1977 GMC Sierra C25/1984 Chevy Custom Deluxe C10

[Darkrider]

I purchased this truck earlier this month due to a growing need for a secondary vehicle thanks to mismatched work schedules with the Fiancee. Well that and the fact we found ourselves needing a running truck quite a few times this month alone...I wish my '94 GMC Sierra K1500 Diesel was up to the task but it needs a lot of help with the fuel system thus it has been sitting for the past 3 years....Anyways on to the truck in question...

1977 GMC Sierra C25 3/4 ton

355 V8 (Recent rebuild...est 15-20K on engine)
SM465 4 speed manual transmission

That is about as far as i know about it at this time it will be a learning experience just as the Rat Rod is lol. The Fiancee will be driving our '02 Honda Odyssey mini van most of the time from the point the Sierra comes home unless i need the Honda otherwise.

On to the pics...

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/Outlawz24/77%20Sierra/20150821_132328.jpg (http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Outlawz24/media/77%20Sierra/20150821_132328.jpg.html)
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/Outlawz24/77%20Sierra/20150821_132300.jpg (http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Outlawz24/media/77%20Sierra/20150821_132300.jpg.html)
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/Outlawz24/77%20Sierra/20150821_132349.jpg (http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Outlawz24/media/77%20Sierra/20150821_132349.jpg.html)

I do know the truck was equipped with a dual battery set up at one point and is equipped with a wiring harness and tie down points for a slide in camper. What is not known at this time is if i will ever utilize that or not as i do intend on fitting a fiberglass sleeper i have from a previous project that originally came from a GM truck of this body style. But i may keep the stock rear window and seal kicking around in case i do decide to eventually pick up a camper for it. (or build one for that matter...)

Plans as of this time:

Adjust the valves
Clean the carb
Replace the stock valve covers with some Edelbrock ones
possibly order an Edelbrock Performer intake since i had a few extra shifts this month and can afford it.
Replace the door and ignition tumblers
New batteries and heavy duty cables
Modify the dash for a Din style head unit
Install the Alpine digital media head unit from my Astro
Drive the wheels off of it!

[cheesy]

My Dad had the Chevy version of this truck, except with an automatic. 350, 4 barrel, Edelbrock intake, Hooker headers, Cheery Bombs, and dual tanks. I drove it from Chicago to Nova Scotia, and back, with a camper on the back. I needed a second mortgage to pay off the gas card.

[Weldangrind]

Sweet deal! A 3/4 ton like that would be perfect. How are the cab corners?

Do you plan to use the Sierra diesel in the rat rod?

[SpudRider]

I hope this vehicle works well for you. :)

[Darkrider]

My Dad had the Chevy version of this truck, except with an automatic. 350, 4 barrel, Edelbrock intake, Hooker headers, Cheery Bombs, and dual tanks. I drove it from Chicago to Nova Scotia, and back, with a camper on the back. I needed a second mortgage to pay off the gas card.

This one has dual exhaust and a 4 barrel and thankfully dual tanks lol

Sweet deal! A 3/4 ton like that would be perfect. How are the cab corners?

Do you plan to use the Sierra diesel in the rat rod?

Its actually a pretty damn solid truck! Amazingly little rust for a truck of its year. As for the Sierra....no its 6.5 Detroit is staying right where it is lol...Hopefully next summer i will be doing a solid front axle swap to make it a much more capable 4x4 possibly along with an NV4500 5 speed manual swap.

I hope this vehicle works well for you. :)

Given the past year...so do i....This truck is replacing a '95 S10 blazer that became a money pit over the past few months as well as the '00 Astro that was supposed to replace the S10 but got totaled off after a month...both of which replaced a '14 Toyota Camry which was supposed to replace the aforementioned S10 and a '08 Chevy Trailblazer...

