restored 1980 Indy Hauler

[80SPORT]

$12,700.00 so far ....

Listed on vendors website for $24,000.00

[88Jimmy4x4]

over $15k now

[ElGracho]

And still reserve not met. Interesting...

[HOTFUN]

I actually owned and restored it in our bodyshop around 1990 and sold it in 94. Almost all the sheet metal was replaced due to rust but the cab was never removed from frame and only cab corners put in. Parts were so cheap and plentiful back then when this truck was 10 years old so I didn't have a lot of money in it as one would today restoring something like this. I sold it for $11k and my wife said that was too much to pay for it back today even though I was seriously watching it to the end. Didn't meet reserve at 16k but about everything it should be worth. Tires are still the same Goodyears I installed new in 1991 so I imagine there is some freshning up needed here and there for roadability. If this truck ever goes to someone on here I can give them all the restoration details. It is just the way it was when it left my place in 1994. I of course have pictures to prove this all.

[thinair]

^ need a "like" button......
Posted via Mobile Device

[88Jimmy4x4]

Originally Posted by HOTFUN

I actually owned and restored it in our bodyshop around 1990 and sold it in 94. Almost all the sheet metal was replaced due to rust but the cab was never removed from frame and only cab corners put in. Parts were so cheap and plentiful back then when this truck was 10 years old so I didn't have a lot of money in it as one would today restoring something like this. I sold it for $11k and my wife said that was too much to pay for it back today even though I was seriously watching it to the end. Didn't meet reserve at 16k but about everything it should be worth. Tires are still the same Goodyears I installed new in 1991 so I imagine there is some freshning up needed here and there for roadability. If this truck ever goes to someone on here I can give them all the restoration details. It is just the way it was when it left my place in 1994. I of course have pictures to prove this all.

well you did a great job on it, that truck is super nice

[wraprail]

Originally Posted by HOTFUN

I actually owned and restored it in our bodyshop around 1990 and sold it in 94. Almost all the sheet metal was replaced due to rust but the cab was never removed from frame and only cab corners put in. Parts were so cheap and plentiful back then when this truck was 10 years old so I didn't have a lot of money in it as one would today restoring something like this. I sold it for $11k and my wife said that was too much to pay for it back today even though I was seriously watching it to the end. Didn't meet reserve at 16k but about everything it should be worth. Tires are still the same Goodyears I installed new in 1991 so I imagine there is some freshning up needed here and there for roadability. If this truck ever goes to someone on here I can give them all the restoration details. It is just the way it was when it left my place in 1994. I of course have pictures to prove this all.

Were those the original mirrors that came on the truck new and what about the steering wheel?

[HOTFUN]

Actually it had the same but chrome tow mirrors on it as it had a hitch on it from previous owners. I debated and my GM dealer had this set of new correct GM white below eyeline mirrors so it really fit well with the white grille and all. I had done a lot of research on that Indy Truck at the time and even talked to the company that GM sent it out to for the conversion on these trucks. They built a number of these as support vehicles in every type of cab chassis, ambulances, and even long box HD versions for the Indy Race that year and most had these type of mirrors when going to track use. Then they also did the run for the public for dealer orders which they told me at the time they built quite a few that spring. See GM also bought their way to supply the 1980 Trans AM turbo pace car that this truck design was fashioned after. Many guys liked to have matching 1980 GM's to show off. I see no one noticed the major modification I made was adding the Trans Am side splitter tail pipes and a dual exhaust. These trucks were just a line built pickup with 350 4 barrel single exhaust boat anchor nothing special. Didn't have a posi and highway gears cause fuel was high for its time that era and I think it had a non overdrive early 200 automatic like the G body cars that year. The original rear end was changed to 3.40 when I had it and still a non posi as it was still all show and no go.
I had originally put a new take out gray cloth Suburban front bench in it and later had my upholstery guy duplicate the original white seat using the original truck seat and that is in it now. The interior colors are 100% correct from the factory. The seat belts were a problem and are a now a set of burgandy belts redyed to white as the original white belts were broken and soiled beyond restoration.
Steering wheel and the lower door carpet panels were also a new take out of a 1990 suburban conversion. The original LR60 BFG spare was underneath and had 1/2 tread but I could not find BFG's in a size close at the time and I sold Goodyear at the time so that is why the tires and Goodyear decal in the back window which was also not correct. Also not correct was the extra Indy wing decal I had left over that I placed to the right side of the tailgate center trim insert to offset the GMC letters on the LH side. The rear slider was a piece of chit and if you ever had one in a single cab you could hardly hear the radio with the whisling of air leaks from that dang thing so that is why it was eliminated in restoration.

[1774btcrew]

Awesome info Hotfun! I love the subtle mods that were done to it like the dual exhaust! Very clean restoration!

[str8axle55]

Cool backround info on the truck, answers some questions I`m sure we all had. Great job on the resto.

[Keith Seymore]

Hotfun - Thanks for the input; beautiful job and beautiful truck!

