Jebb's Project 1959 GMC

[Jebb1978]

First of all, I want to give you all a little back ground. My GMC adventure started in 1987 when I was in 3rd grade. My Dad picked up a super rare 1959 Short Box Fleet Option pick up. It was used many years ago as a parts truck and had been left for dead in a wash. He called me in sick that day and we took a few hour trip to Ajo Arizona to pick it up. He paid $200 with enough scattered parts to make a truck out of. We were uneducated about the Fleet option and threw many rare parts away and sold them cheap at swap meets. By 1994 it had a Camaro subframe and 283 Th-350 combo with a fresh coat of Yellow paint and was the nicest I have ever seen it. It was used as daily driver and work truck for the next 9 years or so. When it was pretty well beat it was given to me as a runner. I drove it as it was for about a year prior to tearing it down to give it the full frame up. After a few years of parts collecting I am ready to begin.

Here she is (don't laugh or puke okay)

[Jebb1978]

My Dad is still involved in this project as well. We just took a trip out to Texas to pick up some parts I bought off the board. He is stoked about getting to start over. This here is by far the best news this truck has had in the last 20+ years. The parts truck I have been praying for. This is a 1 ton Flat bed Duelly with 77K original miles! It has a beautiful cab and the chrome option. I know it is a crime to take anything off this truck but I can't help it. I am going to put my cab and sheet metal on this truck with a fresh coat of paint and a 59 Chevy grille. My Dad is going to use it as he retires in a few months and starts his own buisness.



I promise she won't suffer! She will be a very nice Chevy

I will post some progress as it begins to take shape. We have the bed off the frame now and are planning on starting the c notch and axle flip as we clean the frame up. As soon as the materials come in we are going to start cutting and grinding! Stay tuned!

[jsbgump]

Glad to hear your gonna get this thing going. I hope that everything works out as planned. Good luck with your build.

[Jebb1978]

Wow your fast Gump! Thanks buddy.
Hey guys be sure to check out this guys parts list. He is great to deal with and prices are great!

[Norselander]

[CAL 58 GMC]

Hey Jebb, I am glade to see you got your thread going on your project! I plan on checking back often, so keep the post coming.

[Jebb1978]

Spent a little time with a sawzall, bench grinder, angle grinder and my buddies welder (with my buddy to use it). I recut the front of the frame (as my Dad used a torch to do it years back and needed it back on the road so never cleaned it up) and made brackets for the inner fenders. Cal 58 CMC's front looks much more presentable so I am going to use that as my basis. I think I am going to box the ends when I finish with the brackets. Hey Cal my inner fenders have to be way differant than your 55 Chevy ones. I put the inner fenders on to mock it up and they don't have any curve to them at all? I guess they must have changed them.

[Jebb1978]

Got supplys for the next little project too! Stick around more to come soon

[71SWBChevy]

Looking good there Jebb keep us posted! I love that body style of truck, not as much as the 67-72 but a close second!

[dwcsr]

Got sparks flying... Metal plates and welding that means progress. Now all you need is a little testosterone to spray in the air and your all set to go.

The testosterone spray keeps women from coming around and bothering us while we do important manly stuff with hammers and fire.

[Jebb1978]

Thanks fella's I have a long way to go but at least I am finally doing something! It feels great to knock out even the smallest detail because it means that the project is now underway! I will be out there again the next few days as now I have the bug!

[CAL 58 GMC]

Looks like some good progress Jebb! The inner fenders are different on the 55, 56 & 57. The 58 & 59 hood hinge spring attracted to the fenders and 55 thru 57 attach at the hinge on firewall. If your talking about the bracketts from the pic's I sent you, then those are for the radiator support. Keep the pic's coming!

[Jebb1978]

I started stripping the frame down today and wire brushed what I could get to. Put a coat of rustolium on it. My Brother in law is going to lend me his spring compressor tommorrow so I can tear off the a-arms. I did notice a lot more ugliness today so I am going to spend a bit more time of the front end than I had hoped to.

[Jebb1978]

Originally Posted by CAL 58 GMC

If your talking about the bracketts from the pic's I sent you, then those are for the radiator support. Keep the pic's coming!

I am still trying to figure out
1) how those will work for me???
2) how the hell to make those with my limited tooling???

They sure are pretty.....

[dwcsr]

Jebb,

PM me I have some of those brackets I don't need.

[CAL 58 GMC]

Originally Posted by Jebb1978

My Brother in law is going to lend me his spring compressor tommorrow so I can tear off the a-arms.

Hey Jebb, Check out the link below from Early Classic's web site on how to remove coil springs. Just remember, alway use extreme caution when removing coil springs even with a spring compressor! A loaded spring flying out can be very dangerous and I wouldn't want to see you get hurt buddy.

http://www.earlyclassic.com/tech.asp...le%20Rods%20P3

[Jebb1978]

Thanks guys! I will take both of you up on your offers

How cool are my parents to let me do this in their yard

WOW! I hope I don't have kids like me

[Kabwe]

Your truck looks like its in pretty solid shape "not like mine I have to replace everything). You will do great just take your time and plan your project.

[dwcsr]

This is one of the brackets I mentioned. I have to find the other.

[CAL 58 GMC]

That's the one you need Jebb. Were is your bummper hooing up to? do you have the brackets for it to weld on?

[Jebb1978]

Kabwe- she's not as solid as she may look in the pictures. I am finding out everyday I work on it that it is worse off than I thought. Thanks Though!

dwcsr- Looks nice from here.

Cal- She has not had a bumper since the Camaro clip so we will see how it works when I get the other truck to compare the two.

Today was not as productive as I had hoped. I didn't get the spring compressor until the day was over. I had my son with me and that was a mild handicap too. He was having fun watching. Look how excited he gets about such little progress. I got everything up to the part where I needed the spring compressor and then I just yanked the steering colum and various things to save time later.

[irongun324]

Do you need a spring compressor? When we swapped the a arms, springs, and front disc brakes from a 74 to a 68 we didn't use a spring compressor, just put a jack underneath the spring and knocked it loose then slowly lowered it the rest of the way with the jack.. .worked like a charm all 4 times...

[Jebb1978]

Originally Posted by irongun324

Do you need a spring compressor? When we swapped the a arms, springs, and front disc brakes from a 74 to a 68 we didn't use a spring compressor, just put a jack underneath the spring and knocked it loose then slowly lowered it the rest of the way with the jack.. .worked like a charm all 4 times...

That method is not recommended when you don't have the weight of the motor in the front. I could end up lifting the truck off the jack stands or letting the wrath of the spring loose. Nasty little buggers!

[CAL 58 GMC]

I have done it the same way irongun324 has done it. But, it is always safer to use a spring compressor and if you don't feel confident doing it without them don't. As I said before, A loaded spring flying out can be very dangerous. Good luck and be safe!

[Jebb1978]

Sorry no new pics, I have been busy however. I got the her down to bare frame rails up front finally and cleaned and painted back to where the two frames are mended. Boy there is going to be a lot of clean up work there when I get the cab out of the way! I got the sway bar cleaned up and painted and got the new motor mounts in. I just ordered a PST Super Front End Kit and will have the Hotchkis drop springs and KYB shocks enroute hopefully by the beginning of next week. I think I am going to install the engine before I put the springs in (seems safer). I hope I can finish cleaning and painting the A-arms and various parts before all the parts arrive. My pace has been steady so far and I don't want to slow the progress. I am also trying to keep it at one project at a time so I can stay motivated! I will take pic next time I am out there.