Pick one?   I can't do it (after thinking about this for a few minutes). I like too many varied things that suit certain moments or uses.   Forced to answer I guess the 69 GMC truck I foolishly sold years ago.   I wonder what Jay Leno would answer to this? ... View more

Canadian Pontiacs 50s into 60s were Chevy frames & drivelines with Pontiac skins on them. Look at photos of 59 Pontiacs (first wide tracks) and you can see the difference in where the USA Bonneville wheels are vs. the Laurentian and such from Canada.   Engine wise... this means all Pontiac base inline 6's from this era are Chevy engines. Maybe they did some goofy little things to differentiate (i.e., truck engine with a head you couldn't get in USA as some say for some years). This also holds true for the GMC trucks of this era in Canada --we didn't get the V6 as per USA.   So it depends... a 261 might be tricky to get, but inline sixes are getting replaced with V8/LS in the vast majority of projects and while not that many 50s Pontiacs are getting rebuilt (or sitting around in junkyards) you are talking nearly 20 years of trucks as donors.   If it doesn't have to be a 261, but does have to be that generation of inline 6 (i.e., not the 62 and later design) I have seen more examples running in old grain trucks and such than anywhere else and you could buy the running truck cheaper than getting your engine sleeved, take out the engine and sell the grain truck...   Sleeves aren't all evil by the way. My dad hates them but has run a few in his work truck fleet for many miles with no issue related to the sleeve. Nobody knows it's sleeved but you and the machinist... ... View more

1969 Shelby de Mexico ... View more

"Hack Mechanic" Rob Siegel knows about this BMW stuff... ... View more

  if you google "convert Lincoln vacuum headlights to electric" there are some videos and a bunch of the top results point to the same eBay seller. People with other hideaway headlights seem to get directed to try adapting the available Lincoln kits as oddball Mercuries and such don't have as much support apparently.   I spent a little bit of time reading about it, and a few people at least suggest really going over the vacuum system (i.e., change all lines) first as that is relatively cheap to do and might fix it good enough to make you happy.   I can understand wanting to be free of vacuum however.   Good luck either way! ... View more

Do whatever makes you happy no matter what the rest of us may say.   If you think it may be flipped sooner than later (i.e., to seed the next project) then you may want to really define how much of a survivor the car actually is. Survivors can command strong prices in many cases including more than a restored example of some models. (and you aren't paying to respray --even DiY you have to buy the paint products, adds up for your recoup of investment).   If it is more valuable as a survivor, then only do what you need to do mechanically to make it safe an enjoyable. But remember the first point at the top too. ... View more

I'd be surprised if Falcon convertibles differed greatly in tech from any Ford of that era.   Redthundervert posted this on a T-bird forum:   "Intermittent Top Operation - About two weeks ago the top operation became intermittent. If I held the top control switch and let the operation go through its complete opening or closing cycle it worked fine, although sometimes nothing would happen when I pushed the control switch to start the operation. If I stopped the operation in mid-cycle it often wouldn’t start again. It would always eventually work again if I turned the ignition off and on and kept trying over a period of several minutes. After doing many checks and tests, I finally decided to check all the relays starting with the top control safety relay (fortunately before I had taken the back seat out again). I tried to jumper the relay plug to bypass the relay coil and discovered that the jumper connectors fit very loosely in the relay plug and would fall right out. Once I tightened up the relay plug connectors using pliers the jumper wire stayed securely in the plug and the top operation worked smoothly again. I plugged the relay plug back into the safety relay and everything works fine again, at least for now until the next gremlin strikes! This winter I’ll be going through all the relay plug connectors to make sure each connector in each plug has a snug fit"   some other tips (i.e., one suggestion is neutral safety switch issues can impact top????) on the forum: https://www.vintagethunderbirdclub.net/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=17248     Good luck! ... View more

Looking at it again...   -Isn't there a tiny spear of a hood ornament?   -is that adhesive register marks and/or mount clips outside of the areas contained by the braces, that is to say: this hood had a one-piece style insulation? ... View more

Spoom, I totally see Riviera too from the top-side view.   However, when I look up Riviera hood insulation the asymmetrical bracing doesn't match anything I looked at.   By the 70s many (GM at least) had gone to the one-piece insulation. Some Thunderbirds used 7 piece in 60s --but searching "7 piece hood insulation" didn't solve the riddle for me. But then I am assuming this hood didn't have a one-piece covering everything.   I looked up some AMC, Plymouth and so on... front lip of hood goes over the grill is tricky to visualize (i.e., 69 Chevelle has a panel in front of the hood, 70 doesn't) and you can't just say "oh that was only cars in 63-65" although that may be the best range.   The hood dimensions would help a bit (i.e., it kind of looks like 66 Corvair too, but then that wouldn't need hood insulation).   Watch... it will be from a 70s Japanese car. Fun topic. ... View more