[andyj812]

Not a bad looking truck I look forward to your future posts and updates

[Darkrider]

Not a bad looking truck I look forward to your future posts and updates

:tup::thanks:


Managed to find pics of the sleeper i mentioned before as well as a pic of a possible light bar mounting set up i found on the net on a CUCV military GM truck.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/Outlawz24/77%20Sierra/10986423_355263431336270_132271259_n.jpg (http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Outlawz24/media/77%20Sierra/10986423_355263431336270_132271259_n.jpg.html)
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/Outlawz24/77%20Sierra/2011-12-22%2015.25.03.jpg (http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Outlawz24/media/77%20Sierra/2011-12-22%2015.25.03.jpg.html)
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/Outlawz24/77%20Sierra/2011-12-22%2015.24.53.jpg (http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Outlawz24/media/77%20Sierra/2011-12-22%2015.24.53.jpg.html)
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/Outlawz24/77%20Sierra/2011-12-22%2015.24.22.jpg (http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Outlawz24/media/77%20Sierra/2011-12-22%2015.24.22.jpg.html)


The plan with the sleeper is to replace the 3 pieces that make up the bed with a simple shelf with two 6x9 speakers mounted in the outer edges similar to the set up found in most sedans. I may keep it 3 piece like it is for easy access to the storage area underneath. What may also happen is fitting a sub box in the lowest part of the storage area to have some thump without sacrificing cab space.

[Bruce's]

Those are good old trucks .Stick a set of speakers in the doors and you might be surprised how descent it sounds ,there is a lot of volume in those doors so they act like a speaker box .Can I ask why you need the light bar ?

[Darkrider]

Those are good old trucks .Stick a set of speakers in the doors and you might be surprised how descent it sounds ,there is a lot of volume in those doors so they act like a speaker box .Can I ask why you need the light bar ?

I have been in a few of these old trucks and agree they do sound good with the right speakers in the doors, Most likely going to be running a component set in either the doors or kick panels and the speakers in the sleeper to have a full 4 speaker system. As for the light bar...well i drive a lot of long distance highways and back roads especially when im traveling to go see the in laws. So the extra light is much appreciated on the long stretches of road.

[Darkrider]

Well unfortunately this project didnt go as planned...The original owner of the truck contacted my buddy about it and wants it back. So i ended up picking up an '84 Chevy C10 with a 350 Olds Rocket in it instead.

[Weldangrind]

That's an interesting combo! What was the Rocket out of?

[Adjuster]

I am going to guess the Rocket was out of late 60's early 70's Cutlass.


/

[Darkrider]

That's an interesting combo! What was the Rocket out of?

Not sure...it was in the truck when my buddy got it

I am going to guess the Rocket was out of late 60's early 70's Cutlass.


/

Since i know it is a blue block version of the engine that narrows it down a bit..most likely a Cutlass from between 75-78 and given that it has the 4 barrel and the HEI leads me to believe it came out of one of the more sporty 2 doors like an S.

[Adjuster]

My friend growing up had a 70s Cutlass 2dr with the rocket but I can't remember the exact year. It was a very nice car.


/

[Darkrider]

My friend growing up had a 70s Cutlass 2dr with the rocket but I can't remember the exact year. It was a very nice car.


/

The one Cutlass i would love to have is a 442. One of my roomates has a '63 Cutlass F85 coupe with the smaller Rocket in it. In fact he had intended to buy this truck for its 350 but i kinda uh beat him to it without even knowing...

Since it will be easier to just keep track of the progress in this thread on the '84 I gotta ask. Weld could you or Spud change the title of this thread to this?

1977 GMC Sierra C25/1984 Chevy Custom Deluxe C10

[Weldangrind]

1977 GMC Sierra C25/1984 Chevy Custom Deluxe C10

Done.

When I was a kid, my buddy had a '74 Olds Omega (X-body, like a Nova) with a 350 Rocket in it. Went like a scared rabbit.

[Darkrider]

Done.

When I was a kid, my buddy had a '74 Olds Omega (X-body, like a Nova) with a 350 Rocket in it. Went like a scared rabbit.

Thanks Weld, Funny enough i had one of those Omegas as well...mine was an Omega S and it was a 350 car as well..though it was just a roller i picked up and never got a chance to do anything with it.

[Darkrider]

Bit more info and an update on the '84 C10

It was originally a 305 gas powered truck and had factory AC in it. One day i intend to restore the AC in it for warmer weather.
It is suspected that the engine came out of a 2 door model Cutlass due to the fact it has the factory 4 barrel quadrajet carb and large cap HEI Ignition.

