What should I do?

[Thomashsturgill]

Hey, I just joined to board because I just bought a 1970 GMC Grande Sierra and wanted to know what you guys have done and what you think were the most important changes you made, (i.e. getting air to work, dropping it, updates?, preservation?)

I'm itching to do something (as soon as it warms up a little).

[Mike's money pit]

Welcome to the board. You will like it here, there are lots of great people with great advice. That is a cool looking truck.

Mike

[Steve Hafner]

. . . .

First of all, we'll have to fix that picture !!!

Next, start looking at the "Projects and Builds" threads at the top of the page
. . . that will let you see what people are doing

. . . there's ONLY 3,395 to look at !!! LOL ( but the titles will help you narrow it down )

. . . .

[Lou Boffa]

great looking ride. These trucks are a blank canvass, you can create any vision of them that you want--and the cool thing is you have many variations--just look through the photos. Plus, once you settle on a look, a stance, a use--you got buddies here that will help you realize your vision. Welcome!

[BugzC10]

Make a list of all the stuff you would like to do to her. Even if they are out of your price range. Then prioritize the list in order of most practical and or what your budget. Doing the list will give you a reality check. A lot will depend on if you want to drive her while your doing the work. For instance, Is fixing the AC a top priority living in TN during the summer.

[Mathew21]

Welcome, Nice truck.

[Russ.W.]

Best way to figure out what you want to do, and in what order, is to drive it. The more you drive it the more you'll be able to fine tune what you can live with and without.

You might find you like it and can live with simply adding front disc brakes and bigger sway-bars.

You might realise you hate it and want to build a custom rig.

Driving it now is the only way to figure it out.

Welcome to the forum, and best of luck!

[briank]

I like her the way she is. Id give her a tune up and go through the brakes, etc and drive it.

[Thomashsturgill]

I've only had her a week and try to find excuses to drive her every chance I get. Love it. It seems pretty original, 350/350, interior and brakes (still drums).

The paint is showing a lot of primer but I'm diggin that too. I need to fix the rusty holes in the tailgate and the rockers have some holes.

[Daddy Brim]

Originally Posted by Russ.W.

Best way to figure out what you want to do, and in what order, is to drive it. The more you drive it the more you'll be able to fine tune what you can live with and without.

You might find you like it and can live with simply adding front disc brakes and bigger sway-bars.

You might realise you hate it and want to build a custom rig.

Driving it now is the only way to figure it out.

Welcome to the forum, and best of luck!

Originally Posted by briank

I like her the way she is. Id give her a tune up and go through the brakes, etc and drive it.

X2 first make sure it will stop. Then fix any other problems, drive it and let your imagination run wiled.

[RenoKeene]

Welcome aboard from Florida! Great truck, congrats.
Get all the essentials working and then count your money, once you get started it's almost impossible to stop.

[hugger6933]

Make sure it is safe, it will stop it will steer and both of those things straight would be nice so as not to hurt yourself or a busload of first graders. [they come to mind the older I get for some reason]Once it is safe to drive start on making it more trustworthy to drive. Tune-up carb rebuilt or change for upgrade [lets not revive the Edelbrock vs. Holley debate, but it is Edelbrock for the street]High Energy Ingition [H.E.I.]that is one of the most favored upgrades right there, well two if you count the carb [and maybe an intake swap to make it easier]. Belts, hoses, vac lines are often forgotten and almost always rotten[mind of a poet]with that it can cause all sorts of trouble from shifting problems to timing problems and brakes as well. [if power brake equipped, if not there is another easy upgrade]. Also if you haven't done a project or a long term project before try to keep your truck running as much as you can because a sitting truck is not as fun [to most of us] and the more it sits interest starts to be lost and that is how the end up in the corner of a shop covered in boxes with inches of dust on them and the guy saying I was gonna do this or I was gonna do that bla bla bla.Oh and welcome to the board. Jim

[dirtyjim]

nice truck. when i got mine the most important thing was getting it reliable enough to drive it a couple times a week then start doing the mods that i want in it as a daily driver

[Carl Spangler]

Congrats and welcome to the forum.

I would recommend getting the truck in safe driving condition first. It's a nice looking "survivor"!

cheers
JohnG

[CC69Rat]

Welcome to the board from SE TN! Nice looking truck. The door panels are worth a mint, .. very very hard to come by and they are not being reproduced in the GMC 'Gold' color. Some will comment Sandalwood is the same color but not on the ones I looked at. Try to save them if you can

[Lou Boffa]

One thing I learned is about sourcing parts. When I started working on my truck, I bought parts from places that--if I had known better--I would have purchased elsewhere. Just about everything I have learned about vendors, different parts types (OEM, NOS, different suppliers, vendors here on the site -and when to head to the junk yard etc) comes from this forum.

[oldschool18]

X2 on the making sure drive train, steering, brakes all work right.....I always use a notebook and right down ideas and make a checklist of things I want to do and things I need to do. And always plan ahead....take your time and do it right the first time and ask a lot of Q?'s...and search this site cause there is an answer for every Q? you might have.
and welcome to the site.

[faribran]

nice truck. welcome aboard.... you have plenty of active members in the NASHVILLE area.... and are a wealth of knowledge.... again, welcome.