Shot in the dark here... but Mike Wolfe of American pickers fame has fan-boyed out about similar machines on the show. Not saying he knows how to use your machine, but wouldn't be surprised if he knows a person that might. Even the audience of the show may be a good resource.   So maybe there is a facebook/instagram way to get this question to the fans of the show at least? ... View more

Not being negative, just throwing some realistic caution into the discussion: $3500 seems low to me. If I imagine your car as a squarebody truck (A language I speak better) and use reproduction panels (available and cheap for said truck) I am going to be well over $1000 for the front end stuff alone and that is using the cheap stuff. That isn't painted or put on. That isn't fixing trim, mirrors, bumper or the wheel. Windshields aren't cheap either... Not sure if this site is a good one or not... but MG prices seem to vary and some are scary: https://mossmotors.com/exterior-body-panels ... View more

Cool tip. I've never seen "stubby" sockets like this before (and I spend a bit of time digging through old tool piles  --love the vintage tools).   Look up "crow foot wrench" for another neat thing to help with hard-to-reach ... View more

I live in the middle of Ontario, Canada.   The select few that love the Monarchs, Meteors, Fargo trucks and such are mostly restoration purists. These cars are not popular, but the fanbase is deeply passionate (cool car + patriotic wrapped in one, some like the oddballness,  usually family tie as well).   When people go to sell a nice one of these cars they seem to price them the same as the most desirable similar car. Doesn't matter if it isn't quite an equal comparison so a base model 55 Meteor will have the asking price of a top of the line Ford Crown Vic. Not sure if these sellers get their coin, but almost always the ask is high.   You can probably post your driver-quality hood ornament at least at the price of a quality reproduction of 50s hood ornament which seems to be in the $70-150USD range. You could also post it at $500USD and like a patient fisherman wait for the one "gotta have it" person to come along. Since they don't make these... somebody in theory will eventually have to have it. Just make sure you post it on some Canadian sites (i.e., Kijiji) and/or look into some of the Facebook groups centered around Monarchs. ... View more

Wildcat auto wrecking comes with a pretty strong endorsement   https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/wildcat-auto-wrecking-mopar-slinging-salvage-yard/     I have heard good things about Flatla in Canadian Hot Rod Magazine... https://www.flatlaautowrecking.ca/     The Graveyard Carz should know, but do they answer? The actual business was  Welby's Car Care in Springfield, Ore owned by Mark Worman but 10 years of TV who knows? ... View more

Glad to hear you are okay.   Anything can be fixed, but we all don't have Jay Leno's budget.   I see front clip, bumper, one rim, windshield frame, a ding in quarter panel?, mirror and trim show the door took some force, possibly damage beyond the bumper horns which is a problem as MGB are unibody and getting a frame straightened can be a hassle  --getting  a unibody done is another level. [Done well and legal and safe for your jurisdiction all come into play].   If the unibody is intact you might be lucky again in just swapping out a bunch of panels. Do your doors still open and shut properly and look lined up? Is that left front wheel located correctly still? That is to say, are the 4 corners of the suspension geometry still in the right places?   If the answer is yes to the above questions you might not be that badly off. However, if having an MGB is more important to you than having THIS MGB you are possibly better off finding a replacement car like Sajeev suggested.   Good luck whatever you decide to do! ... View more

I keep showing my wife a 4-door late 70s Lincoln that is for sale near us. She isn't convinced yet lol.   The guitar in the contest (if an actual American Standard Telecaster) is probably worth more than this particular example I mention. Good luck to all trying to win it. ... View more

Egge Machine deals in older engines. Searching 413ci they have stuff. https://egge.com/     Offenhauser sells a lot of older stuff still... https://offenhauser.co/     Doing a quick search, it seems places like Speedway (so likely Summit as well) sell parts that fit the various engines in the 413 family: https://www.speedwaymotors.com/shop/413-chrysler-big-block-v8~131584-180-7   This site gives a good overview of the RB engine family: https://www.allpar.com/mopar/383.html ... View more