Currenly having a temp sensor issue which may have been figured out today. I noticed it reads extremely low for the temp im noticing out of the heater. After talking about the problem with an old school guy at the parts shop it was pointed out that the car the engine came from may have been equipped with an idiot light instead of a gauge like the truck. So the solution to this problem will be to install an aftermarket gauge mounted under the dash and installing its sensor in place of the OE gauge. Eventually i may do what i seen on a few chevy truck sites and that is eliminating the stock warning gauges on the left side of the dash and just keep the stock speedo and fuel gauge. I would then end up replacing the stock ones with aftermarket units fitted through the stock plastic bezel. More then likely if i go this route i will probably use some autometer sport comps or similar...something that looks similar to the stock gauges anyway...

Anyways heres some pics of the truck...

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/Outlawz24/IMG_20150919_111432072.jpg (http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Outlawz24/media/IMG_20150919_111432072.jpg.html)
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/Outlawz24/IMG_20150919_111422595.jpg (http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Outlawz24/media/IMG_20150919_111422595.jpg.html)
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/Outlawz24/IMG_20150919_111410703.jpg (http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Outlawz24/media/IMG_20150919_111410703.jpg.html)
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/Outlawz24/IMG_20150918_081719197_HDR.jpg (http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Outlawz24/media/IMG_20150918_081719197_HDR.jpg.html)


New box and fenders for the truck sitting at my buddies place

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/Outlawz24/20150909_190953.jpg (http://s28.photobucket.com/user/Outlawz24/media/20150909_190953.jpg.html)

[cheesy]

That looks like a Chevy C-10 should from that era.

I had an 84 Suburban Silverado that was the ugliest, nastiest, rustiest thing on wheels. Yet, it ran perfect and was one of the most comfortable riding vehicles I ever owned.

[Bruce's]

Have you thought about replacing the temp sensor with one for a 1984 chevy truck with a gauge ?

[Weldangrind]

Have you thought about replacing the temp sensor with one for a 1984 chevy truck with a gauge ?

Exactly what I was going to say.

[Weldangrind]

I can't be certain, but I thought that all GM distributors after '74 were large-cap HEI. That is, until the late '80's TBI engines.

I had an ugly old G-body Buick that I installed gauges in stock pods. The difference was there were no gauges in those spots to begin with. I didn't care how well they matched, so I installed Princess Auto units that I got for cheap. Even a tiny tach.

Good score on the sheet metal! I see that the radio even gets AM.

[Bruce's]

74-75 were the years the Hei became standard on gm's ,they were and are a very trouble free system once they figured out they required 8 mm plug wires which was almost as soon as they hit the market .
I am surprised somebody bothered to install the rocket into a former chevy small block truck ,frame mounts ,tranny ,and lots of other stuff is different so it had to be swapped .I used to remove a ton of the old 350 diesels from these trucks ,and install rockets in them as they were a bolt in including the tranny and mounts because the engine was a 350 olds block converted to a diesel .I don't see how the financials could work out ,other than if the previous owner already had a swapped diesel truck in the yard and was bored one afternoon .

[Weldangrind]

Years ago, I remember reading about using the diesel bottom end with gas heads, due to the thick internal webbing in the block. I bet it could withstand some serious pressure.

/hijack

[Darkrider]

That looks like a Chevy C-10 should from that era.

I had an 84 Suburban Silverado that was the ugliest, nastiest, rustiest thing on wheels. Yet, it ran perfect and was one of the most comfortable riding vehicles I ever owned.

Yea thats the messed up thing about this truck...it rides better then my '02 Honda Odyssey

Have you thought about replacing the temp sensor with one for a 1984 chevy truck with a gauge ?

Exactly what I was going to say.

That may work...all depends on if the sensor will fit the hole in the intake..

I can't be certain, but I thought that all GM distributors after '74 were large-cap HEI. That is, until the late '80's TBI engines.

I had an ugly old G-body Buick that I installed gauges in stock pods. The difference was there were no gauges in those spots to begin with. I didn't care how well they matched, so I installed Princess Auto units that I got for cheap. Even a tiny tach.

Good score on the sheet metal! I see that the radio even gets AM.

