Bruiser

[blue 72 gmc 4x4]

So this will be a very SLOW build thread as I am going through college and probably shouldn't even be doing this, but I am. I am going to build this truck based off of trading, what I have and luckily I work at a powder coating shop so I am set there. Even though this won't be a show truck I don't want it to look like a total P.O.S. Kind of like it does now...On to the two trucks.I picked up this 72' GMC 1/2 ton about a year and a half ago. It was an original Flagstaff truck sold at McCoy motors here in Flag. It was repossessed from it's original owner and bought by a gentleman here in town. At some point it was a very nice truck until one fateful day the man's son rolled it out on the rez, that rez mud can be slick! The truck still has red mud all over the underside, even after sitting for 12+ years. I "saved" the truck from going to the scrapper, although most of it will still end up there. For awhile it held my spare parts but now I am in the process of cutting up the body and prepping the frame to accept "Bruiser".

Now the affectionately named "Bruiser" is a 1969 Chevy C30 with a very bouncy suspension. I acquired this truck from my good friend, the guy I work for and the owner of the powder coating shop for partial payment on painting his 1972 3/4 ton 4x4 Chevy. He drove this truck for the last 3 years or so every day, with it's light blue paint, bouncy suspension, rusty rockers, roof, fenders and dents. Now you know why I call it "Bruiser". This is also supposedly an original Flagstaff truck that served at one of the old trading posts on HWY89 north of us.

The plan for old Bruiser is to drop it onto the 4x4's frame, as long as it's not bent! After talking to the 4x4's PO he says it has a 383, dana 60 rear with 3:73's. That will make me happy if it is all true, I know the rear is a dana 60 but not what the gear ratio is yet. I'll be using the SM465-Np205 combo, already have the adapter and a rebuilt 205, just need to change the output shaft in Bruiser's original trans. Got so many other things planned like custom bumpers, storage boxes, lift, winches, etc for Bruiser. But all of that will come once it's on the frame and my tig welding skill's improve. Anyways here's some pics, check back in maybe a year or so and there'll probably be more progress.