1968 GMC swb upgrade project

[tonypaul]

I really want to have a extra place other than my hard drive were I can keep a photo history of my project.

Staying with the theme that everyone give a little info on their history and the story of how the 1968 GMC project came to be:

Just turning over 41 years old this year has finally put me over the hill and the things in life has seemed to change once again... I have been in the drag racing scene for atleast 20 years, dumping what seems like a fortune in the hobby I finally have became bored with it.. Growing increasing tired of the upraising cost of drag racing I decided to build one more "little" drag car from left over parts layting in the garage. I sold my 70 tube chassis camaro as a roller and keep the engine and trans and most of the componates. I found a old Datsun 240z sitting in a field that someone had raced in the 80s. Picked it up for next to nothing a started in on it. About half way into it I started to have this feeling of wanting something fast, like top end fast, with A/C and cruise and some style..... I guess I was really getting old.....I looked at some newer vettes, some newer gtos, but it seemed that they were everywhere and everone had one.... So 1 day crusing Ebay I ran across this BMW 850 with a V12 imported from Germany..... I was sold, bought it had it shipped here to Texas and thought everything was fine as in I was going to be happy. Not having to work on something, always rebuilding, replacing, tuning, no getting my hands dirty no more....

Well that lasted about 6 months, my garage was spotless. Fist time in 10 years. But I was missing building something.... Once you do it for so long you just cant seem to stop. Well being the Ebay/Craigslist addict that I am.... I ran across this brand new 8.1L, 496 crate motor for sale fo ra really good price, one of those things you just cant pass up... So the next day it was in my garage with not a clue I was going to do with it....

I first thought of putting it my Chevy Avlanche. I have put a procharger on it the wimpy 5.3 about two years ago and have already killed 2 transmisions and the rear end was starting to whine really bad (the rear end is now completely shot) from its abuse. I was watching the movie Dazed and Confused for about the 100th time, and the opening scene with the guy in his black truck rolling up in the parking lot set off all kind of bells and whistles in my head....

So there I was once again trolling for a truck project. I searched for 6 months. Looking at about 20 trucks, most were either rust buckets or someone else had dumped a fortune in it and was wanting a fortune for it....
I had my mind set on a GMC, just cause I like the headlight setup, and it had to be a swb. Finally one day a 1968 GMC swb with a running 396 showed up on craigslist about an hour from my house. It was running and lowered with a nice set of slots on it. It was setting in primer and need some work but had almost no real rust issues. 4 days later it was sitting in my driveway.

So fast foward some.... i know this story has went really long, but maybe there is one other person in this world that likes reading these kinds of storie other than me.... Now the BMW has been kicked out the garage and a mild tear down has begun on the truck in preperation for paint. I have oredered almost everything new on the interior, new fenders just cause one of the fenders had some small wrinkles in it and I didnt want to waste my time on them. All new upper and lower trim and all new door seals and window felts,ect.

Sadly the cold wet weather has slowed down the process of getting it preped for paint. But still on time to get it finished during the xmas holidays hopefully. I own a potrtait studio in Austin so right now Im so busy even if the weather was better I would still be in the same place on getting it finished.

So plan is to get it painted and put back together over the xmas holidays, and from now to spring finish collecting all the parts needed to do the 8.1l swap along with a suspension swap or upgrade. Still kinda working on the plans for that . Well any way her is some images t get me caught up to the state its in nowi will be updateing as work is done)

[tonypaul]

opps give a few minutes to get the images up... I thought I had them all orginized...

[tonypaul]

first round of images-

[tonypaul]

second round

[tonypaul]

sorry for the double pics, kinda haing a problem with the uploader. anyway here are some more;

[tonypaul]

Ever seen so much junk in a garage? I cant even walk through the garage. Heres is the paint colors Im doing. It PPG Merecedes Benz silver and GM black. Planning on the same style of wheels with the exception of a narrowed style rear end.




Here is the rear end that I got to replace the bad one in my truck... Wasted money that I could be using on the GMC project...

[72BlckButy]

tony this is building up to be one great built, best of luck with it. Can't wait to see what you are able to turnout.

[tonypaul]

Still sanding and blocking, I keep going deeper and deeper taking more stuff off the truck. I was just going to do a simple paint job nothing to perfect just a 10 footer. Now Im down just to a stripped cab on the chassis. The truck has had what looks like atleast 4 paint jobs all on top of each other with very poor prep work between the sprays. Its now down to the metal everywhere with just some minor metal work and blocking to do. Got alot of small stuff spayed in epoxy and in primer ready for paint. Just gotta finsh the body.

So my problem now is Im having trouble decideing what to do about the drivetrain. I have the brand new 8.1L (496) crate engine still sitting in the garage. But I have found out that the 396 thats in the truck is the orginal engine. It has was rebuilt in 1989, it still runs but I know it needs a new carb and maybe needs to be torn down and freshened up again. Im torn between pulling the 396 out and rebuilbing it with some decent parts or go ahead with the 8.1L motor but its going to take another $2500.00 atleast to get everything I need for that swap which is only going to delay the build longer.
Or- I have found a 1994 Corvette LT1 with the trans, harness, ecu, very-very complete. It has the a/c compressor, alt, starter, Im talking complete-complete with a fresh rebuild, new performance cam, springs, lifters, ect for $800.00. Very tempting!!!!! I really want a driver, something I can go on road trips with.
Any suggestions????