New to board from Katy, TX (Long Thread)

[58 GMC V8]

Hi everybody. I am the third owner of a 1958 GMC, and have owned it for 25 YEARS!!

My uncle in Mississippi purchased it from the original owner in 1963, and it was one of many farm trucks around that I never noticed, until, in 1976, he had it painted metallic blue and silver, added Fenton 5-slots with G-60 and L-60 McCrearys (anybody remember those?), and side-pipes. I was 12 years old and fell madly in love with the truck. It took me 5 years of pleading before he would agree to sell it to me, and even then he told me I was only buying the paint, wheels, etc., and that the truck still belonged to him and would have to be sold back to him if I ever stopped wanting it. There have only been a few times I've thought about selling it (he stopped wanting it back after about 15 years), and I've had plenty of unsolicited offers to buy it, but my wife always told me to keep it because she knew that I would only regret selling it and end up spending way too much time and money later to buy it back (wise lady!!)

The truck had the original 336 with 2-barrel, which I first backed up with a Muncie 4-speed (still in the truck), and then foolishly and unceremoniously dumped, to replace with a 12.5:1, balanced, big cammed 1958 Pontiac 370 (it should bolt in, right?). I won't go into the years of trouble that the 370 caused me, but it is still in the truck, now with flat-top pistons (10:1?, who knows?), cruddy heads, milder hydraulic cam, and Edelbrock EP-4B aluminum intake for early Pontiacs, and a Holley 600-cfm 4-barrel.

To cut to the chase, I never had the time or money to do the truck right, but I am ready now (still no time but I've saved up). I could realistically spend $30-40K (what a very nice new truck would cost) and still feel okay about it, but only if I end up with a truck that can do what a new one can (start every time, get reasonable gas mileage, run well, stop well, turn well, etc.). If you don't think that is really possible, let me know. I'm interested in opinions with some real personal experiences behind them, instead of what someone heard from someone else. I'll try to do plenty of searching so as to not waste anyone's time, but will have some specific questions about paths I am considering such as a complete TCI chassis, LS2/4L60 powertrain, etc.

Thanks to all for putting the site together, and any input you can provide. I'll try to be a little more active here than I am on my Mustang board (it's taken me 5 years to break 100 posts there, but don't expect to see me popping into your post with just a smiley), and have to admit that I've already learned a lot from the looking around this site that I've done so far.

Thanks again!