Garage squatter cleaned up time

[DirtyLarry]

Dusted off an old friend this weekend that has been in hibernation for 6 years. Actually, 18 months since started last, 11 years since last registered (2001 tags) and 13 years since last driven on a road (1999 Woodward Dream Cruise in Detroit, MI). Thursday night I pulled the car cover off and cleaned it up with all intentions of selling it to order a new Camaro but change my mind after about an hour in to cleaning it. This is my first vehicle when I was 15 years old…l can’t sell something I’ve owned for over 25 years! What was I thinking! I still want a new Camaro so I guess I have to figure out a different way to pay for it.

1968 GMC

[PanelDeland]

I don't believe I would let go of that one either.Looks like it cleaned up nice.I'm just curious as to how you could let it sit for so long.

[jmdemon55]

Lookin' Good & sounds GREAT!!!!! a keeper for sure!

[rogergodding]

Wow. That thing sounds awesome...... go drive it or something

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by PanelDeland

I don't believe I would let go of that one either.Looks like it cleaned up nice.I'm just curious as to how you could let it sit for so long.

Life and careers get busy and I lost interest in anything that wasn’t 4x4 when I moved back to Colorado from Detroit around 2001. Really what can you do with a truck like this other than sweat your asrse off at summer car shows and hang out with old farts at Sonic on Friday night? I’d rather be out in the neverlands fishing and off-roading and never see anybody for days on end. See my 4wd threads to understand where my true interest are at…(my ’78 K10-offroadster is my baby) That is how this ‘68 truck got lost in the garage for a decade…..Change of interests.

I built this ’68 GMC with every dime I could spare in High School and College (early to mid 90’s) but I am a perfectionist and the truck doesn’t suit my satisfaction so it got tucked away for a decade+ because I could find a millions things wrong with the paint job that I applied, the engine appearance, the sound of the exhaust, the looks of the interior…etc...but I could never bring myself to sell it. I need help, I know….

Over the last few weeks, I have been talking about a new Camaro 2SS or ZL1 and the other day the wife got on my azz about this old yellow truck that has been stitting in the garage for years so I pulled it out to clean up to sell. Next thing you know, I was in love again and ready to fix the stuff the 21 year old kid that built it couldn’t do or afford at the time. That 21 year old kid that built this yellow truck is 40 now and apparently is in some mid-life crisis to be thinking of offing it for a new Camaro ZL1. The wife knows best I guess. She has been my girl since I was a kid when I was still building this truck so I guess she knows me best……..I can still find a million plus flaws in this truck! I want to sell it or rip it to the frame rails to start over!

[1972BackInBlackC10]

just a thought since you've had this truck for 25 years we all know that no matter how fast, tight, nice that camaro is you will regret selling this truck time and time again

with that being said since you mentioned you love is 4 wheeling fishing and just slipping out of the reaches of every day life aaand since you also talked about ripping it down to the frame

i was thinking why dont you search the craigslist adds and find yourself a 69-72 4 wheel drve chassis or truck that has a hooped body and make this truck into a 4x4 you can have the best of both worlds, use it to go fishing or camping whatever it is you do, if you want to do some serious off roading it looks like you have a coupe rigs to not have to worry about damaging this one

just a thought and an option instead of selling

[rsavage]

Nice looking truck - love the BB. Try to buy the Camaro without selling it if you can. You did a very nice job. We can always find fault with how we did something. At the same time, someone else will look at the truck and marvel at how well it was put together. We can seek perfection but we rarely achieve it, especially when we are our own most demanding critic.

[Palf70Step]

Man, I had forgotten that one was yours. I wondered where she had been hiding. One of those great trucks.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

That is a pretty sweet ride minus all the yellow from the 90s...She needs some chrome up front and some updates..

[67swb72klb]

looks to me that 21 year old did a dam good job building that truck
does not sound like you are ready to sell and i dont blame you keep it !

[chevy72pu]

Man! After watching that video, I say fill'er up and take off. I love Camaros too, but DANG. Sell some of your furniture to buy one and keep the truck.

[yuccales]

Originally Posted by chevy72pu

man! After watching that video, i say fill'er up and take off. I love camaros too, but dang. Sell some of your furniture to buy one and keep the truck.

^this^

[CG]

Neat that you still have it after all these years. But like you said your interests have changed. I love reading your four wheel drive adventures.

