73 gmc short Sierra Grande C1500

[bagged01extcab]

I also forgot to mention that I also have 1" drop shackle along with the flip. Glad I could help you out

[Jaysonb]

I'm hoping to get the frame back on the wheels today, and hopefully start getting the engine and transmission ready.

[flashed]

Im in to see the rest of this one .

[Dads79GMC]

Looks great Jayson!! Next in line! Hahahaha!

[Dads79GMC]

Weren't the coils springs in earlier?

[Jaysonb]

Finally got this frame back on the wheels. Got the motor pretty close, but still have to put a kit in the transmission. Seats got done a couple days ago, they look pretty sweet. Box sides, and almost everything to finish this truck showed up this week, so there is no room in the shop, so when I get the engine and transmission in the frame, I'm going to move that into storage so I can finish up the body. I think that the pace will pick up pretty quickly now.

[Jaysonb]

As soon as this one is done Mike is bringing "Dad's 79 GMC" up for a little body work, and some paint. I'm pretty excited to work on his truck, it's going to be a pretty sweet ride!

[Dads79GMC]

Looks great!!! I can't wait!!! Jaysonb does excellent work!

[MTCK]

Love the pace and skill you bring to these projects. Can practically hear the starting gun go off in the first thread!

[st1]

Looking GOOD!!!

[Jaysonb]

I have made some progress, but it feels like this thing is taking forever! I finished up rebuilding the transmission yesterday, and bolted up the engine to trans. Mike (dads 79 gmc) showed up just in time to help me set it into place! Thanks again for the help Mike. After getting that in place, I cleaned up and painted the tank brackets, got the new tank mounted, than started plumbing. I bought coils of 3/8, 1/4, and 3/16 steel line, and bent up new brake, and fuel lines. I also got a roll of brake line protector, so the axle lines look like they are supposed to. Next step is cleaning up the rest of the engine brackets, and get the vintage air brackets painted up, install that stuff, and paint and install the drive shaft. Then it will be time to finish up the body work. This truck is a testament as to why they call it body work, and not body fun.....

[Jaysonb]

Then there's the aftermath of a good couple of days off to spend in the shop. There's more tools laying out than there is in the tool box, and you can't walk from one end of the shop to the other!!!!

[aggie91]

How do you like that MaxJax? I have thought about that one since it is not permanently mounted. About how high does it get the center of the wheel off the ground?

BTW, the truck is looking good. I agree with you on the body work, not fun.

[moregrip]

Originally Posted by Jaysonb

I'm hoping to get the frame back on the wheels today, and hopefully start getting the engine and transmission ready.

beautiful job on those rear drum brakes!

[Dads79GMC]

Looks most excellent!!

[Jaysonb]

Thanks guys. The lift is great, now that I have it, I can't imagine being without it. The distance from ground to center of the wheel will change with each vehicle, but it lifts high enough to comfortably roll around on a creeper seat. I use it for general services, but it comes in real handy for lifting cabs, and boxes off the frame as well. Super handy if you work alone most of the time. My pump and lines are mounted on the wall, I only ever move the outside column if I need the room. Money well spent.

[Jaysonb]

I got all of the engine accessories cleaned up, painted, and installed. The drive shaft is cleaned up, and painted also. The frame is about ready to go into storage so I can get the body knocked out. This will be my first vintage air install, so far I'm impressed. The compressor mounting brackets are nice thick units, and the design seems well thought out.

[Dads79GMC]

Excellent work Jayson!!!

[Jaysonb]

I picked up the seats and headliner from the upholstery shop today, they turned out very nice. I'm having a hard time finding a good looking set of aftermarket seat belts for bucket seats.

[Jaysonb]

The chassis is done, and out of the shop. Now it's time to get the body knocked out! I pulled the box apart yesterday, and fit the new box sides on. They are going to need a ton of work to fit decent. I'll need to get them set on the box floor before I start messing with them, so I pulled it back apart and brought the floor in to get blasted. It must have been undercoated when it was new, and it is in amazing shape for a 73. Now I'll shoot some epoxy on the floor, and work out the dings before I fit the sides back on.

[Dads79GMC]

Are all the bolt holes that connect the floor to the bedsides and header panel lining up? I had the same problem as you're having in pic#2 (fuel bump) only a few of the bed floor mounting holes lined up correctly. Mike

[Jaysonb]

Mike, I think the holes line up, I tried about half of them when I put it together, the filler hump cutout won't be hard to fix, it's just a bummer they can't get them a little closer for what they charge. Where the left side meets the front panel is twisted up a little, I'll have to start drilling spot welds till I can get it to move. It's super humid here today, so I got a few good coats of epoxy on the bottom of the floor, if the top gets a little flash rust it will be easy enough to scuff off, the bottom not so much.

[Jaysonb]

Getting the floor blasted was the best $150 I've spent on this project! The bottom was completely undercoated, and it was old, and rock hard. The top had at least 3 coats of paint on it. I dropped it off yesterday, and it was ready this morning! Huge time saver.

[Matt Man]

wut was wrong with the old bedsides to warrant new ones?

[Jaysonb]

They are fixable, they are rusty, and have some old, bondoed up collision damage. I'm pressed for time on this project, so it will be quicker to make the new ones work. I'll fix the old ones up in between projects.