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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
In this thread I'll post the pictures I have up to the current date of my progress converting an unsuspecting 2.5 ton truck into my own version of the ultimate Squarebody dually. One summer on a trip as a kid years ago I saw a crew cab C60 that someone was in the process of converting to a pickup. I knew from that moment that someday I just had to have a truck that cool! Time passed, and in July 2019 I found a beautiful rust free dually bed off an 83 GMC for sale in the town where I work. A rarity here in WV. I bought it with the intent to resell it originally, but the idea of building a big square truck crept back into my head the longer I looked at the bed.
The next week I stumbled across a dirty, grimy GMC 2.5 ton beginning to grow into the weeds about an hour from my house. I suspected it had been a toter or a tow rig of some sort due to its short length, and other than surface rust from the problematic GM white paint peeling, it was in terrific condition. Markings showed it originally came from Georgia, which I attributed its condition to. After some negotiating with the owner, I bought it and two days later caught a ride to where it was with my girlfriend and fired it up, gassed it up, and drove it the hour home. These are the first pictures I took of it before I even bought it, I'll post more and continue the thread up to date as I go later on. Gotta go to work ![]() |
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#2 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Temperance Michigan
Posts: 375
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
That is surprisingly clean! Nice truck! I bet a good scrub down and it would clean up very well. I like the story, you bought a bed that led to buying a truck, sounds like something I would do too. What's the power plant?
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: South Bend
Posts: 55
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
Nice ride, good luck with your project!
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#4 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
Quote:
Thanks! |
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#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
After a good blasting with the pressure washer a lot of the gunk came off and I was left with a pretty clean truck. I discovered someone added AC, still haven't put that all together to see if it works. I began the small tune up and tinkering items, getting all the dash lights working and just driving it some to feel out what it needed.
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#6 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
One thing I discovered nearly immediately was that with a rear end ratio of 6.17, it was really humming at 45-50. I knew a gear swap was in order and I began the search. I ended up settling on a remanufactured differential geared at 4.63. Cruising at 70 MPH is now possible and the truck is altogether more fun to drive, though a gear between 3rd and 4th would be nice. The SM465 is pretty wide in ratio.
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2012
Location: horseheads,ny rust belt
Posts: 2,794
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
nice clean start
![]() the rear spring hangers dont look correct to me . they look like c-10-c30 style hangers and someone has used them for this application and there not designed to be slipper hangers ether . so be sure and check this out on your build up .
__________________
77-k30lb BIG truck build . 87-k30lb budget beater build . 85-k30lb the plow machine build . 85-c10sb summer fun toy . ----------------------------- HOLLEY SNIPER efi = worst case of p.i.t.a i ever had . EDELBROCK pro flo 4 = best deal going so far . love my setup works great. |
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#8 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Lindsay, Ontario Canada
Posts: 649
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
Quote:
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1981 C50 Conversion http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=503247 1962 Grumman Olson http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=613242 |
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#9 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Temperance Michigan
Posts: 375
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
Good catch on the springs.
What's the plan for it aside from putting a bed on it. It seems like this truck was waiting for you since everything lands perfect and the hard stuff is done. If you're going to use it like a regular pick up pull some leafs out and put a set of air bags on it. I can't tell h oe many leafs you have currently because the angle of the pictures. It'd be the best of both worlds. I haven't decided if that's the route I'm going to go or not with mine. I also have onboard air too. |
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#10 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
Quote:
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
After I got the gear swap done it was time to get down to setting my bed on the truck! After some measurements and figuring, I came up with a subframe made from 6" channel bolted to the truck frame and a couple cross members welded between. Then I used a 1" piece of vulcanized rubber (hockey pucks!) as body mounts for each mounting point on the bed I was pretty happy with the results of this, and the body lines ended up being nearly spot on.
I enlisted the help of my dad, my girlfriend's dad, and my girlfriend's brother in getting the bed manhandled up that high and onto the truck. First couple pics are of just after we set it on. The next is of the subframe, pay no mind to the slag and rust. Everything is coming apart and getting cleaned up and painted when the truck is taken back apart for paint at some point. The final couple show the lineup. |
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#12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
Setting the bed on left me with another issue, a crazy looking hitch sticking way low and way back on the truck frame. Plus with the bed my sweet trailer taillights were looking a little ugly
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#13 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
After this, while driving, I noticed that on long hills and under hard acceleration I seemed to be running out of fuel. Some fuel system maintenance showed why, the poor filter had to be about to collapse! I fixed that right up, and installed a wonderful new Edelbrock 650 with an electric choke and a dual feed line to replace the worn and overcomplicated factory Holley. No more running the float bowls dry now
![]() Also around this time my amazing girlfriend bought me a bedmat for the truck for my birthday. She's definitely a keeper!! |
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#14 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Temperance Michigan
Posts: 375
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
That looks awesome! I put the same carb (manual choke) on my 427 and was instantly impressed at the difference.
