Vintage VW Guy Now Has A Chevy

[AJ 3]

I went from this .....

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A 1970 VW Westy Camper Bus and a 1969 VW Karmann Ghia


To this ......

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A 1979 Chevy C10 Stepside

Yes I still have the VW's but this truck is all kinds of different. First up the engine is in the front and the 350 engine is about 2 times larger than both the VW engines put together.

All joking aside my new truck needs some tlc and there are some things that a previous owner did to it that I would like to fix. So far I have driven it about 300 trouble free miles before the weather here got nasty. Now I have till spring to make the truck an excellent driver.

I have a bunch of questions and I want to fix this.

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I would love to go back to original with a factory instrument panel so lets see what happens.

So far this looks like a great forum and its has answered some of my questions already.

Thanks
AJ

 

[HotRodPC]

Welcome to GMSB. You didn't have to give up the V Dubs to have a Squarebody. Especially the Ghia. I think I'da held onto that as long as I could.

But hey, you need any help on the square, you're at the right place. We've got you covered there.


Edit: Duh, I skipped a paragraph above. Cool, you still have the Dubs !!! I sure like the Ghia. So odd seeing the gas filler door on the passenger front fender. But yep, that's where they go. My parents when I was kid, had 2 different Bugs in 69 and 70, then after my bro were born, they had to get a Squareback. A 71 fuel injected squareback at that. All of them had the fuel filler in the same place for the in front fuel tank along with the spare tire that had the connector to the valve stem to run the washer fluid resevoir. If you used the washer to much, you'd have to get your spare aired up.

 

[GTME94]

Welcome. I think you'll like the square body heater a lot better than the VW heaters. We're getting more Michigan members here on the board.

 

[Old77]

 

[89Suburban]

Welcome aboard. My neighbor up the street when I was growing up had a Karmann Ghia for a daily driver for like ten years, a green one.

 

[Old77]

That Karmann Ghia is awesome!!! How tall are you? I'm thinking that car is tough for taller people

 

[HotRodPC]

Welcome. I think you'll like the square body heater a lot better than the VW heaters. We're getting more Michigan members here on the board.

Now that's fact. I remember those levers between the front seats of the Dubs. Nothing but little floor vents in the unibody runners. The faster you go, the more they blow warm air.

 

[AJ 3]

So true about the VW heaters that is why the VW's stay in the garage during winter months.

The Ghia had some seat modifications due to the fact that I am 6'-7" The Ghia's roof line sits just below my belly button.

Here is my favorite Ghia Picture.

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Here is the truck the snowy day last month when I picked it up. What a fun 200 mile drive home that night.

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Finally the monster engine much bigger than the 1.6 liter 60 hp engines that I am use to dealing with.

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[Old77]

Wow!! 6'7" and still fit in that,eh?? I wanna see pics of that haha

Very nice squarebody!! Looks to be in nice shape!

 

[AJ 3]

Ok i do have a simple question for you guys. My Chevy does not have any room or even a hanger for the spare tire under the rear of the bed. So where does the spare tire go? There has to be a better location then just laying in the bed. What do I do if I want to haul stuff in my bed? Take the spare tire out and hope I do not get a flat.

 

[bucket]

There was originally a tire hanger under the rear of the truck, but I think every last one of them must have got pitched the first time the tire was removed. I drive without one unless going on a trip, then I just toss one in the bed.

And howdy!

 

[Old77]

You can buy a new assembly off places like LMC Truck. Mine, too, came without one but I've never needed a spare. I don't go out of town in my truck, though, so if something happened it wouldn't be that big of a deal to have someone bring me a spare or to call AAA to flat bed me back home.

 

[bobkyle2]

Welcome!

 

[ScottyB]

I have the spare, just not the jack. Found out how useful that was when the wife picked up a screw last month.

 

[Stroked]

Welcome to GMSB!

I always have the spare just laying in the bed and if I haul something I just throw it on top of whatever I'm hauling or off to the side. I had a toolbox and an oversize spare tire in the bed of my old shortbed stepside. Talk about lack of space for hauling stuff.