Back in a GMT400 - The Ugly Brown Farm Truck

[NotARealK2500]

I'm back in a GMT400 and it's never felt so good - it feels like being home.

This time I got an ugly brown work truck I'm going to try and breathe some new life into. Originally it was owned by my city's parks department, so everything is base-model. The previous owner bought it at auction some years back and used it as a farm truck. Which would explain why its got wheat dust and mud everywhere.

It's got the 4.3 with Getrag 5spd, 3.08 gears, and feels fairly solid. Which is perfect for what I need; a parts runner truck that still gets (hopefully) respectable mpgs. Some things need fixing though, because she's rough:

This is when I picked her up for $800, should make a fun winter project.

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First things first - upon initial inspection, everything appeared factory (Delco P/Ns) and gummed up with oil, carbon and wheat chaff from her previous owner. So I went with a complete tune-up and overhaul; spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil, PCV valve, IAC valve, TPS, O2S, complete TBI unit rebuild.

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Interior wasn't much better. Driver's side cushion has a chunk taken out of it, but it's already wired up for CB so I'm a happy camper.

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PO complained that the dash lights and brake lights didn't work. Replaced the stop lamp switch, headlight and dimmer switch, and replaced all the PC194s with Sylvania LEDs while I was in there. Radio is getting removed and replaced with aftermarket. The entirety of the dash and steering column had a good inch of wheat dust crammed in every corner.

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For reference, this is how the door panel, instrument cluster bezel, fan shroud, bedliner, and headliner were held on. Who knows what else I have left to find. Self-tappers and 3-4 stacked washers everywhere. Going to be taking some trips out to the junkyard and LMC to get the factory stuff and do it right. This door needs its exterior handle replaced anyways, so not a big deal.

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Here's how she sits after Night 1: Tore out headliner, removed license plate bracket, installed new side window covers, painted grille to match trim, new Sylvania Silverstar headlights, LED turn/brake/reverse/interior lights, etc.

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Immediate Future:
Oil change
Oil/fuel filter
Tachometer
Driver's door handle
Serpentine belt
Belt tensioner assembly / idler pulley
Front brake rotors and pads
Front wheel bearings
Front + Rear Shocks
Blower motor
New tires

Distant Future:
2" lowering shackles
New front springs
Moog upper/lower ball joints
Moog inner/outer tie rod ends
Moog idler arm/pitman arm
Remove bedliner
Tonneau cover
Wire-wheel+paint wheels
Chrome rear bumper

Distant, distant future:
Flatbed

 

[Austin]

Keep us posted looking forward to see this project come to life

 

[BerHntr]

Looking forward to the progress, looks better already though

 

[joep88cheyenne]

Sounds like fun... Maybe, maybe not. Take pictures of the door handle replacement process please, I may need to go that way soon myself. Good luck with your makeover.

 

[DerekTheGreat]

I love the color, girlfriend would love it too. $800, wow. I can't wait to go out west and get me a (st)eal like that haha. Can't buy rusty junk for that around here...

 

[NotARealK2500]

Thanks guys! It's a project for sure. Got the oil change and oil/fuel filter out of the way today as well. PO stripped the oil pan pretty good, but luckily a 1/2-20 oversized plug fit fairly snug, but we'll see.

Removed the Delco radio and head unit, and the rusted out toolbox. Replaced serpentine belt with a new Gates drive belt and tensioner.

Took at a look at the brakes and they looked surprisingly new (pads have 8mm+ life left, rotors are smooth, and no endplay with wheel bearings). Looks like I'll be saving the bearings/rotors/pads for later!

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Cleaned out the channel under the wiper cowl and increased air flow dramatically by removing whatever ecostystems took root there. Replaced the blower motor and it actually feels like I have more than one dull speed!

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Also installed a tach into the line off the coil, mounted at the top of the A-pillar, will grab pictures of those soon.

Sounds like fun... Maybe, maybe not. Take pictures of the door handle replacement process please, I may need to go that way soon myself. Good luck with your makeover.

For sure! That'll probably be tomorrow's project, along with drop shackles

 

[joep88cheyenne]

Drop shackles are on the horizon for me soon.. I like a level look and the aggressive stance is just a bit much for me. just gonna do a 2 inch drop on the rear. Your bench looks in good shape. mine I need to reupholster soon. Several places it is down into the foam.. and the slip ons just don't stay put properly.

 

[mars2878]

looks like a solid project, keep the progress coming

 

[Suburban1500]

Solid project. Very similar to my 2500 except mine is auto 5.0

 

[NotARealK2500]

Thanks fellas, I appreciate the kind words. She's ugly but she'll get there

Had to postpone the visual stuff - shackles, handles, etc. - for something a little more involved tonight. The truck has vibrated pretty roughly since I bought it, and I just figured that since it's a work truck, I'd ignore it. Glad I didn't.

Took the truck out of gear and gave her all the way - harsh vibrations around 800rpm and again around 1800rpm, and it'd smooth out in between. I initially thought it was misfiring. Checked everything and was getting good spark in every cylinder, compression test read ok (all within 10%). Decided to change the harmonic balancer out on a whim and the thing drives like it's brand new.

Thing puked oil everywhere as soon as the crank bolt was undone. Nothing that paper towels and a little Bill Cosby date-in-can can't clean up

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Shout out the guy who rented out the installer before me. Solid work, guy. Should've checked this before yanking the old one off.

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Minty solution

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All wrapped up and she lives to chooch another day.

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Also replaced: alternator, tensioner and belt. Tensioner and belt needed it, and the alternator bearing made an unbearable whine. Now she purrs

Maybe TOMORROW I can start putting lipstick on the pig