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"I Made My Own 3-Ton Pickup"
When the engine wore out on his 1976 Chevrolet 3/4-ton pickup at 168,000 miles, Bill Swets, Fort Collins, Colo., knew he would have to spend $30,000 to $40,000 for a new pickup. Instead, he decided to build his own by mounting the pickup's cab and utility bed on the frame and running gear of a school bus.
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"I Made My Own 3-Ton Pickup" PICKUPS Miscellaneous 26-4-2 When the engine wore out on his 1976 Chevrolet 3/4-ton pickup at 168,000 miles, Bill Swets, Fort Collins, Colo., knew he would have to spend $30,000 to $40,000 for a new pickup. Instead, he decided to build his own by mounting the pickup's cab and utility bed on the frame and running gear of a school bus.
The giant 3-ton pickup stands 7 ft. 10 in. high at the top of the cab, yet it's only 6 in. longer than a regular 3/4-ton pickup. It's powered by the bus's original 366 cu. in., 250 hp gas engine and 5-speed transmission.
"I expect it to last a long time," says Swets, who built the pickup last winter. "I pull some big trailers and needed more power. I paid just $700 for the bus and did most of the work myself so the total cost was only about $2,300."
He bought a 1981 GMC 3-ton, 65-passenger school bus equipped with dual rear wheels. The body and front end were removed and the running gear was shortened by about 14 ft. The pickup bed was cut down the middle and widened 14 in. to cover the bus's dual rear wheels. The cab was welded in place. He had the wheel hubs machined to accept big 43-in. high wheels for better highway speeds.
The rig is equipped with the pickup's original cab guard and has a stainless steel muffler on one side. An extra step was added onto each side in order to make it easier to climb up into the cab. The last step was to add six coats of metallic gold paint - the only job that Swets didn't do himself.
"I finally have a pickup that can pull big loads, and the cost was right," says Swets. "When I pull a fully-loaded 30-ft. longbed trailer, the engine doesn't even slow down. Most people are amazed when they see it for the first time. Some of them even steer clear of me and move over to the side as I go down the road."
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bill Swets, 4801 E. Harmony Rd., Fort Collins, Colo. 80528 (ph 970 484-9509).
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