72 GMC Sierra Grande K25

[19gmc72]

I started working on my pickup again after a 10+ year hiatus. It’s a 1972 GMC Sierra Grande K25. Original color was 504 medium olive with a white top. I don’t have any pictures of it in it’s original color.

My dad bought the truck from a friend in 1985, six years before I was born. The truck was used heavy. This truck made trips over Mt Hood hauling alfalfa pulling a gooseneck flatbed. It’s hauled more cord wood, cattle and grass hay than most people will ever see in a lifetime. I have fond memories sitting middle bench seat in between my dad and late granddad making firewood runs, moving cows to another property or picking up grass hay from the fields. This was the first truck I drove, pulling a trailer in between rows of hay bales in the field to load on the trailer. I was maybe 9 or 10 years old. In 2009 I decided I was going to restore it for my senior project. Well I was in over my head but made decent progress.

In high school I replaced cab corners, inner and outer rockers and part of the floor. Some mistakes made, I can live with them and it adds a bit of character to a farm truck.

[19gmc72]

1. Moving pickup from my parents to my house
2. Tight fit in my shop
3. Stripping cab to bare metal
4. Taped off for epoxy primer

[19gmc72]

1. Cab in epoxy primer
2. Masking off, back in shop
3. Epoxy primed floor
4. Amazon dynamat knockoff. Hopefully it wasn’t a waste of time
5. My first spray with a new iwata kiwami4 upgraded from the purple hf gun. Primer laid down so much smoother with the better gun.I wasn’t able to correct orange peel with the hf gun.

Epoxy primer is Southern Polyurethane. I highly recommend. I will be using their products through the build beside my color.

Sorry about the sideways pictures

[best view]

Looks awesome

[clay68c10]

Cool project! It’s nice you’re able to get back to it.

[68bowtie]

Nice progress for a worthy truck. keep up the good work.

[19gmc72]

350sbc and th350 matching numbers to truck. They were both rebuilt a few years before it was parked. It hadn’t been ran in 10 years. Oil change, new spark plugs, battery and glug of chainsaw gas in the carb. Fired right up! I since got the fuel tank back in and hooked up with new rubbers and filter. Needed a new fuel pump. New pump shot gas across the shop, good pressure I would say. It ran great on the tank, little smoky. I’m thinking maybe stuck ring or two? I did spray a bit of pb blaster in the cylinders a few days before I cranked it. I couldn’t run it to long as I had coolant flying out from everywhere. New heater core. Now I have a big hole in the radiator. What’s everyone running for aftermarket radiators?

[19gmc72]

1. Rubber floor mat, fuel tank in
2. Some more paint stripping
3. Talked my 5 year old into sanding a run

[19gmc72]

Few more pieces in epoxy. Sprayed during the dust bowl. What is everyone doing that doesn’t have access to a booth? Portable carport? I was thinking about setting up my hunting wall tent frame and draping plastic sheeting over it. Then set up some positive pressure ventilation system.

[Dieselwrencher]

Awesome project with a lot of cool history! I visited Mt.Hood in 2007 or 2008. Such beautiful country. It's great the truck is still around and you are restoring it. I have been painting in my garage and it is a pain but doable. I hang plastic everywhere and put a box fan in the window blowing out. I have been using HF guns modifying them and have had not great luck getting a smooth lay out with filler primer. That SPI stuff is nice stuff. I put that kill mat in my 40 Ford so I hope it is decent too. That's great you have your son helping as well. My kids love my trucks.

Does this truck have a D60 rear? I've recently gotten into GMC K trucks and they seem to all have Dana 60s rather than Eatons in the rear.

[19gmc72]

Yes Dana60 rear.

I’m looking for a cheap primer gun in the 2.0-2.5 tip range. Any recommendations? Need it for the regular and high builds. Maybe some slick sand in the future.

Idk why the picture is upside down. Tech ain’t my thing.

[Dieselwrencher]

I drilled out the tip on the $25 HF gun and have had good luck with it since. I was using my sata but the filler primer gums it up more for what ever reason.

[19gmc72]

Progress update
1. Rust cut out from fender
2. Patch welded in and smoothed with fiberglass filler
3. Lining up panels so I can drill trim holes in the doors. Not super thrilled with my gaps but good enough for a farm truck.
4. Started stripping the hood