1963 GMC Step-Van 7

[Aberdare]

OK, after doing a wee bit of lurking, this seems to be the spot to start a post about my latest project. It is a "Shorty", 7-ft floor with a 65" height which calculates to 211 cu.ft. of cargo space. The Vehicle is presently in pretty rough condition with a seized engine, and in dire need of some new wheel bearings after sitting in a farmer's field for 15 years. The engine is a 230 cu.in. L6 and it has a 4 spd manual gearbox. Both rear brakes are seized, which made loading and unloading from the trailer a little difficult... but after being unloaded - Surprise! The left rear wheel decided to turn on its own, leaving only the right rear brake needing some extra work to free it up.

So, Stage-1, is to make it into a rolling chassis. The 1st step will be to have the body lifted off the frame, then completely stripped down to have everything properly inspected and remove 50 years of crap, corruption, dirt & grime before being sand-blasted. I have already made an appointment for January 2018 to have the bare frame powder coated after NDT (Non-Destructive Testing) to find any stress cracks and have them corrected before the chassis is reassembled. While everything is stripped down, all bushings, bolts, rivets and other hardware will be replaced as required. While disassembled... the engine, transmission and differential in addition to the driveshaft and clutch will all be inspected and evaluated for serviceability and made pretty again too.

I estimate Stage-1 to take up a large chunk of my project's budget, but the finished chassis will be comparable to when the vehicle was NEW.

Stage-2 will be dedicated solely to the body with a complete disassembly of the entire body and a rebuild / re-manufacture of all structural components. All of the original exterior and interior panels will be saved (if the can be) and replacements sourced as required. The exterior will be a simple process of welding all the panels back together, one piece at a time, directly onto the chassis. Once completed, the BARE body will be lifted off and delivered to the body shop for finishing and paint, along with the doors.

Stage-3 will be dedicated to finishing and refurbishment. Sound proofing materials will be added as required along with all new rubber products to reseal all the doors and windows. I will also be adding an insulation foam between the interior and exterior panels to help keep this puppy from being an icebox in the winter and an oven during the summer. I will also be hand fabricating a completely new electrical system with NEW terminals and connectors in addition to all new / reproduction / replacement lighting equipment. The front sliding doors and the rear cargo doors will also be getting the same refurbishment / rebuild treatment as the body. The heater will have a companion A/C system upgrade, as well as the wiper / washers will be installed prior to the interior panels being re-installed.

I will be adding a full custom interior along with an auxiliary HVAC system. I have an associate who is looking forward to being part of this portion of the build and will be custom fabricating a wrap around "L-Shaped" rear bench complete with seat belts, in addition to a full 7.1 surround sound system.

I have already prepared an initial budget of $15,000 CAD for the entire build. Stay Tuned as I make regular updates as things progress and I welcome everyone to chime in at anytime to offer advice, suggestions and/or their comments.

THIS IS GOING TO BE ALOT OF FUN!