'69 GMC Build Thread.

[samwise68]

Thanks for the compliment Bill!

it's so nice to post in a thread, and when i get kinda turned off from working on the truck, i look at the begining, and see the work i've done, and say "hey, it's getting there."

then to have all of you guys take the time to say things to really light a fire. i appreciate it so much.

thanks again!

-Sam.

[samwise68]

well. i just checked something. the supposidly "right" gaskets the guy at AutoZone sold me, are, well. not right.

Sure, they're square port. atleast he got that right. but, they're part number 5901.

Large Race
262-400 4.3-6.6 8 1955-99 Large Square Race Ports 1.45w x 1.55h 150A 5901

SO! since my engine is stock. and NOT a large port race engine. i need....

262-400 4.3-6.6 8 1955-99 Stock Square Ports 1.25w x 1.30h 6452 5916

man. i should've researched this before hand. now i have to go back a third time...

...oh well. i'm not talking to any associates this time. i'm grabbing the right one, and thats that.

oh well.

lets hear it again! progress is good, yes!

-Sam.

[samwise68]

well!

it's been a while since i've updated. school has kept me busy, once again.

but! i have managed to get the cab rust free and patched up. now i just need to seam seal it, and that is good to go as far as welding. i also patched the bed sidewall and floor, just to make it solid. and no, you won't be seeing pics of that. lol. it's too gory. gotta keep it clean for the kids, ya know. but, atleast i'll be able to use it as a truck.

today i started on patching the rust out on the bottom of the door skins. the drivers side is more severe than i thought. but, it'll do. i have spare doors that i can put on there should anything worse be discovered. no pics of that tho - all i did was cut out rust and fab some patch panels. ya know, the norm.

but! i convinced my mom to help me detail paint my hub caps.

so, here's the pics!





yes, i know they're far from perfect. we just used little brushes and some black rustoleum and red krylon we had laying around the house. but, considering all in all, i spent 20 for the caps, and 3 something on a spray can of white. and thats all...i think they're quite presentable for daily driver/workhorse.

and as for the imperfections. well. if anyone looks close enough at my hub caps to notice them, well, they can just suck my tail pipes.

but thats about it.

let's hear it!

-Sam.

[Dano69c10]

Man your work on that cab is inspiring, Keep up the good work!
Dano

[samwise68]

thanks dano!

surprisingly, the cab work was one of the easier parts. since i didn't really have to worry about warping (too much), on account that it's not a long flat panel.

but yes! all we can do is keep on keepin' on.

thanks again!

-Sam.

[samwise68]

Well, today was a teacher inservice day at the college, so, i didn't have class. needless to say, i was enthralled about that. not to mention chomping at the bit.

i didn't get a whole lot done today. but i did start to tackle the door corners.

i didn't take a before pic of the rear lower door corner, but i found one in another set that i took. so, this is kinda what i started with.



and the outside.



and the inside.



door closed.



i'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.

front corner hole.

[samwise68]

patch outline.



i'm figured out that if i just hold a piece of paper (in this case, an old travel magazine page) against the hole, and rub with a crayon, it creates a perfect outline of the edges of the hole i need to patch. yes, kindergarten antics for a 20 year old. haha. knew i'm going to college for something...

and the outside patched.



i have the inside plate on as well, just it was tricky to weld since i didn't take the doors off. oh well. it's on. lol.

there are also some small rust throughs on the bottom lip, so i'm going to section them out, and i have patched cut out and bent up for the purpose.





and thats where she stands now.

i'm going to go play with the pipe bender some more, and if it goes anywhere near well...i'll update. but don't get my hope up. lol. .

well. let's hear it!

-Sam.

[67_C-30]

Nice work! Boy, those northern trucks sure take a beating from the salt on the roads up there, don't they?

[samwise68]

yup, they do! i've seen mid to late 90s trucks with rust. some of it that is just...horrible. worse than what was on mine, lol.

it's pretty insane.

hense why i'm planning on painting/undercoating/something to every bit of the under carriage and bodythat i can. i don't want to take any chances. i mean, granted, it's not the greatest resto-fication. but, if it lasts long enough that i can enjoy it, and then give it a proper redo down the road. thats more than i can ask for. or, atleast go another 38 years before being in the shape i started with. haha.

but yes. thanks for the kind words!

thursday i'm hoping to get some more done after class.

oh, and if you haven't heard it enough, *****in' dually man.

let's hear it!

