Projects New GMC Shop Truck Project

Awesome. I love the nostril hoods on those. So cool, I love when they find themselves back home

 

Well, we officially started on the project tonight and started tearing stuff apart so Silas can hopefully be driving it this spring. He decided to just pull the V6 and put in his SBC that we built a few years back for the 63 C10. Since he is wanting a good driver, that likely makes more sense than messing with the stuck V6 to try to make it run. Tonight we pulled the seat out and started cleaning up the inside. We need to put rockers in as well as the panel above the windshield so have some rust repair to do. But, trying to not go overboard and keep this a simple project so it can be fun soon. We also hope to get the bed pulled this week while my other son and his buddy are home from college and we have more help. Then, we will likely start on brakes and suspension. Cool to see him motivated.

 

Oh, and he is trying to do this whole deal on a $5k budget. That number includes what I paid for the truck in the first place and what he spent rebuilding the motor. Not sure where that budget number came from, but pretty sure we can do it and he can have a very cool reliable driver pickup with all the parts we have laying around for very little money in todays world. More to come.

 

Pretty decent floor pans for an old farm truck. Amazed how little this thing has been cut up or molested. It has no extra holes for mirrors, speakers, holes in bed rails, etc. Funny some of the original paperwork we found under the seat too. And, the bank bag that has likely been hanging on the vent handle for the past 50 years or so. Oh, and when we got it, they couldn’t find the key. We found it on the floor in all the mess. Tried to start it but battery must be dead or something…

 

Glad to see you guys going on this one. Road trip to Speed Week in it this year?

 

Funny you mention that Matt. Pretty sure that is the plan. Hoping to do some shorter trips earlier in the year, but he mentioned driving it to the salt in August. He never really got to do any sort of senior trip after he graduated, so Speed Week may be it.

 

We are planning to go as well. If we take an old car, it would be Angie's Jeepster.

Speedweek sounds like a solid Senior trip

 

Too bad these aren’t in better shape. Still cool though.

 

Bumper is off, bed is loose and ready to pull when my younger son and his buddy are here tomorrow. Making progress little by little. I think we will re-use the bed strips but I was able to buy a new stainless set of bolts for the bed wood, etc. back when Holley was selling stuff cheap. So, we are just cutting all these to make quick work of removing them. Now, he just needs to save up for the wood kit. Thankfully, Mar-K is about thirty minutes south so we have a good place to buy it local. I have considered just cutting the wood, but I am also not a woodworker…. Oh, and he had to put one of our stickers on the back window.

 

Use your lift.

Mine does all kinda things that voids the warranty.

 

Yea, we may do that. Silas brought that up today partly because he just had another shoulder surgery a couple months ago. I figure we just back under it and strap it close to the rails and lift? Then roll the truck out from under it?

 

Also thought this was a cute fix. Apparently something sideswiped the truck and broke the handle. They tapped the door back mostly to the right shape around the handle then put a piece of wood behind the handle and shot a screw into the wood to hold it together. We still had the handles off the 63 where we shaved the doors so are good for a little better repair.

 

I trip to the saw mill and a table saw

 

Yea, I have a table saw and honestly have some wood that we could likely use. May consider that since those wood kits aren’t cheap. That is a big chunk of a $5k budget.

 

I’ve got a 2 ton GMC in the parts row if You need parts .

 

Thanks Kurte! I’ll try to remember that.

 

It is a long ways up here to no man’s land . The void between Oklahoma and Kansas lol
Looking good I’m glad Silas has decided build the GMC .

 

Really clean rig! What happened to the 63?

 

Project got bigger than it probably needed to and he lost interest somewhat. Anyway, he sold it back to the guy we got it from but not sure we won’t end up getting it back again before it is all over…. My buddy that bought it back has lots of other projects ahead of it.

 

He has marked it as his Kool

 

Finally finished up the 67 C10 that has been in my shop way too long so hope to get back to work on the GMC this week. We did build some lowering blocks for the rear and ordered some longer u-bolts for that deal. Hopefully we can get the bed off and start cleaning up the rear of the frame as well as c-notch it soon to have that part done. Still need to get some dropped springs for the rear as well as likely dropped spindles for the front and disk brakes.

Question: Has anyone swapped the front crossmember in one of these with a 63 or newer that isn't torsion bar? I'm debating whether to try the drop spindles and crank the torsion bars down or just go ahead and swap with the crossmember laying out back that we pulled from a 63 a while back to have springs in the front. Maybe I just answered my own question? I suppose we could install the dropped spindles, unload the torsion bars some, and see how low it ends up before bailing on that setup?

 

I haven't done it personally but I understand its not a big deal. I know its been talked about on the 67-72 truck forum.

 

I have.
On both torsion and coil spring.
EZ
The torsion bar stuff rides great. The biggest difference is cost of replacement parts.
I swapped out my torsion setup on a c40. Expensive and hard to locate pieces. The c10 torsion stuff is easier to locate.
If I had an early c10 I might just keep it. Do drop spindles and play with torsion bars.

 

The torsion trucks ride very nice. I agree with Anthony!

 

Biggest question is if we can get it low enough with the torsion bars and 2-1/2" dropped spindles. I think it needs to come down 5" or so. Surely we can get there?

 

I think so.

 

You can get at least 2" from the bars if I remember my youth correctly. I've never added drop spindles to one.

 

I'm late to the party but 69/72 rear ends are a couple of inches wider than 68 and earler rearends. when I rolled my son's old 70 I sold the rear to a friend who had a mid 60's short stepside and wide rims and tires and we had a battle getting the tires inside the fenders. I've got his old rear axle under my trailer I made out of the back half of the 70 frame. That will limit the backspacing on the wheels you pick.

For the uninformed saying that 73 and up will fit, NO, they are 65 inches and change wide and the mid 6's are 61.

 

Jeff,
I was working for GMC Truck and Coach in the 60's and that early 60-61 hood was no longer available from GM by 1965. They were superceded and replaced by the 64 style. They're rare, so watch out for
those bench vises !
RR

 

No doubt! And, thankfully Kurte @Okie Pete has one that is nicer than the one on this pickup that we are working a deal on.