Build Thread...1979 GMC 1 Ton Camper Special

[Fraser Beatty]

Rather than start a new thread everytime I have a question about my truck, I have decided to start a build thread to ask questions and give updates on my progress.

First, let me give a little introduction. I am a 17 year old high school student in my final year. I live just outside of Sarnia, Ontario. Sarnia is just across the St. Clair River from Port Huron, Michigan. I work during the summer at a local automotive shop doing oil changes, minor exhaust work, helping out with suspension, brakes, etc. This will be my first truck restoration, although I have worked on tractor and farm implement restorations before (I'm a farm kid). I am currently in the process of restoring a 1948 Minneapolis Moline tractor that has been in the family since new, and I have another tractor resto lined up, so this "new" truck means I have no shortage of projects

Now, let me tell you about my truck. It is a 1979 GMC 1 Ton Camper Special. It is a single-rear-wheel model with a 350, factory AC, and the Sierra Classic trim level. My plans for the truck are, first and foremost to get it roadworthy, fix anything that does not work, such as air conditioning, then give it a decent paint job. I am not planning on doing anything fancy to it, I just want it to look half decent and not break the bank in doing so, as I am saving up for university. Here are a couple of pics of the truck:

[Fraser Beatty]

Any thoughts, advice, or comments are greatly appreciated. This being my first truck resto, I am sure I will be looking to you guys often for help. Thanks in advance.

[C-10volvo]

You're wheels are some old school true directionals. You may want to rotate them so they all point the same way. Welcome to the board and you will find a wealth of knowledge here to get you thorough your project!

I'm jealous of your shop

[abebummy26]

You dont see very many srw 1 ton 4wds let alone 2wd nice find I like the '79s the best. I wish I had my K30 now, really bad. Good luck.

[Fraser Beatty]

Thanks guys....I just noticed that too, that the wheels are all facing different directions. I will definately rotate them so that they all face the right way. Our shop is 40 X 100 with the front part sectioned off as a work area and the rear dedicated to equipment storage.

[old Rusty C10]

love your truck and like your plan.. i like mine the same way..plain and simple and basically stock,,
i just pulled the same grille off of mine hated it
there are pics of my 1982 around here
keep us updated

[Fraser Beatty]

Thanks..I am planning on pulling my grille as well and replacing it with a stock GMC one.

[abebummy26]

My brother had a 78 gmc for a while it was a 3/4 ton. It was a pretty nice truck. It had a straight pipe for a while because of rust in the tailpipe. I really need to buy the motor out of that truck Its a four bolt main 350 block.

[Fraser Beatty]

Well, upon further inspection of the rims/tires, I can't figure out which way they are supposed to go. The fronts face one way and the rears the opposite way, which means that one set of wheels is the right way, while the others are wrong. I think the fronts are the right way and the rears are facing the wrong way, but I am just not sure. By looking at the pictures, can anyone tell me which way is correct?

[abebummy26]

you might be able to fix it by switching which side they are on. You could move you driver side front to passenger side rear and take passenger side rear to driver side front. I think that would fix it unless they are supposed to be pointed the other way.

[abebummy26]

I might be wrong though the more I look at the pics the more confused i get.

[abebummy26]

Crap Just switch which side the rear tires are on.

[Fraser Beatty]

I think you are right, abebummy26, that just switching the side that the rear wheels were on would fix the problem, but I am just not sure if that is the way they are meant to face. The more I look at it, the more I get confused too I guess I will just pull the back wheels, switch em, and see if that fixes the problem. If not, it looks like I gunna hafta pull all 4 and start from scratch

[Ghost Rider 77]

Good looking truck...It has alot of potential. Can't break a ton very easy. Good luck...

[Fraser Beatty]

Thats what I thought when I saw it, that it had a lot of potential to be a good looking and hard working truck. I would have hated to pass up the opportunity to buy it and have it wind up being parted out or crushed or whatever. Some people just do not appreciate old trucks and that they don;t make em like they used to

[Fraser Beatty]

After a lot of thinking and playing around with different ideas, I have decided to repaint the truck Colonial Yellow, and redo the interior tan with the original Sierra Classic trim level. I will post pictures tomorrow of the progress I have made on stripping the interior, and I've got a couple of questions about it that I hope someone can help me with. I have also started the search for the long list of parts I will need to complete my project, but I've got to shop around and find relatively cheap parts, as I am saving money for university next year. Hopefully I'll have the truck done by then

[abebummy26]

How solid is your truck? It looks more solid than mine is I have to say. Mine needs wheel arches, new fender, rockers, cab corners, and doors, and gas doors. I still dont get how that happened. I think I found a driver door the other day though. I have a friend who used to be a body man and can get keystone parts delivered to his door for cost no shipping. So I will be able to get my stuff dirt cheap.

[Fraser Beatty]

My truck is pretty solid, but a small section of the cab floors on both the left and right sides are rusted right through, and the bed needs some repair on one side. Other than that it has only minor surface rust. Thankfully floor panels are fairly cheap.

[abebummy26]

Yeah you get into tons of money with the big stuff though.

[abebummy26]

I think I have the same wheels as you do, but I'm not sure.

[TexasJeff]

Well it is nice to see some more heavy duty trucks being done on here, I was feeling a little left out. 1980 3/4 ton GMC Serria Grande, I did all the mechanicals on mine then made it look pretty. I hope mine inspires you in some way. Good luck on your journey.

Before


After




If you have any questions feel free to ask away, I have had lots of adventures with mine.

[Fraser Beatty]

That is definately inspiring....nice looking truck!

[Fraser Beatty]

Here is a pic to show the progress I have made on stripping the interior. You can see the rust damage to the floors. I will hopefully be picking up some floor panels tomorrow, and I should have them installed within a couple of weeks, depending on how much time I get to work on the truck.

[Fraser Beatty]

In the pictures below are a couple of close-ups of the trim panel on the right front of the cab, under the glove box. How is it supposed to come out? I have taken all the screws and fasteners out of it, but it will not budge. It appears to be fastened in place somehow by the vent in its centre. Can anyone tell me how to get it out properly, without resorting to blunt force?

[Ron 586]

I have had this old truck for 7-8 years. It was part of a 3 truck deal and was the first single wheel 1 ton truck I had ever seen. My buddy bought it about 20 years ago (mid eighties) to use as a fuel hauler for his construction and gravel pit business. It looked new all shiny and bright work polished up. The color combination and trim made it stand out in a crowd from the plain Jane 1 ton flatbeds. I watched it slowly get beat to death over the years down to what it looks like now. The engine was worn out and the transmission wanted to jump out of 4th gear every time you let off the gas. It had the engine and trans pulled and rebuilt but ended up going into a truck that had a better body. So after sitting behind the shop for a year or two I made a deal to get it and 2 other 1 tons. I had planned to build it back to like it was the first time I saw it but as you can see life got in the way. So it sits out in my outdoor parts department waiting on me to do something with it. You can click on the photobucket link in my siggy and see the rest of my "gonna fix it up someday" collection. Good luck with your build and I'll be watching for progress reports.