New member with a 1965 GMC

[short&wide65]

Hello all! I am a lurker who finally decided to register. I am a lifelong car guy and love almost everything with wheels, irregardless of what country it comes from. I have owned everything from a Bandit Trans Am to a Toyota Tacoma.

I have a Canadian built 1965 GMC 910 short bed fleetside with the 250 cubic inch 6 cylinder with an SM420 4-speed in Woodland Green. The truck was ordered new by the utility company SaskPower in Saskatchewan. Obviously it was a pretty basic work truck with radio delete, a diamond plate rear step bumper, west coast style mirrors and the trailing arm rear suspension.

It was then purchased by Franko's Esso station in Yorkton, Saskatchewan (where I was born) and painted white and red. My father bought it from them for $300 in 1982 just before we moved to Ontario. It was our family vehicle for a decade or so until the rockers and brake lines completely rusted out. So my father parked it and tried selling it for parts for $100. After no takers, he gave it to me in 1996.

Since the truck was undrivable I decided to take it apart and bag and tag everything I could. I couldn't do much with it in the last 15 years or so but at least it was stored in a dry environment. I was able to collect some parts for it though. To say its a bit of a basket case is an understatement, but since it has a history in my family, I don't want to buy another truck even though it would cost less.

My modified 2010 MX-5 (autox and track toy) has gotten more love than the 65 in the last couple of years but I am finally ready to slowly start working on it. I plan to keep the work truck theme (painted bumper and grille) and I am also going to keep the 6 cylinder (modified of course) with either a T5 or T56 behind it. I also want the truck to brake and handle as I plan to do some autox with it as well although I am sure it won't handle like my MX-5.

I have some old pictures of the truck somewhere and will post some soon.