'64 GMC 910 Resto-mod

[Bison]

Hi all,

I've been lurking around these forums for a few months, sourcing info on a project I want to start - a 64-67 Chev or GMC 4x4.

I was finding a lot of trucks that needed the usual work (cab corners, rockers etc.)

My dad found a listing online back home, checked the truck out and picked it up for me. I'm hoping to go back at the end of June/beginning of July to sort some things out, and drive it back. (About 2500 km, or 1500 American moon units).




Full album here



It's a '64 GMC 910 (Canadian K10). The previous owner said that it was repainted about 13 years ago, and that the paint is starting to bubble in some spots. It bugged his back to drive it, and he's only owned it a few months. Before that, it sounds like it sat for a year or two.

• Was a 283 4 speed fleetside.
• Engine is a L48 5.7 Liter V8 from 1969 Camaro SS 350, very low mileage.
• 4spd manual Muncie truck trans.
• Presently Rockwell T-221 case is out of truck with leaky seals, but is driven as 2 wheel drive.
• 3.73 Dana 12 bolt locked rear diff, Dana 44 RF 10 bolt front with locking hubs
• 12" heavy duty clutch
• power steering
• power brakes
• Marine Grade Stainless Steel bumpers, Stainless 35 Imp. Gal rear mounted gas tank.
• Stainless: fan shroud, battery box, side view mirrors, side steps, glove box liner
• BF Goodrich Mud Terrain 31 x 10.5 15" tires
• new fuel pump and fuel filter
• all new grease fittings
• clutch properly adjusted
• new heater hoses
• new Flowmaster dual exhaust, no leak headers
• new Edelbrock 4 barrel carburetor
  

As you can see, some modifications have been done, and my dad and I feel like whoever restored it and repainted it might have been a boat builder (all the stainless fab, the wood in the doors to space the speakers).

My plans for the truck are to (continue to) resto-mod it. I like that the fuel tank relocation has been done (it's huge - 35 imperial gallons...165L if my conversion app is correct).

EXTERIOR

• Address the bubbling paint (strip, prime, fill, repaint ).
• I don't mind if it's a 20 ft paint job, as i'd like to eventually repaint it (thinking a Lemans type blue).
• I'm going to POR-15 everything I can get access to, and maybe put asphalt type undercoating in high gravel-spray areas.
• Might do mudflaps front and rear as well.

Question: I'm not big on the rims. I'd like to eventually go to front discs and at least a 16" rim. I only want to buy rims once, so if I get 16s will they clear discs regardless?

ELECTRONICS

• Upgrade the headlights to modern spec. (Add relays, swap to H4 or 9006/9007 type bulbs).
• LED signals
• Reverse lights.

MECHANICAL

With the big thirsty V8, and a lot of highway driving, I want to do a 5 speed swap. I'm leaning towards the AX15 from a 4.0L cherokee (I know I need an adapter plate, and the jeep driveshaft, for the slip yoke).

I had a 92 cherokee years ago, and liked how smooth the engine and trans were.

I've found a donor cherokee that I might have before I get the truck, heh.

Question: I'd like to go to discs in the front. Does the fact it already have a dana 44 mean I don't have to swap in a whole front end from somewhere else?

Also, the transfer case leaked, so someone took and the front driveshaft out, so the truck has been driven as a 2wd. This is also when someone redid the exhaust, so now the T-case doesn't fit back in there. Gonna take it to a muffler shop for that one.

INTERIOR

• Even though the seats have already been swapped, I want to put in 00-06 chevy buckets, with the middle console/seat and integrated shoulder belts.
  
• Pull the carpet, POR-15 the floors, maybe bedline over top (for water and for sound deadening), reinstall the carpet.
  
• Tilt column might be nice eventually.
  
• The horn button doesn't work, so someone wired it to a button or switch on the dash. I'll have to see what's up with that.

If you guys notice anything else in the photos that looks like it might not be stock, please let me know!

I wish I had more photos or info, but for the moment these are the photos and the list of mods from the ad.

[duallyjams]

I would fix the mechanical stuff and drive it.

[RANDY COX]

Very KOOL and nice lookin GMC...

[Palf70Step]

Good looking truck. Welcome to the board.