-Sam.

[68GMC454]

your doing a good job..the hub caps look great,, and if somebody gets close enough to inspect them,,smack them in the back of the head for being nosey...lol..cool truck

[samwise68]

thanks 68454!

the more i look at the hubcaps, the more i like them. i was really nit-picky at first with a few inconsistent spots. but, i'm over it now. haha.

it's geting close. !

-Sam.

[samwise68]

Well, i got a bit more done today.

on the bottom lip of the drivers side door, i sectioned it out, and patched 'er up.





after that got finished up, the truck got pushed out, and pushed back in backwards so i could get to the passenger side.







and thats where i ended for today. tomorrow i have the day off, so in the morning i hope to finish the front corner of the passenger door, and possibly work on pulling the dent in the roof. as soon as i'm done with that..well. it's time to start to smooth off...everything. and shoot some primer paint. yes!

and!

good news about my exhaust. after calling around and getting quotes of $150 to bend it and having to bring in the pipe anyway, we found a shop that an uncle (or some relation) owns, and he said 70 bucks, he supplies the pipe, i just need to bring in a diagram or form that matches the curve over the axle i want. and...thats that.

tomorrow i go back from my RIGHT gaskets as well. along with picking up some insulation, and a spray bomb or two. and possibly shocks. so, it should be a good day. full of money spending. yes!

well, let's hear it!

it's gettin' scary close guys...haha.

-Sam.

[samwise68]

and time for a mid day update!

i finished the front corner on the passenger door, and have pulled the dent in the roof, atleast close enough that it would be too bad to smooth out.

no pics tho. . sorry. haha.

but yes, back to the garage!

i'll update more later.

-Sam.

[67_C-30]

Your truck is going to be like mine in the sense that you have literally touched every piece on it. I bought my '69 C/10 like it is and even though its a nice truck, I don't feel the way about it that do about my 67 C/30 dually or even my 69 C/30 car hauler. I have poured so much blood/sweat/tears into them that they feel like part of the family. When I tear down the C/10 to restore and repaint, I'm sure it will be in the same category.

[samwise68]

yup, the relationship with my truck is borderline intimate. haha.

i had a bad experience with my '69 K20, in that i..well...beat the living hell outta it. and now, it shows. since it doesn't run.

and i was almost afraid that the same thing would happen with the GMC. but then i stopped and thought, i'd be a total moron to abuse this thing, after i've devoted all this time, money, and resources to it...

so. needless to say. i eased my mind really fast. lol.


and yes 67 C30. i have to agree, it's like having a family member, just made out of metal. haha. i'm hoping, and kind of expecting, that when i actually do get to drive, i'll be walking to class, and i'll probbaly stop, and look back just to see it before i go into the building.

i guess you could compare it to having a horse, like...old west style. lol. ou feel a connection with the animal, and it's probbaly the best one you'll ever have.

giddy up!

-Sam.

[samwise68]

and the follow up!

no pics tho. i forgot the camera. oops....

but. i picked up front shocks, and have the rear ones being ordered. they should be in about tuesday. Gabriel Guardian Classics...basic. and effective.

also FINALLY got the right exhaust manifold gasket. they're the seperate ones for each port, instead of the log type, i guess you could say.

also picked up some insulation for the floor under the rubber mat. should help some in noise and temperature, i hope.

umm...thats about it.

picked up some paint pens, and am redoing the side emblems. the lettering is kinda tricky...i'll pick up again on them tomorrow.

and...i can't think of much else. lol.

tomorrow, i hope to enlist the help of my dad, and get the exhaust manifolds off, and headers on. either that, or get the better set of coils off of a '67 C10 out back. one of the two, anyway.

thats where she sits now.

let's hear it!

-Sam.

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by samwise68

i'm hoping, and kind of expecting, that when i actually do get to drive, i'll be walking to class, and i'll probbaly stop, and look back just to see it before i go into the building.

I am definitely guilty of that! My wife and went to Longhorn Steakhouse last weekend in the '69, and when we got to the door and I subconsciencely turned back and looked at my truck. My wife said "It's still there!", sorta interupting the "moment". I told her to shut up and quit being jealous knowing that nobody would even want to steal her cookie cutter SUV! She just laughed and shook her head, and admitted that "she just didn't get it" when it comes to my love for these old cars and trucks! I told I'd be glad to explain it, but if I gotta 'splain it, you ain't never gonna git it!

