When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
First, what year ('75?) and what ignition? (points or electronic)
First, check to see if you do or don't have spark. Pull the coil wire out of the distributor cap and hold it about a 1/4" away from a good ground. Have someone crank the engine over. You should see a strong, blue white spark. If you do then the ignition itself is okay. If there is no spark, then we need to know what type of igniton to properly trouble shoot it.
If you do have spark, then pull the cap on the distributor and make sure the rotor still spins when you turn it over. If it doesn't then you've probably snapped the shear pin in it. I've done the same thing. Cruising along just fine and.....BOOM! I was like Fuuuuuu.... Turns out it was only the shear pin failing causing a backfire. Easy to replace, just make sure you find all the pieces of the pin.
Usually when you have one backfiring its running lean or the timing is out of whack on it. Pull the cap and turn it over to see if the rotor is even turning.
did the truck sit for a while before you bought it? mine did something similar, turned out a large chunk of debris from the fuel system got in the float bowl and plugged up the jets. i was able to limp it home, but it would run on 6 cyl, then 4, then 3, then back to 4, then it would run on 8 for a little bit, then it would run on 6 again, etc.