Do the cheap easy things first: -replace bulbs -check and/or ad ground connections -check flasher unit on fuse panel   Then read this (and note the hint to do the wiring from the column before committing to steering wheel removal).   https://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/308968/     On my Dad's old work trucks  the blinker units could get bonked by your left foot. Sometimes the fuse panels would get cracked if aggressive people in work boots got in there. I recall one truck where I would have to gently apply pressure to the blinker unit with my foot while driving if I wanted signals. Eventually that got fixed... ... View more

Wayne Carini (Chasing Classic cars TV show, Hagerty columnist, etc.) runs F40 Motorsports.   On the show, you get the impression he does consignments and not just "buy your car and flip it".   Selling a car can be a hassle and the human interactions are not for everyone. So there is value in consigning depending on yourself.   If I lived near Wayne or had a really high-end car I might use him. I don't (lol). But I would be looking for a consignment dealer with a good history in the business. I wouldn't be consigning with someone responding to my online ad with "I can sell that car for you". ... View more

This article from Hot Rod might help:   https://www.hotrod.com/articles/hot-rod-rescue-lockup-700-r4-torque-converter-without-computer/     Sounds like Summit Racing sells aftermarket TCC for 700r4 as well:   https://www.summitracing.com/search/part-type/torque-converter-lock-up-kits/transmission-type/700r4   ... View more

My poppa had a 74 Monte Carlo so the source material holds a funny place in our family collective memory (not necessarily a fondly-appreciated thing to all).   This isn't the worst conversion I have seen. It is let down by the vinyl roof treatment, rear fender trim and dull finish.   I agree with the barn-finds poster that said it should have used a more-subtle Lincoln grill. The bumpers should be thinner too. I wonder if going more Avanti with the front would have been a cooler custom (though not neo-classical I suppose).   While I would rather not have this car, it could be fun. ... View more

There was another recent article here on Hagerty about this Jeep name thing.   The model on the paperwork is MB or GPW (Ford made the GPW and made a lot of them --about 40% of total wartime Jeeps).   You get the GP from the motorpool.   It's not a reach that GP becomes Jeep in common soldier slang. Sounds better than an "Emby"   Eugene the Jeep smells like a coincidence to me --that's giving a lot of credit for pop-culture penetration of a 1936 Popeye comic strip. 1938 for 1st cartoon short, 1940 for the 2nd. Bantam prototype project was circa 1940.   Then again, maybe one smart-aleck comic strip fan wanted their favorite Popeye character to live forever as a vehicle...   The trademark search is a standard thing. All sorts of bands (for example) have had to change their name for US market because someone, somewhen in part of the country used that name. Doesn't matter that it was a tiny regional band and you are the hugest thing from somewhere else. ... View more

Key to your post (to me) is "1987 original"     Great chance various rubber lines and such are decaying (from the inside). Old gas isn't nice either.     Partly why I find it funny when people go nuts over a "pickled" car. Odds are it's a very unreliable or even non-running car with all the original bits on it.   Low mileage museum cars (for example) often need a lot of work to get back running if they have sat for a while --let alone years.   Good luck getting your Porsche out on the road! ... View more

A book I looked up online says:   "top of block at rear on bell housing flange" goes on to say that "some on same side (driver's) as casting date, others opposite side (passengers). only exception the book notes is "side of block in much larger size and inside sump at rear near bottom of #8 cylinder"   Hope that is accurate and helps. Source: https://books.google.ca/books?id=V7yxdNm3n8gC&pg=PA24&lpg=PA24&dq=1983+chevy+engine+block+stamp+location&source=bl&ots=u8FMZWsBEH&sig=ACfU3U0R69f1BAFFVOYhtUbvziXFQ8lEPQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwidtd_kj4rqAhXZknIEHX01AyUQ6AEwGHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=1983%20chevy%20engine%20block%20stamp%20location&f=false ... View more

look up "rotor glazing"   Not familiar with Volvo brakes... do they need shims and/or clips to not rub in unwanted ways? Squeal isn't always a rotor surface to pad surface issue.   Do you live in a quarry? (sounds silly but really dusty environments can cause squeal). ... View more

Finding a hot rod shop, body shop, etc. I think is worth taking the time to do the tedious legwork yourself.   By that I mean asking people with cars you like the look of (especially in the case of paint/body) and asking that person "Who did it?" and "Who would you get to paint your next car?"   If you are in a club, or at a local show you should get a pattern by 10-20 people asked. Then look up the 2-3 most promising leads. Have they been in business more than 5 years? (More likely to be around in 3 years if so in my view). Are they taking work and what is their lead time (i.e., if they want your car for a year does that work for you?).   If at any point in the process you are second-guessing using someone... don't use them. Taking an extra month to find the right shop/person is way better than months/years of getting out of a mess. ... View more