I will probably eventually remove the stock temp,oil pressure and voltage gauges and do what i seen on a couple sqarebody truck forums and that is block off the speedo and fuel gauge with some metal to stop light from bleeding out behind the new gauges and just fit some new 2 1/2" gauges into the holes on the dash bezel...and at the same time more then likely add a small tach to the cluster in the process

74-75 were the years the Hei became standard on gm's ,they were and are a very trouble free system once they figured out they required 8 mm plug wires which was almost as soon as they hit the market .
I am surprised somebody bothered to install the rocket into a former chevy small block truck ,frame mounts ,tranny ,and lots of other stuff is different so it had to be swapped .I used to remove a ton of the old 350 diesels from these trucks ,and install rockets in them as they were a bolt in including the tranny and mounts because the engine was a 350 olds block converted to a diesel .I don't see how the financials could work out ,other than if the previous owner already had a swapped diesel truck in the yard and was bored one afternoon .

What im suspecting happened is that one of the previous owners did something just like that...possibly because this truck was in better shape then the swapped diesel at the time...because the original story on this truck was that it was a swapped diesel one.

[Bruce's]

Both temp senders will be pipe thread ,adapters are in your local plumbing supply store .

[Darkrider]

Welp...i ordered some parts for the Chevy today...as well as ordered some parts for my Rat Rod truck project.

The parts ordered for the chevy:
Temp sending unit for an '84 with a 305 and with gauge
Set of NGK spark plugs
Rebuild kit for the Rochester Quadrajet carb

Parts picked up so far
New distributor cap and rotor

Work done so far..

New exhaust from Y pipe back with 2 1/2" pipe, and a Dynomax Super Turbo muffler

[Weldangrind]

Check the primary throttle shaft on the QJ; if it's sloppy (which is typical), it's not worth rebuilding unless you install bushings. It'll be a vacuum leak.

Very interested in following your progress.

[Darkrider]

Check the primary throttle shaft on the QJ; if it's sloppy (which is typical), it's not worth rebuilding unless you install bushings. It'll be a vacuum leak.

Very interested in following your progress.

Thanks for the tip!, If it turns out that the shaft is worn i do have a spare newer one that hopefully the kit will work on as well. It was included with my 1980 Chevy G20. I dont have it on hand just yet but i will have it when my dads friend brings the van home for me within the next few weeks.

[Weldangrind]

I have an awesome QJ book, if you care to borrow it.

[Darkrider]

I have an awesome QJ book, if you care to borrow it.

You have my attention!

[Weldangrind]

3609

[Darkrider]

3609

:yay: I am def interested in taking a look through that book to see if it will help me get my trucks carb set up! Please send me a pm as to how to go about borrowing it from you!

:thanks::thanks:

[Weldangrind]

It's easy. PM me your address. :D

[Weldangrind]

DR, I finally got around to sending the book to you yesterday. I hope you enjoy it.

[Darkrider]

DR, I finally got around to sending the book to you yesterday. I hope you enjoy it.

I really need to get that back to you one day. I managed to find it not that long ago while organizing my new office after the move last year.

So...remember i mentioned having a rat rod and even starting a thread at one point for it...I ended up trading that truck off recently on another Square body chevy. This one being an '86 GMC Sierra that a buddy was working on. So it seems i will be doing up a pair of twins soon :yay:

[katoranger]

I just removed one of those carbs Sunday.

[Darkrider]

I just removed one of those carbs Sunday.

I have yet to remove the one in the '84 but it will be occurring soon enough. I have a kit here for it just never got a chance to go through the carb before i parked the truck for the winter. Part of the kit including an updated accelerator pump that is compatible with the newer ethanol fuels.

[Darkrider]

Managed to get some pics of the '86 today. What is quite likely is i will be putting a deck on this truck and keeping the '84 set up as a pickup.


http://i.imgur.com/ZFVof8N.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/m40f3NH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fMMNL17.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/UQV5TfW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/qgXcH4S.jpgSave

[Weldangrind]

I'm a big square body fan; I'd give that one some serious love.

[Bruce's]

What is the big circle things on the dash ?

[BlackBike]

What is the big circle things on the dash ?

That was for sub woofers only offered that one year back in 1984 :hehe:

My 85 gmc was not similarly equipped

[Bruce's]

That was for sub woofers only offered that one year back in 1984 :hehe:

My 85 gmc was not similarly equipped

Unfortunately ,I was thinking along those same lines myself .At least those dashes were pretty crappy back in the day ,and with the popularity of these trucks somebody must be repopping them .When I was not n the army ,I bet I replaced 30 of them ,but they were slightly different shape on the '76 trucks we had ,took a half hour so not too bad .

