FOURTH DEPENDENT

Keeping It All in the Family

- PHIL GORDON

BY THE LATE ’60S, PICKUPS HAD BECOME A POPULAR MODE OF TRANSPORTATION ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. The truck-buying demographic went through a change and wanted increased comfort and style in their trucks. Chevy and GMC saw the demand and responded with good-looking trucks that represented both work-truck utility as well as reasonable comforts, especially when well-optioned. Even in today’s market, the ’67-’72 Chevy and GMC pickups remain some of the most desirable trucks.

Wade Loewer is a family man, so when he needed a truck for comfort and versatility he searched far and wide for something in those specific desirable years. As a Coca Cola employee, his route led him through a neighborhood where he saw a ’72 Chevy pickup sitting in the driveway of a house. Over the next few weeks, Wade got up the nerve to stop and knock on the front door. It took a bit of convincing to talk the owner into parting with his truck, but Wade knew what he wanted—and he finally got it.

It was a good-running pickup and its condition was just good enough to pass for a working truck, but it was definitely not in any way a custom-built truck. Plus, the rocker panels and cab corners needed to be replaced. Once Wade got it home, he found out that the truck was the Cheyenne Super package, which was the top-of-the-line trim level that was added to only 7% of trucks in 1972. That package included all the woodgrain exterior trim and deluxe interior fittings, such as woodgrain dash inserts, a headliner, deluxe upholstery and more. Wade knew this Chevy was destined to be something special.