1971 GMC K2500: Barn find

[BigRed Beast]

Well, sorta a barn find. Story is that this was advertised on Denver craigslist in February. The ad described a non-running truck that would need a battery and had some electrical issues. The picture showed an orange GMC that looked pretty straight. It was advertised for $2500 OBO. I called immediately, but didn't get out there for over a month. Meanwhile, the ad was never refreshed and pretty much disappeared.

I went to see it last week and was surprised to find a really straight, seemingly original K2500. Everything that should have been there, was. No ungodly rust, no insane dash modifications...about the strangest thing was the six lug spoke wheels--the VIN identified it as a true 3/4 ton, so I couldn't figure out the 6 lugs--that was a post I started about a week ago to see if I could get an easy answer. Still no answer!

As much as I wanted it and thought it was a great deal, I just couldn't see dividing my time between this one and my son's Blazer. Enter my mechanic...as I described what I had stumbled over, his eyes got wide. Seems his dad, a restorer in his own right, had been looking for pretty much this truck. We looked at it last Sunday, made a $2000 offer on Tuesday and picked it up on Thursday. A little gas and a battery and it fired right up. Drove it onto the trailer, over to his shop and parked it. These are the pics I took this morning:

[BigRed Beast]

More pics:

[BigRed Beast]

Last round:

[BigRed Beast]

The SPID is tough to read, but the VIN's concur. The additional items:

--Heavy Duty Springs: front and rear
--51 amp Delco gen
--4 spd trans
--Heavy duty battery
--Heavy duty radiator
--? foam seat
--Light Red
--frt wheel lock hubs
--Pwr lok rear axle
--350 cubic inch engine
--Power steering
--Front chrome bumper (not anymore!)
--gauges
--black vinyl trim

How'd we do?

[vectorit]

I like it!
Give it a good douche, and the rig will look great as is.
But I'd dump those 6 luggers for some 8's

[yfs200p]

Originally Posted by vectorit

I like it!
Give it a good douche, and the rig will look great as is.

[71meangreenc10]

Nice score,
Id check out the engine, thats a later model 350, looks like its mounted in the six holes. Get the correct accessory brackets so you can clean up the spagetti someone made of the wiring harness ,

Cool lookin GMC though....

Smitty

[71swb4x4]

If the body is straight and solid it is a great deal.

Originally Posted by 71meangreenc10

Id check out the engine, thats a later model 350, looks like its mounted in the six holes.

The engine appears to be in the correct 4x4 position to me.

[vectorit]

One thing I noticed too, is that the engine has one Ram exhaust manifold and one later model exhaust manifold.

[Joesjunk]

The "power lock rear axle" option was the "posi" option for the Dana rear end. So it was 3/4ton when it was new. GMC's always seem to have the Dana axle and the Chevys seem to have the Eaton. Someone might have just swaped the axles in it a long time ago??? Does the vin have a "K" in the first part of it?

[BigRed Beast]

I forgot that I started a different thread questioning the VIN with the six lugs before we bought it. The VIN and the SPID both match:

K = 4 x 4
E = V8 gas
2 = 3/4 ton
34 = 70-71 Fleetside
Z = Fremont plant
1 = 1971

The rest is 22830 indicating the actual vehicle number. The model number info off the SPID concurs with the VIN.

You guys are all hovering around the same questions I did--if it was a 4 x 4 to start, why change the hubs to 6 lug--assuming it ever was an 8 lug? It definately got a paint job from the light red to the current orange--it's got lots of oxidation, maybe some rust and Bondo under there. The alternator is in the wrong spot--at least compared to the Blazer--so I assume an engine swap at some point.

But the mystery remains--why 6 lug?

[special-K]

Looks like a decent truck.I wonder what`s original and what is not.It`s been painted and the motor is later.Is it a 2wd VIN or a 4wd VIN?I`ve never seen 6-lug 2500s.

[Sammy]

I would bet the vin on the frame doesn't match. But from what I see, looks like a decent deal.

[breeh]

I had a 72 3/4 GMC that had 8 lugs and drum brakes. It also had closed knuckles on the front axle. Mysteriously enough, my 68 SWB 4x4 has 72 3/4 ton running gear with disc brakes. Weird

[grayw0lf]

Is that a classic gun rack on the ceiling?

[BigRed Beast]

The gun rack, saddle tanks and Dukes of Hazard front bumper are all part of the redneck dealer option package.

Additional redneck dealer options include the Blazer seat option mounted in the bed for additional seating, square driving lights mounted behind the grill, mismatched toggle switches under the dash for the saddle tank fuel pump and the driving lights, column mounted tach and non-matching vacuum and oil pressure gauges under the ash tray. I believe the foam wrap on the shifters was an aftermarket install.

We've desecrated the sanctity of the stock redneck option package by removing the Blazer seat. My humble apologies to the board...

[mrein3]

To me it looks like a typical, western states mutt.
6-lug is probably because the frame is from a 1/2 ton truck. Of course the spid and the VIN match but do they match the frame? I doubt it. Look on the driver's side frame rail under the hood. There is a partial VIN number stamped in there. I bet it doesn't match the matching SPID and VIN.
Another indication that it was a cowboy, pieced together special, is as vectorit points out. The passenger side exhaust manifold is off a car while the driver's side is off a truck.

Nothing wrong with a mutt. Mine came out of Wyoming. It is just more than likely some cowboy had a 1/2 ton truck with a crummy body and a 3/4 truck with a nice body but major issues with the engine, chassis, x-fer or tranny.

Good luck replacing the exhuast on that thing. For sure that is a job for the local custom-fab exhaust guy.

[Maxxd07]

Heavy duty springs front and rear, even the heavy duty springs on a half ton had 3 leaves in them. Looks like 2 in the front, cant tell on the rear. Good project to start with. Seems the rust is minimal.

[special-K]

GMC K2500s usually had a Dana60 and they were available with 3.54:1...a very hiway friendly gear,especially for a 3/4t of that era.