[Darkrider]

I'm a big square body fan; I'd give that one some serious love.

It and the '84 will be getting attention. The blue box i posted up earlier in this thread will be going on the '84 and this '86 will be getting a flat bed for hauling bikes.

What is the big circle things on the dash ?

Mocked up speaker rings...

That was for sub woofers only offered that one year back in 1986 :hehe:

My 85 gmc was not similarly equipped

Corrected the year for ya! But yea...he was thinking of running 4 6.5" speakers on the dash..

Unfortunately ,I was thinking along those same lines myself .At least those dashes were pretty crappy back in the day ,and with the popularity of these trucks somebody must be repopping them .When I was not n the army ,I bet I replaced 30 of them ,but they were slightly different shape on the '76 trucks we had ,took a half hour so not too bad .

Thankfully it is only just mocked up for the rings. The pad itself has been glassed over and just needs to be finished up.
Save

[MOTOXtreme]

@Darkrider


Ditch the new bed. Clear coat it, put some new tires and wheels on it, and admire all the envious stares you get :)

[Darkrider]

@Darkrider


Ditch the new bed. Clear coat it, put some new tires and wheels on it, and admire all the envious stares you get :)

http://i.imgur.com/O6iX3sa.jpg

Save

[BlackBike]

Unfortunately ,I was thinking along those same lines myself .At least those dashes were pretty crappy back in the day ,and with the popularity of these trucks somebody must be repopping them .When I was not n the army ,I bet I replaced 30 of them ,but they were slightly different shape on the '76 trucks we had ,took a half hour so not too bad .

I remember I bought one of those hard plastic overlays to cover the cracked dash. The one where you put dabs of silicone to stick it down. Didn't fit real well but one of those cheapies from jc Whitney back in the day. Better than the horrible bubbling dash.

[MOTOXtreme]

All of my Chevy project pictures are "real" 4x6 pictures. I'll scan a few in this evening of I have time. Loved that truck.

[Darkrider]

I remember I bought one of those hard plastic overlays to cover the cracked dash. The one where you put dabs of silicone to stick it down. Didn't fit real well but one of those cheapies from jc Whitney back in the day. Better than the horrible bubbling dash.

I have looked at the overlay route for the '84 but i may end up copying what was done with the '86 and glass it over. More then likely coating it in bedliner after to give it a durable finish.

All of my Chevy project pictures are "real" 4x6 pictures. I'll scan a few in this evening of I have time. Loved that truck.

Looking forward to seeing pics of your square

[BlackBike]

How much is a real dash from one of those repot supply places. Probably too much, I understand that. Too bad since that is the main thing you see in a vehicle

Enjoying the thread reminds me of my ol blue square body 85 gmc

[Darkrider]

How much is a real dash from one of those repot supply places. Probably too much, I understand that. Too bad since that is the main thing you see in a vehicle

Enjoying the thread reminds me of my ol blue square body 85 gmc

It would be cheaper to strip the cracked vinyl off and glass it. Plus it makes it easier to change color by painting the dash.

Funny you mention a blue truck lol. Like i mentioned i have two of these trucks. This red '86 and the blue and silver '84 shown earlier in the thread.

[Darkrider]

Speaking of the '84 here are some updated pics of it. I put smaller tires up front to give it a bit of a rake and i kind of like the look. I also set the sleeper i had in the back of the truck only to find out that it was not for a Chevy as i was told... But there is enough material on the flange of it to be able to cut it out to match the Chevy rear window. More then likely i will get this done professionally to make sure it matches up properly. Next up will be to get the smaller tires put on my wagon style wheels or my van rally wheels.


http://i.imgur.com/BYkSXF5.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/RO8ervq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TkVSNkF.jpg

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[BlackBike]

Quite the patina

[Darkrider]

Quite the patina

Yea...thankfully most of it will be gone once i start swapping panels on. I may look into what it would take to wire in power windows and swap some power window doors onto it.

