58 GMC Project
 

I have just started my 58 GMC project. I bought the truck a few years back for $800. It has a 79 camaro subframe, 55 chevy clip and the 58 GMC cab. I have almost all of my parts now for the project. Here's a list of some of the highlights.

CHEVY 350/330hp.(ALL POLISHED & CHROMED)
TCI STREETFIGHTER TURBO 350 TRANS.
DAYNO FLOW CERAMIC HEADERS.
2003 CHEVY BLAZER POSI REAR DIF.
FOUR WHEEL DISC BRAKES.
FRAME MOUNT TCI POWER BRAKE UNIT.
TOURQE THUSTER II RIMS.
18X8 & 20X10 ON NITTO 225/35-18 & 275/30-20.
FLAMING RIVER POLISHED STIANLESS TILT COLUMN & BILLIT WHEEL.
POWER LEATHER BUCKET SEATS OUT OF A 97 HONDA.
COMPLETE 18 CIRCUT WIRING.
SHAVED DOORS.
ALL NEW GLASS & RUBBER.
BROTHER'S ONE PIECE WINDOW KIT.
POWER WINDOWS.
SHAVED GAS FILLER & KUSTOM TANK'S UNDER BED FUEL CELL.
NEW CHROME BUMBER & GRILL.
NEW FENDERS, SMOOTH TAILGATE, FRONT PANEL, CROSS SILLS, ROLL PAN, BED SIDES & STEP PLATES.
AIR RIDE SHOCKWAVE BAGS.
REAR FIRESTONE AIR BAGS.
OLD AIR, AIR AND HEAT UNIT.
OAK WOOD WITH POLISHED STAINLESS STRAPS.
RODDOORS CUSTOM HEADLINER, DOOR PANELS, KICK PANELS & CAB BACK.
PAINT: PPG PLYMONTH PROWLER ORANGE PEARL.
79 Z-28 CAMARO SUB-FRAME.
55 CHEVY FRONT CLIP (hood, fenders, grill, lights and bumper).


I will be sending the frame in for powder coating in the next few weeks. As the project gose on I will post new pixs & update. :metal:

That's gonna be sweeeeet when you get it done!

I just got my create motor in! I will post some pixs soon.

Here's the pixs of the create motor I bought.

Verry Nice, I can't wait to see the end result of 1000's of hours of work. Should look Awesome!!! Good Luck "Gentelmen start your Creditcards!" :banghead: LOL it is addictive.

Yes it is addictive!! The strang thing is, once your projects done, you want to sell it and start a new one.....Yes it's addictive...LOL! :metal: Thanks DLRichard85 for checking it out.

Hey

That looks great but it looks to be a 57 or earler 58 and 59 had the 4 head light system.

Thanks! It's a 58 GMC cab with a 55 clip.

I just got my Tilt column & billit wheel. The column is 30 inch DD Flamming River. The wheel I got off of an e-bay auction. I have a Lokar shifter for the floor. Here is a picture. :metal:

Instrument Cluster
 

I just got done putting together the instrumet panel. Since the GMC has a different gauge cluster (which I don't like) :barf: then the Chevy, I wanted to have something more custom. The bezel is from Billit Specialties for a 32 Ford. The gauges are Auto Meter. I am filling in the stock dash openning with this cluster

Looks like it's going to be a nice one.... :metal:

If you want to show larger pics just right click on them in your photo album and save them to your hard drive. They are resized small enough that you can upload them from there....

Thanks N2TRUX! I will give it a try. By the way, I like your truck! I had a 79 and keep the moldings on like you have....I love the look! :metal:

Okay, I am going to try and upload a larger photo. I just put my rear diff. in. It came out of a 2003 S-10 Blazer with disc brakes. I don't have my 20's on in the photo. I need to get a set of adapters for spacing and due to the fact when I ordered the wheels I ordered the wrong bolt pattern. I ordered 5x4.25 and it should have been 5x4.75. Summit Racing will not take back wheels if you have mounted the tires. :crazy:

I just got the clip off and is in for paint. As soon as I get it back then the cab goes in. I will post more pixs as it comes further along. :metal:

Great progress!

Thanks Denny B. I hope to have more pixs soon.

If you are looking for a custom stepside bed let me know, I am selling one that I did not use for my extended project.

Looks real good. I hope I can the the old 59 to that stage one day. Where did you get the 55 front end?

Thanks OrangeMach, The clip came with the truck when I bought it. :metal:



extd56, A few months back I could have used that bed, but since then I bought new fenders, steps, back panel, tail gate, cross braces & roll pan. :whine:

I just got the cab off the frame. The cab is headed to the body shop and the frame will soon be going in for powder coating.

