Hi all, new to the forum here. Picked this truck up recently and have begun fixing it up. Ive built a few hot rods, and when I saw the info on the v6 page of this site I immediately recognized it as a valuable recourse and wanted to sign up and say hello and thank you ASAP. I bought it locally with a blown brake line and gnarly looking leaky stromberg and towed it home. Was a town truck according to the guy I bought it from.
a buddy has a carb service and happened to have a kit in stock, and I just bought a roll of 1/4" line and replaced all the rear steel reusing the fittings. Front wheel bearings on pass side needed servicing. and could use exhaust, had a few holes I patched for now. Only thing it still needs mechanically is a steering box but im driving it fine
since the photos ive repainted all the wheels and grill white, added a mexican blanket seat cover, taken the bed rails off and reworked the back bumper. you cant see it in the pic w the tailgate down but they had some kind of tow rigging mess welded to the back. it was like a farm job all torch cut pices stick welded on. I liked it, but had a little bit too much going on so i simplified it a little. not sure what i want to do with it. I wanted to lower it, but dont know if i want to spend the money converting to disc for access to drop spindles. I bought the truck cheap and i feel likeright now im "up" with it and am apprehensive about dumping a bunch of money into it, and it drives so wellas is. aside form the box, the front steering linkage and ball joints are good, the brakes look like they were recently done w new shoes n cylinders. even the tires are pretty new.
A few questions for the knowledgeable:
I have the original 2 piece wheels, but it currently has a set of 16" fomoco e250 steelies on it. I read that drum brake wheels wont clear disc brakes and thats one reason i dont want to convert. will i have a problem with these e250 wheels or only with the factory 2 pc?
since it needs a new steering box, if anyone has a steering pump brakcet setup available id consider upgrading to power steering. it seems my parts house has better acces on a power box over manual anyway, they also have a pump and pressure line. from what ive read my 68 frame should accept the box right away, but i may have to mess with the steering shaft and use a different pitman arm? this im unclear
is there any source or does anyone have some nice gmc dog dish hubcaps. 98% of everything is the 10"ish 10 series dog dishes, my truck needs the 12" 3/4 ton ones. It came with one mounted on the ford wheel so i know they exist, id like 3 more or just a new set.
it doesnt appear to have any dampening in the rear as far as shocks, just really heavy leaf and helper springs. is this normal for this longbed? most listings for rear shocks say "exc 157 wheelbase" and even at that my truck is only 137". either way im fabbing somehting to mount shocks in the back, just wondering if this is factory to not have them or if someone removed them.
the truck already has a cool stance, but if i wanted it a little lower it seems to me the only obvious way is the extend the rear shackle a little, except it would contact the bed floor and bottom out the helper spring. I would imagine I could remove those helper springs once i have shocks, and notch the shackle up into the bed floor a little making a cover from above or even raising the whole bed floor a few inches. are there any other quick tricks for another few inches out back? due to leaf spring size it doesnt look like a flip is an option without some major notching and its gonna put the thing in the weeds, which im not neccessarily looking for.
I know i ramble and post in short burst of ideas haha, nice to meet you all too! not sure what im doing bodywise either. I like the trucks natural patina and the striping, it annoys me the doors and bed dont match but im not sure if i can match the cab, nor am i sure if i want to paint the whole truck. wither way it needs a bed floor and rockers. cab corners have bondo on them, so well see what they look like stripped, probly just weld them in quick while im set up for the rockers.