Central Texas air/climate is well out of my wheel house. Observations from my humid summer snowy winter rust belt area:   -humid = mold on interior surfaces. 2 years it probably wipes off reasonably easy. Cloth interior might smell though. More dark and closed up = more mold. -2 years of direct sunlight can absolutely fade/damage something. Most noticeable if you have a part of the car getting more sun than the rest. -if your gas has ethanol in it then 6 months storage is pushing it. Some believe in gas stabilizers... in my area premium gas has no ethanol so I believe in premium gas (even for lawn equipment). -take the battery out. Long term a leaking battery can do more tin damage than just about anything. We dealt with a 25 year stored outside 51 Chev... that a battery stuck in the trunk had rusted a hole right through (rest of floor was fine). -Mice... and such are an enemy. They will move all soft stuffing/insulation around to nest, eat wires and live in air cleaner openings... -Tires... I have parts cars sitting on 40 year old tires that hold air and look awful, and have had new tires rot/crack right through or not hold air while looking perfect. We're not supposed to run tires that are very old (may vary by state/country/insurance) anyways but secure up on jack stands with safety blocks at least prevents your tires getting a flat spot or going flat and cracking a sidewall.   One of the more-recent Roadkill Garage episodes did a thing about starting a car that has been sitting a long time correctly (those guys usually don't do it correctly so you wreck things you don't have to wreck like piston rings). How you start the dormant engine is as important (or more) than how you prep it to sleep in my view.   I don't start my winter storage vehicles multiple times through the winter any more and have had no issue with flat-sided tires or other issues. I change fluids after storage though  even if I barely drove the vehicle previous season. ... View more

Motortrend help link sorted it out. They did a password reset.   Then I had to choose a new password  --typical stuff.   Oddness (to me) as follows: no remembered login name (i.e., email) for Motortrend's site on my computer. Granted their site update may have broken that.   Then, when logged back in it doesn't show me as me in my account, it calls me "Hagerty Member". This is the automatic set up part I was recalling in the post that started this thread.   So maybe I am remembering it wrong, and did in fact enter an email address when I first clicked the Hagerty email to get the free year access but I don't recall such. For what it is worth, I think I can change my name from Hagerty Member. ... View more

retro-distance racer could be a variety of things: Aloha Wanderwell's world-travelling model T, British cars like Austin 7s that did off road racing, big touring cars turned into racecars that did things like desert overland rally racing.   Something that I drive by a bunch of kids and the supervising adult says "Oh that is a 100 year old antique car it must be on a tour out of a museum". And then I turn onto the 4x4 trail drive it right through the muck and minds are blown.   https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2015/10/14/a-brass-era-race-car-that-never-really-retired-the-yellow-peril-1911-oldsmobile     ... View more

My Dad's just-restored C10 had a rear frame rail bent on the lift at the garage doing the safety certificate to allow it back on the road. Not clear how that happened. That was a bad day. Body shop had it for an afternoon to straighten it back out, but had to remove the box to do it.   Service manual for the TR4 have frame dimensions diagram in it? [Most of the old GM ones I have seen do for example.   Getting enough force to bend your frame probably won't be that hard. Old-school hot rodders would get out the torch to heat things before bending (good way to ruin an axle, but it was the way). Preventing unwanted deforming and/or fatiguing things may be a DIYer pitfall.   ... View more

The hot rod, the truck, the family cruiser.   Right now the hot rod is a 69 Mustang coupe with a built (mildly) engine. I would give that slot to something teens/twenties/30s though --but can't decide if I want a retro distance racer, something more Ed Roth, or a street legal 30s coupe in stock-car trim.   The truck will one day be a 69 GMC replicating and replacing my long-gone first wheels. In the short term I have been actively scouting out 70s to 90s shortboxes. Got rid of my truck a few years ago and have regretted it since.   The family cruiser... the spouse loves the 62-66 full size Pontiacs. I like the 73-76 Cutlasses but am not winning that one it seems. Spouse's father used to have a 96 Impala SS so we have thought about revisiting that tradition. The later Mercury Marauders could also work.     Good thing you only asked for top 3. Give me 5-10 slots I could name them easy. ... View more

In my heavy salt-brine on roads, rust belt area we now have people advertising looking for Chevettes in any condition.   This will happen with PT Cruisers in 10-15 years.   Accepting them for what they are (not the pinnacle of build quality or overall engineering) I would have no problem owning one. They were retro done reasonably well and not crazy over priced.   The convertible one in the picture by the other poster looks like fun. ... View more

