# 1970 C-50 Chevy



## T. Matthews (Feb 5, 2003)

Hey Everyone,

Does anyone anything about a 1970 C- 50 model Chevy dump. it is a 24000gvw truck with a straight 6 engine. 2 speed rear end. I'm looking at buyin one, but want to know more about them such as parts, electronic shifting rear ends as compared to air assisted. Any help would be much appreciated .


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## Chuck Smith (Dec 30, 1999)

The cab is the same as that used on pickups of the same vintage. The truck will have drum brakes up front. I believe the brakes are assisted by the power steering pump too. The motor will be very simple to work on. It most likely does not have electronic ignition unless someone installed it, though that could be installed easily and cheap too. The fuel mileage will suck. I am not sure how plentiful replacement brake drums are, and if you run the truck in the salty winters, you can end up needing to work on the brakes often. I know people with similar trucks, who don't run them in the winter because of the cost of brake repairs.

I don't know much more about them, so that is my $0.02

~Chuck


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## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

*here's some straight poop*

I've got a 71 GMC 5500, same animal, different logo. If you have the same equipment as mine this is what you'll find in there.

The engine is a 292 cubic inch. Makes good torque, but not a speed demon by any stretch.

You're probably running 8.25x20 rubber, which is getting hard to find. That used to be a standard size on that style truck.

With your 24,000 GVW you may have 9.00x20 though, a bit easier to come by. Are you on disc wheels or spoke type?

Mine has drum brakes all around, no discs in that era. Brake boost is by a Hydro-Vac booster located under the drivers side of the cab, outside of the frame. Brakes are (on mine) Wagner dual servo (two slave cylinders per wheel) on the rear and single servo up front. Self abjusting on all four corners.

The rear is vacuum shift, not air. the only way to get electric shift is to change rears. Parts for vacuum units are now made of unobtainium, so if you break it you will be swapping rears. As far as function, the vacuum unit works about as good as an electric, although it is a bit more prone to hanging between gears if you bungle the shift, particularly if you're splitting down, very rare to hang it shifting upwards.

Load capacities are generally under rated for these trucks. While mine GVWs for 19,500 it is regularly loaded to 22K+ and seems to handle it just fine.

Power steering is rare in that vintage, regardless of brand. Back then real men drove trucks, boi th jizzus, and they had arms like Schwarzenegger (sp). Someday I'm going to adapt some sort of power steering to the 5500, I'm too damn old to wrestle it.


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## snow (Jan 5, 2001)

Hey Alan-


Any new photos of the old GMC 5500? I know you put central hydraulics and a spreader on it a while ago. Any photos of that setup? Are you using the 5500 anymore since you work for the builder or is it mainly a spreader truck now?



Bryan


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## T. Matthews (Feb 5, 2003)

hey ,

The vacum assited brakes are no longer they put in a master cylinder. The split rear end is now in low gear because it ran off teh vacum is it alright to run it like that as long as i don't take it on the highway? This truck aslo has power steering


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## Alan (Mar 2, 2000)

> _Originally posted by T. Matthews _
> *hey ,
> 
> The vacum assited brakes are no longer they put in a master cylinder. The split rear end is now in low gear because it ran off teh vacum is it alright to run it like that as long as i don't take it on the highway? This truck aslo has power steering *


If they are hydraulic brakes they ALL have a master cylinder. Does this one have a big booster can on the firewall behind the master cylinder? If it does then it has been converted from the hydrovac. If it has just a small master with one line coming off it, and you can stop it without a Fred Flintstone act, then it most likely has the booster still located under the drivers floorboard. I don't think I've ever seen one of that age and size that was not equipped with boosted brakes.

As for the vacuum rear, it could be stuck for a number of reasons. Is there any skip in the engine? If there is I'd bet you have a rusted through vacuum line going to the rear. All the parts, other than the lines, which are just generic tubing, are currently only made by the Unobtainium Co. so you're into junkyarding for anything you need to operate that axle.

You won't hurt anything driving it in low range but you'll test your patience. Low range might be something on the line of 8.8 to 1.

With that high GVW you probably have a wider front track than mine does and more fender flare to cover the tires. There were several variations in the front sheet metal to accomodate different combinations of components. The cab shell itself is virtually identical to the pickups of the same years, with the exception of the lower front corners of the doors and door frames. The pickup doors are square cornered while the big trucks have a concave radius there to accomodate the trucks fenders.

The power steering is probably the type with an external slave cylinder attached between the axle beam and the tie rod?


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## T. Matthews (Feb 5, 2003)

*HElP I need Fender for this truck*

Does anyone have front fenders fro this truck. I need them ASAP.

Thanks,

Tom Matthews


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## Chevytruck85 (Nov 22, 2004)

I have a 1973 C-60 350 gas 2 speed rear end love the thing pulls a 10 ton excavator just fine.


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## T. Matthews (Feb 5, 2003)

Anybody? Front fenders? I need them ASAP. Does anyone know where I can get them? I 've tried hemmings all the local junk yards driven all over Maine and NH. 

Please help,

Thanks,

Tom


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## Chevytruck85 (Nov 22, 2004)

Iv looked for fenders too, hard to find, ended up patching the old ones.


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## T. Matthews (Feb 5, 2003)

My fenders are past repair. I think there is now more bondo than metal.


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Nothing is past repair if you can't find replacements. You'd be surprised what someone creative with a torch could make them look like in a pinch.

You will need to make a few phonecalls, either to truck wreckers down south, or to people who specialize in searching out rustfree fenders and doors. Either way, better be prepared to pay a good buck for the right pieces... once they figure out that you need them that badly and they aren't all that common anymore they will rape you for them.

Or you can pack up the wife and kids and take a vacation in, say, Arizona, or Texas. Should still be lots of them down there.

There's always ebay, though you may have to buy a whole truck 

Good luck...


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## ratlover (May 5, 2003)

never mind, wrong body style


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## T. Matthews (Feb 5, 2003)

*1970 C50 fenders*

Still looking for 1970 c50 fenders. Anyone?


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

T. Matthews said:


> Still looking for 1970 c50 fenders. Anyone?


Found a whole truck for sale near my house, $600

Fenders have some rust and bondo but look presentable, and with a little care with more filler and fresh paint would probably look great for a long time. I guess it depends on how bad yours are.

I took pix if you'd care to see them. Maybe we can work something out to get the truck cheap enough and ship the fenders?


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Here are a few pix...


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## T. Matthews (Feb 5, 2003)

So how much to take off and ship?


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## derekbroerse (Mar 6, 2004)

Sending you a PM...


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## T. Matthews (Feb 5, 2003)

Antique 1970 C-50 Chevy 41,000 original miles. New:new tires, body work, new fender, paint, white oak & hickory wood sides, new clutch, new belts and hoses, thermostat, electronic ignition no more points, valve cover gasket exhaust manifold gasket, new PTO cables, new window, belts & hoses,leaf box, battery, spare hood, spare fender flare, spare rebuilt engine, optional leaf vacuum 17500 B/o 2100 for leaf vaccum


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## davefromsalem (Oct 10, 2010)

*need parts*

i just bought a 1970 c50 and need exhaust and intake manifolds.....new. any suggestions?


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## SnowMatt13 (Jan 8, 2003)

Keep looking....
Congrats on trying a search, but I don't think any of those folks are here anymore.....


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