Project Mothertruck

[G. David Felt]

Here's another '90 GMC Suburban for sale that has the tan interior:

http://southjersey.c...3231892968.html

Good thing it is priced so low, new tires, new engine, being in NJ where they use heavy salt, I wonder just how much hidden rust there is plus why no interior pictures if it is so great. I love the look and the body does look awesome, but would like to see the back side and drivers side plus the interior in the pics. It would help it sell much faster.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Here's a new one for you to consider, Camino: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/3377094683.html

[A Horse With No Name]

This is getting interesting....

[Camino LS6]

Saw that one yesterday, Roger.

Unfortunately, I'm not ready yet - too many other things have to happen first.

Most importantly, selling the green Tahoe.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Yeah, but that might just be the one. And the seller is 82 years old, will likely take less knowing that it's going to a project truck. Old people love a good story! You could probably get it for less too if you called the guy. Mothertruck is waiting!!!

[A Horse With No Name]

This is true, but I really admire how Camino does EVERYTHING cash in hand, and doesn't get ahead of himself.

I have learned from him, and do not over extend myself as much....

[GMTruckGuy74]

So any updates on Mothertruck? I know you've been busy with Red and Green, but I'm more interested in Mothertruck

[Camino LS6]

Not just yet, have to finish Green first.

[GMTruckGuy74]

I understand. I'm a big fan of the 30/3500 crew cab trucks of the '70s through the early '90s. It's rare to find a 4WD version, and rarer to find one that is single rear wheel (SRW) / not a dually. I found this one (now relisted) the other day on eBay and that's what prompted my other email. I'd love to find an '89-'91 GMC V3500 SRW with the deluxe appearance package, similar to the gray one I already posted here a few posts back.

One like this would be sweet:

Edited January 18, 2013 by GMTruckGuy74

[GMTruckGuy74]

Oh, just so you know, if I hit the lottery any time in the near future I'm buying Mothertruck from you and then paying you to finish it for me

[Camino LS6]

In that case, I wish you luck with the lottery!

In any case, I'm not done with Mothertruck.

[A Horse With No Name]

I wish you luck getting it done....

[Camino LS6]

Thanks, Horse.

[ocnblu]

You guys are a bunch of mothertruckers.

[Camino LS6]

Maybe when I'm done with it, we should have a Mothertruck-warming party. Counting the bedsides and tailgate, it should seat at least 20.

[GMTruckGuy74]

I'll be up for a road trip out your way

Edited January 20, 2013 by GMTruckGuy74

[Camino LS6]

Sounds good.

[GMTruckGuy74]

I found this site with an '88 V30 Chevy Custom Deluxe while searching Google and thought of your Mothertruck:

http://www.bangshift.com/forum/showthread.php/38448-Pete-s-1988-Chevy-One-Ton-Crew-Cab

That got me to wondering, have you ever told us the story of how you came to be in possession of Mothertruck?

[A Horse With No Name]

Maybe when I'm done with it, we should have a Mothertruck-warming party. Counting the bedsides and tailgate, it should seat at least 20.

Considering your progress...please include a wheelchair ramp in your restoration efforts so we can all REACH the bed.

On the plus side, you ought to get done about the same time Baltyhy gets tyhe Buick back on the road...perhaps we could have a two vehicleconvoy to the B-59 Centenial celbration at Buick headquarters!

[Camino LS6]

Ha!

Good point, Horse.

Roger: Interesting example there, in many ways Mothertruck is much cleaner than that one due to its long inside storage. Mine is also a touch better equipped and was technically a Silverado in trim level.

Not sure if I ever told the story of how I got the truck, maybe I'll do that soon.

[A Horse With No Name]

I'd love to hear it!

[Camino LS6]

The way I got this truck (I think in 1997) was through my friend who is a service writer at the local Chevy store.

The ambulance service that was the original owner was taking the truck out of service and selling it cheap. I was still contracting at the time, so my friend alerted me to the truck being available. Once the company removed the emergency equipment, I bought the truck. I had the front calipers done and got the truck inspected. Then I began to daily drive it. I gave a few people a bit of a shock when I parked it in a driveway since it still had the rescue/utility body on it at the time. I caught some flack for that.

My daily drive at that time involved a one-exit long cruise on the turnpike, and the truck drove great. It did, however, have a slow oil leak which I monitored with both the dipstick and the oil pressure gauge. Well one morning I was in a bit of a hurry, so I started the truck and checked the gauge without checking the dipstick. While cruising at about 60-65 mph on the turnpike, the engine suddenly seized locking the rear wheels. I managed to wrestle the truck to the shoulder and get it stopped. The oil pressure gauge had failed, and the engine threw a rod. At that point this truck became a project.

I had the truck towed, and stored at the tow yard. From there I sold the utility body for nearly what I had paid for the whole truck, and got a regular bed out of the deal. The tow yard had the facilities to remove the body so that worked out ok, except that they cut the rear tips of the frame after I specifically told them not to. It's a detail really, nothing bolts to it but the bumper, but it still ticks me off. Anyway, I had the truck towed home and I purchased and installed a brand new GM crate motor.

That brings us most of the way to the present.

I called about a possible donor truck today.

[G. David Felt]

Very cool,

So are you going to weld tips back on or use the frame from the donor truck or how you going to address the tips being gone from cutting? Also, any pictures of it so far to show us where the project is at?

Love hearing about it.

[Camino LS6]

I think what I'll do is just have extensions welded on to receive the bumper mounting bolts when the time comes. I'll be installing a trailer hitch at the same time, as well as the bed. The cut-off part is only about 3" long at the top and tapers to near zero at the bottom behind the final crossmember. Not a big deal, just an extra hassle because someone had lame listening skills.

