Re: GMCDAC's GMCs
 

Thanks for posting the pix of your '55, Doug. It's always nice to have a truck that runs and stops well, but you don't have to worry about it getting scratched while using it as a truck to haul stuff. That's the same way I look at my 2WD '67.

As promised awhile back, here are photos of the '72 K5 Jimmy I bought in 1975 after my "pride and joy" '72 4WD short-wide pickup was stolen. The Jimmy had the 350 V8, 4 speed, and A/C. We used it to do a lot of camping and four-wheeling in the hills of southern Missouri, and then the mountains of eastern Idaho after we moved there.

I often wish I had kept the Jimmy, but as the old saying goes "You can't keep 'em all", or at least I couldn't afford to.

Re: GMCDAC's GMCs
 

:coolphotos::guitar:

Re: GMCDAC's GMCs
 

You're welcome, Ed, and thank-you for the Jimmy pics! I have lots of pics of the '55 since we have had digital cameras during that time! Yeah it's just a work truck but there ain't many folks that drive something like that regularly around here. I get asked a lot if it has power steering. Well no don't need it, I respond. 4 years ago I had a pretty bad illness, lost a lot of muscle and 60 pounds. I made myself finish getting it ready to drive and the title FINALLY got here. I used that truck for exercise for my arms, shoulders and leg strength and I really do believe that it helped!

Anyway, I love those pics of your Jimmy and it makes me miss driving mine so bad! It is good incentive to get more done on it. Yours was the "Custom" version (CST) too and would be quite sought after nowadays with the optional tow hooks, A/C and the 4 speed as well as the single-wall top. Most folks that like the K5's don't even realize that the Jimmy is much less common than the Blazer also.

Here's a few more pics of the '55 once I got it home a month or so after the previous pics. I left it at work to get it running as we have a hoist there and I could get to the brake system better. A co-worker had a radiator from a '54 Chevy that I put in it and the BIGGEST deal I lucked out on was the gas tank was still rust-free even after sitting for at least 12 years. It had not run since 1997 according to the plates and the damage to the old rad. and underside of the truck looked very old. I beat the exhaust back close to where it belonged and did some temporary welding to the manifold to get it home.

DAC

Re: GMCDAC's GMCs
 

I like that door lock!

Re: GMCDAC's GMCs
 

LOL! Yeah I did too! Both doors were that way. One of the first things I did was order latches and the passenger side window glass from LMC and get them put in! I don't know what the deal was but in the pic I had to cut off that piece above the red line. Easy enough fix so no complaints. The drivers side window was a piece of plexiglass so at least the truck was kinda sealed up until I could afford to get that one too when It had to sit outside.

DAC

Re: GMCDAC's GMCs
 

Well I'm jumping back and forth between GMC's but it was warm enough today to have the shop door open and fire up the '72 to find out if rebuilding the Holley was going to do the trick. I was kinda paranoid that I had an intake manifold vacuum leak on the underside but that was not the case! It seems to run great, and I even took it down to a gas station to treat it to a nice tank of non-ethanol premium! That was a little risky too since there is a come-a-long holding the the old mufflers in place. Nothing fell off so all is good.

I re-routed and shortened the vacuum advance hose and electric choke wire since I took the pic earlier today. The third pic shows the stuff I gotta weld together to build a new header-back exhaust system.

Later---DAC

Re: GMCDAC's GMCs
 

I'm waiting for paint to dry and getting out of the fumes so I have been able to post some.

The armrests were real bad on the '72 GMC and I use them a lot, wether I'm driving or the wife is! I ordered a set from "The Filling Station". It dawned on me that I had an old set of CST door panels so I dug them out and went about painting them to replace the beat-up standard ones. Paint is done and the trim is polished and ready to re-install. Not going to handle them much 'till tomorrow to let the paint cure longer.

I didn't get busted yet by my wife that the tub and shower in the house were the parts cleaners yesterday to wash the replacement ones! Please don't tell her!-LOL!

Here's some pics.

DAC

Re: GMCDAC's GMCs
 

:goodluck: Been there, done that. Shhh... She still doesn't know.

Re: GMCDAC's GMCs
 

Looks good DAC! I hope you're around when I start playing with the paint. I'm terrified I'm going to shoot it all over my house, the porch, and my front tree with nothing but drips hitting where I want to.

Re: GMCDAC's GMCs
 

Hey David, nice to hear from you! After meeting her I have a hard time thinking she may get mad at you over over this and same with Loree, but some things are better left unsaid anyway, just in case! Say Hi to her for us!

Thanks Fetch! If your spraying all over the house and yard like a high pressure water hose out of control, air pressure is too high or your arm holding the spraybomb is having seizures---LOL! Usually a spraybomb or brush in my case! There's good body men here that can help with that. I ain't one of 'em but muddle my way through it sometimes.

Here's the last update on the door panels. Done on the cheap so questionable for durability. Got 60 bucks into the job including the new armrests. Old ones for before and after affect. I was a little dissapointed with the "satin" black Rustoleum plastic paint. It looks more like gloss to me.
Probably should have stuck with my old reliable Krylon.

DAC