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#15 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
Quote:
The next thing I did was correct my wheel and tire situation. I bought the truck with 4 22.5 wheels and new looking 9R22.5 steer tires on the rear. It had two 19.5 wheels and probably original little 8R19.5 worn out tires on the front. I discovered that the tubeless original Accuride 22.5s are EXTREMELY hard to find. And I also learned that these medium duty trucks have a very odd small 10 bolt pattern that Alcoas wont fit. Having 4 already, I turned to Wheels Now, Inc. and got two of their reproduction wheels. These are exactly the same dimensions as the Accurides, but the face of the wheel is a lot more broad and flat. This didn't concern me too much, as I could just hide them on the inside rear and have 4 matching wheels facing the world. I took it to a local tire shop who I always deal with, and ordered 4 new 10R22.5 Firestone drive tires, and told them to take two of the good steer tires on the rear and move them up front, then put the two new wheels and tires inside on the rear and two of the old 22.5 wheels and new tires on the rear. I kept the two spare good 22.5 steer tires. That really set the truck up in the air some more and gave it exactly the amount of very slight forward rake I was looking for. |
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#16 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
Right after the tires, my girlfriend's dad found me a really nice 12" drop bumper off of a Squarebody. I had been on the hunt of one for a long time, and they're harder and harder to get as nobody manufactures one anymore that I could find. We installed it at his garage, I think he was as excited as I was!
I also added, just before I did tires actually, stainless mirrors and arms to replace the rusty crappy white ones. I plan to find at some point a chrome grille and front bumper too, and also to install an antenna windshield with the chrome trim around the seal. |
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#17 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
Soon after the bumper I finally got the fender clearance lights I'd ordered long before, and stuck them in. My entire goal for this truck was always to make it look like GM had produced a medium duty pickup truck. I had never seen the rear end of one that looked exactly how I'd envisioned that to be, they most usually included a rollpan and some sort of heavy steel below that and a hitch hanging way down that look more at home on a flatbed or a dump truck. I took measurements and modified the hitch that came on the truck when I bought it to fit up mostly out of sight and right below the bumper. Just like I'd imagine the factory would have built one. In my opinion, this makes for a much cleaner look from the rear.
I did, however, have a minor setback when I broke my finger because I dropped the hitch on it while installing it. That was seven weeks ago today, and only two days ago the doctor released me to go back to work. |
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#18 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2012
Location: horseheads,ny rust belt
Posts: 2,794
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
DAM
![]() ![]() ![]() love the rear bumper . its kind of what i based my bumper off style wise that i built from scratch .
__________________
77-k30lb BIG truck build . 87-k30lb budget beater build . 85-k30lb the plow machine build . 85-c10sb summer fun toy . ----------------------------- HOLLEY SNIPER efi = worst case of p.i.t.a i ever had . EDELBROCK pro flo 4 = best deal going so far . love my setup works great. |
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#19 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
While I was off work, I managed to use one and a half hands to build some mudflap brackets and install some flaps. I couldn't just hang them down from the rear of the fenders like a regular dually because they'd hang down into the tires. I moved them back where everything cleared, then bent some polished diamond tread "splash guards" to connect the flaps to the rear inside of the dually fenders. It's not ideal, but it works and keeps road dirt and water spray from shooting up between the flaps and the bottom of the fenders.
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#20 |
Moderator
![]() Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Cabarrus
Posts: 417
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
You wanna sell those 2 19.5" wheels?
![]() Looks great keep the pics comin! You should paint the the whole truck to match the bed, pinstripes and all.
__________________
Alex 1967 C50 292ci Lumber truck 1967 C50 292ci Dump truck 1967 C60 366ci Fire truck |
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#21 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
Quote:
Thank you for the compliment! I have given serious thought to that very idea, I like the stripes! ![]() Thinking also about this paint scheme, maybe yellow and white. ![]() |
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#22 |
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Powderly Texas
Posts: 305
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
Really nice looking truck! Love the look of the rear bumper. The original paint scheme with the white center panel would look awesome.
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#23 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Elizabeth WV
Posts: 168
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
Quote:
I'm leaning VERY hard toward painting it factory scheme and colors, the body lines on these just lend themselves to that combo IMO. ![]() |
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#24 |
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Powderly Texas
Posts: 305
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
I bought a new blue and white 1978 3/4 ton 4X4 Silverado with that scheme. Later sold it and bought a 1979 1 ton 4X4 with a maroon and white scheme. Always liked the layout. I believe the white was Frost white. Mine both had white on the cab roof starting at the molding below the rear window. Very cool truck, I will be watch the thread for your finishing touches.
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#25 |
Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Oroville California
Posts: 18
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Re: 1989 GMC 6000 Pickup/Toy Conversion
Very nice! I have a 75 buts it's going to stay a dump truck, the 14 ft bed comes in handy. That 366 will definitely run better with the edelbrock just watch your revs the 366 redlines around 4000 the old holleys were part of the governor system.
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