1961 GMC Project. Only a 3/4ton of work

[Surfdaddy]

I got this 61 3/4 ton truck from a freind at work. It was his grandfathers truck and was bought with a 10' camper on it new. He didn't have time or space to work on it so he gave itto me. It's well equipped with a/c big back window and custom trim. It had 77k when I got it and has been sitting since 1990 fully fueled and watered ready for the next trip that never came. I had to put it storage until I finished my other project (70 VW Squareback) but am ready to start. Goals are to restore to as orig as possible with the addition of power steering and brakes. And of course moderen tires. No slpit rims for me thank you.

[CVA59]

awesome truck and can't beat the price either.

[Surfdaddy]

So, after deciding what I'm going to do with the truck here is what I invision it looking like when I'm done. The color is going to be the yellow (lighter of the two yellows) that came on it and I think it had a two tone paint since the sales worksheets have a charge for two tone. So it should look pretty close to this but in yellow and white.

[ChevyTruckGuy]

It will be fun watching the progress

[chevyrestoguy]

Oh, that's sooo cool!

That's a very loaded-up GMC. I think the GMCs look best when fully restored. I really like the seat, too.

Can't wait to see this project come to life!

[Surfdaddy]

Had big plans for the weekend. Picking up the hub caps from getting chromed, picking up a hood that I was certin I was going to win on ebay, go to a pick part yard and pull fenders and cowl covers of a 60 chevy that I know is there, and, install the water pump fuel pump and get things running right. Instead, I didn't win the I was told that I need to work 12 hour (6am-6pm)days from now untill I don't know when with maybe one day off next week. Oh well, there is always the end of next month.

[Corts60]

Boy, I know how that goes.

I really look forward to this build, as I am quite partial to the 60-61 GMC's in case no one has noticed.

I love that factory photo and paint scheme. It will be really awesome to see yours all painted up.

[ChevyTruckGuy]

Heck, atleast you have 12 hours worth of work to do and a set time to be there. Im only getting 20 hours per week lately and I have to work day or night or whenever they say. most times im lucky if I work 8 hour's. I miss the old days of 2005ish.........

[Surfdaddy]

Things at work have been stupid busy starting in 2010 and will come to a screaching halt around April when we deliver the project. I've been 12 hours a day 5- 6 days a week for 14 months straight. I'll be able to spend all the time I want after next month. But then the money will slow down. The thing about projects, when you have the time you don't have the money, when you have the money you don't have the time.

[Alan's Classic]

nice score. For some reasome the body side moulding is really popping for me. Clean and simple trim. Sticking around for this one.

[Surfdaddy]

Had my hours switched 2 hours before I had to go home. 6pm to 6am on Weds. so I thought I would work on the truck durring the day. changed out the water pump fuel pump and cleaned the engine compartment a little. Hooked up the battery and walked around to get in to start it and I noticed the dome light on. i looked over twards the steering wheel and saw smoke up to the side window. Yikes!! I diconnected the battery and opened the door and found the divers side corner sill plate smoking. After I took the plate off. (it has these industrial screws that don't thake a phillips driver). I found that the P.O. though he may have been a smart hydralics engineer wasnot much of an electrical guy. He had all the power going to the camper routed adn pinched under the sill plate and it finally shorted. After removing litterly 40 feet of wiring and patching the wiring loom the truck started and works fine. So I proved that the truck runs good I then removed teh accessories and brackets, heater sheet metal and fan pully. Bead blasted them and will primer and paint on my next day off. (maybe sunday) Also going to wash the engine compartment down in CLR and see how it turns out for now. If it still looks bad then I'll see about removing panels and painting them. Lots of work in 6 hours. But I'm making pretty good progress.

[Corts60]

Are you talking about the clutch bit screws? Kind of like a circle with two scallops taken out of either side? It turns out that is not a common bit to find. I searched a bunch of different places and finally found an old tool store that had the 1/4" clutch bit. Those screws are all over my suburban!

[Surfdaddy]

I'll tak a picture when I get home. They look like a D, or a really wide slotted screw head. I ground down a screwdrive to get it to work but will try and find a tool for them when I put them back in. When I was removing the heater sheet metal the underside and padding / insulation is in perfect condition. Really look almost new. No kick marks or cuts anyware. Going to head over to the auto paint supply to get some primer and paint. I always thought the paint in the engine compartment was a simi flat or satin finish but looking at the underside of the heater lid it is very shiny almost gloss and not satin. Maybe simi gloss

[Surfdaddy]

Kind of got shot down over the last week. I took some of the stock 15" split rims to the rim guy closest to my house and after telling him what I had he said he could replace the outer rim with 16" tubless. Drove down there and he said no he couldn't. So either I drive up to Morrow bay or Stocton Wheel and hope they can do it or just run the stock split rims. I found out that the tire guy I go to said he can work change the tires (old time shop) so maybe I'll just do that. Got a phone call from the property manager for our HOA and she said the president of the HOA was complaining that I had ANOTHER project and to becareful about how I went about having my truck torn down. So, I had bead blasted the heater sheet metal, front support brackets and some other stuff and had just primered and just painted it when she gave me the call. So I hurried and put it all back together and got finger prints on some of the paint. (it was too cold to fully cure). So I have to go about this a little diffrently. I was going to leave it parked and so one thing at a timebut now I'll have to keep it together and do smaller things. The good thing is that I'll be driving the truck and not just working on it.

