20 Year build getting closer to finish...

[Rufas]

It's been a long time since starting this build. This all started in the late 90's. But then life in general and a restro mod 1967 Cutlass got in the way. I retired two years ago and the wife gave me the go ahead to finish this truck.

My parents purchased this truck back in 1970. Slide in campers were really popular then in southern California. My Mom wanted an camper so that's how we ended up with this 1970 2500 Custom Camper GMC truck becoming part of our family.

My Dad died in 1992 any my mother moved here to Georgia after his death. She had the truck shipped here and then gave me the truck. I used it for about five years as a daily driver and then decided to do my first project.





Well that was then and this is now. Here is a visual of the last 19 or so years. Nothing much happened on this for about 15 of those 19 years.

This started life as a 3/4 ton real leaf spring truck. It currently is bagged all the way around. 2 in lowering spindles and a RideTech rear trailing arm suspension replacing the massive rear leafs. Over the years things have changed during this build. At first I just notched the frame, installed and flipped a 1/2 ton rearend and removed all but 2 leafs. I didn't like how that turned out and last year I install the RideTech suspension.

Notched frame with leafs and bags


RideTech suspension and fuel tank relocated to the rear.






I'm getting rid of the B&M Truck Mega Shifter and going back to a Tilt wheel column shift.


300HP 350 SBC, small Weiand 142 supercharger with FiTech EFI


On the way to the body shop last September


New fuel door on bed


Bed stake holes filled, fuel filler filled and saddle tank doors filled


Finally in the paint booth


It's finally painted!








Only the bed remains to be painted. Before it gets painted I'm have two access panels cut into the bottom of the bed to access the fuel gauge sender and the electric fuel pump for the EFI.

[dirish]

Sweeeeeeeeet!

[Rufas]

Update:

Went to the body shop to check out the paint on the cab today. It looked great, but the owner of the body shop told me 'It doesn't meet my standards and we will repaint it again'. I didn't see anything wrong with it. But if he wants to improve it, by all means go for it.

Great news, but getting short on time before we gone for three months.

This is how it looked today before the repaint.


Atomize Collision Canton GA
https://www.facebook.com/atomizecollision/

[Rufas]

Update:
When to the body shop today to see the progress on the cab. Three steps forward and two steps back. The cab has been wet sanded and prepped for repainting. The cab and bed will be painted sometime next week after the bed access panels for the fuel sender and the fuel pump have been made.

I reconfirmed that instead of the single stage paint, two stage paint is now being used for the truck. This is an upgrade that the body shop is doing at no cost to me since they have had the truck so long.

Next week the pinion angle is being set, replacement axle perches will be welded in and a mod to increase the driveshaft clearance on the RideTech cross member. The RideTech is set up for a short bed. I've got the long bed, but running a single drive shaft without the center bearing.

Still on target for the first week of August.

[GR8-68]

Very nice looking build Thanks for sharing with us

[Rufas]

Truck Update:

The painting is done! Lance at Atomize Collision https://www.facebook.com/atomizecollision/ will deliver my truck back to me tomorrow. Finally after 19 years the truck has a complete paint job. The Tailgate will be installed and the truck washed before deliver. Now the real work begins.

[Rufas]

It made it home today. It's been about 10 months since it left for the body shop. Now the fun begins...

But this project has to go on hiatus for awhile.