30 is geared way low at the rear diff, so cruising at 55 mph is running fairly high revs. I have a two speed (over/under) Brown Lipe and hope to install it as a mechanically operated overdrive unit. Not perfect, but helpful on runs to town.

Yep, you could put new cross-hatch in the cylinders, then re-ring it and put in new bearings, all with the engine in the vehicle. Try that with today's vehicles - IF you can find the parts to do it.

Very true. T'was somewhat more extensive, but did such a rebuild on the slab at end of Dad's driveway in summer of 1963 - on a 54 Chev 235 c.i. six. Would be fun to do that again.

Brain fart. Y block.

With a little machine shop tinkering you can adapt an air brake actuator for a big rig as a shifter for that over/under box. That allows you to use a flip switch on the dash for O/D instead of an extra shifter in the cab. If that interests you, drop me a PM.

The best body style ever put on a pickup, right down to the rectangular headlights.

Too bad they were only a 2 year deal before they went to a different body in '80.

I agree except I think it’s tied with the 71-72 Chevys. I’m not at all a GM guy but I’ve always loved the look of the 72 Chevy. Have a good friend with a really nice 72 SWB 4x4 that’s dark green with a white top. Beautiful little truck.

As far as the 67-72 I liked the 67. No park lights in front fenders and if lucky you could end up with a small back glass.

I redid a 68 Chevrolet that we put a 67 cab on, small back glass. Bed from a 72. God knows what year of other parts were on that truck.

Last simple truck I had was 1978 Dodge Adventurer 200 with 400 CI engine. Great truck, should have kept it. Also had 1977 GMC Sierra 3/4 ton with 350 CI engine another great truck.

I had a '68 Chebbie straight six, three on the tree stepside 6' bed half tonner. Fun little truck but it would get stuck on a dewy lawn, and if you had a load of dirt in the bed, you could get no higher than second gear and maybe 45 mph. It finally rusted out parking it outside on the Florida east coast, where the haze in the air isn't humidity, it's salt. Heater but no A/C which was more than a little inconvenient since I owned it in Mississippi and Florida. I remember rolling over 100,000 on the odometer just as I crested the Pineda Causeway in Cocoa Beach. For all its faults, I did like that truck.

Just did an internet search. DAMN! trucks like that are listed at $26,000 to $88,000! LINK

The biggest problem with these old trucks is they were never designed to go down the highway at 80 mph. I’ve a 79 chevy swb 1/2t 4x4 with 3.73 gears. The engine is running some 3200 rpm at that speed. It’s not a good recipe for engine wear or fuel economy. Further, those smog era motors made 150 hp. They wouldn’t be able to run in O/D and pull the truck at that speed. I’m going to be installing an 6L90e into it. That should cut the revs to around 2100 rpm. I also have an 6.0 L LS engine going in. It’s rated at 380 hp. I’ve a Holly ECU going to control both the trans and engine so I can tune them to do whatever I need. That’s lots easier than changing the jets on the QJet and dicking around with the transmission valve body. Best of both worlds.

Funny you mention being stuck on wet grass. My Grandad was adamant for years that 4x4 was nothing but trouble, waste of money and bound to be broken all the time. PosiTrac or in his case since he drives Fords, TracLok was all you needed. He’d get a new pickup and immediately stick a pair of CO-OP mud grips on the back axle and he was ready to roll.

Dad has many stories about how they also had a shovel and come along in the back to get unstuck, often.

Finally after years of driving 4wd pickups and Broncos my dad was able to convince him that never had he had to do any extra work on a vehicle because it was a 4x4 and he bought a brand new Lariat 150 4x4 in 1990. Now he wouldn’t dream of driving a truck that was just a 2wd and he switches the knob on the dash into 4x4 any time he drives into the pasture if it’s rained at all in the last few months!

My old '77 F150, Super Cab, long bed, had a built 400 with well north of 400 HP. Driving back from AK in '92, I did something stupid. On the back of my truck were such stickers as "American by Birth, Texan by the Grace of God," "Don't Mess with Texas," etc... and of course Texas plates. At about 2 AM on the 405 in LA, a Porsche 911 drove up beside me and the driver tried to get my attention, when he did, he gave me a thumbs up and as he sped off, I noticed he had TX plates as well. I quickly caught up to him and we proceeded to race down the 405. Since my old Ford's spedo only went up to 85, I'm not sure just how fast we were going, but I estimate our speed was at least 130 mph. Although I didn't beat him in the race, I easily kept up with him. 'Ol Blue was damn fast, scary fast in fact. Not real smart, but it was fun - just happy I didn't have a blow-out and crash and burn.

I also like the fact that whenever I drove 'Ol Blue through a parking lot, I would set off all the car alarms in my wake with my burbling exhaust! Helluva' truck. I still dream about that truck on occasion.

Another time, I was at a truck stop resting and I spotted an old-timer way across the lot do a double take when he saw my truck. He then made a beeline walking all the way across the lot in my direction. When he got up to my window he said: "That's a mighty long truck ya' got there." I replied: "Thank ye," and he returned from whence he came.

Holy smokes - for the slant hood series? That's good. Maybe I had better look into the value of our 68 4wd 4sp Suburban, which is in similar looking condition.

Sweet.

Mine was not as nice.

BMT

Come back and tell us that when your "today's vehicle" is 50 years old.

They may be 50 years old and still running, but there also may be hardly any original parts still on them. Many might be on their third engine and transmission, have hardly any body panels that haven't been cut, welded, and patched - or sat for 3/4 of those years undriven.