Nikwho's build: '53 GMC 4-linked S-10 frame on air bags

[nikwho]

Hello everyone!
I thought that it was time to start a build thread on my '53 GMC for a place to track progress, keep motivation levels up, ask questions and share how I tackled some things.

As far as plans for the truck, I have many! My plan is to build a pretty capable street truck that I can enjoy maybe taking to a couple of Autocross events per year and cruise around on the weekends. It is going to go together in a series of a stages. Maybe more milestones more than stages, but trying to tackle one major part of the build at a time, while being able to drive the truck a little between the big parts of the build.

Stage I: Swap body to S-10 frame, get it on the road and build a bed for it.

Stage II: Build either a triangulated 4-link or a Satchel Link (inverted, reversed triangulated 4-link) and put truck on air bags on all four corners.

Stage III: body work and paint - still lots of thoughts on paint color, so in the mean time it will remain in patina with all of the panels mismatched.

Stage IV: powerplant. I am not 100% on the engine/tranny/differential aspect just yet. Right now I am leaning toward a healthy 468/TH400/Nodular 9" that I have, but I have been keeping an eye out for the right LS engine deal to show up and I could go the 5.3/6.0/LS-X route. Don't know. As for now, I've got the freshly rebuilt 2.2L four banger and new 4L60-E that came with the S-10 and ready to allow me to tool around town at 20+(?) MPG While I figure out the final combo for the truck. I put a SBC/700R4/10 bolt combo in my '59 that works well, but this one will be getting something different. I may save the BBC/TH400 combo for my next project ('64-'65 Chevelle).

I brought home this '53 GMC on Dec. 18th. It was thought to be a '48 Chevy by a buddy that owned it. After a little decoding and looking at some details I am now into the Bonded Title process to get a title. The truck came as a bare cab with 5 doors, two inner fenders, one rear fender, a Chevy hood and grill and a few boxes of useful parts. The allure to me was that the cab was pretty straight and pretty rust free, along with the fact that my buddy owned it. He needed a chain saw and I jokingly told him that I would trade him my saw for his truck parts. I had been working on getting the truck off of him since he bought it. He originally bought the parts to build for his daughter, who lost interest. So, he and I dragged the cab up onto a trailer and I brought it home. From the day I got it through Christmas I collected a few parts, made some build plans and started sand blasting and organizing the boxes of parts that I had.

Here it is the day I brought it home. What a mess! Haha!




Shortly after Christmas, I spoke to another co-worker that had another project bought for a teenager that lost interest. This one is a '94 S-10 of the extra cab, short bed variety. It had a blown head gasket and a light rod knock in the little 2.2L four banger, but a new, factory replacement 4L60-E. They bought the truck and started prepping it for new paint when the engine was sent off to be rebuilt (by the same engine builder/machine shop that I personally use). So, this truck was also aquired by the good ol' barter system. I traded a rifle that I owned for the S-10. My thoughts were that I could sell the parts that I don't need for enough money to replace the traded rifle making the driving S-10 effectively free! I'm not there yet, but doing well parting it out.

here are some pictures of the S-10 frame donor:




Got it all pulled apart and cleaned it up:


here is the frame after I wire wheeled it and neutralized any remaining rust with phosphoric acid. Got it nice and clean and sprayed with a couple coats of epoxy primer then three coats of Chassis Black.


Same treatment to the bottom of the cab. Wire wheeled, neutralized with acid, epoxy primer, Chassis Black and finally a rubberized under-coating.


More to follow...

Nik