My 91 GMC c1500 redo

[Robert]

Well have had this truck for about 25 years and I really did not want to part with it. But it was getting weak and looking and running warn and so it was time to either buy something new or redo the exsisting truck. It had a solid frame and through the years body work had been done to keep it in good condition. The wife took it out to move her sister and one piston let loose but still ran good. With 200k on the clock it was decsision time and thought others would like to see the process.

[hubcapsc]

Ours was from that era, it was the "work truck" version, manual,
vinyl floors and stuff. I really liked that truck, it was
maneuverable, drove great. For horse trailers it became more
sensible to get a giant clunky loud automatic f250 diesel, which
I hate to drive. Way better for Carolyn to be stuck in a traffic
jam with an automatic, though, and pull a trailer in the Blue
Ridge with a powerful diesel...

-Mike

[Robert]

Yup the diesels do better for the extreme work trucks. Mine is more a project truck and transportation. People are so nuts driving, its easier to drive this and not put the miles on my car.

[Jess from VA]

Nice work Robert.     And nice truck.

My kitchen is nearly all original from 1960 (except for appliances and plumbing). 

It's beat up and old, so I keep the lights low.

One countertop is no longer level, but that's OK, neither is the floor.   

[Robert]

One countertop is no longer level, but that's OK, neither is the floor.   

Our kitchen was that old blue/green tiles that they used to use from the 50's. It even had the original Kitchen Aid stainless 4 burner counter top, with the controls mounted in the cabinet below and Stainless oven that was the modern home of the 50's. 
 We actually could have been in Good Housekeeping with the 50's style we had .

 Wife was not to happy with me when I said whats wrong with it 

 Must admit she was right, but don't tell her that 

[old2soon]

      I saw on the gear head show Carcass where the two guys there are redoing an 89 GMC I think it is. BUT It IS way beyond stock. The guys over at another gear head show-Engine Power-built them a small block V-8 around 600 plus H P if memory serves.
        Sometimes a refresh is the way to go. I'm guessin the refresh was WAY less than a new truck!  And this way YOU Actually have a CHOICE in the "stuff" to use on the refresh. With so Many aftermarket choices these days pick yer H P pick yer parameters contact some shops and prepare yer credit card fer the SHOCK!  But STILL Way Less than a new truck!  RIDE SAFE.

[Avanti]

My son likes fast so even his Day Diver Avalanche is Turbocharged and pushes almost 600 HP to the ground.

[Rams]

Nice truck, beats the hell out of new truck payments.

Rams

[signart]

Do a 2/3 drop, make it handle. Kit for about $100 for these OBS trucks. The "square bodies" are the hottest ticket going now, but these "OBS" trucks are catching fire. Hang on to it.
No "C" notching required unless you are hauling maximum load.
Old geezer be cool again sylin' a Georgia Milk Cow and a lower stance with a lopey cam

[Savago]

@Robert: it looks really amazing! Rebuilding a truck/car/motorcycle should be the standard instead of throwing it away or sending it to the wrecker.

Any chance you could upload a video somewhere so we could listen to the engine singing?
 

[Tundra]

Must admit she was right, but don't tell her that  

You SHOULD tell her. Happy wife, Happy life.

Nice job on your truck She's a sleeper with a lope.

[pais]

Great looking truck!
Love those OBS Chevy's. The "square body" price$ are something. In the rock salt areas you could not keep them from rusting. The simplicity of those are sorely missed. They seemed easy to work on but I was a young man then. Plenty of aftermarket body parts used to be available. Nothing like the look of a regular cab, short bed Chevy.

[Patrick]

Good looking truck, and, I've always liked a lope.

[Robert]

@Robert: it looks really amazing! Rebuilding a truck/car/motorcycle should be the standard instead of throwing it away or sending it to the wrecker.

Any chance you could upload a video somewhere so we could listen to the engine singing?
 

Ill try since I do have a video, I just dont know if my current photo site will do it.

[Robert]

As a side note to the happy wife story,

 My wife drove this truck for a few years in the old format and treated it like a sports car. But she was not unfamiliar with it. But when the truck was done and it had a bit of a lope and didn't smell right it was not tops on her hit parade. Until of course one day she goes to a shop where they have consignment furniture and was looking around and knew the ladies in the shop. So of course with the 8' bed being empty and some money in her pocket she had to get something.
 
  Well the ladies who own the store come out and said, 'Oh i just love these vintage trucks," and started talking about it, So now the truck and her are best friends again   

 So I no longer have an old truck, but a repurposed vintage truck. 

