For some, this truck is complete with a great patina and reliable engine. But if the ultimate goal is to return the truck to showroom condition, this truck needs bodywork and a new paint job.
Many trucks with various power-trains, trim levels, and cab and box sizes are available on the market, so you have lots of options. However, be conscientious and careful when shopping for one. You should be able to prescreen some trucks and ask the owners specific questions to reveal the condition, equipment package, trim level, and other information. Be prepared that the owner does not understand or know everything about the truck he or she owns. Some owners say they’re short beds, but they are actually long beds, customized with no hope of restoration. Some owners feel that their trucks are worth six figures because that’s what the TV tells them. This whole process is going to be a fun experience.
This chapter is all about figuring out the truck that best fits your needs and what you want in your next project. I start with the basics about a truck, including some analysis of the vehicle identification number (VIN), and I break down the body styles and years so that you know what you’re looking for and can narrow it down. This also helps you identify the fakes from the real deals.
Whatever truck you find, it is going to be a big commitment to restore it, both to your pocketbook and your time. Make sure that you take those extra few days, months, or even years to find what you want in a condition that you’re prepared to work with. Otherwise, you waste your time on a project that eats up your cash.
The Gas Tank/NBC Issue
The first model year of the generation, 1973, introduced a ton of changes compared to the previous 1967–1972 trucks. The first change, and one that became the most controversial, came to the gas tank. In previous years, the gas tank was located behind the bench seat. As time wore on, rubber seals leaked and the interior eventually developed a noxious smell, which became hazardous.
To solve that problem, Chevrolet beefed up the frame rails and mounted the gas tank(s) on the outside of the frame. Now the gas filler door(s) sat on the outside of the bed. In addition, General Motors wanted to increase the fuel capacity to 40 gallons for marketing purposes, which required mounting a second tank on the opposite side of the truck.
This was fine until November 17, 1992. Dateline, an NBC program, premiered its “Waiting to Explode” episode, which was an hour-long investigation into the 1973–1991 Chevrolet trucks, including how the gas tank exploded when hit in a low-speed side-impact collision. According to the Dateline video (which you can easily find online), the tanks ruptured at speeds as low as 33 mph, causing them to burst into a fiery explosion, potentially killing everyone inside.
Obviously, this was not good news for General Motors. The 1973–1987/1991 trucks were, at this point, a done deal, and they had moved on to the new C/K product line. Millions of these trucks were on the road, and if the company had to compensate owners, it could cost millions and possibly bankrupt the company.
However, after the taping, one of the firefighters on the scene of the NBC demonstration contacted General Motors to report what happened. General Motors started its own investigation as a result, hiring Failure Analysis Associates (FaAA). What it found was that smoke was visible from the gas tank six frames before the actual impact of the second car. Acting on a tip received from someone involved in the Dateline program and after combing through 22 yards in an Indiana wrecking yard, they found the trucks used in the episode.
The results were damning. General Motors discovered that the producers of the program had placed remote-controlled model rocket engines inside the trucks’ gas tanks. Just before the impact occurred, the producers triggered the rockets, causing the tanks to ignite and explode. Furthermore, the speed that Dateline quoted, 30 mph, was not what they actually showed on the screen. In fact, the car was traveling at 40 mph at the time of impact. When General Motors techs found the trucks used in the test, they X-rayed the tanks and determined that there were no holes at all.
As a result, General Motors sued NBC for defamation and libel on February 8, 1993, and put on a two-hour demonstration for the press explaining why the Dateline presentation was not possible, and that the public was not in danger. NBC settled the lawsuit by the end of the week, and Jane Pauley, co-anchor of Dateline, apologized publicly on the program for the error.
This is not to say that these trucks never exploded from a side impact, just that the way NBC performed the investigation was faulty. There have been several lawsuits over the years about the issue, and, as of a report in 1993 (decided just days prior to General Motors suing NBC), more than 200 people had died in full-size Chevrolet and GMC trucks of that era. At that point, six lawsuits had gone to trial: General Motors won half of them.
Today, controversy about the gas tanks continues, and entire websites are dedicated to the problem. Should you have any concern about the issue with your own project, you have a few options.
First, you can purchase a fuel cell. Aftermarket fuel cells come in all shapes and sizes, and have increased safety standards, depending on where you purchase them.
You can purchase a plastic foam-filled tank made to meet NHRA specifications and mount it between the frame rails just behind the axle.
You can purchase a gas tank from a Chevrolet Blazer or GMC Jimmy of the era, which also mounts behind the axle between the frame rails. You have to change some plumbing and wiring, but it at least has a factory appearance, even if it’s not in the stock location.
Finally, you can always leave it the way it is. If you’re not planning on driving the truck very often, your risk of injury is less. Plus, even if you do drive the truck every day, the chances of you being hit in the same manner that would cause the tank to puncture is minimal, so keep that in mind.
Whatever you chose to do, just be aware of the problem so that you can address it if necessary.
Overview of the 1973–1987 Chevrolet Pickup
Although the 1973–1987 Chevrolet pickup had the longest run of any line of Chevy trucks to date, some purists divide the generation into two distinct groups: 1973–1980 and 1981–1987. If you want to get technical, the Suburbans, duallys, Blazers, and crew cabs were available until 1991, creating, essentially, a third generation, depending on how you look at things.
Chevrolet first referred to them as the “Rounded Line” of trucks, but today enthusiasts often call them a “Squarebody.” To most people, it’s the most square of the current and past body styles.
Body Style Changes
The 1973 model received the “Rounded Line” moniker because almost every corner or angle on the truck had a rounded edge. For example, the windshields had rounded corners, as did the windows and front fenders. The taillights also wrapped around the bed sides, which was the first time that was done on any Chevy truck.
The purpose of the Rounded Line was to increase fuel efficiency by using aerodynamics. The bed sides also featured a double-wall construction, which, in some earlier years, also produced some rust complaints because water pooled between the two walls of the bed, causing rust. Keep an eye out for truck beds with poorly patched panels.
Three bed models were available at first. The Wideside (also called the Fleetside model) came in a short or long bed; the Stepside (called Fenderside by GMC) also came in a short or long bed; and the “Big Dooley” (now referred to as a “dually”), which was a long Fleetside bed with fenders on the outsides to accommodate the dual rear wheels on the 1-ton trucks. The Stepside/Fenderside also came standard with wood floors, which were replaced by metal floors in 1980.