Project "Cheap, Naked and Dirty" my 61 build

[original_balzer]

So I have enough done to start a build thread.
It started with me trying to find 55-66 rear stepside fenders for an idea I had. Looking on www.ksl.com classified adds I found a project someone had started and lost interest. So I hooked on the trailer stopped at the ATM and went to look at it. At first glance I though man this thing is a pile. Looking it over a bit I realized most of the body work had been done and just needed to be finished and it had a LOT of potential. So I forked over $500 and loaded this onto the trailer.




It was stripped of paint torn appart and dirty. But it is a 61 short step with a 350/th350 already swapped in. Once I got it home i looked it over real good. Look what I found inside.

over $300 worth of new parts. Window felts and rubber gaskets for the whole cab. I also found new radiator hoses alternator battery cables throttle cable and kick down cable as well as several other small parts. SWEET! I bought $500 worth of parts and got the truck for free!

[original_balzer]

So where do you start building an old truck? At the front of course. I figured Id start on making sure it stops. I found CPP here on this forum and gave their site a visit.
$689.00 later and this showed up on my door step.

Sorry my camera is retarded sometimes.
2.5" drop spindles and 6 lug disk brakes. This kit is awesome came with spindles, hubs, rotors, backing plates, bearings, spindle nuts, calipers, brake lines, brake pads, and small hardware. Basicaly everything you need! The only things It didn't have was 6 bolts to bolt the backing plates on, and grease to pack the brearings.

These first trucks are torsion bar front suspended, that just wouldn't do for me. So after a little research I made a plan to bag it. I started by removing all the torsion bar components. Then welded some thick (1/4) plate to the bottom of the a-arms. I will drill the required holes for the bottom of the air bag into this plate. I will then use 1/4 long pieces of small pipe to protect the bolts on the bottom, large enough to fit a socket into of course. I also removed the tiny crossmember that the ball joint bolted to. I will use a threaded bung welded to the plate so that I can bolt through the ball joint and into the bottm plate. This will be a much stronger support for the ball joint anyway. This is as far as I have got here are some pics and a mock up of the spindles and hubs just to get a feel for it.



http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...e/ag22-001.jpg



Thanks for lookin Ill update as time and money allows/

[Corts60]

Awesome score man! Are you sure that is a '61? The grill and hood say '62...

[original_balzer]

Yes the truck is a 61 the original truck was yellow but the whole front clip was blue with a 62 grill and hood.


I havent decided what grill or hood I want for sure, but I am leaning towards a 60-61 hood and a GMC grill without the GMC letters. I may even go with a custom grill of some sort.

I forgot to mention my plans. I would like to shave the door handles and suicide the doors, Im not sure I will get that though. depending on how brave I get. The rest is faily simple its going to be hot rod flatz black with white on the roof, bumpers and maybe some scallops. It will be bagged and most likely a mild 327 or 350 with a 700r4.
It will get white walls wrapped around rally wheels with some sort of caps and thin rings.

This truck was posted on here and is close to the look I want. A few differnces though, I dont want a clone. This truck is deffinatly sick.

[original_balzer]

By the way Cort, Your truck makes me happy in ways I shouldnt admit. I dig the GMCs and yours is clean!

[original_balzer]

So it seams every time I work on this truck all I do is take more appart. I just cant leave wll enough alone, I have to check to be sure there isnt any crappy work hideing somewhere. And to be honest I have found more than I wanted. But I guess thats all part of the resto process right?

So now its down to a bare cab, sittin on the frame with the engine and trans, and rear suspention. I gutted all the wires out and heater box is gone. A lot of the parts are in the rafters and in another small shed I have out back. The next thing to come out will be the engine and trans.

I know crappy update and no pics but its all I got right now.

[wHATANERD]

great find, good luck witht he build

[283 Man]

nice truck!! good luck on your build

[Alan's Classic]

Great find! Keep us updated and good luck.

[KIC]

Good luck on your build ! I just jumped into my 60 GMC Suburban after having it sit around for 28 years. The body work continues, now the paint decisions are piling up.

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

Sweet Truck!
Nice Shiney Chrome 62 Grille too!!!!!
Need have my Grille Chrome also........

[kdrodworks316]

I am going to stop by next time I am in your area blaze, your off to a good start man.

[slepysal]

very cool! Keep us posted and keep the picturs coming !!!

[slepysal]

So anything new ?

[19GMC63]

nice project.
That black & white stepper is one of my favs also.

[original_balzer]

OK so the other day browsing KSL.com I found a steel 62 grill (its actually the entire core support and frame rails including the bumper) the 60-61 hood I wanted and some more doors. $475 so I ran and got them. I wanted less chrome and these parts are just what I wanted Ill get pics later.

I will have the alum grill the 62+ hood and one set of doors for sale later.

[original_balzer]

I promised some pics a LONG time ago. I have to admit I havent really been too busy just low on funds. So I have avoided most of my projects.
I did get rear disk brakes for my 79 4 door 4x4 though.

Anyway here are the extra parts I ended up buying Now I have the hood I want and the grill. And aother set of doors but I dont know if they are better than the doors I already had they are complete and they are not sand blasted.

On to pics.

new to me stuff






And other than sanding sanding sand ing these are a few areas im concerned about. They are seams around the cab. To me they need adjusted to fit tighter and be smaller not to mention trasnistion together smoother.

This is the worst one it top of windshield on driver side. About 2 lbs of seam sealer might fix it huh?


where a pillar meets roof on pass side nice hole


driver side a pillar


and dash side seams

dr side straight on Thats about a 1/4 inch step down


pass side from top down off by a lot at the bottom of this seam there is a 1/4 inch gap as in no metal just air

[original_balzer]

This project is semi back burner right now

BUTI did talk my pops out of a 327 for it. It needs rebuilt but Im still stoked.

I want tripower and old skool looks!