72' 1500 Build Thread Of Sorts

[sundog]

I introduced myself recently, and thought I'd make a thread to keep track of my progress on the truck. First, the truck....

The trucks a 72' GMC 1500, lwb, and we think its, or it started as, a camper special (has 3 tanks, 1 behind seat, 1 on each side of the box)

350, new-ish rebuild, auto tranny, and no idea what it is just yet. Tons of rust. Probably paid too much for it. Waddyagonnado.

Plans are to do a budget-type build, going for a cleaner rat rod look.

Clean up all the rust, replace the panels with used parts or w/e, and once the body is somewhat clean and straight, Blitz Black for paint (yay John Deere), slam it on air, make it a trailer puller for my VW. GM Purists may want to leave now. ^_^

If you're still with me, then I appreciate any insight into the build, tips, etc. I'm not new to working on vehicles, or old ones at that, but this is my first 72' bow tie.

I work overseas, so I when Im home, Ill update as much as I can as I move forward!

[sundog]

Beginning of the tear down - the box

After a closer inspection, I find this box has a wooden bed. Which, seemed a little odd for a 72'?


Surprisingly, this isn't the first vehicle Ive owned that I had to shovel out
(had 600lbs of snow fall into a car once. That's another story.....)

And the exposed 'original' bed...

[sundog]

Shame the wood was so soft and rotten. Ah well....


The after math...

[sundog]

So, with the bed stripped out, and a more definitive Idea of what I'll need back there (basically a whole bed >_<), I moved to the front, and got ready to strip everything off/out, to prepare for rocker/cab corner/floor repairs.


The cab has some pretty serious rust, to the point where finding another cab would be more logical. I like the idea of saving this farm truck from an almost certain future in a scrap pile, so we'll patch it up.
Scored 2 mint oem fenders, and 2 much-better-than-what-I-had doors. So, aside form making custom inners, the front is mostly figured out. (I want to go with a single rounds front grill, we'll get to that later)


I'll be using jobber panels for the corners and rockers. All the patches for the floor and inner cab will be from metal cut out from the original doors. (Both doors were rotted out). This should keep costs to a minimum.

The cab mounts are kaput as well,but we'll deal with that closer to the end. Has anyone had luck unbolting the cab, and jacking it up just enough to replace the mounts, with the cab still on the truck? My reasoning says it could probably be done, side by side.....

front end apart


typical sbc. dirty and oily, but of course had a fancy filter.

[sundog]

So, i cant seem to get a proper answer...

With the rad support I have now (72' dual rounds), what are my options for grills that will bolt right up?

[smoknbarrels]

well if you need a new bed, i have one in good shape that I will not be using. its a regular box fleetside with steel floor. the floor is not the hottest (has a few waves from heavy stuff put in it) but bedsides are straight and quite rust free. (also have tail gate).

where are you at in alberta? looking forward to the updates.

[SS Tim]

Originally Posted by sundog

So, i cant seem to get a proper answer...

Its too bad you feel that an answer should be instant. Posting a statment like that after waiting only a little over an hour and a half.... who would want to help?

[Scott>72-GMC]

With dual lights ur stuck with gmc grill they all have the same look
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[Scott>72-GMC]

Posted via Mobile Device

Example this is a 67 gmc and u obviously know what 72 looks like no big diffrence like Chevys
Posted via Mobile Device

[sundog]

Originally Posted by smoknbarrels

well if you need a new bed, i have one in good shape that I will not be using.

Pm'ed! I need a bed something fierce.

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Its too bad you feel that an answer should be instant. Posting a statment like that after waiting only a little over an hour and a half.... who would want to help?

Um, I was more so commenting on I couldn't find an answer to which grills would work with no modifications, nothing to do with the response time. Better sit this one out champ. lmao.