58 GMC Project

[CAL 58 GMC]

Thanks, ChargerBill. I am getting back the frame from the powder coater Friday. I will post pics. I understand what you are saying about the year and make. I gave it some thought and figured to go by the registration year. When it’s all done it will look like a 55 Chevy and not a 58 GMC with the exception of the dash. I know it might upset some GMC guys to turn this tuck into a Chevy, so to all of you GMC guys, sorry. But as I see it, I am saving an old truck from rusting away at the bone yard.

[Kabwe]

Cal 58. I have a 58 that I'm also gonna change to a 55. I have a 55 Chevy and I want them to be twins.lol My motto is its mine and I do with it what I want. If you like it cool if you don't keep your mouth shut.lol Thats what I do when I look at cars. You have a nice project there.

Go checkout mine at http://www.cardomain.com/id/mkabwe

You can take a look at my almost finished 55 Chevy 210 (finished really just minor stuff I want to do) and my basketcase of a 58 chevy truck.

[CAL 58 GMC]

Kabwe, I checked your pics out and love you 55 210. I always have loved the grill opening of the 55 chevys. That one reason I have a 55 chevy clip on the front of my truck, it reminds me of the 55 210. Your truck project looks like it's coming along well. I would like to see pics when your done.

[Kabwe]

Cal58GMC.

Thanks for the wonderful comments you made about my 55 210. I get a lot of thumbs up on that car and it feels great. Yeah the truck is coming a long, but since I have the 55 210 I'm not in a rush. I want this truck to be slamin and done as nice as I can do it. So the things I can't afford right now will have to wait until I can. I'm not settling for nothing. I have always been disappointed when I settle for something wishing I would have done it the way I really wanted to.

So I don't listen to my buddies anymore when they say things like "man you really like that" "why do you want to do that" etc.

After building a couple of cars and trucks I learned to I do what I want or I will never be happy with it.

I don't want a show truck but heck of a nice driver.

Plus after the money I put into the 55 210 my wife will kill me if I rush this project and spend all my money at once.lol

I will be sure to post pics when I do anything of note. But like I said I will take my time on this truck I want it to be really nice. Just as nice as I think my 55 210 is. But with the truck I'm going a little more bling bling. lol Because the parts are much cheaper than the 55 210. Man I don't even want to talk about it. My wife almost left me behind that car.lol

But everytime I pull it out of the garage there she is talking about " where we going"?

She loves it now that its finished. I think she really likes the attention we get in it.lol

[CAL 58 GMC]

Kabwe,

I have done the same thing, taking short cut our trying to save a buck and then end up not happy. I end up spending more time and money getting the way I should have done it in the first place or that one thing keeps sticking out like a sore thumb. And as for the wife thing, I hear you man!! Right now all my wife sees is all those parts and the money I have spent. I hope my wife will be like yours and fall in love my truck when I am done!

[ChargerBill]

CAL 58, the way I see it, you're saving an old truck. The sad truth is that GMC fenders and grille pieces are very difficult to find. By turning this into a '55 Chevy you're not doing anything wrong at all...in fact, you're helping the hobby. My main concern in calling it a '58 GMC is that someone who doesn't know any better is going to actually think it IS a '58 GMC. Maybe not somene here, but someone along the line somewhere, and to avoid the endless explanations you're going to have to endure it might be easier to call it a '55 up front. BTW: Did you know that you can grind a few welds and separate the dash from the cowl? You could then install a Chevy dash. I'm not sure how many swap meets you go to or junk yards you visit, but I see them every so often. In fact, if my father didn't throw it away, I may have one out behind the workshop....

