Sup everyone, its been a while since i post a project on here, so here goes. this is a 50 GMC that sat in a barn for some 30 years, has og paint and well everything else too. my client picked it up from NC last weekend to have me build it for him. at first he wanted me to build a Chevy truck (the Old Navy ones) but when he bought it, its missing everything! so he picked this up now. phase 1 is suspension. he wants airbags so that the running boards touch the floor (or as close as possible given the supports underneath them), so a Mustang II front end is going to replace the front leaf set-up. Most of the kit is already here, tubular a-arms and rack and pinion steering with dropped spindles and disc brakes. the rear will be a simple mono-leaf with lowering blocks and a C-notch. phase 2 will be a motor, everyones favorite SBC with 350 trans. so enough bable here are some pics... but first if anyone has good links or info on doing this job please post them here for me to reference them, thanks! pics: Yaril
damnn thats sweet...i want it!! Id jus leave it alone if it was me though..maybe clean the interior up a littttttttle...but other than that just drive it, does it have a motor and trans? does it drive? goodluck Jimmy
There have been tons of articles in the Custom/Classic truck rags over the years. I'm one of those who isn't big on bags to let a rig down to the ground and don't like the look of them laying in the dirt with the tires sitting cockeyed. That is a to each his own deal. On the rear I'd probably go a four link with the bags. The engine swap is easy once the stock steering box is out of the way. The biggest problem of swapping the 'V8/auto trans combo into the AD trucks is that you have to cut the center crossmember out that is/was the bellhousing support. It is also what keeps the frame straight and keeps the cab weight on the cab/body mounts from twisting the frame rails untill the bottom of the cab lays on the frame rails. You have to reinforce the frame and or build a different crossmember to support it, there really isn't a choice if you don't want a mad customer coming back a year later with the body out of line an fenders and hood not fitting right. That is the reason you see V8-auto AD trucks that look like they are sagging in the middle between the cab and fenders. I would run bags on the rear of my truck to restore the static height when I pack my road trip stuff in the back or hook onto the teardrop that is one of the ongoing projects.
Nice ride(s). I currently own both a GMC and an old Buick. Good luck with the project and don't forget the pixs!
A guy up the street had a 49 his great grandfather bought new. Nothing fancy, sat outside for 2-3 years & didn't run but body was good. I asked if he would sell on several occasions and he finally said he would ask his grandmother (his grand-dad inherited it and had died a year or so earlier). She said she hated to sell it but probably would I told him to get me the price. I asked him every week for a month and one day it was gone. When I finally saw him again I asked where it went and he said he sold it because he didn't "think I was interested"...he let the damn thing go for $275.00. Talk about your pissers!!! 48 Poncho
I'd like the GMC logo's, gages, and dash panels if your taking that stuff off. That is a really solid and straight pick-up!
wow, thanks for all the feedback already! none of that stuff is coming off six ball and its a super straight truck. this truck runs but the breaks are shot. plans for all the old running gear is to go into the Chevy "Old Navy" truck to make a bare bones driver out of it. bags are totally a to each his own deal, i too would do a static slam on this rig, but thats what he has been sold on by his "friends". el bozito, i saw your truck at Paso this past year and loved every bit of it! i wish this guy would let me go more "custom" on it, we shall see. ill definitely pm you when need be, thank! it sure will look sweet. pics will come as progress is made. ill be putting it up on stands tomorrow were it will sit for a couple weeks. thanks again!
Wow. Great starter truck. I love the 47-53 Chevys & GMC's, definitely one of my favorite old trucks. I love the original color & paint.
don't they cut the frames of those old navy trucks in half and bolt them back together? i'd be scared to death to ride in one of those things
Did they really do that? If so, I wonder how many trucks they hacked up just for a cool display item. That sucks.
^^^ haha thanks! well, first request... rear end recomendations it measures 62" from face of drum to face of drum. would like low 3. gears to go with the 350 trans and tall tires it will be getting. so what car can i look under at that yards for? thanks!!! Yaril
From an expert, who's built quite a few of these (Not Me): '70 to '81 Camaro/Firebird and '78-'85 full size (Impala, etc.). They are 61"-62" wide.
ok, being a novice "pricing / quoting jobs" i would like some insight from those that do it more often than me. my client wants to keep on adding things to the list and i am unsure of how to quote (charge $) him. i do not own a shop, i work from home (in other words no real overhead to consider). i try to keep it mostly to small projects with quick turn around and this one he wants a turn key truck when i finish, so im unsure of what i should charge him. those that do this for a living / money please pm me so that i may run some questions through you if you don't mind because i could sure use some advise on pricing my jobs. thanks.
so, i began work on the truck today. got the rad removed and the front end sheet metal pulled off in 1 piece, gotta love that. cleaned off some thick gunk off the chassis so that tomorrow i can drop that front suspension.
the camaro/firebird rear is right on, dont really understand the low 3series gear though. the average 70-81 camaro will have a 2.73 maybe a 2.56 this with a low horse smog motor, the current rage t5 with a 3.73 ends up in the 2.70 range.
I'm doing a 1948 GMC real soon, you don't have an extra grille surround, do you? Thats one of the few parts thats missing on my truck! My avatar is the truck! Thanks, stretch.
sorry no extra stuff. today was very productive. worked minimal hours and got a lot done. the front suspension is out completely, even ground off the shock mounts (i hate factory rivets). also got the rear end out and left 3 leaf springs (wishful thinking, will most likely end up on 1), lastly the motor is sitting waiting for the picking, all is disconnected and loose ready for plucking. some pics: chassis is nice once the motor is gone ill take it down to bare metal i think i convinced him to run gloss black wheels instead of the flashy red ones Yaril
Let me get this straight. You have a "client" that is going to pay you to build his truck, and you are here looking for info on how to do it? Does your "client" know you don't really know what you're doing? It has always been my opinion that you practice on your own projects before you start charging others to practice on theirs. I can only hope you aren't learning how to weld on this project too! Regardless of my opinions, the Buick in the driveway looks good.
i know what i am doing on the truck, i simply like others to bounce ideas or thoughts off and get "better" ways to do things or ways things dont work ect. perhaps the "novice" comment i made was unclear, i was referencing to the Pricing of Jobs not the actual work. sorry for the confusion. i am very capable of welding and that Buick on my driveway has tons of chassis and drive train work done solely by me. my question was on pricing jobs, i guess being a novice (at pricing out work) i would like to know the "industry standards" so i dont low ball or high ball, thats all, sorry if i confused you T McG. ps. i edited my post #21 to clarify my question.
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