I used my engine hoist to pick the cab off the frame by making a cradle and bolting it to the top of the hoist. Then I pushed the hoist and the cradle into the door openings and picked it up at the top of the door jams. It worked out really well.

I also put the fiberglass firewall panel on to fill the holes and smooth it all out. I got the firewall panel from Brothers. :metal:

Any pics of the painted cab yet?

Not yet OrangeMach. I take it in on Wednesday to have the floors and under the cab sand blasted. Then on Friday I will pick it up and take it about two blacks down the street were it will be in for paint. As soon as I get it back I will post some new pixs. Thanks for asking.

The cab is in for paint now I will have it back in 4 weeks, so they say. Here are some pixs of the C-notch I just put in. I am stripping down the rest of the frame to go in for powder coating. After that I can finaly start putting everything back together.

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

Hey CAL 58, looks like a great project. My father left a '57 GMC big back window custom cab stepside V8 pick-up behind when he passed away a couple years ago. GMC's are like artichokes...you either love them or hate them. I personally think they have great personality and I hope to someday build the '57. Your crate motor is sweet! And it looks like the project is coming along well. The only thing I might say at the risk of irritating someone here: You should really not refer to the truck as a '58 even though that is how it is registered. It's hard to decide what to call a mixed year truck, some guys say right up front,"It's a 58 with a 55 front end" and others would just call it a '55. Personally, if the cab is the ONLY thing '58, I'd call it a '55. It will save you a lot of unecessary explanation and won't confuse anyone in the process. Just my .02¢...but I have been know to be wrong...at least 2 other times that I know of...LOL ;D

PS: Keep the pics coming!

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

Thanks, ChargerBill. I am getting back the frame from the powder coater Friday. I will post pics. I understand what you are saying about the year and make. I gave it some thought and figured to go by the registration year. When it’s all done it will look like a 55 Chevy and not a 58 GMC with the exception of the dash. I know it might upset some GMC guys to turn this tuck into a Chevy, so to all of you GMC guys, sorry. But as I see it, I am saving an old truck from rusting away at the bone yard.

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

Cal 58. I have a 58 that I'm also gonna change to a 55. I have a 55 Chevy and I want them to be twins.lol My motto is its mine and I do with it what I want. If you like it cool if you don't keep your mouth shut.lol Thats what I do when I look at cars. You have a nice project there.

Go checkout mine at http://www.cardomain.com/id/mkabwe

You can take a look at my almost finished 55 Chevy 210 (finished really just minor stuff I want to do) and my basketcase of a 58 chevy truck.

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

Kabwe, I checked your pics out and love you 55 210. I always have loved the grill opening of the 55 chevys. That one reason I have a 55 chevy clip on the front of my truck, it reminds me of the 55 210. Your truck project looks like it's coming along well. I would like to see pics when your done.

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

Cal58GMC.

Thanks for the wonderful comments you made about my 55 210. I get a lot of thumbs up on that car and it feels great. Yeah the truck is coming a long, but since I have the 55 210 I'm not in a rush. I want this truck to be slamin and done as nice as I can do it. So the things I can't afford right now will have to wait until I can. I'm not settling for nothing. I have always been disappointed when I settle for something wishing I would have done it the way I really wanted to.

So I don't listen to my buddies anymore when they say things like "man you really like that" "why do you want to do that" etc.

After building a couple of cars and trucks I learned to I do what I want or I will never be happy with it.

I don't want a show truck but heck of a nice driver.

Plus after the money I put into the 55 210 my wife will kill me if I rush this project and spend all my money at once.lol

I will be sure to post pics when I do anything of note. But like I said I will take my time on this truck I want it to be really nice. Just as nice as I think my 55 210 is. But with the truck I'm going a little more bling bling. lol Because the parts are much cheaper than the 55 210. Man I don't even want to talk about it. My wife almost left me behind that car.lol

But everytime I pull it out of the garage there she is talking about " where we going"?

She loves it now that its finished. I think she really likes the attention we get in it.lol

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

Kabwe,

I have done the same thing, taking short cut our trying to save a buck and then end up not happy. I end up spending more time and money getting the way I should have done it in the first place or that one thing keeps sticking out like a sore thumb. And as for the wife thing, I hear you man!! Right now all my wife sees is all those parts and the money I have spent. I hope my wife will be like yours and fall in love my truck when I am done!