[samwise68]

hahaha, thats too good!

my girlfriend said something along the same lines, about where she ranks. which isn't neccessarily true. but hey. flowers fix most things. haha.

and, pics of my emblems! since i finally got the camera out.

before:


after:





just like my hubcaps, far from being perfect. but, it cleaned them up, and from a distance, they don't look too bad. .

let's see if i can't get some more done today...

lets hear it!

-Sam.

[msgross]

more progress than I have done lately... looks good

[samwise68]

Mike,

i'm just trying to get it painted and on the road.

...i'm afraid i'm running out of time. eek.

-Sam.

[samwise68]

Well, time for a weekend update.

...i didn't get anything done. haha.

i was going to pull the rams horns on it. but, unfortunately, the bolts are being a real PITA. as in, 9/16 is too big, since they're original and have rusted down nicely. yup, this should prove to be fun.

so, i'm going to wait for next weekend to tackle that, and have my dad bring home a bunch of tools he has in his tool box at work. it does wonders to have the right size socket...heh.

but yes. so, in the mean time, i'm in a crunch to get some paid slapped on the ol' girl. thanks to the lovely cold weather we've been having here.

luckily, the paint can says between 40-90 degrees. so, i'm good. i just need a good stretch of weather in which to lay it on.

and...thats about it.

so.

theres not much to hear.

but i appreciate thoughts and opinions. haha.

-Sam.

[samwise68]

well, finally got something done!

got the old ram's horns off. the threads were fine, just the manifolds themselves were so corroded that it held the bolts tight.





then, also put the bed into the garage to start to smooth it out.



my dad helped in all of this, and if it wasn't for him to be there with an extra set of hands, and more importantly, alot of knowledge, i'd be so SOL on this project...


also metal-2-metal'ed a couple weld seams and patches and stuff.






and, i got my girlfriend to come help me too. haha.




well. thats about it. i hope to get some more done before the weekend rolls around, so i can shoot some primer saturday.

keep your fingers crossed.

let's hear it!

-Sam.

[samwise68]

Well, today was a short day of class, so i got home early and was able to get some stuff done.

after snapping the bolt on one of my mirrors, i found the extra i had in the back of the garage, and cleaned those up, primed and painted.



i also laid down some more Metal-2-Metal on the bed, along with stripping the surface rust off a bed side.

i pulled the exhaust manifolds out along with the y-pipe. luckily, the manifold stud nuts came off very nicely, and made it relatively easy to do.








and thats all i got done for today. hopefully tomorrow i can get everything ready for priming on saturday. i'm really banking on getting everything in one color, even if it is red oxide. haha.

i'm gonna go get the Bink's gun right now, and clean it up a bit, so it's ready to go for primer.

but, thats about it.

let's hear it!

-Sam.

P.S. i almost forgot! my truck officially has a name. Diamond Lil. Apparently thats what everyone called Al Luber's mom, since they owned and ran a tavern right by my house. an older neighbor was over for dinner, and mentioned it. and, it was just decided that would be her name. i think it's quite fitting. .

[samwise68]

and...the Binks Gun is clean.

there was a bunch of lacquered paint and just general nasties in it. but i got it all apart, and cleaned it up.

it should work pretty well for primer, i hope. i don't see what it shouldn't. it's a Model 69.

yupp. stay tuned for more updates!

-Sam.

[samwise68]

well. since tomorrow is the big day, as in spraying primer since it's supposed to actually stop raining, i spent all day trying to get everything ready.

that is, roughing up clean surfaces, and trying to level out the rough and wavy ones with Bondo and Metal-2-Metal.

needless to say. in doing so, i've realized how sub-par my body work and patch replacement has been thus far. hah.

there are quite a fe waves and irregularities in the bed sides in particular, due to poor fitment of the patches, and ecxessive heat. yeahhh. so, that pretty much ruined the night for me.

but. have no fear! i'll try to make it look....decent. and if need be, later on down the road, i can find a solid bed in my area, and simply paint it to match. so, thats a bright side. the down side...having poor looking bed sides. oh well, it's a truck, eh? haha.

but, thats about it. lots of sanding, and lots of filler. so, we'll see how tomorrow goes...

let's hear it!

-Sam.