My 67 GMC 920 build

[kcustom73]

It seems like I've been a member of this forum forever but was never really active until now. Back in 2007 I was hoping to find and build a 67-72 PU as I've always loved the look. Got a little side tracked with building a 1975 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser for myself and a 1966 IH Scout for a friend.

Fast forward to last year when my IH Scout friend gave me a call telling me that his Grand-Father had become ill and that his Grand-Mother was cleaning out the farm and was getting rid of all the "old" trucks on the property. Seeing that he knew that I've always loved the 67-72 PU he gave me a call to let me know that if I wanted his Grand-Father's 67 GMC 920 that I had first dibs. A quick drive later, a deal was done and the truck was mine. I paid a little too much for it but it was my way of helping out his Grand-Mother with some of the expense associated with the Grand-Fathers illness. This is what I brought home:

[kcustom73]

Working on it in 2022 was out as I already had too many things on the go. So I parked it in a portable car shelter (way better than the field I found it) behind the garage and left it until Thanksgiving this year when I move it into the shop.



Had to start stripping it apart right away as the length of the truck was encroaching on my wife's parking space in the garage and that is a no-no in winter



During the tear down I realized that this thing need a lot of rust repair (floor, outer rockers, cab corners, bottom of a-pillar, bottom of both doors and bottom of each fenders). I know most of you would probably say find a cab in better shape to start with but I'm gluten for punishment and kind of enjoy this kind of work (I like a challenge). Luckily for me there's a shop (Bill's Truck Sop in Courtice, Ontario) not too far from me that all the sheetmetal I needed to get things repaired.

[kcustom73]

Now I'm in sheetmetal mode and the truck is ready for me to start cutting the old stuff out.

[kcustom73]

Now this build will not be for the purist that is for sure. The frame is junk as it has bad rust damage and has been spliced together quite a few times. So the frame is scrap.

The drivetrain and the axles are still good but I want something a little more modern (to make it easier to find parts) so the plans is to swap the cab onto a more modern frame and drivetrain to make it easier to find parts and hopefully make it more comfortable to drive. Not 100% sure what the donor will be yet but I've got tons of options.

So that's where I stand as of this week. This weekend the sawsall comes out and so does the floor

Wish me luck.

[special-K]

Bill's! That's a name I knew way back when (before internet). Haven't heard of the business in years. Good to know he's still at it.

I love this and can't wait to see what you do. I love them original but not a purist. I like them all. I saw that the frame was stretched and combined with rust issues I get what you are doing. I have a cab off a C/30, front sheet metal, and all the drivetrain incl. engine to build a 1t 4wd I'm thinking will be a flatbed. I have two trucks ahead of all that, but I need to find a chassis, preferably 4wd squarebody, but any 2wd 67-87 frame will do. I have a '72 K2500 for my "original 4wd".

The 920 in your title attracted me here. I never see anyone showing the Canadian models on here, or very seldom. Like the earlier Maple Leafs, Acadians, Beaumonts, Laurentians, etc. I love seeing the Canadian models. I have a set of 910 emblems with Canadian-only 'Custom" door emblems I've considered using on my '67 project I'm building from parts.

[dagnabbitt]

When I saw the floor of that cab I thought yep thats a Canadian truck!

Is there a SPID in the glovebox, would it not be a 930?

[special-K]

Looks like a K920 with stretched frame and dual rear put under it. No GM 1t 4wds until '77. This was a fairly common mod back then. A factory dual rear 4wd would have a Dana 60 with hubs for the Budd wheels up front

As far as rust goes. I would see fairly clean looking trucks listed saying "Dime size hole in the rocker" or cab corner, or wherever and I would say, "Might as well be a fist sized hole. That panel needs to be replaced".

[tim_mc]

Looks like you're off to a good start. Looking forward to updates!

[kcustom73]

Special-k interesting to hear that people don't use the Canadian branding on their truck. Luckily for me the 920 badigng is in decent condition so I think I'll restore them and reuse them. Thinking I'm going to keep it a 3/4 ton and was also thinking of going to a flatbed. Maybe a metal frame with a wooden deck. Going to be a long bed for sure as I want to actually use the truck to haul stuff around and pull my travel trailer in the summer.

No SPID on this truck so no clue what was the original build on it. I know the frame has been hacked and the sheetmetal has been done (poorly) on the cab at least once. So I'm hoping that I'll be able to line things up. The roof is rough due to a set of cab lights and "train" horns that were really badly installed.

After the Land Cruiser and the Scout I have a pretty good idea what I won't be doing (keeping the drivetrain simple is one thing). As I only got weekends and week nights to work on it, I'm thinking this is about a 3 year project. Lets hope I don't get sidetracked to much.