53gmc build! With pics!

[53GMC]

SUCCESS!!! after working hard for 9 months, i saw my project come together this week and I was able to drive it around the yard. It was such a great relief to finally back it out of the shed and take it for a short spin....

Here are some pics of the cab mounts i had made......sorry they are phone pics..ill have some better pictures off of my camera later on

it was nice to see my grandad's face when i told him i drove it around the yard...he had been telling me i was wastin my time on that old piece of junk but I was doing it all for him since it was his dad's back in the day....so it was a special moment for me.....he thought i was telling him a fib though

tell me what ya'll think......no bed, just cab, and lots of dents to fix...but all the same she is mine!

[53GMC]

one more...........

[britnjc]

congrats man it feels good on that first spin

[53GMC]

Hey guys...been student teaching at a middle school lately trying to finish my degree so the truck had taken a back seat for a few weeks...

today i laid down insulation mat inside my cab, bought some inexpensive carpet to lay down and called it a day....the exterior is gonna be navy blue as well as the carpet with a creamy grey interior...got a few wrinkles on my carpet, i can iron those out later though....

also been filling in dents with bondo....bondo is a miracle thing...yeah yeah i know its not as solid as lead filler, and maybe not as fully solid as lead, but its easier and a hobby truck, not a model i cant use some

[tray]

Thats got to feel great to finally get to drive your truck way to go keep up the good work.

[49ZR2]

Hey 53gmc, I sure do like the stance your truck is taking on! Have you started to mock up your box yet?

[53GMC]

thanks tray...it was a great feeling....actually moving instead of working inside of that old tin can felt so different!!

Not yet I haven't 49ZR2....im about to though within the next few weeks....i have been looking through your thread so much for help because mine is on a 4X4 frame similar to your ZR2 frame....if you didnt notice, my cab mounts should look really familiar to you because they were made off of your design...i noticed yours is a longed also...any hints or tips on setting it on before i get started? how did you mount yours? with more mounts? thanks again!!

[49ZR2]

53gmc, for my cab mounts I clamped them in place, drilled through the mount and then used some large self tapping bolts to secure them in place until I was finished mocking everything up. I just finished welding the cab mounts in place a week ago. I did the same thing for my running boards. I'll see if I can dig up some pics and post them this weekend for you. I finally got my new gauges and a wiring harness and am getting started on modifying the gauge buckets.

I did notice that your mounts look like mine, and mine look a lot like a design I found on this board I think it was Jeffs51.

[53GMC]

AN UPDATE...they are coming few and far between i know..a crazy work schedule and taking time out not to miss some of the important things in life makes it hard to finish a project....but im back at it again....

I was having some alignment issues....my hood to fender gap was large and my bed didnt seem to want to meet the cab squarely....so, i did some cab shifting up and down in the back and removed the bushing i had between the cab mounts and the bottom of the cab and replaced it with a rubber pad.....it lowered the back of my cab down about 1.5 inches....and it made a TON of difference.....my raised hood gap was gone along the firewall and the fenders and the bed met the cab better

I put my bed together over the past couple of days and set it in place with the fenders on and then bolted it down to check height and everything like that....tell me what ya'll think....

I have a lot of work to do to the fenders so when you GASP at the sight of them, its ok....im gonna try to work on them some more! haha

also....i fixed my gas fill nozzle and cap through the side of the bed and I will have more pictures of that to come tomorrow hopefully.....

i put in new side window glass, headliner, and chrome door handles from LMC truck....lookin a little better.....cant wait to get the sanders out again though!!

i need to invest in a real camera other than my phone hunh? sorry

suggestions and criticisms are welcome!

Lord knows I need all the help I can get these days!!

[53GMC]

see above.....sorry...accidentally hit the quick reply button and i don't know how to delete a message..

[53GMC]

hey everyone...here's some updated pics on my progress....not the best pictures because they are from my phone but they are better than none i guess....

[53GMC]

more....new windshield and all

[britnjc]

lookin good. did you put the glass in yourself? if so good job.. the guages llok good, are they functional?

[53GMC]

I did put the glass in myself which was one hot job in the 103 degree heat we had here yesterday....The dash is not quite completely done yet and I'm working on getting the gauges hooked up and functional...would love to see them workin again but gotta see what all that will involve!

[OrrieG]

Heat probably helped by keeping the rubber pliable. I just came in from the garage, too hot to put on plastic.

[53GMC]

got my new tailgate installed and back glass did the glass myself like i did all the glass in the truck...it was aggrivating to deal with the weatherstripping in the 100 degree 90 percent humidity outside but the satisfaction after was well worth it...i know i need some more body work...but coming along a little bit at the time...just some pictures to update with

[av8tr33337]

Saaaweeeeet !!!!!!!!!!! I am really jealous man!!! I've been following your tread and you are doing a great job. I just picked up an S10 myself so hope to be following in your foot steps real soon!

[53GMC]

Thanks Bartman! I have been looking through your build threads for a long time now! Your project looks really good!! It won't take you long to pass me on my build though, mine is a slow progress work!! haha

[53GMC]

i did some reflecting today...think we all need to step back and look at how far we have come sometimes

[MrTucker]

Great point! We all get worn out on our projects. It's a great idea to post beginning and current pics of our builds. But some of us are not nearly as far along

[rhondayou]

Nice job GMC.
I too have a 53 GMC I'm working on for my son.
It's been a 3 year project...Work has kept me very busy these last couple of years.
We used the AD-Engineering kit and are installing the 350V8 in it.
My sheet metal skills and welding are getting better, therefore I've been tackling things lately that I did not intend to do earlier in the project.

Check it out: http://s275.photobucket.com/home/rhondayou

Keep up with the pictures.

[53chevyforever]

Here is my 53 GMC project..so far new bumpers, grill, wheels, mirrors, plan to install small block with 200R4. Also upgrade to 12 volt system.

[53GMC]

that is one sweet ride 53chevyforever....i really like that you have kept it stock and made it shine with the chrome all around it! im a little jealous that mine doesn't look that nice...yet!

[63panel]

Do all you can to make your grandad happy,one day he will be gone and they will be a million things you will want to tell him and show him,trust me.I like your build. Ray

[53chevyforever]

Originally Posted by 53GMC

that is one sweet ride 53chevyforever....i really like that you have kept it stock and made it shine with the chrome all around it! im a little jealous that mine doesn't look that nice...yet!

Hey...thanks...in the future hope to do more...