1950 gmc in alabama
 

Well I am jealous from reading everyones build threads that I decided to start my own. I am a 1rst time builder from frame up and I decided to start the famous S10 swap with my 50 model GMC.
To begin with I will give a little back ground. I am at first a ford mustang guy by heart. My first car was a 66 coupe bought new by my grand father and I drove it for a while while adding my personal touch to it all along. I got it when I was 14 and had it till I was 23 or so. At that time I purchased a 65 Fastback and put it in the shop for a full on custom resto. I did not know what I was getting into. First problem was I let my only old car go to someone else to work on although they are great people and do wonderful work I lost all connection with the car other than making part decision for the to put on and build. And after 5 years and many $'s It still sits in the shop and will hopefully be out this summer. About 2 years ago I was having withdawls from old cars. So I decided to make a purchase for me to build. I had got over the Ford only mentality and started looking outside my comfort range. I loved the AD design trucks and found one on Ebay close to my house. A quick trip to the bank and a car hauler I had my first classic GMC. It was a running truck all stock but need some TLC... I knew nothing about the S10 swap when I bought the truck until my neighbor saw the truck come home with me and asked me If I was going to do a S10 swap on it. That got me looking into it and a few months later I flew to Ohio to buy my LWB S10 4.3 ltr auto for my swap. I drove it home to Alabama and made it all the way to Nashville and she broke down, at least thats what I thought. I then realized it was out of gas. Someone didn't think to tell me these trucks are notorious for running out of gas and showing 1/4 of a tank. A quick refill by the tennesse state police and I was on my way back home to start demo of the S10. about a year went by and I just tinkered around not really getting a whole lot done to either the 50 for the s10 until I purchased the AD kit after contemplating building my own kit. The kit is awesome FOR ME with my limited tools and experience. To date I currently have the cab mounted and wiring rigged to make sure motor still cranks and most all other mechanical done. I will include pics of more stuff later. I am working on the bed resto and about to start working on rust replacement of the cab. My plans are to go with a two tone satin finish with the rustoleum roll method or I may spray it Havent decided yet. I can not decide color either. I am thinking satin black fenders and a cream body and bed. what are yalls thougts. Hope you enjoy my thread as much as I have all of yours. remember I am a rookie so please give me constructive criticism as I know this these site is usually know for. Thanks JCB and yes I move my truck around with my lawn mower. These pics are on the S10 without the mounts in place. It was just sitting on frame

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

Welcome to the forum. I love your GMC. You picked a good starting point (s10 4.3) there's a lot of s10 swaps here. We are all here to help and share ideas. PM me with any questions or post to share. Read over my thread as I'm getting close to finishing up my 53 GMC on an s10 frame and did the rustoleum roll method. I'm sorry to hear your a F*rd guy at heart. I've heard that stuff can kill ya...LOL All joke'n aside welcome and good luck on yer build.

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

Yes SGT You thread was the first I read through and you are doing a lot of the things I am going to do. I have the Dolphin Gauges and lokar throttle. About a year ago I attempted the roll on with gloss red to get a gloss paint on the hood and I didnt have the patients because I was trying to get a perfectly smooth finish I could have got it but it takes ALOT of time. So i have decided to go with just a semigloss

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

By the way If any of you want to look at my mustang project heres a link to it. Its bagged with a 4.6 oversized to 5.0 built by Sawn Hyland Motorsports with a 4link 9". It is a pavement scraper when its on the ground the pics arent up to date on the website. I am also going with a satin black on this as well. http://www.impatientcreations.com/Cu...g_Fastback.htm

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Here are two pics of Truck as it was when I brought it home.

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Here you go. I'm not sure if the 4.3 is longer than the 2.8 (which I have). I used the s10 heater and overflow bought the rad from Summit. The truck came with a K&N filter, so I cut up the orginal air intake. I guess I could have bought a nice chrome job for cheap...oh well. Oh, I had to cut the inner fenders for clearence on both sides. One for the belt and the other for the break lines.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...usmc/002-4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...usmc/003-4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...usmc/004-2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...usmc/005-5.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...usmc/006-1.jpg

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

great looking GMC ya got there. & welcom to the board. Looking foward to following your build. I built my GMC cause there wasn't many around. Boy the times are a changin!

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

Sgt, thanks for the PM. The 4.3 is about 4 inches longer by looking at you pics. I removed my fan a couple of weeks ago and the pully is only clearing the radiator by fractions of an inch an I am not goin to risk it getting into the Aluminum Rad I just bought. I plan on just deepening the Rad support by about an inch. The charcoal filter was one of the items I was thinking of removing but didnt know if it would affect the computer. There is also a round ball for the vacuum system I believe on the 4.3 I dont know if it is on the 2.8 or not. But I was thinking of removing it but Im affraid It may cause engine idle problems. Does anyone else know if it would?

Thanks Kid for the comments. When I bought my GMC there was a Chevy there for sale too. I went to buy the chevy but it was sold before I got there. So I got the GMC and glad I did I have grown to like this body style more, no offence to the chevy guys. Im just partial the the unique Grille

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

britnjc and Sgt.,
First off brit, looks like you have a great truck to start with, nice find.
Now I have a question for either one of you. I'm thinking for my next build to use the v6 4x4 s10. (next build isn't for a while but never to early to ask) Did you have to move the engine at all to have the clearance you needed at the fire wall, or anywhere else?
Thanks.