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

CAL 58, the way I see it, you're saving an old truck. The sad truth is that GMC fenders and grille pieces are very difficult to find. By turning this into a '55 Chevy you're not doing anything wrong at all...in fact, you're helping the hobby. My main concern in calling it a '58 GMC is that someone who doesn't know any better is going to actually think it IS a '58 GMC. Maybe not somene here, but someone along the line somewhere, and to avoid the endless explanations you're going to have to endure it might be easier to call it a '55 up front. BTW: Did you know that you can grind a few welds and separate the dash from the cowl? You could then install a Chevy dash. I'm not sure how many swap meets you go to or junk yards you visit, but I see them every so often. In fact, if my father didn't throw it away, I may have one out behind the workshop....

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

I agree with ChargerBill, maybe some day you will come across the front clip that belongs on it. If so it was ment to be if not, there is nothing wrong with fixing up an old truck with the parts you have for it. A 55 Chevy truck is a wonderful thing in itself. The progress looks awsome, keep the pics coming! My next project is my Dad's 59 GMC. He ran it for 15 years with no grille at all because he never came across the right one. I am not sure how I am going to deal with the lack of a grille but I will just be happy to join the 50's club you guys all ready belong to! Keep up the good work,

Shawn

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

ChargerBill & Jebb1978, I appreciate both of your thoughs on what make and year to call it. I really did give the matter alot of thought. The fact is it is a 58 GMC. Here's my reasoning. The title and VIN number is a 1958 GMC. If you think about it only the hood grill & fenders are a 55 Chevy, the rest of the truck is a 58 GMC. Yes, from the outside it looks like a 55 Chevy, but that's really not what it is. Another way I looked at it is if I was to list it for sale as a 55 Chevy, then I would be legally miss representing what the truck is. Jebb1978, with ALL DUE RESPECT to all of you GMC fan, I really don't what to put back the 58 GMC clip back on. Thanks again for you thoughs on my project and I hope you both keep checking out my progress, Dave. :metal:

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

The frame is just back from the powder coater. I just found out, the hard way that the Camaro clip up front is a 1980 and not a 1979 like the guy I bought it off of told me. I went to have the bushings pressed in is when we found one of them was to small. After a few phone call to Energy Suspension and researching some measurements we found out it was a 1980. The good news is I now know what year the clip is, bad news is now I have to send back the bushing set for the correct set. Heres a picture of the frame.

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

Hey man that is looking real good to me. I will be powder coating my frame also. By the way I kind of like your gauge/dash idea. I like it because its different . I'm really into being a little different but thats me.

Keep up the good work.

Mkabwe

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

Thanks Kabwe, The frame was powder coated a gun metal gray, you can't tell by the picture but it has a slight blue tint to it.

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

I can certainly respect that, like I said a 55 Chevy is a wonderful thing in itself! You can rest assured that I will continue to follow as we have essentally the same project. I don't have the room to start mine yet but my plan is to do it the right way like you are. I have the Camaro front end on it and all. I have been watching your progress for some time and I find myself jonsing for some progress on mine. I bought a parts truck a while back for the front fenders, doors and took the entire bed too. I took my junk parts and the rest of the donor and loaded them up the same day to save the room. My truck has not yet even been reassembled. Since watching your thread, it is starting to make me sick to think of it sitting in pieces. I really wanted to wait until I was able to do the frame up but I am starting to rethink it. Watching your truck come together makes me want to at least respect mine enough to put it back together even if I am going to tear it back down in a few years. Not too many of us around with the same ol truck and simular plans, it's inspiring! Best of luck and the frame looks AWSOME!

Shawn

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

Thanks, Jebb1978 for fallowing my project! It's a pretty cool feeling to know guys like yourself are intrested in my project and it's an honor to share the prodject with all of you! Jebb, do you have any pics posted on your truck?

P.S. I don't blame you for wanting to get you truck back on the road agian, mine has been in my garage almost two years now.

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

I will take some but as a prewarning it's not pretty.:barf:!!! She's all tore down! I may be able to find some old pics of it together??? I will look around!

Re: 58 GMC Project
 

Okay Buddy you asked for it! I looked all over for pics of her when she was together but they are all on film and I don't have a scanner. I went back to get you some pics this morning. It broke my heart to see her like this! It is really sad because I have tons of new stuff for this truck in boxes still. The good news is I have had about all I can take. After I move at the end of this month, I am going to Flat Black and Bolt her together with the new weather stripping I have. I will post them for you when I can get it done. She's sure not much to look at right now!:whine:

YIKES!!!
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...e/f1a40dce.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...4/f1a40d6c.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...3/f1a40d05.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...a/f1a40c93.jpg
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...b/f1a40c39.jpg
I still have the correct tailgate at my Dad's house but it is trashed!
:(