[Darkrider]

Well i have done a bit of research on the idea of swapping to doors with power windows..not as difficult as i initially thought. The catch is i end up having to add power locks at the same time.. no biggie. It is literally a matter of swapping the doors on, Drilling 4 holes for the harness to pass through the front part of the cab to the doors. And plugging in the harness that goes across the firewall. There is a vendor on the GM truck forum i am on that offers an upgraded harness for that firewall section that also has the option of adding auto down like a modern car. Seriously thinking about that when i do the upgrade. Chances are i will probably have a couple extra switches to deal with on the drivers door as i will more then likely end up pulling the doors from a Suburban. I may get creative as to what i use those switches for..either that or scavange the drivers door panel and switches from a pickup to make it correct. I will probably be doing this process twice over with both the '84 and the '86.

Anyways onward to updated pics...and yea...that is a future project car in the same pics.. It is a 1978 Olds Omega SX (Pretty much the same as a same year Chevy Nova SS/Rally)

http://i.imgur.com/M4OdzUU.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/HOA1PCL.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/gs9nMRN.jpg

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[Weldangrind]

Love the Disco Nova years! I'd jump at the chance to build an old X-body like that Olds.

[Darkrider]

Love the Disco Nova years! I'd jump at the chance to build an old X-body like that Olds.

I traded my '92 Ranger for it...If anyone is interested i will start a thread on it in a bit with the pics i have for it so far... Like i need to ask though right? lol

[Weldangrind]

I traded my '92 Ranger for it...If anyone is interested i will start a thread on it in a bit with the pics i have for it so far... Like i need to ask though right? lol

Yes, please. :D

[Darkrider]

Update on the '84...I have worked out a deal to get a front end and doors off of an '85 K5 Blazer that had the silverado trim package. So with this i gain the power lock/window doors...which are the proper ones for a pick up as well of course so no extra switches on the door! Plus the stacked 4 headlight set up with signal lights in the grille. I will be keeping the removed core support and headlight set up as spares for the '86. On another note i may be adding to my Square body collection in the form of an '88 Suburban Silverado model. Which of course it too has all the above parts. But i will need to find a new grille and headlight surrounds for that one. I view that as an excuse to possibly go... Phantom grille...

[Weldangrind]

IIRC, the '88 'Burban was still the square body style, while the C/K 1500 changed to the new body style. IOW, if your new 'Burban was an '89, I don't think it would be a square body. Is that right?


I like the phantom grille idea.

[katoranger]

The square body suburban carried on until the 1992 model year.


89,90, and 91 were all square body.

[Darkrider]

The square body suburban carried on until the 1992 model year.


89,90, and 91 were all square body.

Along with the 1 tons that kept the body till that same point. Fun fact..when the GMT400s came along the Squarebody trucks were renamed R/V in place of the old C/K designation.

[Weldangrind]

Thanks for the history, fellas. I was unaware.

[Darkrider]

Thanks for the history, fellas. I was unaware.

Yea Gm was kinda funny during those years as they transitioned from one body to the other. The actual heavy duty 1 tons, Blazers and Suburbans retained the Square body till '91.

Today was interesting as i tried to research various ideas for paint to get this truck all one color after it gets its new body panels.

[Weldangrind]

My Bro-in-law is amazing at making stuff look really good for cheap. He painted his '77 F150 in the driveway, using a cheap spray gun and yard sale compressor. He mixed white Tremclad with a little ochre from the local art store (he's an artist) and some hardener. It's a lovely job that closely resembles Wimbledon White. I'm not recommending that colour for you, as much as the philosophy.

[Darkrider]

My Bro-in-law is amazing at making stuff look really good for cheap. He painted his '77 F150 in the driveway, using a cheap spray gun and yard sale compressor. He mixed white Tremclad with a little ochre from the local art store (he's an artist) and some hardener. It's a lovely job that closely resembles Wimbledon White. I'm not recommending that colour for you, as much as the philosophy.


I was planning on using John Deere Blitz black for this and found out yesterday that the color is discontinued...There are the few odd quart cans kicking around but once they are gone they are gone.. So if i ever ended up scratching or damaging the body after i would be SOL. So the search is on for a different paint.

