Hello from WVA

[Don5]

Hello everyone.

 I am the second owner of a 1979 1/2 ton GMC 4x4. I bought this truck when I was 21 in 1983. I am now 52 and have a 15 year old son who is interested in my truck. I drove this truck every day for 10 years after I bought it. This truck had 43000 miles on it when I bought it. It now has 79000. I quit driving it in 1992 due to job needs. I worked 2 jobs for over 6 years and had no time to work on it. It has been parked outside since then. It has a rebuilt 350 in it, with less than a 1000 miles, 465 standard transmission, 205 gear driven transfer case, dana 44 with 373 gears in the front and a 12 bolt rear with 373 gears and a limited slip. The truck has a 6 inch lift kit with double shocks and dual stabilizers also.

 I put all of these things in this truck before I parked it. These parts were hard to find back then around here and now, well, good luck. My son and I are working on restoring it so he can drive it to school.
 
 I have really enjoyed reading on all the subjects concerning my truck on this web site. I wish I had this resource back in the old days when I had to rely on my own skills and some of my friends as well. I look forward to contributing to this site.

   

[bake74]

     Welcome to the site from California.  Glad you are here and I love the fact that your son and you are fixing the truck back up so he can drive it.
     You are going to have to post some pics and keep us informed of the progress on the truck.

[Don5]

 Thanks Bake! I wanted to rebuild my truck in my middle 20's but did not have the money. I started buying gm parts  for it back then. My new GM parts list includes: 2 front fenders, 2 factory chrome metal headlight bezels, chrome windshield trim, Passenger door, cab lights package-includes gaskets, bezels and wiring, gas lid and a new 12 inch drop V GM factory bumper. I also have a really nice used drivers door, off of a 82 I think. I just wish I would have bought new bedsides for it as well. I forgot to add that it is a longbed truck as well.

 I built the engine myself, changed it from an auto transmission to a standard and installed the front end and rear end all with very little help. Ahh, the good old days.

 The engine is a 4 bolt main 350 bored 30 over and has the following parts: a Edelbrock Performer intake, Edelbrock double roller timing chain, Summit High volume oil pump with the pickup tube tack welded, Quadrajet carb, Blackjack Headers and a Crane Fireball 2 302/480 lift camshaft. It also has long slot rockers with hardened pushrods as well. The pistons are forged flat top 10 to 1's. I am running a 76 cc stock 194 heads also. I would love to put 202's on but oh well.

 I got tired of hearing my wife and my dad telling my son that the truck would not even run. I ,honestly, was not sure so I decided to find out. We pushed the truck out of the spot in the yard where it had sat for over 21 years. It had settled into the yard about 6 inches. We put a new battery, new battery wires and starter on it. My son also changed the oil. The oil was pretty nasty that was in it.

 The truck turned over but it was not getting any gasoline from the tank. I had put a few gallons of new gas in the mostly empty tank. We could see the inline filter was not filling up with gas. I took the line loose and hooked up a rubber siphon pump to it and put the other end in a 5 gallon gas can. My neighbor gave it the gas while I sprayed starting fluid down the carb as my son started the truck.
 
 The truck started. It did not smoke, all of the lights worked-including cab and reverse, the headlights also had high beam and low beam as well, the Sun Tach mounted on the column also worked as well. I watched the gauges all work except for the fuel gauge which needed a new sending unit. There was no antifreeze in the oil either. It was amazing! It was as if I parked it yesterday instead of 1992. I still can't believe it. I will admit it-I got lucky!       

[bake74]

     Fix that gas problem and your on your way.

[Don5]

I wish it was that easy. I have replaced the gas tank and rubber hoses. Since we started the truck my son and I have replaced the following : New gas tank, sending unit, all rubber hoses associated with gas line, new fuel pump, rear brake lines, rear drum brake internal parts including wheel cylinders, front brake lines- stainless, new front calipers. I decided that the engine needed repainting sooo. We now have a newly painted engine with new tall Edelbrock valve covers, Edelbrock air cleaner, new plugs, new wires  new inline fuel filter, new fuel line from pump to carb, Header gaskets, collector gaskets. I am in the process of rebuilding the carb.

As for new body parts, we have bought the following: Battery tray and support, inner fenders, inner and outer rocker panels and a new cowl hood.    I have ordered new shock boots and I have chrome covers for the front end as well as the rear end. I also have a axle truss for the front axle as well. My son is painting the shocks. The shocks are Doetsch Tech Prerunner shocks. We have wire brushed the frame and rear end so far. We have brushed on gloss black Rustoleum paint on every thing. I have a can of POR to use but I am going to use it on the bottom of the bed.

Now for what I need. I need the following parts: floor pans, driver kick panel, cab corners, front cab mount supports, and various bed parts. I still have a long way to go.

I have really read the body section closely. I have a Lincoln mig welder but I am not a welder. I guess I will need to practice a lot before I attempt any welding.

 

[zieg85]

Welcome from NW Indiana

[Irish_Alley]

welcome from maryland

[1982 Daily Driver]

Welcome from South Carolina.


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[DustyRusty]

Hi Don.  Welcome from Alaska.