[Jebb1978]

I agree with ChargerBill, maybe some day you will come across the front clip that belongs on it. If so it was ment to be if not, there is nothing wrong with fixing up an old truck with the parts you have for it. A 55 Chevy truck is a wonderful thing in itself. The progress looks awsome, keep the pics coming! My next project is my Dad's 59 GMC. He ran it for 15 years with no grille at all because he never came across the right one. I am not sure how I am going to deal with the lack of a grille but I will just be happy to join the 50's club you guys all ready belong to! Keep up the good work,

Shawn

[CAL 58 GMC]

ChargerBill & Jebb1978, I appreciate both of your thoughs on what make and year to call it. I really did give the matter alot of thought. The fact is it is a 58 GMC. Here's my reasoning. The title and VIN number is a 1958 GMC. If you think about it only the hood grill & fenders are a 55 Chevy, the rest of the truck is a 58 GMC. Yes, from the outside it looks like a 55 Chevy, but that's really not what it is. Another way I looked at it is if I was to list it for sale as a 55 Chevy, then I would be legally miss representing what the truck is. Jebb1978, with ALL DUE RESPECT to all of you GMC fan, I really don't what to put back the 58 GMC clip back on. Thanks again for you thoughs on my project and I hope you both keep checking out my progress, Dave.

[CAL 58 GMC]

The frame is just back from the powder coater. I just found out, the hard way that the Camaro clip up front is a 1980 and not a 1979 like the guy I bought it off of told me. I went to have the bushings pressed in is when we found one of them was to small. After a few phone call to Energy Suspension and researching some measurements we found out it was a 1980. The good news is I now know what year the clip is, bad news is now I have to send back the bushing set for the correct set. Heres a picture of the frame.

[Kabwe]

Hey man that is looking real good to me. I will be powder coating my frame also. By the way I kind of like your gauge/dash idea. I like it because its different . I'm really into being a little different but thats me.

Keep up the good work.

Mkabwe

[CAL 58 GMC]

Thanks Kabwe, The frame was powder coated a gun metal gray, you can't tell by the picture but it has a slight blue tint to it.

[Jebb1978]

Originally Posted by CAL 58 GMC

Jebb1978, with ALL DUE RESPECT to all of you GMC fan, I really don't what to put back the 58 GMC clip back on. Thanks again for you thoughs on my project and I hope you both keep checking out my progress, Dave.

I can certainly respect that, like I said a 55 Chevy is a wonderful thing in itself! You can rest assured that I will continue to follow as we have essentally the same project. I don't have the room to start mine yet but my plan is to do it the right way like you are. I have the Camaro front end on it and all. I have been watching your progress for some time and I find myself jonsing for some progress on mine. I bought a parts truck a while back for the front fenders, doors and took the entire bed too. I took my junk parts and the rest of the donor and loaded them up the same day to save the room. My truck has not yet even been reassembled. Since watching your thread, it is starting to make me sick to think of it sitting in pieces. I really wanted to wait until I was able to do the frame up but I am starting to rethink it. Watching your truck come together makes me want to at least respect mine enough to put it back together even if I am going to tear it back down in a few years. Not too many of us around with the same ol truck and simular plans, it's inspiring! Best of luck and the frame looks AWSOME!

Shawn

[CAL 58 GMC]

Thanks, Jebb1978 for fallowing my project! It's a pretty cool feeling to know guys like yourself are intrested in my project and it's an honor to share the prodject with all of you! Jebb, do you have any pics posted on your truck?

P.S. I don't blame you for wanting to get you truck back on the road agian, mine has been in my garage almost two years now.

[Jebb1978]

I will take some but as a prewarning it's not pretty.!!! She's all tore down! I may be able to find some old pics of it together??? I will look around!

[Jebb1978]

Okay Buddy you asked for it! I looked all over for pics of her when she was together but they are all on film and I don't have a scanner. I went back to get you some pics this morning. It broke my heart to see her like this! It is really sad because I have tons of new stuff for this truck in boxes still. The good news is I have had about all I can take. After I move at the end of this month, I am going to Flat Black and Bolt her together with the new weather stripping I have. I will post them for you when I can get it done. She's sure not much to look at right now!

YIKES!!!





I still have the correct tailgate at my Dad's house but it is trashed!