I think I still have the pieces somewhere.

As for pics, they will come whenever I do anything on the project.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Great story, Camino! You are one luck man for sure

For those that don't want to go backwards (pages 1 & 2 have a lot of pictures), let me take this opportunity to report the ones Camino did on those pages:

[GMTruckGuy74]

Details?

I called about a possible donor truck today.

Edited January 28, 2013 by GMTruckGuy74

[Camino LS6]

Thanks for adding the pics, Roger.

[Camino LS6]

Details?

I called about a possible donor truck today.

1987 Suburban with blue interior - it's a maybe.

[Camino LS6]

I'd like to use this one, but it is way too much money.

http://southjersey.craigslist.org/cto/3498454983.html

[Camino LS6]

I think I've found the color I want to go with - 2005 SSR Aqua Blur Metallic:

Now if I could only find a dark grey/black interior to go with it.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Oh, I better win that lottery soon! Wait, I better stop on the way home and play it first

Because when I pay you to finish it for me, I want it to look more like this:

Edited January 29, 2013 by GMTruckGuy74

[GMTruckGuy74]

Color-wise, though I'd dig the Mothertruck looking like that off-road rig

[Camino LS6]

You know Roger, I'm pretty sure that GM offered a dark charcoal or black interior at some point in these trucks.

Got any info. on that?

Like which years?

[GMTruckGuy74]

http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/GM%20Trucks%20and%20Vans/1987_Trucks_and_Vans/1987_Chevrolet_Blazer_Brochure/1987%20Chevy%20Blazer-07.html

http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/GM%20Trucks%20and%20Vans/1987_Trucks_and_Vans/1987%20Chevy%20Suburban/1987%20Chevy%20Suburban-07.html

1987 Chevrolet Blazer & Suburban offered blue, burgundy, saddle tan and slate gray interior colors, seen at those links above.

[Camino LS6]

Thanks Roger - I found an '85 Pickup with a factory Charcoal interior while I was poking around.

Maybe that was pickup only.

I don't know, but that's the look I'd most prefer for the interior.

[GMTruckGuy74]

http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/GM%20Trucks%20and%20Vans/1985_Trucks_and_Vans/1985%20Chevrolet%20Full%20Size%20Pickups/1985%20Chevrolet%20Full-Size%20Pickups-10.html

I see with the 1985 Chevrolet pickups (link above) that a charcoal colored interior was available, but I've never seen one in person. I find it funny that none of the GMC pickup brochures show available interior colors!!

[Camino LS6]

I may be stuck with one of the more common colors.

I've also been looking into the interior swap using a Suburban. It looks like I will not be able to use the folding second row seats (at least not without some modification. The floor is different in a crew cab from what is in a Suburban. If there is an easy way to make it work, I'd like to do that so I can have a flat loading area in the back of the cab when I want it.

[z28luvr01]

Probably can be solved with the seat tracks from a crew cab rear seat, some scrap metal, a welder, and some ingenuity.

[Camino LS6]

Probably.

I'm trying to learn all I can about the details involved so I can do what most makes sense.

[Camino LS6]

I have a few possible donors bookmarked.

This Suburban is a contender:

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/3584683438.html

And, I have my eye on a very clean 2WD crew cab (1986).

Each option has advantages/disadvantages.

I'll just keep on monitoring until the timing and money coincide.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Another Suburban, located close by you too: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/3684949719.html

Anyone want a Mothertruck project of their own? http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/cto/3559352591.html

[Camino LS6]

Saw that crew cab a while back - pricey.

[GMTruckGuy74]

http://reading.craigslist.org/cto/3694996897.html

Another one for you to consider

[G. David Felt]

Interesting project suburban, rusty rear wheel openings.

[Camino LS6]

I could make that work.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Here's an '89 GMC Suburban with a blue cloth interior and front bucket seats pretty cheap ($699) not far from me in Burlington County, NJ: http://southjersey.craigslist.org/pts/3986150771.html

[GMTruckGuy74]

So I just re-read all 13 pages (plus the 2 pages at the link at the beginning of this thread). I never realized how much I posted in this thread since 2006 (obviously I'm very interested in the 'Mothertruck' story ).

I attended a local car show Saturday and what did my wandering eyes spot in the distance? A fully restored 1988 GMC V3500 3+3 Crew Cab "Sierra Classic" pickup with the Single Rear Wheel (SRW) setup. I was in love for sure. It got me thinking of Mothertruck again and hence my visit back to this thread.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Here's the GMC that I saw on Saturday at a local car show:

 

1988 GMC V3500 Sierra Classic 4WD Crew Cab

 

 

Spoke to the owner... pretty cool backstory.  His dad ordered it new late '87.  It's been in the same family since new and the son (curent owner) completed the restoration recently.  He's getting married this upcoming weekend and says his wife is very supporting of his love affair with this GMC

Edited September 29, 2014 by GMTruckGuy74

[G. David Felt]

Lovely truck, cannot go wrong with this baby!

[GMTruckGuy74]

These trucks are far and few to find.  I searched eBay yesterday for giggles and found only 1, a '91 Chevy R3500 (2WD) base model.  I rarely see any of these for sale around me in southern NJ, though I see plenty still in use (old & worn) or like this one, restored or customized/modded.My wife thinks I'm crazy for wanting a crew cab, long bed pickup and maybe she's right... but I sure love the look of these trucks

 

In case anyone is interested... here's the '91 on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/121445414490?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Edited September 29, 2014 by GMTruckGuy74