Eventually the borders will fully open and from Michigan you have Canada. Whether you cross in Detroit or Port Huron you are in for a few hours of driving that is very similar to rural to small-urban Michigan. How much time you want to spend can guide your route selection from there.   Routes along Lake Ontario can be scenic (old Lakeshore Highway). At one point you will even get to do a ferry that is more like a barge that can handle a few cars. Keep on this route you eventually get near the St. Lawrence Seaway where you can see the flooded (for the seaway) town locations, Upper Canada pioneer village and neat towns like Belleville and Kingston which the old parts are all limestone construction. Very different feel and look than most of Ontario. Probably most fun if you have a couple of days and do a stopover in Kingston.   Or... you hit Toronto via the 400 series highways (similar to interstate). 2 hours north of Toronto you will hit Muskoka, where the geography turns to Canadian Shield and mostly evergreen. Off the main highway, Muskoka is full of twisty roads with scenery.  Hit up the crazy road to Torrance Barrens Dark Sky Preserve (look that up if into oddball parks).   If you have time, driving the loop to Manitoulin Island and taking the ferry to Tobermory can be fun.   If you have days and days... take highway 17 up along the coast of Lake Superior. Stop at the Terry Fox Lookout.   If you really have time, keep going and experience the big sky in the prairies. Everyone should drive through the badlands of Alberta at least once... ... View more

I personally find this really interesting. At times I have faced "the environmental comments" when driving an older vehicle to school or work. A bit of performance loss is situational... it wouldn't matter a bit (if I put cats on) in some of the rides I have had because they just cruise (I'm not racing). I would enjoy being able to use the rebuttal of "yeah it's a 66 inline six but has a 2017 cat system and blows cleaner than your 2011 Honda". Maybe that isn't a realistic goal.   But a how-to article/video that showed how to properly apply a modern cat and such to older configurations would be interesting.   -something 50s or earlier (pre pcv valve and limp factory performance) -60s carb keeping the carb -old engine with modern efi -maybe even early efi gen1 cat era   Besides, there may come a time that this might become a compliance piece to drive old cars in some places. Some DIY as an option than having to do a compliant engine swap makes sense to me. ... View more

A mechanic dealt with the hacked-mess of my 69 Mustang ignition wiring by doing a little hacking of their own.   I'd drive the car a little bit and get a faint plastic smell.   Took it for a longer drive and the source was found: main wires off ignition cooking their sheathing off (wire was too small). Luckily this was caught before it burned the car down.   Car is now fully rewired with a new harness  --be a waste of all the other work that had been done to cheap out on the wiring was my thinking. ... View more

have you tried the Saab Central website?  www.saabcentral.com   Two parts source names dropped on a forum there were:   https://www.thesaabsite.com/   https://www.eeuroparts.com/     Disclaimer: I haven't used any of the above. Last time I was in a Saab was 25 years ago. It was a 77 2 door, sweet car. ... View more

I second the Mighty Car Mods suggestion. You can learn stuff there --and their feature length videos done in Japan will make you want to visit Japan.   Mechanical experience... -if you have a back yard with a shed you can build a mini bike, dirt bike, etc. Mini bikes are not big dollars. Even bicycles. If you are lucky/wise you can flip projects to fund the next one. If you lose $ on a flip it's a couple of movie tickets as you are doing small $ projects.   -No shed... build a shed first!   -No back yard... convince the family to let you rebuild the engine in the house? (careful with fumes & chemical & fire ...lol).  ---maybe find a friend that has a place you can safely build a small project. ... View more

Vanden Plas has the longer rear doors? I keep showing pics of these (90s to early 200s) to my spouse and suggesting it would be a good family car show cruiser (we are in 2 car seat stage). Thoughts on that idea? ... View more

Buy the best $6000 vehicle you like that has passed appropriate certifications for your jurisdiction. Keep the other $2000 for the things that pop up right away that otherwise stop you driving it. Make sure you have factored in "hidden costs" like insurance, transfer taxes, plates, etc.   Resist the urge to buy a "great deal" project that needs work. 1st car in the hobby it is best for it to be driveable right away. Enjoy it, build memories and attachment  --and decide if you want to invest more in it or get something else. Absolutely restore/mod along the way  --just keep it street legal and useable.   Disclaimer: if you have a mechanical background, mom is a mechanic, grandpa does custom paint, etc. then go ahead and buy a basket case. 99% of people shouldn't though.   As far as cars go... 60s domestic American is generally cheap and easy to work on and the popular stuff has huge aftermarket support. If it is a Chevy you can probably get the part (I had difficulty with some bits for my 64 Buick). If you love the small British roadster idea ---get a Miata (MX5) of any generation and enjoy. ... View more