[Darkrider]

So...i blame Weld for this...reading his idea for paint reminded me of the so called "Rustolium paint job" I have seen it mentioned all over the place on the various forums i am on. Basically it is what weld suggested...correction it is exactly what Weld suggested but using a different thinner as Tremclad is basically the Canadian version of Rustolium. Anyways this thought path lead me to the local Benjamin moore paint store and looking at their rust paint to at the very least use a slightly better quality paint for the task. As i had heard Rustolium/Tremclad did not hold up very well on the longer term. This resulted in looking at their Corrotech line of paints. I am going to end up painting the truck in one of two schemes. One being a two tone using a darker blue such as patriot blue or similar with a color called OSHA blue. Or a solid one color scheme using the OSHA blue. The two tone idea came to mind when i was considering using the box i got with the '86 as it is almost a patriot blue in color. The single tone idea came about when i made the decision to use that box on the '86 instead of installing a flatbed like i planned. So now the search is on for a dually box for the '84 to build it into a Phantom Dually.

[Weldangrind]

Time will tell on my Bro-in-law's paint job, but Tremclad / Rustoleum might last quite a while with hardener mixed in.

[Darkrider]

So a bit of an update on the Squarebody trucks... I got rid of the sleeper on the '84 and it will be getting the blue box shown earlier in this thread. The '86 was going to get it but plans have changed as the '86 is going to a new home. A friend of mine is trading me straight across for a '91 GMC Sierra C1500 (GMT400 series) extended cab short box. What this also means is that the '84 will get the attention it deserves to become a proper street truck/hot rod. I already have a couple of Turbochargers lined up for it... Now i just need to get some exhaust manifolds built and figure out what parts i need to make the connections. This should be interesting having a Twin Turbo muscle truck... Bring on the Boost!

[Darkrider]

So....life has drastically gone way different for the '84 then i had initially planned. I still have it and as mentioned in the What did you buy thread i got the starter rebuilt for it this week. The following changes have been made to it in the time since i last posted about it.



Full set of 235/75R15 Nokian Outpost AT tires
LED Headlights
LED bulbs in the brake/tail/reverse lights
Ammo can as a central switch box area/console.

E for everyone front plate (those who remember the story about the kid that tried to run over a bunch of people at a car meet last summer will get that reference)



https://i.imgur.com/JwlgKRp.jpg

[McQueen216]

Oh, man… you have a lift? I want a lift.

[Darkrider]

Oh, man… you have a lift? I want a lift.




I do not have a lift, just have access to one via an old friend of dads. Who was standing under the truck in that shot.

[Darkrider]

As i commented in the "WDYBT" thread a moment ago i bought a bunch of wiring stuff for a couple reasons.



1. I needed to replace tools lost when i moved in 2016
2. Needed supplies for a project on this truck


In regard to #2 i am working on wiring a push button for the starter for colder weather as it can be difficult to get the key to turn to the "On" position let alone turn it to "Start" when it is -27C or colder. Granted this is only when i do not plug in the ceramic heater i picked up in november to warm the cab for a few hours before use. But then again i do not always have the option to do so. This will be the first of the buttons going into the ammo can console in the center of the truck. And since i might be moving the console slightly offset to the passenger side in the near future for a later project i will need to make it a point to leave some slack in the wiring from this. Basically the plan is to eventually offset it by about 2-3" to allow me to fit a B&M Unimatic or similar floor shifter roughly where a T case shifter would be in a K10 4x4. At which point i will likely talk to a local sheet metal shop about making a shroud that will be riveted to that side of the can instead of using a boot on the floor. Part of that will be also a slightly raised platform to move the can up level with the seat

Also due to an accident in November it looks like i will be either repairing the box, replacing it with one from another truck or a full on flatbed conversion. I do have that box out at my friends place but he was telling me recently it only looks good because all the rot and rust on it was hidden. So its looking more likely i will be going the route of the flatbed.

But the bed is not completely being scrapped however. The floor is still in good condition and i will be saving it for a potential new project i may be picking up in the spring. Said potential new project is a 1980 GMC Sierra Classic I cant remember if it says Heavy Half or Big 10 on the corners of the bed. None the less both mean the same thing and that it is a heavy duty 1/2 ton like this '84 with the J5 heavy duty brakes and likely similar spec suspension. This truck has decent bed sides while the floor is shot which is completely the opposite situation to the '84. Before i found out the spare bed was shot i was thinking i was gonna use its sides on the '84 and the floor on the '80 if i picked it up. Hell this may still happen. I will need to take a good look at the spare bed for myself to determine if it is no good or not.