Originally Posted by HOTFUN

I had done a lot of research on that Indy Truck at the time and even talked to the company that GM sent it out to for the conversion on these trucks. They built a number of these as support vehicles in every type of cab chassis, ambulances, and even long box HD versions for the Indy Race that year and most had these type of mirrors when going to track use.

I wondered if that was the case (that the trucks were sent to an upfitter to add the decals, etc). That would probably explain why the SPID shows chrome bumpers; trucks were probably built on line with chrome and then the body colored bumpers with impact strips were added at the upfitter.

(The air dam would probably not clear the car hauler).

Thanks for the explanation on the steering wheel, too.

K

[HOTFUN]

Keith, This is why I am a die hard GM person. Back in 1989, I contacted GM corporate about this truck. To my surprise, GM really worked hard to get me information on this truck and within a week they called me back and got me in contact with their original conversion company "Cars and Concepts" in Michigan when I was trying to find decals and spoiler information. That hood bird was made special for these trucks as you can tell is much more narrower than a Trans Am hood decal. I was so fortunate at that time to get in touch with a man there that totally knew what was done to these trucks at their company for GM. He was a world of information and actually put together everything they had left in their warehouse to recreate that truck. I actually built two of these trucks from what I had from them and reproduced using damaged originals they sent but the other was a modified color version using burgandy in place of the dark gray. The original bumpers were chrome and painted over by the conversion place but the bumpers were the pad bumpers from GM on this Sierra Classic or at least that was what was on it from the dealer. The grille was painted over chrome from C&C but interestingly I remember one of the headlamp castings was not chrome plated when the original paint was stripped. Maybe one had been replaced at one time since I bought it when it was 10 years old by then. I had to go to the original company who made the spoiler according to C&C to get one and they were still selling them aftermarket in the 90's. The trucks were painted at C&C and the outline decals and hood bird was installed there and all the lettering with installation positioning instructions and painted spoiler was placed inside or shipped to the purchasing dealer for installation. I really got some great information from that guy at C&C back then. This truck was sold new at Park Place Pontiac GMC, Lincoln, Nebraska in 1980. It was driven daily all year long by the first and then second owner till I bought it in the late 80's with about 100k miles and not a outer panel saveable from rust. The second owner was my body shop manager and I tried to buy it for several years before he started working for me. He is the one with the tallent to professionally paint this truck to what you see in the pictures. It was fitted with all sheet metal and laid out with striping and hood bird and masked out. Then it was taken totally apart and each piece painted off the truck and then assembled. Very nice. My shop mgr had bought it when he was in tech school in Milford, NE and the truck never left 50 miles of where it was sold new until 1994. In fact, I sold it at the Lincoln, NE Swap Meet back around 94.

[trout]

Originally Posted by 74 stepside

You've got it backwards. With a 2.76 gear it will fly on the freeway, be a slow dog on the streets.

very true

[MusicMan70]

Great info and Great Thread....Thanks HOTFUN for your background story.

[motornut]

Cool info
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[ElGracho]

Very cool history.

I had one of these trucks too. I purchased it from Ebay in 2003. It was a 1980 Sierra Grande Indy Hauler. (I incorrectly called it a High Sierra a couple posts back). 350 4bbl with TH350C. Lockup converter but no overdrive. I would guess yours had the same. I was very disappointed when I found the factory 2.56:1 gears in the 10 bolt rear.

Mine came with the small "sport" mirrors and a flat back window but was externally very similar to the truck you started with otherwise.

My truck was originally sold by Iten GMC-Pontiac in Mandan, North Dakota. With the research I've done, these trucks show up only occasionally and it is interesting to me how many of them come from the Midwest and breadbasket states. This has been true of the Gentleman Jim and Beau James trucks too.

The operator of the used car dealership in California that sold my truck on ebay was a crook and that left a very bad taste in my mouth with my truck. I traded it to my uncle for a new Wurlitzer jukebox late in 2004.

[Pro/StreetPete]

very cool trucks...would love to come across one someday...

[HOTFUN]

El Gracho, Your truck was in much better shape than this one when I started. The hood on mine had the rusting all over the hood and also my box, fenders and even the door corners was rusted through in a lot of places. The good things about mine even though it had major rusting it was basically all kept factory stock just drove hard and put away wet. Spoiler was broke off and interior was trashed. I remember buying new GM fenders at about $75 each and doors about $120 back then.

[ElGracho]

Originally Posted by ElGracho

...but was externally very similar to the truck you started with otherwise...

Originally Posted by HOTFUN

El Gracho, Your truck was in much better shape than this one when I started.

I just meant both were short wide beds, bumpers were body color matched with rub strips, white grilles, decals etc but they did have different trim levels and different mirror options.

The one I had was not nearly as nice as those pictures made it look either. It needed rockers, cab corners, bed corners, inner fenders, doors etc to fix the rust.

I remember the great prices on parts for these trucks too. My 84 K10 was my first. I was working for a fast lube place where we also had 2 mechanics bays. Because of that, I was able to get GM parts at jobber cost at our local dealership. I bought fenders for $90 each and a hood for $135 in 1996. I remember doors being beyond my budget at $225. I would love to give that money now for GM sheet metal in the boxes...

[79 blue monster]

very coool!