How about some pics of '73-'87 Short Beds Part II

[yesndeed]

Thanks, I'm in the process of putting in the one piece window kit, but here are a few more.

[63-73stepside]

here is my original paint 73 stepside

[Matt Man]

Love it, what size are the wheels?

[63-73stepside]

Originally Posted by Matt Man

Love it, what size are the wheels?

Thank you 20 x 8 with 265 45 tyres on the front and 20 x 9 with 295 40 tyres on the rear

[crazyjim]

Originally Posted by econtreras72

Just a quick picture of my latest project. Hope you guys enjoy it.

What size tires are you running on it ?

[HAULIN' IT]

Here's a picture of my wife's

[Advanced Design]

Haulin It...cool launch. Oldsmobile emblem on the front?

[HAULIN' IT]

Yea, It's rather rare

[bL.A.zer90045]

heres one of my c10's i just put a 5.3 in.still needs the speedo modded in and interior swapped out for newer buckets w/console,and tuned and exhaust ran,then i can get busy on my 6.0 swap in my 86 k5 blazer that ive converted from 4wd to 2wd and also modded into a full vert using a 74 donor

[83GMCK2500]

Originally Posted by HAULIN' IT

Yea, It's rather rare

First observation is how neat and clean it looks under that hood. I'd appreciate a few more details though. I have seen/heard "Rocket" before and know that it relates to Oldsmobile, beyond that? little before my time.

[bL.A.zer90045]

Originally Posted by VerticalSmile

progress.

c10 looks great! what you got going on with the regal?!?!?!?! sorry i have a soft spot for these 78-88 gbodies(owning 13 myself)actually putting together a 86 "gran sport" regal with a twin turbo'd 4.8PICS PLEASE!!!!

[Joe69C10]

Originally Posted by bL.A.zer90045

heres one of my c10's i just put a 5.3 in.still needs the speedo modded in and interior swapped out for newer buckets w/console,and tuned and exhaust ran,then i can get busy on my 6.0 swap in my 86 k5 blazer that ive converted from 4wd to 2wd and also modded into a full vert using a 74 donor

Are you using the newer style gauge cluster in your swap?

[bL.A.zer90045]

thats the plan

[daddyjeep]

Originally Posted by 83GMCK2500

First observation is how neat and clean it looks under that hood. I'd appreciate a few more details though. I have seen/heard "Rocket" before and know that it relates to Oldsmobile, beyond that? little before my time.

I am very intrigued by this truck. I did some searching and could not find any information on Olds trucks after the 30's. I also found that the Rocket line of engines were discontinued in '77. Real or not, it is still a cool truck.

[Scudboy]

Originally Posted by HAULIN' IT

Yea, It's rather rare

Yeah...I'd like to know more as well. I'm coming up with 1965-1967 for the Super Rocket engine, and I can't find a thing about a Oldsmobile full size pickup from the 80's.

[OutlawDrifter]

guys...it's an olds in a chevy/gmc pickup with a custom grill.

455 maybe?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

guys...it's an olds in a chevy/gmc pickup with a custom grill.

455 maybe?

If I were a bettin man......

[Scudboy]

So...are you saying that OP is mistaken about the "rareness" of his Oldsmobile pickup?

[OutlawDrifter]

Originally Posted by Scudboy

So...are you saying that OP is mistaken about the "rareness" of his Oldsmobile pickup?

Not mistaken, notice the wink emoticon. Sarcasm is tough through text.

[HAULIN' IT]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

guys...it's an olds in a chevy/gmc pickup with a custom grill.

455 maybe?

Exactly! To get the whole story you would have to go back to the mid '80's when as kids, everybody got "hand-me-down" Pontiac's, Oldsmobiles & Buick's from a parent, aunt or grandparent to drive. Much of my early wrenching/hotrodding was on Oldsmobiles.

