New member
 

Hello,

New member here from the Netherlands. Bought a '65 GMC 1500 recently, with the 305E V6. It has the SM420 transmission. No extra options as far as I know.

The truck is fairly rust free: cab corners are excellent, rockers okay but need attention (but they don't fall off, they just have a rust hole), frame is rock solid and the drip rail is excellent as well.

The worst part is the bed. As you can see it sits on 2 by 4's. The cross beams are included but not mounted. The wooden floor isn't there anymore and the bed strips are missing. The mounting strips for the carriage bolt with the square holes are fairly rusted out and need replacement. There are also dents in the side of the bed (most of which were patched up with lots of filler. Needs a lot of welding work.

I'll start working on the bed first and see if I can get that a better shape. The brakes need attention, and I'm also planning to upgrade to a dual master cylinder from a 67 C10/C20 for added safety.

The motor runs excellent. The clutch is a little sensitive, could be rust on the clutch surface? I am planning to run it on LP so it will need hardened valve seats installed etc. Anyone have experience with running these engines on LP?

I have been reading a lot on this forum, and I've bought the X-6523 GMC truck maintenance manuals.

Looking forward to any comments, suggestions etc.

Kind regards David

Re: New member
 

Welcome to the forum, David. We have had a few other forum members from the "Old Country" before -- not sure how many are still active.

Keep us posted on your progress, and don't be afraid to ask questions. We have lots of knowledgeable people here.

We'll be looking forward to seeing your progress photos.

Re: New member
 

If you're looking for added safety, you can also try a front disc brake conversion. I just completed one on my truck, and it's not too difficult to do. If you prefer to keep it mostly original with drums all around, then the dual master is definitely a "must have" safety upgrade. No matter what route you choose, just make sure the master cylinder you buy matches your GVWR. If you get a master that is too small, you won't have functioning brakes. Don't ask me how I know. Lol

Best of luck to you! Can't wait to see what you accomplish on your truck.

Re: New member
 

Thanks! I will stick with the drums first, disc brakes might be an option in the future. I am also looking to add seat belts for added safety (mine came without).

Edit: When I get some work done, I'll start a thread in the build section, so you guys can follow the build.

Its going to be a driver for dry weather and used for work when I can, so no show truck. As you can see it's been painted over in the A Team paint scheme :D and I'll probably keep it that way. I've been following TJ's Crustine build and I am looking to go a similar route on this truck.