1972 gmc 2wd highlander with original paint

[kehstr]

This is my 1972 gmc highlander that i have been working on for a while, and i finally have the time now to post what i have done, and hope to have time to upload what i do every week.
I'm putting a 5.3 litter ls motor in it, there are pictures of it in when i brought the motor home, and when i was painting it, then another picture with it in the frame. The frame was powder coated, then i took and cleaned up all of the suspension components. While the chassis was torn down, i cut the front coil springs to lower it about 1-2 inches, and bought 4 inch drop coils for the rear (hoping that this will get the 2-3 inch all around drop that i am going for, but i may have to tweak things to get what i want). After they were all cleaned up, i put the frame and all suspension components together (picture below of my grandfather and i putting the chassis together) to make the ruling chassis. The orange and white paint on the cab and all of the body panels is the original paint, and i will keep all of it, unless i have to cut it out to fix the rust.

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[bill3rail]

Originally Posted by kehstr

This is my 1972 gmc highlander that i have been working on for a while, and i finally have the time now to post what i have done, and hope to have time to upload what i do every week.
I'm putting a 5.3 litter ls motor in it, there are pictures of it in when i brought the motor home, and when i was painting it, then another picture with it in the frame. The frame was powder coated, then i took and cleaned up all of the suspension components. While the chassis was torn down, i cut the front coil springs to lower it about 1-2 inches, and bought 4 inch drop coils for the rear (hoping that this will get the 2-3 inch all around drop that i am going for, but i may have to tweak things to get what i want). After they were all cleaned up, i put the frame and all suspension components together (picture below of my grandfather and i putting the chassis together) to make the ruling chassis. The orange and white paint on the cab and all of the body panels is the original paint, and i will keep all of it, unless i have to cut it out to fix the rust.

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Sounds like a neat truck, but, none of the attached pictures are working.

[kehstr]

oh sorry didn't realize that, give me a couple minutes while i fix it

[kehstr]

[kehstr]

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[kehstr]

[kehstr]

third time is the charm i guess

[special-K]

That's coming along! If the SPID is still on the glovebox door could you show a picture? I see your GMC was ordered with coil rear springs. Is the rear a Dana 44 or a 12-bolt?

[kehstr]

The rear end is a 12 bolt. The frame is actually out of a chevy. The frame that came with the truck when i bought it was torn down to nothing, with no suspension components or mounts whatsoever. Plus someone at one point torched big chunks out of some pretty obvious parts of the frame. Sense we had already bought a 69 chevy to get the front suspension, we decided that it would be easier to use the chevy axle (not making it true to gmc, because gmc 2 wheel drives always had leaf springs in the rear, and chevy 2 wheel drives always have coil springs in the rear) rather than trying to track down a gmc frame that had the leaf spring mounts. Not what i originally wanted, but most people wouldn't know the difference, so i'm not to worried about it.


Here is a picture of the truck we got for the frame

[RustyBucket]

[QUOTE=kehstr;7379187] we decided that it would be easier to use the chevy axle (not making it true to gmc, because gmc 2 wheel drives always had leaf springs in the rear, and chevy 2 wheel drives always have coil springs in the rear) rather than trying to track down a gmc frame that had the leaf spring mounts. Not what i originally wanted, but most people wouldn't know the difference, so i'm not to worried about it.

My '71 2wd. GMC is coil rear susp. I've had both leaf and coil rear susp. GMC's

[67 chevelle]

I think coils were an option on GMC's , and far superior in my opinion

[kehstr]

i must just be the majority of gmc's that are leaf springs, because I've never seen a coil spring gmc, until it came to mine

[Already Gone]

Chevs came with coil springs as standard and you could order a Chev with leafs if desired. Same is true for GMC's, they came standard with leafs and you could order coils if you wanted.

[kehstr]

Here are some pictures of the rust repair, along with my progress on my electronic speedometer conversion (here is a link for a complete overview of the conversion: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=512751) wish i had more pictures, but get to sucked in to the project at hand and forget.

[kehstr]

then here is a picture of the spid (hope it's readable), and some more pictures of the cab with a better camera, along with my dad's 1971 blazer in the background

[special-K]

Progress! Thanks for the picture of the SPID. I see your truck is a super Custom

My '67 GMC project is being built on a '71 Chevy SWB coil rear chassis. Most coil rears are corporate while most leaf rears are Danas. But, I have seen coil spring Dana rears and maybe leaf spring 12-bolts (in C-models). The rarest 1/2t rear I have seen was a coil spring Dana60 6-lug.

Whoever said they think coil rear suspension is superior, I wonder in what way? For a more car-like ride? For lowering now that they are toys for many? For launching? As far as the purpose that trucks exist for, hauling/working, obviously leaf springs are superior. Not an opinion, a fact. Otherwise, why did GM go back to leaf, why were 4wds never coil sprung, and why do big trucks run leaf springs? I guess just stating you think coils are superior isn't enough info for us to get your meaning

[kehstr]

The specific spid # is 160410, the 604 means it had gray plad, you can identify the highlander by the custom trim combination. Here is a link for the complete thread on highlander pickups. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=635040

[special-K]

I know all about the Highlanders. I have had several over the years. My first truck was a Highlander. I've had some that were the exception to the rule with combinations that were allegedly not available, including the first truck.

[tommys72]

What's up with the big 4 wheel drive there in the background? Looks nice

[davepl]

This 1968 GMC 910 has the coil spring option plus an overloader from the factory. Wood bed, side trim but painted bumper, 307, TH400, PS, manual brakes. Weird truck. Dad drove it every day from new till his death in '96.

[kehstr]

The 4 wheel drive in the background, is my dads 1971 blazer that he put in a LS 6.0 and a 4l80e. Then built a custom cage, and put a ford Dana 60 front end, then a semi-floating 14 bolt in the back.

[Dieselwrencher]

Great project, and nice work on it. That's pretty cool to be able to build a truck with your grandpa and your Dad too. Your Dad's Blazer looks sweet. We need more pictures of that and the 71/72 4wd in post #6. Do you have a completion date for your truck?

[kehstr]

If you are talking about the red and white truck in the back ground that you see the back of, then it's my dad's 72 4wd with a 454 bored over (don't know how much) and yes those are the only 2 running 67-72 trucks and blazers that my dad owns right now.
No i do not have a completion date, at this point i just want to keep it fun, and hope to have it done within the year, with shouldn't be hard at all.

[Dieselwrencher]

Hey, 2 running 67-72's is better than most I know. And absolutely, have fun and enjoy it! The trucks I had in high school were no prom queens but they got the job done. Haha

[kehstr]

haha, i don't need a prom queen truck right now, i got my dad's truck for that LOL