Jump to the mid '90's...when I built my first Olds powered truck. I have a '78 4x4 350/4 spd long bed that my wife wouldn't drive because of the manual trans. I had my friend that builds trannys do a multi-case TH350 for me with a 4x4 output shaft & we swapped it over a weekend. My plan was one step ahead now as I had been thinking about doing a big Caddy swap to make pulling a trailer nice & easy.
Not even a year later, at work we towed in a MINT '71 Delta 98 with 39,000 miles on it...HEAVILY damaged in a front end collision. I worked a deal with the insurance co. trading the car for the storage money owed.
A weekend swap resulted in a GREAT driving, smooth operating, towing vehicle that was just "so right" that you couldn't help but notice if you drove it or rode in it. I have always truely have felt GM missed the mark by not using an "alternative" engine family in the GMC trucks! They would have sold Two to One of the Chevys. Don't get me wrong, I like small & big Chevy engines...the smooth, low speed torque of the Buick, Olds & Caddys are just right at home in a big, heavy truck.

Now on to this one, about 2000 or so...My transmission building friend had riden in the truck, borrowed the truck & commented on how well it worked. He was working at a mom & pop, primarily Olds dealership (remember those...Buick & Pontiac were up the street?). He had bought a Brown/Tan 4.3 V6 gem that was real tired & asked if I would help him do an Olds swap to his if he found a motor. He ends up with a '67 Olds Delmont (insert what the air cleaner & oil fill tube decals match) with a 425 for $200...sold the car for $100 & we get started. We had re-sealed the engine, installed a timing chain & painted it up like it is in the photos in spare time after hours at the dealership.

Once fully assembled, the dealership owner asked if he wanted to put the engine in the corner of the waiting room in the service dept. to keep it clean & would make a nice conversation piece for the "ol men" that come in until we install it.

Sooooo, he calls me one day & says this guy came in that was building a streetrod...you know the story, he had a 425 in a blah, blah, HAD to have it & was willing to pay $800 for it & pay my friend another $200 to install an Edelbrock carb, aluminum intake, chrome valve covers & oilpan.
The deal was made & now he finds a '74 455 that we re-seal & installed the left-over parts on & we stick it in. It runs real well for a '74 motor & he drove it year 'round for a couple years (ya know, BIG snow tires in the winters & weight in the bed). At some point he pounds a bearing out of it from beating it because it just felt so right & it sat behind the dealership for a while. In spare time I was porting heads & he was gathering parts to put it back together. One day he calls & says they are adding to the parking lot & the truck needed moved. He told me to come get it if I wanted it, go pay the bill at the machine shop for the heads & collect the parts, it was mine. He had lost interest (the LS stuff was out).

So fast forward another summer when my wife comes & says: "I'm tired of you always building/help others with stuff, I want something to cruise this summer! Either build me something or I'm going to buy something & you are NOT going to tear it apart!" So I gathered the parts up, stuck it together & have been "fine tuning" it ever since...that's been about 10 years now.

I made the grille with a mold from a Girlscout cookie box poured with some plastic glue, a bunch of time spent cutting a 1/4" thick piece of Aluminum & a broken Impala tail lamp. I have the interior dressed too...Olds steering wheel & "correct" mid '85's Olds emblem on the dash.

It's been allot of fun over the years. We drive it near daily in nice weather & have made hundreds of dragstrip passes. Over the years we have changed a bunch of things...re-did the body, suspension, fuel system, ect. but the SAME engine we were building for his daily driver is in there. Something with power to go 11.80's would have been hell on snow tires! Take Care, Lorne

[Advanced Design]

Hey Lorne, great story on your truck! Thanks for sharing.

[N2TRUX]

Great info and a fun to read history, thanks for sharing. Im sure you have heard how a guys Uncles, second cousin that worked for GM had one just like it.
Lets see more pics.

[Scudboy]

^Ditto...lets see some of that interior.

[Flatpat]

1990 r3500

[bbbc10]

Thats not a shortbed! Lol