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Help me learn about this truck

1K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  **DONOTDELETE** 
G
#1 ·
Howdy yall. I've found a 197? Chevy 4x4 for sale real cheep. It's been used as a ranch truck for a few years by the looks of it.
It had a manual tranny (4 speed I reckon), any idea what tranny that is?
What t-case can I expect to be behind it? It also had a 14 bolt rear end, how can I tell if it's a FF or SF?
It also had a 10 bolt front with manual hubs.
The exhaust was shot, the pass side didnt even have a muffler, it rusted off! The driver's side muffler had a big gash in the bottom of it.
I didnt get to start it up (parked in a "park and sell" lot). It's a small block V8 but I'm not sure what size. There wasnt any stickers saying the size, how can I tell if it's a 305, 350, or 400?

I've been looking for a truck to replace my K5 I sold a while back, with a few fixes (new floor pans, exhaust, tires (the bias plys are nasty looking), and a lift) it will be a good little off-roadin truck
And for a price that cant be beat!
Oh and the best part of it, the body aint too bad, but not so nice that I'd be afraid to lay down some cammo paint!
 
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#2 ·
Manual would most likely be a SM465 and T-case should be a NP205. 14bolt FF will have a hub sticking out with bolts holding its cap on, 14 bolt SF will have no hub sticking out (just like a 10 or 12 bolt rear axle), also 14 bolt SF didn't exist in 70s model pick-ups (could be swapped in tho). Don't know on the engines other than checking the vin but there is no guarantee it's the original motor...
 
#3 ·
If it's a 73 and newer truck, it will have the 465 4-speed, which is a good solid tranny. If it has lock out hubs, it will be a 205 transfer case, another solid piece. It could have a 203 case which is a full time case, and a smooth cover on the hubs. If it's a 3/4 ton, it will have full floating rear axle, and either a Dana 44 or 10 bolt front depending on year. Around 77 they used both axles, and then slowly phased out the 44. The engine could be a 305, 350 or 400. Diff between 305 and 350 is tricky, sometimes you can look at the balancer and tell, a 305 had a short fat one, and 350 was a little bigger in diameter. The 400 is the easiest, the balancer will have grooves in it. Open the glovebox and see if the tag is still there, that will tell you what motor is in it, gears, axles, t-case. If that isn't there, the catalist tag might be on the rad support and tell you what the motor is. Hope that helps some.
 
G
#4 ·
Thanks alot for the fast replies! My girlfriend asked me to take her out for icecream tonight so we'll be heading out that way, I'm going to swing by the truck again and take a closer look at it, maybe even take some pictures.
Thanks again for the help.
 
G
#5 ·
Okay, I went and took a closer look at it and found some stuff out.
The rear axle is a 14 bolt FF and the t-case is a 205. The engine is a 350 (acording to the sticker in the glove box). The tranny is a 4 speed but I couldnt find a tag or anything that said what kind it is.
The truck needs a lot of work (ie: Pass side wheel well, battery hold down, master cylinder cover and booster, new exhaust, new tires, new floor board and rockers, t-case leak, geting rid of a lot of surface rust) but I nothing that I couldnt handle on my own. I figure for $550 I could at least clean up the axles, tranny, and t-case and make more than my money back, then scrap the rest, if all else fails.

Take a look at these pics for me and let me know what you think. Can anybody say about what year it is from the info I've given and by the front end?
http://community.webshots.com/user/cowboy350
 
#6 ·
Since it looks like you have the VIN (but I can't read it on the RPO sticker) you can get the year off that. The sixth digit in the VIN is the last digit of the year.

I'm having a brain fart but I think that's the 77-79 front clip.

The transmission is a SM465.
 
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