Suddenly its cool again.

[Robert]

Nice truck, beats the hell out of new truck payments.

Rams

That was in my mind when I did it since I saw the price of new and all the new bells and whistles didnt entice me enough to go for it.

All in all the total cost was about 10k, it would have been less but with the cam and having to buy the Holley Sniper and a few other mods it brought the price up. I have owned the truck for about 20 years, ac and heat work along with everything else and if you average this cost its basically nothing.

 FYI its actually classified as an antique and since I dont drive it much, its not an everyday driver insurance is also lower. Another perk to keeping it and fixing it up.

[Jess from VA]

So I no longer have an old truck, but a repurposed vintage truck. 

Be careful that she doesn't decide she can do better than a repurposed vintage husband.   

[Robert]

If I had it all to do over I think for the price I would have gone for a crate engine from Chevy. They have whats called connect and cruise that gives you engine, trans, computers, to make the setup run. Of course you have to add belts and other accessories and it would cost a bit more but I could have put a 505hp/470 torque engine in there for around 11k.


https://www.chevrolet.com/performance-parts/crate-engines


LS7 CONNECT & CRUISE
505 HP @6300 RPM
470 LB-FT TORQUE

But all in all Im happy with my results. Who knows maybe on the next time around  

[Robert]

So I no longer have an old truck, but a repurposed vintage truck. 

Be careful that she doesn't decide she can do better than a repurposed vintage husband.   

Yea like I really wanted to update the kitchen at the same time 

[old2soon]

Nice truck, beats the hell out of new truck payments.

Rams

That was in my mind when I did it since I saw the price of new and all the new bells and whistles didnt entice me enough to go for it.

All in all the total cost was about 10k, it would have been less but with the cam and having to buy the Holley Sniper and a few other mods it brought the price up. I have owned the truck for about 20 years, ac and heat work along with everything else and if you average this cost its basically nothing.

 FYI its actually classified as an antique and since I dont drive it much, its not an everyday driver insurance is also lower. Another perk to keeping it and fixing it up.

          Some states have antique tags available after a certain age. Mileage and some other qualifiers may apply. da prez had antique tags on his 23 Ford T-bucket when he had it. LOT less than regular tags. RIDE SAFE.

[Robert]

Nice truck, beats the hell out of new truck payments.

Rams

That was in my mind when I did it since I saw the price of new and all the new bells and whistles didnt entice me enough to go for it.

All in all the total cost was about 10k, it would have been less but with the cam and having to buy the Holley Sniper and a few other mods it brought the price up. I have owned the truck for about 20 years, ac and heat work along with everything else and if you average this cost its basically nothing.

 FYI its actually classified as an antique and since I dont drive it much, its not an everyday driver insurance is also lower. Another perk to keeping it and fixing it up.

          Some states have antique tags available after a certain age. Mileage and some other qualifiers may apply. da prez had antique tags on his 23 Ford T-bucket when he had it. LOT less than regular tags. RIDE SAFE.

My son wanted antique tags for his own rat rod and in Florida you can actually buy old plates and register them with the state.

[signart]

We can register to an original old plate or just run an old plate of correct vintage and stash the registered plate under the seat or trunk. Original Tennessee plates were state shaped up until 1956 and bring some serious coin when you find them. They start at about $100, according to the scarcity of the year.
Then most want to find the correct county, which in my case is 58. They used these prefix numbers to denote the population of each county. Memphis area would be 1, Nashville area 2, Knoxville 3, etc.
I have a collection of 1953 tags, but 58 prefix was very hard to come by.

[Robert]

We can register to an original old plate or just run an old plate of correct vintage and stash the registered plate under the seat or trunk. Original Tennessee plates were state shaped up until 1956 and bring some serious coin when you find them. They start at about $100, according to the scarcity of the year.
Then most want to find the correct county, which in my case is 58. They used these prefix numbers to denote the population of each county. Memphis area would be 1, Nashville area 2, Knoxville 3, etc.
I have a collection of 1953 tags, but 58 prefix was very hard to come by.

Thats way cool 

When I was younger a guy gave me that exact same car that was in pretty bad shape. I was to young to take on that kind of project so I got rid of the car. I kept thinking I would get the motivation to restore it and loved the gas tank under the rear tail light, so I would go out there everyday and start it. The interior had the cloth seats and the material was unlike anything I had seen before. I eventually bought a 60 caddy and retored that and drove that for a few years. Being 17 and having that car I would pile in a bunch of kids and we would go for a ride and to get something to eat. Earl Schibe paint job in a dark metallic green.