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

Nick here is a quote from AD engineerings website "The front frame half is completely different on the 4WD. Stock S10 frame holes are different, requiring new reference points for mounting of our cab stands.Shown is a 2.8l V6 and 4WD trans with transfer case attached. A new transmission
crossmember would have to be constructed. The frame also angles out a few degrees requiring minor modifications to the front cab mount washers on the cab floor. When running a V8, the transfer case will sit directly above the torsion bar crossmember. A "clocking ring" will be required to rotate the transfer case to a horizontal plane. Any good 4WD shop should be able to tell you if this is available for your transmission. Without the clocking ring the downward angle of the transfer case will force you to raise the engine quite high and cause all sorts of interference problems."
In my opinion the 4wd will work just fine you will just have to make a few more modifications for the front sheetmetal. But the good news is that you will not need to use wheel spacers to get the proper wheel spacing that me and SGT used. If you build you own kit or buy one you will just have to set cab and bed for correct placement because I measured off factory holes in the frame to set my frame, and the 4wd has different frame holes. I do not know if this makes any sense But I think as long as you have a reg cab long wheel base truck everything else is just simple engineering. I did not have to move my motor neither did SGT and the firewall clearence isnt the problem you have more than ample room between motor and firewall. I am having a little problem with radiator clearance and will have to modify my core support but that is easier than relocating the engine. IMO. You will have to trim inner fenders for the S10 suspension but all my pullys clear my fenders. I will post pics when I get a chance. time is hard to come by sometimes with a 7 mos old girl thats why I got to get it done ASAP because time and money will only be less in the future.

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

Thanks for all the info. Don't think that I said it before but I'm going to keep the v6. No need to mess with a perfectly good drive train. I plan on keeping it a 4x4. I knew that there would be sheet metal mods. I just didn't want to have to get new drive shafts made.
Thanks again.

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

I have worked for Ford for 32 years its ok to like them. I have a few questions on how they fit the 4.6 in the 65, I would like to do the same in a 67. you can contact me by PM or e mail if you want. hate to be talking fords all over this forum. nice start on your truck by the way.

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

well I have started painting the bed and grille. I went with the cream with satin black fender theme here are a few pics of my two car garage that feels about as big as a half bath since I have the bed off the truck and fenders laid out everywhere.

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

a few more. the two of the s10 front and gmc bed were about a year ago. I was so tempted to drive the s10 with that bed on for a while.

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

I am goin to relocate the battery to the cab. also I am going with a wood bed that I am going to make my self. I think I am goin to just get some cabinet grade oak and put a tongue and groove with out the metal strips. I will then use stainless bolts counter sunk in the wood to hold it to the frame. I plan on a dark mahogany stain. These are all plans as of now. I just hope to get it on the road before the cruise in season is over. I still have about 6 mos. I saw someone posted a July 4th date to have theres on the road

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As I was typing the last note I heard my daughter playing on the floor at my chair. When I looked down she was in my magazines, she's my future hot rodder

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

well its been a while since last update. The past few weeks I have got the truck driving, nothing far yet just in and out of the garage. It sure beats pushing it around. I have also been working on the interior and wiring. Tonight I wired up my Dolphin Gauges and all seen fine but maybe my fuel gauge. I didnt start it but when I turned key over fuel gauge shot up past full, and there is only about 1/4 tankfull of gas. It may just do that in key on position and when it is started It may give good measurement, we will see when I turn it over. I also got carpet and underlayment and dynomatt and POR15 on the floor. I havent trimmed the carpet yet though. Here are a few pics. Oh yeah this weekend I will be assembling the bed and making my wood strips out of yellow poplular and stained to a dark finish. I will also be replacing cab corners and some bodywork and hopefully be spraying some paint on the body. the color on the body and interior in the pics is the color I will be going with and she will have black satin fenders. I also should be getting my gauge trim rings from LMC this week so I can mount the gauges. Alot will be going on this week and weekend on the GMC, and it is about time.

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

It's looking really good man.

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

Sounds like you may have the guage and sending unit mis matched. I ran a 69 Impala tank in mine as a second tank for a while and it would do that when I switched from the original tank over to the newer tank.

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Nice work my friend.

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Thanks for the compliments, SGT you have been a world of help and I am sure I will have more questions as I go. Orrie G, I am not sure about the tank and sending unit. I have another sending unit that came with my gauges I can use. I think the stock one will work and I may have a wiring issue. I will double check wires today and see what I come up with. NickP thanks.

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

Love the GMC's!

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

Well, not quite the weekend I had planned to work on the GMC. It all started with the wife wanting a rail around our ~600 sq/ft deck. We worked on it Friday and Saturday morning and got it finished then Saturday evening and all day Sunday was rain, so therefore not much work on the truck like I had planned. But a little did get done. I got the drivers cab corner cut out and started to go back in with the LMC replacement. It wasnt a perfect fit and I will have to cut it up to get it to look right. Has anyone else had problems with their corners not fitting just right? and what did you do to get them to work? I also got the wood cut for my bed and I think its going to turn out very nice once stain hits it. What is the best clear coat to use on the wood? I was thinking about using a marine grade varnish. I also came across a set of Rally II's of craiglist with tires for a nice price so I got them amongst all the rain on Sunday. Any suggestions appreciated.

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

nice wheels. if you are going to get more patch panles i have had great luck with harmons. they have fast shipping and good prices plus the panles fit great from what i got from them. here is there web address www.harmons.com

Re: 1950 gmc in alabama
 

Oh yeah I forgot to include the pic of the wood.