Sajeev beat me to it.   Flat-o-matic has good reviews on various forums (for what that is worth).   Speedway appears to sell a kit.   Ford-o-matic transmission came out in 1951... which means some Flatheads must of had an automatic from the factory.   Unless you are a time-period purist, a C4 and kit (or other more modern transmission) will probably be better. ... View more

Ed Roth's fibreglass work is next level art (and like art isn't for all tastes in some cases).   I think the original Avanti design is a standout of an actual production fibreglass car, with extra credit for being a bold thing for Studebaker to do.   I expect Corvette will rule the responses  --will the over/under be 90% Vette? ... View more

It seems to mostly be keeping me logged in now.   Although I at times have "login" up at the top of the screen instead of  a little shaded avatar head and clicking it does nothing (other times clicking it would show it being logged in) and yet I am in fact logged in.   This might be solved at this point, I don't recall having issues posting the last few days anyways.   Thanks.     ... View more

A Citroen DS. So bizarre and amazing from a North American car perspective.   A 70s/80s Peugot with the bubbled-over headlights. Not as wild as the Citroen but still super rare where I live.   A Tatra.   I can appreciate full classics, modern exotics and so on but the above short list seems like it would be more fun (if one had the money and patience) for me. ... View more

Some research suggests that 68 got SuperStockII wheels in a one-year only colour configuration. 69 is same size, 70 they grow in width...   Olds parts . com may help?   https://www.oldsparts.com/product-category/cutlass-442-wheels-and-accessories/   This Hemmings article suggests that Stockton Wheel or Wheel Vintiques may help as well:   https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/oldsmobiles-super-stock-wheels ... View more

Great responses in this thread already.   If Barrett-Jackson had never evolved into the TV and livestream entertainment event maybe the answer would be different and online would rule all.   High end, exclusive auctions will likely last for a long time. Besides, if you have the money to buy a six figure car isn't it cooler to be there to get it? I'd want to see it in person myself, but I understand that when you get to a certain level of $ you don't need to be there and are probably paying someone to vet the car ahead anyways (i.e., I believe Wayne Carini has done this on his tv show).   If anything, I think the online takes the load off. What we see on TV is usually show car+ quality stuff (and prices can be a bit wacky in the atmosphere...). If you are selling a lower condition and/or value car you are more likely to do well in a multi-day online auction.   So in short... I think there is room for all types of auctions. ... View more

My family has dabbled with Squarebodies for years. Some lessons:   -the first years didn't have drip rails --which some prefer, but provide a great opportunity for a body shop to mess up when they install the drip rail wrong after the cab is all painted. Next time... test fit the drip rail (and hole drilling) while in primer.   -not all firewalls are the same (at the very least A/C vs nonA/C in the early years). This bit us hard on a body swap when a usually reputable seller shipped us a southern cab that was wrong for our application and wouldn't make good.   -grill and trim differences in many of the years, especially the 70s. Do your research if restoring. LMC truck and Squarebody Syndicate, 73-87chevtrucks.com have parts/insight/inspiration   ---you want to look up goofy things like front frame horn differences too.   -it is very easy to bend some of the hoods in half, especially with seizing hinges. Both hinge extenders and reinforced hoods have been on the market   -they changed the gas door from round to square, and the tailgate 3 (?) times so again preference vs. restored accuracy   -in our rust belt area... a perfectly good box can be completely gone under the stick-on trim that came around in the 80s   -there are subtle annoying changes in some of the dash board bezels. You are not crazy --some don't quite fit each other.   -door panels change a few times (and vent windows iirc) but you can swap entire door assemblies no problem. Some of the door panels can cover the older doors but you may have regulator and such mismatch.   -(some of) the big trucks use the same cab but have a flat floor. If you are cutting the floor out anyway... just watch out for big cabs with different cowls due to having different front ends. At the very least, big cabs have interior parts and doors that swap over (except the variation with notched doors --which was all the big trucks in previous gen)   -some stuff was changed into the 80s. Depending on who you ask "made lighter/better" or "made cheaper" can be the opinion. These attitudes mostly seem to apply to the 4x4 frames and running gear. ... View more