"Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

I have actually started working on one of my projects so figure it's time to start a build thread.

I started with a 74 GMC long fleet with a 350 2bbl 3spd on the column and a dump setup on it in late '08......
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/100_2244.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/100_2250.jpg

My dad, uncle and I began removing the rusty beat up bed and dump setup......
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/100_2264.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/100_2266.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/100_2269.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/100_2271.jpg

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Well I hadn't done much to it except pull the engine and trans until just recently when I finally cut the frame down to turn it into a short bed. I started measuring for my cuts and making my marks, I started at 8" behind the cab mount crossmember......
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9396.jpg

Then from there I went 14" back and started laying out all my lines......
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9398.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9400.jpg

I started to use a sawzall to make my cuts, but I used 2 blades within about 4" of cutting (most of been really cheap blades, they were a gift). So I brought out the torch, it was alot faster anyway......
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9587.jpg

The point of no return......:lol:
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9588.jpg

And after what seemed like several hours of grinding, due to only have an air grinder and having to wait on my 30gal. compressor to constantly rebuild pressure I was ready to start reassembly......
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9589.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9590.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9591.jpg

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

So I clamped it together and measured for squareness and I think I only had to slightly adjust one side once, then tacked and remeasured a few more times......
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9592.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9593.jpg

I used part of the sections I removed to make plates to reinforce the joined area, they are offset as well. Where they ended up under the bed bolt holes, I just test fit them in there and took my silver sharpie and traced the hole. Center punched it and drilled it out slightly larger than the bed bolt hole is above it with a uni bit. (sorry I didn't think to get any pics of that until they were already welded in)......
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9594.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9595.jpg

Then I was able to start welding it up. You can see the inner plate through the bed bolt hole......
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9596.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9597.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9598.jpg

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Then with the help of a friend, we sat the bed on to see if it all turned out ok. (sorry about the "sky shot", but my driveway is extremely narrow so I had to shoot the pic from my backporch)......
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9599.jpg

And we test fit 2 of my dodge 20" steelies to see how they would look on there......
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9601.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9600.jpg

I have had alot of ?s about the center cap. :devil: It is indeed a rally cap, and it is held in place by the factory 3 bolts. I will try and get some pics of what I did to make them work on there soon. It's real easy and just takes a little time, I think I have about 30mins in this one and only 3 more to do.

Next up on the to do list is a 2" Z, 1.5" chopped crossmember (maybe raised into the frame another 1/2"), 3" drop spindles and then to flip the rearend on top of the springs. May take some time, because I want to geat all new bushings and balljoints and what have you as I do that and i'm broke.

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

nice build.... wish i could find a grill and fender emblems like that for my truck

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Thanks

I wish my grille was in better shape.....

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

if u ever decide to get ride of them let me knw

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Right on!

It's to bad the GMC's get no love from the aftermarket and it's not likely that these grilles will get reproduced. Hell I have a really nice 73-74 chevy grill and a see dozens of them on the road in beat up trucks around here all the time, but i've only seen one other GMC grill in person and it appeared to be better than mine is.

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

nice build

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

I love the dodge steelies...I just don't like the idea of using adapters...they look awesome, though!

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

yea i dout they will and it sux cus i switched my 87 chevy to an 84 gmc grill and badging and now im converting a 76 chevy front clip to a 73-74 gmc and then put it on my truck

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Thanks

Thanks. Yeah, i'm to sure about them myself but these wheels are temporary until I can afford the ones I really want to get, which may be awhile because they aren't what you would call cheap.

That's awesome! You always see and read about guys going from GMC to Chevy, nice to see it going the opposite way for a change. Not that I don't like Chevy's.

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

yea i know wat u mean theres to many chevys round hear expecally 80s so im being different

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Figured I would show just what I did to get the center caps to work with the dodge wheels....
Side by side....
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9709.jpg
Close up of a modded hole....
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9710.jpg
The back side of the modded cap....
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9711.jpg
The mounting holes in the wheels....
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9706.jpg

And this is how the truck is sitting at this time....
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...sengerSide.jpg

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Looking good bud, those wheels look good!