[Bison]

Alright, I know it's been a while bit I'm home and have had a chance to tinker with the truck.

However, I'm having an issue where the truck won't start, and /or won't stay running when it does.

My dad drove it about 80 km when he bought it. It started and ran fine. He parked it, then moved it out to take photos and a video, after which it died and it's been tough to start ever since.

I had the battery tested when I got home, and it was NFG (dead cell, so it's been replaced).

Then it would crank and not catch. I swapped the plugs today, and checked the fuel filter(s). Fuel runs freely.

It started right up like it was a new car, and ran for about 10 min then died. I re started it, it ran for maybe a minute, then just...died. While it was running, a multi meter showed 14.6/14.7 volts across the terminal, so the alternator is doing its job.

If I let it crank for 3-5 seconds a few times in a row, I can smell gas.

My dad and I think it might be a carb float issue, and that somehow it slowly floods while sitting at idle (but not while driving).

It's an edelbrock 1406 with electric choke, if that helps. Thoughts?

[Captainfab]

If the fuel pump is putting out fuel and pressure, the pressure may be too high. The Edelbrock carbs are extremely sensitive to too much fuel pressure. Edlebrock specifies no more than 5.5 psi. In the past I have set the fuel pressure at 5 psi for an Edlebrock carb. I have read of others setting theirs at 4.5 psi. Yours could very well be flooding out as you said. I would check the fuel pressure. If it is too high, you will need to plumb in a pressure regulator.

[padresag]

there must have been more than leaks to the t/case to take it out and leave it out. they are pretty easy to rebearing and reseal and not that expensive to do
ron

[padresag]

the PO may have worked at a pulp mill or something similiar where ss is used frequently. amazing how much of it has free written on it, that is unless you get caught at it
r9on

[Bison]

Alright, so today's adventures in swearing at tools started with checking the distributor cap. Everything looked good, so I was going to check/replace the points.

Then I decided that since I was going to go with an electronic ignition eventually, that time might as well be now. Seeing as I just bought the pertronix coil last night, I stuck with the same company and got their ignition module.

Cue at least an hour or two of shimming the magnetic ring, fiddling with the bend of the mounting plate to get the right clearance, shimming the gear end of the shaft, then reinstalling only to find that the distributor sat about an inch out of the mount.

After a dinner break and googling, it turns out I put the drive gear on the wrong way. Sorted that out, reinstalled, checked all the wires, and it sprang to life!

Let it run, turned it off, and it did the same again.

I think now that it was probably a combination of condenser and coil.

Now I'm hoping I can plate it up, and drive it a bunch to get a feel for what else it might need.

I know for sure it needs tires...and I've decided to go all out and do rims and tires at the same time...stay tuned .

[Bison]

New rims and tires. Drove it a bunch yesterday. What a blast!

[66ChevyMax]

That's a sweet truck

[Bison]

Update - finished my 2000 km roadtrip. Found some electrical issues along the way thread here http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php?p=7645227.

Also found out the hard way that it consumes more oil than I thought.

Day 2 of the trip, I was cruising along when I got a top end rattle. Pulled into a rest stop in the middle of nowhere and found there was no oil on the dipstick.

A VERY kind trucker gave me a 4l jug and refused payment. I made sure there was no oily sheen to the coolant that night, and the truck doesn't smoke or blow blue so I didn't know where it's going.

Crawling around under the truck today there was quite a bit of fresh oil on the bottom of the rear of the engine, so maybe a seal is starting to go.

Truck gets a lot of compliments and questions wherever I go. A lot of people think it's a late 50s model...must be the colour.

[60chevyjim]

check the oil pressure sender . sometimes they leak and oil runs down the back of the engine on the V8 engines . another thing to check is the distributer gasket it could be leaking .

[Bison]

So I've been driving the truck for a while now, figuring out its quirks and what modifications/upgrades I'd like to do next.

My big three have been (in no particular order): trans, brakes, and seats.

About a week or two ago, the starter packed it in. I managed to get a remanufactured one, and kept the one that came out of my truck so i could have it rebuilt as a spare.

Good thing, too, because I spent 5 hours (no joke) trying to get the reman starter in.