[Corts60]

That sucks man. I was worried when I brought my suburban home too but the next day I had two seperate neighbors come over and compliment me on my new "project".

Hopefully Stockton wheel can do something for you. Somebody has to be able to do it.

[Surfdaddy]

All everyone who lives next tome is ok with the truck since they know it'll look nice in a very short time. The HOA pres asked me to be on the HOA board so that's the only reason I haven't got a letter. Though I really don't think I'm breaking any rules. Got the hub caps back from the plater and I have to wait hours at a time while I'm at work so I brought them to paint. Got 2 done and working on the 3rd should be done today. I'll take my wife on a wine tasting trip and bring the split rims with me. I'll say something like Oh, I forgot but since were in the area I need to make a stop. After the 3rd winery she'll feel better. If that gut can't help then it's running the split rims. I don't feel that bad about it now that I know I can get tires mounted.

[Surfdaddy]

The guy who gave me the truck came by and gave me the cash sales recept for the orig sale of the truck in 1961. Paid 2750 purchase date was 5-6-61 and I'm pretty sure it was special ordered. Now I can look through all the sale stuff and find the orig order sheet so I can tell what he ordered.

[Surfdaddy]

Got the hubcaps back from the plater. took 3 of the 5 wheels to get powder coated. Drove the truck around the block for the first time to see what needed to be done. Yikes, the tires were square, trans acted a little funny (hard shift) and though the brake peddal felt firm as soon as I put a load on them the wheel cyilinders let loose and the brakes almost went away. Still, it's the first time it's rolled since the late 80's so it wasen't too bad. While I was waiting for my kids to get ready I polished the crome and stainless trim. My wife walked by and I said look how the trim is comming out. She muttered something about polishing a turd and went inside.

[Corts60]

That's looking great man! I found an upholstery warehouse about 15 miles from my house. Supposedly this place has the largest inventory of auto upholstery in the U.S., so I went down there and they DO have our seat material. They want $95 a rolling yard. I had to ask what that meant and in case you don't know either, it means they measure out a yard and whatever the width of the roll is, you get. He said most rolls are about 60". So I found a local place and they also have the silver vinyl in stock as well that surrounds the material. I think he said that stuff was about $59 a yard.

Anyways, their name is SMS out of Canby, OR.

[Surfdaddy]

Those are the guy's I got the quote from@ 89 bucks a yard. Though I'm still waiting for my buddy about the place I used to work at 30+ years ago. Maybe walk in's are higher retail prices. It should take about 1 1/2 yards to do the seat. I'm going to order 2 yards just so I can make sure I have enough. Working on the V6 emblems right now trying to remove the screws that I had to grind off to get them off. Then off to get rechromed with the GMC lettering under the grill. The rust kind of has me bugged though the more I dig the more I find. I'll tackle that one item at a time I guess

[Surfdaddy]

Picked up 3 of the 5 wheels from the powder coaters today and took them over to the tire store at lunch. Monday (next day off) I'll put 2 of them on the truck and get the last 2 finished by the weekend. Then it to rebuilding the brakes by replacing the master cylinder and adding the booster as well as rebuilding or replacing the wheel cylinders. Need to see where I can get the brake hoses so I can replace them also.

[Corts60]

hey man I would get the hoses from classicindustries.com. I think they have the cheapest ones. Also, I'm not sure if the 3/4 ton trucks have the same wheel cylinder as the 1/2 tons, but the NAPA part numbers are:

Front right: 20933
Front left: 20932
Rear right: 13388
Rear left: 13387

I think they are 1 1/8" bore. Check yours out to see if they are the same.

[Surfdaddy]

Got a hood on Thrusday. Had to drive 185 miles one way to get one. I had a feeling things were going to be different when I asked for his address so I could meet him. He said his shop didn't have an address and to look for a bunch of cars on a lot when I got off the freeway. Well, I found his shop and when I asked for the guy some other guy said that he was at another yard and I would have to go there to see him. When I asked for the address the guy said it didn't have one and he gave me directions, kind of. Well, after 1/2 hour of trying to find this place I saw a lot with a bunch of VW's parked and I asked for the guy. They said they didn't know of him and what I was looking for. I told them a hood for my truck and they said that the wrecking yard down the street should have one. Well, this place is 150 acres and they did have one for a 61 , and it's was less than 1/2 the price the guy was going to charge me. I put wheels on the truck Thursday, sent the emblems to get rechromed, and ordered a bunch of parts from Truck Shop.

[Surfdaddy]

Finally got a chance to spend more than 10 minuets working on the truck. I replaced the master cylinder and the left rear wheel cylinder, repaired some of the wiring . Got it to sort of stop and drove it around for a while. Not too bad. rides very smooth. I wet sanded with 1000 grit the passenger side of the bed and made it look much better. No more chalky white on the paint and it looks like it's flat or satin finish. I'll do the rest of the truck this weekend so it will look a little better. Now I have to tackle the trans leaks and change all the fluids. I'll tackle all the mechanical stuff to make sure it works properly, then tear down each part seperatly and clean and paint.

[Surfdaddy]

Got most of the parts in today from Truck Shop. Installed the front bumper, tail liught bezels. Scrubed the truck with comet and then wet sanded with 1000 grit to get the white chalk off the paint. Starting to look a little better.