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Thanks man

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

That's a great job on the frame. Nice welds, too.

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Thanks
I need to work on it some more but it's been rainning here quite a bit here the last few days and I only have a crowded one car garage so I can't get much done unless the weather is right. I am supposed to go pick up a tach cluster tomorrow night.

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Wow! I didn't realize that it had been almost a month since I had updated this, but I have gotten a little bit done in the last few weeks.......

Got the rest of the front clip removed
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...4%20GMC/Zl.jpg

Did my Z, 2" up + 1" forward......
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...4%20GMC/Zk.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...4%20GMC/Zj.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...4%20GMC/Zi.jpg

Jump ahead a little......
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...4%20GMC/Zn.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...4%20GMC/Zr.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...4%20GMC/Zt.jpg

I plan to clean it up so it all flows smoothly before I paint or powdercoat my frame.

Crappy cellphone pics

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Had a nice day today so I did some more work......

I put the front wheels back on for a short bit and put a fender on with just 2 bolts to see what it looked like....
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...20GMC/Test.jpg

And then I took them back off and removed the crossmember so I could get a 1.5" chopped one put in......

And where I stopped today....
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...rossmember.jpg

I still need to Z my frame horns, but i'll get to that soon.

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

looks good man...once thats plated and cleaned up you wont even be able to notice the "Z".

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Thanks man, that's what i'm trying to accomplish.

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Coming along great man keep up the great work
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Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Thanks



I got my sectioned crossmember in......

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9819.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9822.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...C/IMG_9820.jpg

Now I need to get the suspension put back together and drop my frame horns.

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

looking good

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

awesome!

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Cool man!
One question. How are you going to make up for the extra inch forward? Do you have to modify the core support or move the rad support brackets on the frame??

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

I will cut the frame horns the same way I cut the other part of the frame and as I lower the horns they will move back the 1".


Thanks guys!

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Well I got a little done over the weekend......

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...Suspension.jpg

I ran into a problem when I went to put my rotors on, turns out my drop spindles are for the 1-1/4" rotors and not the 1" rotors I was told they were for. So i'm going to see how much it will cost me to have my original rotors redrilled so I can move along with the mock up assembly.

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

TTT :chevy:
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Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

What did u use for the gas tanks ? Man I so wanna try this but kinda scared lol kinda :chevy:
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Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

I'm going to use a Blazer tank at the rear of the frame.

Once I get back to work on this i'll get the frame horns done and start back up on the rear. :gmc2:

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

what kind of welder did u use for all of this

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

when u put the bed on did u have 2 redrill the holes for the bed on the frame or did everything lined up

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

It's a Lincoln SP-170T, it's a smaller 220 machine.

And as far as I know they are all supposed to line up, I have only put 2 bolts in it so far because I know I have to take it off again soon.

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

It's not much, but I did manage to put the engine in to get the weight on the front and to see what it's going to take to put it in. It's not quite the bolt in that I have read it to be but that's ok, i've got a couple ideas about how I want to do it....
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...ineTestFit.jpg

I took a pic of the fender again to see where it's sittin as of now, not bad....
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u...enderTest3.jpg

Next up is to get the rear dropped and to sort out the motor mounts & sterring shaft. Luckily the temps are dropping a few degrees here and that'll make it easier to get something done.

:gmc2:

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

Nice stance

Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

That's a very nice stance you have it in so far.
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Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

I bought some new drop spindles for the 1" rotors that I have, also picked up a couple more used tires for the 20s. I got the rear dropped and discovered that I needed to buy some new U-bolts, so after a week of looking around I found some that weren't crazy exspensive or the wrong size. I picked up a 95 caprice 9C1 rearend lastnight that i'm going to put in soon. It may be a week or 2, but I should have some more pics up soon.
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Re: "Sin-thia" My 74 GMC
 

ttt