picked up 84 and 86

[mud_slinger]

i picked up 2 trucks monday.

1st truck
84 1/2 ton swb
pros:
all is there except motor and door panels
cons:
no motor
trans is bad

2nd truck
86 3/4 ton lwb
pros:
almost new crate 350
turbo 400 trans
np205 transfer case
cons:
trans is bad
no windshield

my plans are to take all the guts out of the 3/4 ton truck (axles and all) and swap it in to the 1/2 ton. both are 4x4 so i dont think anything will be a problem to swap. but im only 19 so i dont know all of it just yet. but i wanted a project so i got 2 trucks for $1250. pics will come soon as i get them home

[Outlawz2004]

I plan on selling my 85 2wd in the next couple weeks because I found a pretty decent 86 4x4. I love this body style truck. Post pics of your new ones when you get a chance.

[mud_slinger]

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i386/cjsanders10/IMG_4685.jpg

http://i1091.photobucket.com/albums/i386/cjsanders10/IMG_9046.jpg

[Outlawz2004]

both look pretty good, I would love the have that 3/4 ton long bed. A small lift with some wheels and tires, it would be a nice work truck.

[mud_slinger]

i plan on swaping all the stuff from the 3/4 ton in to the short bed. i despise a long bed

[Outlawz2004]

what!!!! no long bed love. I love the long beds lifted.

[07Burb]

Looks like you've got a good project jump started!!! :)

[FordeatinZ71]

i think either one would look good. a 3/4-1 ton lifted (longbed) just looks tough IMO, especially when it's not all flashy...just looks like a stock (appearance-wise) truck with a lift and tires...all business and utilitarian. but the SWB trucks look great too...i love the 73-87s!

[Your41Plague12]

Agreed, gotta love a lifted 3/4 ton or 1 ton longbed. They just scream MEAN. Shortbeds just don't cut it, for me at least. Can't haul a hockey stick without dropping the tailgate.

[FordeatinZ71]

well, i think shortbeds look good too, but they aren't all that usable. especially when you put a toolbox in it. i really don't understand these newer "trucks" with under a 6' bed. just screams inpractical and stupid to me. with under a 6' bed they don't even look proportional either...

[Your41Plague12]

Agreed. 6' minimum, 8' preferred. That's how I feel. The longbeds just look tougher to me. Real trucks have 8 lugs and 8 foot beds.

[bayko]

real trucks have 8 lugs and 8 foot beds.
Agreed!

[mud_slinger]

well its gonna be my weekend toy. just for mud and stuff like that. not gonna really use it for anything else

[Your41Plague12]

Depending on how high you lift it, you may want to reconsider the shortbed. The 3/4 ton's longer wheelbase will help with pinion angle in the rear, ans the 3/4 tone frame is beefier. It will definitely handle more abuse.

[chevyteeruk]

nice find! wish i could find a truck like that around here... in cheesehead state there all rusted or beat up and over priced

[mud_slinger]

well i started on them and theres rust in the gray truck. rocker panel and cab corner someone bondo over. idk how much is there i aint pulled all the bondo off yet. but the red 3/4 ton has none so im thinkin bout goin long bed lol

[FordeatinZ71]

well, i'm all for going with the longbed...but if you really want the shortbed...cabs are pretty easy to change. just don't mix up the titles.

[mud_slinger]

i got to looking at it closer and i think im going to go with the long bed. for one it has almost no rust besides surface rust. for two if i ever need to pull anything heavy i have a truck to do it with

[Your41Plague12]

There really is no point to a short bed truck, if you ask me. Unless you plan on hauling something less than 6.5 feet long. 3/4 tons and 1 tons are where it's at, you're making a good decision. They are just built to take more abuse.

[FordeatinZ71]

well...we're gonna agree to disagree there. while i love a 3/4 ton and really love a 1-ton (i'm crazy about HD trucks), i won't say a shortbed or a 1/2 ton is useless by any means. the shortbed works fine for many loads, plenty of people have gotten plenty of use out of it. and there are lots of 1/2 ton trucks on the job/road. plenty of people are getting lots of great use/abuse out of them. as much as i love HD trucks, not everyone needs one. i'd love to have a 2500HD ecsb 4x4 with a Duramax but for right now my 98 C1500 rcsb with the V6 does the job admirably. it's comfortable, has decent power, can haul a bigger load than you'd expect and looks great doing it all.

so, while i agree 3/4 tons and 1-tons are where its at...there's no need to be closed-minded.

[Your41Plague12]

I should have worded that better. To me, I have no use for one. Didn't mean to be closed minded. For my intents and purposes, a HD truck is the better option. I still think there are disadvantages to lifting a half ton short bed, but that's another topic of discussion. Where I was mainly getting with that post, was if he has them both already, why not build the bigger stronger truck?

[FordeatinZ71]

yea i hear ya. i agree, honestly. sorry for the tangent, lol. i suggested he build the long bed in one of my first posts. "stronger" is irrelevant because axles/springs can all be switched and there isn't really THAT big of a difference in frame thickness

[Your41Plague12]

True. Everything is swappable (I think that's a word) in these trucks. Seems like it would be easier to just leave it all together in the 3/4 ton and not switch everything just to lose two feet of bed space. No problem, that's why there's a forum. Everyone has an opinion, and this is where we can voice it. :cheer:

[FordeatinZ71]

i totally agree. i wouldn't swap everything over just for a shortbed...to include the cab...but that's just me.

[themagicdustman]

I'd vote 3/4 ton long bed. Just my 2 cents.

[Brockway700]

Real trucks have 8 lugs and 8 foot beds. And 8 cylinders haha. Slinger, was that LWB originally a diesel or was that ornament added later?

[Your41Plague12]

Lots of these trucks came with hood ornaments that weren't diesels. The diesels had their own hood ornament though.

[Brockway700]

True, but it also kind of looks like it has the diesel badge on the side of the fender underneath the scottsdale badge. I just can't quite zoom in enough to tell

[Country-Man]

I love the look of a 73-87 lifted long bed.

[FordeatinZ71]

True, but it also kind of looks like it has the diesel badge on the side of the fender underneath the scottsdale badge. I just can't quite zoom in enough to tell

the problem with that is...on the 81-83 trucks, some had an "Electronic Spark Control" badge right there that, from a distance, looks the same...

[Brockway700]

the problem with that is...on the 81-83 trucks, some had an "Electronic Spark Control" badge right there that, from a distance, looks the same...Thanks, I've never seen one of those badges before; guess I'll have to keep my eyes out!

[jaredself]

Wow, that takes me back. My dad had an '81 Scottsdale swb that had the ESC badge on there. I remember staring at it when I was little wondering what it had to do with anything. If I remember right the tailgate had a badge in one of the top corners. Passenger side maybe?

[FordeatinZ71]

Yep, you nailed it jared! It was on the top of the tailgate on the passenger side of it. Was a pretty big badge that read ESC Electronic Spark Control...

[6.0 Bowtie HD]

Good looking finds. I miss my 87 squarebody long bed. :bawl: in to see how they turn out.

[jaredself]

Well Slinger, welcome to the world of '73-'87, it's a good place to be. Be sure to let us know what you do and your progress.