It's a three bolt starter, with two bolts going in from the nose of the truck, and the top bolt goes in from the transmission side.

All three bolts are different lengths. The top bolt will not start in the threads oh the starter, and I'm beginning to think someone just used any old bolt.

Is there a set length or specific type of starter bolt?


In other news, I picked up the front and rear axles from a 1985/86 Chevy Blazer,as well as the brake master cylinder (the front axle has disc brakes).


My truck has leaf springs up front, and the spring 'pads' are the same distance apart as the axle currently on my truck (the only markings i can find on it are '44-5F'. I know it's a Dana 44, with closed knuckles and drum brakes). The distance from the axle flange to the outside edge of the leaf spring 'pad' is within half an inch of my current setup. The shock mounts even look like they'll line up. Long story short, I'm hoping it will be a direct bolt-in, that will mean i can upgrade.

However, this has me suspicious that someone either did a lot of fab work, or they swapped the frame.

I grabbed the back axle as well, simply so I'd have a matched set. Looks like you can get drum to disc conversion kits from Summit, but that might be something i look into further down the road.

Two days after getting the axles, a guy replied to my want ad for seats from a 99-06 chevy/gmc truck. They looked good in the photos (no wear or anything), and when I saw them in person the seller explained he got them from a guy who'd pulled them out shortly after buying the truck, because they bugged his back.

Guy I got them from had never used them for the project he bought them for, and there are no nicks or anything - the foam isn't even compressed anywhere. They were an utter steal at $200, so I grabbed them.

The only 'disappointment' is that the centre seat back is fixed in place, and there is no under seat storage. Whatever. Even if I have to buy a centre seat for $100 or so, I'm still ahead.

I have absolutely no idea what the current seats in my truck are from. I'm thinking some kind of RV or 70s van. Ironically, the centre seat on them is exactly what I want (flip down armrest wroth internal storage, and a compartment under the seat.

In keeping with the 'nautical' theme of the truck, the cupholders are wood. I'll take a couple of pics in the next few days.

To fit the seats, I think they fabbed up/modified their own frame with a different bolt spacing than stock...fortunately the stock holes seem to have had bolts or plugs put into them, that were then siliconed from the underside. Guess I'm going to have to pull the seats and carpet to figure out what's going on there.

How does one go from 'simple' starter repair to considering pulling apart the interior, fitting new seats, and a new front axle?

[AJCK87]

Welcome and Beauty truck! I think I saw that rig on kijiji in BC hahaha. Any interior shots?

[Bison]

Originally Posted by AJCK87

Welcome and Beauty truck! I think I saw that rig on kijiji in BC hahaha. Any interior shots?

Yup, same truck!

As requested, interior shots. Does anyone have any idea what these seats might be out of? I'm thinking a van/camper?

[Bison]

Also, I was out and about the last few days and came across a tow/wrecking yard. They had some older stuff, so I asked if they'd have any kind of parts for my truck...they had two, but one they were parting.

I managed to snag:

• deluxe heater with control panel (but no motor/fan)
• the hood
• both complete doors (with hinges and checkstraps)
• the ignition switch
• fuse panel
• 'GMC' sill panels
• horn button
• radiator shroud panels
• lower windshield panel
• firewall vents
• gauge cluster (that was covered in orange muppet fur)
• a few other small things I probably forgot

...for the grand total of $200.

With fall/winter coming, I'm planning on cleaning up and coating the heater housings with POR-15. I'll need to get a new blower motor and cage fan (maybe I can reuse at least the fan from the truck's current econo/thrift heater).

I see LMC have new arms and cables for the control box, as well as seals for the heater housings themselves.

I don't know if I'll need a new heater core - this one sat, drained, for who knows how long. The hoses were still connected, so I'm not worried about anything having gotten in....just internal rust. And leaks.

[Bison]

I initially just wanted the mirror mounts off of the doors for a set of West Coast Jr. mirrors I won on Ebay. When the guy told me I could take basically everything I wanted for $200, I figured I might as well take the whole door...

The hood has a few dimples, but is surprisingly in better shape rust-wise than my current one.

[Bison]

I took the grille off the other day to do the headlight relay mod. The headlight wiring harness isn't exactly in great shape.

Anybody make replacements?