[CAL 58 GMC]

RIGHT ON MAN!!! She beautiful!!! It might be a cool thing to do by priming her black and making her into a "Rat Rod" until you ready to go all out.

[ChargerBill]

Jebb, is yours going to end up a GMC or a Chevy? Looks like your body/sheetmetal is all pretty clean. As far as not knowing which way to go with the project, I feel for you. My '56 could go either way...tear it down and do a frame off or put it together and drive it for now. I'm really wanting to drive it and all I need to do is swap the hood, swap the new rear end in and mount the bed. Like yours, mine is 5 different colors too. In fact, I have some of the SAME yellow paint on some pieces. I'm thinking for now I might get her all one color (prime black) and drive her until I get the urge to fix her up.

CAL 58, your frame looks SWEEET!! That must have run a few benjamins to have done....especially here in California where the EPA makes guys in our hobby jump through so many hoops that it gets to the point where it's not even worth it. I've seen 2 Auto Body Strippers and 3 Chrome Platers close shop due to regulations in the last 2 years alone. We may not have any hobby professionals willing to do work if it keeps going this way. Oh yeah, who did your powder coating?

BTW: Did either of you mount the Camaro front clip yourselves? What years are best to look for? Is that a pretty straightforward project if you have a big enough shop and know how to weld?

[CAL 58 GMC]

The powder coating wasn't really that expensive. $450 for media blasting and coating. Not bad when you consider you take them an old dirty rusty frame and you get back one that's like new. Clovis powder coating did the work. For those of you that don't know were Clovis is, its right next to Fresno in Central California. The Camaro clip came on the truck, which was one of the main reasons I bought it. Basically the truck was a shell on top of a frame with a Camaro clip. As for the years, 1970 to 1981 are the years most people use. I would use a year that has the "front steering box" (1976 to 1981 I believe) because there is more room for your steering column. The difference between is that the "front steer" has all of the steering linkage is in front of the crossmember including the box, and the "rear steer" as it all behind the crossmember. I believe Nova's have "rear steering" and that's why most people use Camaro, not to mentions that if you find one off a Z-28 you get a heaver sway bar and quicker ratio steering box that you will not get on a Nova.

[Jebb1978]

My Dad did the frontend 10 or more years back. He also used a Camaro in these years. I think his was a 1976.
My truck will be a GMC eventually, I don't know if it is going to have a Chevy grille until I find the GMC grille or not yet. My truck is an original Fleet option truck so either way it will never be original again. My Dad and I have both given away the original parts thinking they were wrong. Then I found this http://www.oldgmctrucks.com/page0287.html DOH!!! To late to go back now, could never find those parts again. But the answer to your question is, I will eventually have 100% GMC gear. I just have to find it first. Thanks for your interest guys!

[1-ton of fun]

nova clips work well too. i am going to be putting a '77 nova clip on my '59 chevy truck soon. 75-79 nova's and 70-81 camaro's have basically the same clip. all that i have heard was different was the front frame horns, but you would be cutting those off anyway.

and the front/rear steer thing refers to the steering linkage being in front of or behind the spindles.

[CAL 58 GMC]

Thanks 1 Ton, I stand corrected on the front & rear steering thing. I was going by what I was told as for the steering box placement.

[1-ton of fun]

the steering box is most likely farther forward, but where the tie rod ends connect to the spindles is what the front or rear steer refers to, so you weren't completely misinformed

[CAL 58 GMC]

I just finished installing the A-arms, springs, shocks and spindles. The A-arms were powder coated what they called aluminum.

[Jebb1978]

Uh oh, your giving me the itch again!!!! Looks really cool not all the same color. I was going to paint my frame but after reading and seeing yours I may just have to spring for the powder coating. Looks HOT!
How much longer on the cab again?

Shawn

[CAL 58 GMC]

Thanks Shawn, I don't know when I am getting the cab back. The guy told me 4 weeks, this is the fourth week and he still not even near being done.