Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

Got some time on my hands right now since I am currently deployed to Afghanistan, so I figure I will start a thread on my truck.

In a long line of trades, my end of it all started with a 1997 Dodge Sport Extended Cab 4x4. As in almost all the vehicles I have owned, I found my 1969 GMC on craigslist. Listed for $7500. From the moment I seen it, I told myself it was my next truck. I contacted him, offering my Dodge up for straight up trade. To my surprise, we exchange titles a couple days later.

More to follow......

Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

This truck began life with a 6 cylinder 3 on the tree. It can to me bearing a built 454 mated with a built 400 turbo transmission with a 3500 stall and 4:11 gears in the rear end(possibly factory). The PO had no idea as to what had been done to either of them, and his plans was to built the truck as a track truck. Unsure as to when the truck been started into a custom, it came to me as a working progress with at least this being its 3rd motor.

List of Mods it came to me with:

454 engine
400 turbo trans
Heavy duty front springs
Rear Air shocks
Custom 35-40gallon fuel cell
New style bench seat
Centerline Rims 10x15's
Aftermarket steering wheel (crappy and since been replaced)
CD Player
Custom wiring job for lights and ignition system (hack job IMO)
Amateur paint job
Tachometer (never worked right and was scrapped)
3 gage set mounted under the dash
Fiberglass bed cover

Factory Equipment (what is left there of):
Truck (body and frame)
Steering column
Rear end
Manual drum brakes
Factory Dash
Lights
Grill
Trailing arm
Bumpers


Pictures to be posted soon.

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

:welcome2: Sounds like a cool project ! we love Pics !

Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

Pics of when I got the truck.

Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

More pics

Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

And more pics

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

Very nice truck to start with. Enjoy!
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Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

Last 2 pics

Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

Thanks, I have been enjoying this truck since around August of 2008.

Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed: when the fun began
 

As with any vehicle you buy, the fun began shortly after getting it. I drove it to work a couple of times and I decide to get heavy on the throttle on a back stretch of road outside of Fort Riley, Ks. Got the truck up to about 120mph, and was really up in the RPM's on the tach. With that and the truck feeling a little lose made me nervous. But I had to find out what she could do. And it got there really quick, pin you to the seat quick.

A few miles down the road and I had steam coming out from the front of the hood. And the temp wasn't dropping. The, what I assume was stock radiator sprung several pin hole leaks. I limped it back home and replaced it with a 4 core.

Drove it a few more times, and a god awful screaming started coming from the front of the motor. I pulled the timing cover and found a bolt had came out of the gear drive on the cam. I decided I would put a double roller timing chain it, because I am not a huge fan of the gear drive noise. I played hell trying to get it started afterwards. After some research, I decided it might have a special cam that requires it to be timed 180 degrees out. Boggled my mind, but I gave it a shot and sure enough, it fired up and ran like a champ after installing the distributor.

More issues developed after a few more drives. It developed a starter grind and didn't want to catch the teeth of the fly wheel. I climbed under and found the outer ear of the block broke off. Though there was still enough present to have threads and hold the bolt. I put a new fly wheel and starter in. Shimmed it properly, and thought I was good. Few days later, it started it again. At that point I was done with fooling around with it. Verdict was, I was pulling the motor and sending it to the shop to get the ear fixed to stop the flexing of the starter.

This is where I had a change of heart and plans of what I was going for with the truck.

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

First off, thank you for your service. Nice looking truck. So what are you plans for it now?
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Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed: The change of Heart and Plans
 

After I found out the issue with the starter. I started thinking about where I really want to go with this project of a truck I have sitting in my driveway. Looking around the garage, I had a motor still sitting there from a previous project that I had sold. A 1996 LT1 motor from a corvette, as I was told. Most likely a Z28 camaro though.
I thought about it, and decided I wanted to go with a more street friendly truck and get some fuel economy out of it. And yet still be able to go fast if I wanted to. And this is where my adventure really started with this truck. The 454 was coming out, and the LT1 was going in.

Fortunately, I had most of the parts for this conversion. The motor came to me with no electronics what so ever. But what it did have was a BowTie carburated intake and the opti-spark was eliminated already.

I spent a couple of days dropping this motor in. With the intake installed and a HIE distributor in. I still had to come up with brackets to mount an internally regulated alternator. And plumb the cooling and heating system.

This was no fun with the plumbing, but I ran a few hoses together and such and got it done. I used a painless wiring harness to wire up a dual fan set I bought from a salvage yard from a dodge mini van for $20.

I tried to mount some block hugger headers to the engine, but had to scrap that idea and go with oval port long tube headers, since the cross member got in the way of running the exhaust.

Ebay has been great to me on my search of custom parts for this swap. I found the bracket I needed on there for the alternator. The kit provided me with the correct belt number to run. Picked that up at Auto Zone. Did the wire snip and conversion at the regulator.

With everything buttoned up, a long with a electric fuel pump. I put some oil and coolant in the engine. At this point, I don't think there has been anything running in this truck for about a year. The fuel smelt a little old. No big deal, figured I would just get it running and get the bugs worked out. Then go put some good fuel in it....

Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed: The drive to get exhaus put on
 

Got it started, and it ran and sound like a freaking beast. Drove it around the neighbor hood, like any good ole' boy would after getting the truck fired up. I was amazed, no leaks what so ever. Loud as hell with only headers.

Great idea came to mine. I wanted my exhaust to run tips out right before the rear tires with glass packs. Locally here, we have this great exhaust shop that has been around for a couple decades. Only place I go to get any exhaust work done. Dave's Muffler Shop... Slogan: NO MUFF TOO TUFF Another reason I go there. Old man runs the shop by himself and does the best work at the best prices. You tell the man the sound you want out of it, and that's what he gets you.

On my way to get this done, I was headed down the a hill by my house. Went to hit the brakes. Nothing there. FML! Rolled right thru the stop sign. Thankfully not vehicles was coming either direction. Limped it home with no breaks. Fixed the line that blew and headed back that way again.

End result is the truck sounds, runs, and looks awesome. When I picked the truck up, Dave asked me if he could purchase my truck. Told me it was the best sounding old truck he had had in his shop. Still got the truck, not forsale. Needless to say, he lives about a block and a half away. Walks by my house when he goes for walks in nice weather. Asks to buy the truck every time.

Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed: Future Plans
 

So, that is it with the story telling. And I have a lot of things planned for the future of the truck. Things I want to upgrade, replace, and improve.

Future Mods:
Edelbrock Thunder Series AVS Street 650cfm carb (already have, EBAY purchase for $225, awaiting me to install)
Disk brake conversion, front end only at stock height
700r4 transmission
LT4 Hot Cam swap
Tinted windows
New coil springs for the rear end
Roll pan for rear bumper
New paint job (this on has runs and few spots where the paint crack showing rust)
Carpet for the interior
Tilt steering
Possibly Floor mounted shifter
Painless Wiring harness and fuse block

That's my plans for now. And the list will continue to grow. They always do. Just going for a street cruiser with pep behind her. 4 years and the passion is still there.

I would post pics of it with current motor and exhaust, but I never got any taken before I got deployed. Will do after my return.

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

sounds like a good solid olan

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

After many hours of searching, I have added one more part to the list of modifications I will be doing. Today, I found a member on this forum (ronrob84 which has a ton of parts listed forsale) had a gauge cluster for sale. Being I have the lowest of the low base model one, I have been wanting an upgrade and have tossed the idea around of building my own or doing a factory tach dash swap. So, I bought one from him for $30 shipped. Best deal I have came across.
It needs some TLC, and I have to do the factory tach conversion to it. But in the end, I will have about $200 into this upgrade instead of around $800.

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

It's a little ruff, but you have to start somewhere.

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

Man I would have had to change my shorts if all the sudden I had no brakes going down a hill you are a lucky man there were no cars in the intersection.
Count your blessings on that one!
Thanks for the friend request.

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

Oh, I would have been cool with it. Insurance company I go thru has the truck insured for $7500. That was the 2nd day I had insurance on the truck. If it would have gotten wrecked and totaled, I would have been on the hunt for another as soon as I would have collected the money.

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

GMCJoe, My thanks also for the friend request. My youngest son graduated from K-state and currently resides in Manhattan. Been thru JC several times visting him. Also my thanks for your service, (US Army Apr67-Apr70 Germany & Viet Nam) one Vet to another, Welcome Home Brother ! Nice looking truck, the seat looks VERY similar to one I have in my '71 4x4. :chevy:

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

No problem on the friends request. I am putting everyone in the Kansas and Missouri area's in my friends/contacts as I go thru the parts section and such. Possibly meet up with some of you guy's eventually at a car show or something. Thanks for your service also. And I wish I was home right now...lol Deployments put a damper on my progress with the truck. As to the seat, I am still trying to figure out what year and model of truck it came out of. If you had any incite, that would be great. I was thinking late 80's to early 90's. I like it, but I will probably replace it the further a long in my endeavors with this truck as I go.

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

GMC Joe:
Welcome, and thanks as well for the friend request! Like Iron hourse I have one going to K-State! We head that way often to apease mom (and I) missing the youngster. Nice truck and thank you for your service. I came in along time ago (23 years 2 months and a week ago to be exact) man Im getting old! It takes a special person to come in during this time in history. Keep you head down and come home safe... BTW, I always have beer!
Mike

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

Man, I could use a beer right now! Thank you for your service. No worries about keeping my head down, I am short.

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

On the tach conversion see if you can switch positions in the cluster and put the tach in the large right hand position and put the fuel gauge in the center position or in one of the bottom positions I always thought it seemed a bit silly to have a HUGE gas gauge and a tiny tach.
Just something to think about.

Re: Joe's 1969 GMC Shortbed
 

You can do about anything you want with the conversion, just depending on the money you want to spend doing it. Check out some of the one people have done on my thread for it: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=543460