But why keep it if you could so easily park it for so many years? Kind of like people that collect cars and never drive em. Seems kind of sad for those cars not to be out there being enjoyed.

Course its easy for me to say sell it to someone that will love it like you did since I don't have a history with it =)

[PAWS 72]

DirtyLarry DON'T sell it.You will regret it if you do.I can find every thing wrong with my truck right now.I want carry mine to the frame also but health reasons won't let me.

Dad is the same way with his 74 Javelin he bought new.Mom stays on him all the time about selling it cause he doesn't drive it but it aint costing anything setting there.he said the car is cheaper to keep than her.talking about being in the dog house.

[67Slider]

Beautiful truck DL! Sounds great. I haven't seen it around PW and me and my 2 boys are always on the lookout for a nice truck. Love to see it in person.

[ole dollor]

man that's a nice truck....i would hate to see it go....but it's all you..

[DirtyLarry]

Thanks guys! I doubt I’ll ever actually part with it.

Tomorrow I am going to pull it out again and snap a bunch of pictures of it. It’s been a while since I’ve taken any updated pictures. I might even go get insurance and license plates on it next week. I need new pictures for Haggerty Insurance anyway.

67Slider, I’ve seen your truck around before. Nice looking stepper! You haven’t seen mine around because it hasn’t left the house in over 10 years. I used to drive it around town a lot up until 1997 when I moved to Detroit. When I moved back in 2001, I renewed the CO plates but didn’t drive it much that year. After that it has just been sitting in the corner of the garage.

Anybody know of any nice high quality seat belts other than the LMC junkers? I need tan ones

[dan42]

I agree with backin black - find a longbed 4WD frame and swap bodies. You would have one sweet truck.

[Hubscrub]

wow nice truck

[bbadfred]

I LOVE that color!!! looks familiar? LOL

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by bbadfred

I LOVE that color!!! looks familiar? LOL

I’ve seen tons of Corvette yellow ones but not another 67-68 GMC with a painted grill. Looks good. Funny, I was thinking of Coys wheels or the American Racing Coys look-a-likes too. Now I know what they will look like on the truck.

[DirtyLarry]

Pictures from today before I put it back to bed.















It originally had a rare Dana 60 semi-floating rear axle but I broke 3 teeth of the ring gear in high school racing a buddy one night in a ’79 Trans Am with a 403. I still have the D60 housing that I need to fix someday. A lot of people didn’t realize some of these GMCs came with semi-floating D60’s. The axle in it now is a Dana 44 from a different 1968 GMC parts truck I had.




That is the factory tach and buddy buckets original to this truck.


A neat 396 hat pin I turned into a glove box ornament when I painted the truck back in 1993


Tucked back in its nest

[Hubscrub]

you say you like 4x4's, interest changed reason to sell. you can't off road a camaro either

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Hubscrub

you say you like 4x4's, interest changed reason to sell. you can't off road a camaro either

The kind of off-roading I do is not what most people do. Most people just to go the local mud hole or follow the two tracks along the power lines to get their truck muddy. I head to AZ and UT deserts for a week at time to explore the back country and just get away from civilization and people or head to the CO high country to fish. That said, all of my play money is being directed into my ’78 K10 off-roadster and ’89 Suburban that is also becoming an off-roadster. I kinda of lost interest in 2wd trucks because, as I mentioned above, all you can really do is take them to a car show or cruise night. At least a Camaro would make for a fun daily driver and still be a cool all around ride. Converting this yellow truck to a 4x4 would not accomplish a thing for me as it would still be a pretty truck for car shows and cruise nights. That bores me! Off-roading, camping and fishing is where my interests lie. Baking at a car show is not. Maybe in another 10 to 15 years when I am in my 50's that will be what I want to do.

[OldCreek]

Larry,

I'm coming at it a little differently...

I have my 4x4's and love em. I've always had a 4wd SUV or 4wd truck. I've sold my modern truck and only have my 70 & 71. They certainly don't get any decent mpg's and using them as a daily driver would be inefficient.

I have my 350z and its fun and gets decent mileage...but I have more fun in my classics and a two seater car can be inconvenient sometimes. So I bought the 72 and installed the 5.3/4l60e. I'm trying to make it a daily driver and, hopefully, will get around 18mpgs +...fingers crossed. If I do, so long 350z!

I'm not saying to swap the drivetrain but what keeps the truck from being a daily driver?
(Don't get me wrong, I know the Camaro would be awesome to own!)

Wil