73 Super Custom GMC

[67chevy1series]

So a good friend of mine received this 73 GMC from his dad recently, the truck was ordered and bought by his grandpa in December of 1972 in Merced and they took delivery of the truck in January of 1973, the truck was over time passed down to his dad and as of recently the truck had just been sitting and so his dad asked if he wanted the truck... So I'm pretty sure you guys know how the rear went. So a week or so after they got the truck in 73 they changed the rims to some aluminum rims which have since been changed again so the steel rims are long gone and we are already on the hunt for them, but a little bit before my friend got the truck his dad for who knows what reason decided to spray paint over the original olive green with black spray paint.. So right now I'm in the process of removing all the black and bringing it back down to what I believe is the "medium olive" green, the truck was a two tone or technically a "tri-tone" it had a white top with the olive green and it had the wood grain decal inside the side trim and olive green below the trim. So his plans are to bring the patina'd green back and change anything back to the way it was stock except he wants too lower it so we're planning a 4.5/6 drop from CPP. I do have some questions I'm hoping you guys can help or confirm for me; what is the paint code for the lighter olive green, and up to what year could you get that paint on GMC's and Chevys? Another question is what does the gauge bezel and headlight switch look like for a 73 super custom? I'm sure there will be other random questions I'll have but for now here's the truck when I first seen it

[67chevy1series]

Here's another shot (I can only post a picture at a time so please bear with me it's as annoying for me as it is you lol)

[67chevy1series]

Oh and the truck is equipped with the tool and stowage box in the driver bedside! Slight problem... The door will not open, the handle can be pulled up but it doesn't unlatch the door.... The lock is gone as well. Is there any possible way to get it to open? Does anyone have any pictures of the 73 style tool box with the door open?

[67chevy1series]

Here's the factory green underneath the black

[67chevy1series]

The hood isn't really green with patina or rust it's now rust with green so we are on the look out for the hood and some other body panels which is why I'm interested in the paint code and up to what year they used that color on trucks.. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[cadillac_al]

I'm still kicking myself for not painting my truck med olive green. I looked at a lot of them and it seems 73 and 74 had the color I like, like yours. I even like it aged with patina. Other years had a brighter kinda lime green. I'm glad there will be another med olive truck still roaming the earth. That side tool box is kinda cool and rare but it looks to be quite problematic to me. I'm sure that's why they discontinued it, too many warranty jobs on a friggin optional tool box.

[67chevy1series]

Yeah I noticed the late 70's seems to have a different shade of green but this 73 seems to have the same paint as the 72's. The toolbox is cool, I've always liked them but there is the usual rusting and I guess jamming problems...

[nsulacountry]

What are product are using to remove the spray paint, but leave the base coat?

CT

[67chevy1series]

Originally Posted by nsulacountry

What are product are using to remove the spray paint, but leave the base coat?

CT

The cleaner I use is called "super clean" (it's say on the label that it is corrosive so I'm careful on where I spray and no to let it sit on areas just incase) I take my time and I ease up a bit when I see the green showing through. Some spots are tricky, because underneath the black is a "patina'd" area, in which the green has already wore down to the original black primer underneath the black rattle can, so it gives the illusion that I didn't remove the rattle can paint, so stuff like that you have to be careful for.

[67chevy1series]

A little update I figured out the tool box door and got it open. I removed the latch mechanism and cleaned it up/painted it and greased it up to help it work a bit smoother. Now it actually functions... But the metal tab that is spot welded to the handle for the door is weak and it tweaks if the latch gets jammed so it's a little delicate. Also been removing more of the rattle can. The upper portion of the front driver fender is proving to be more difficult as his dad sprayed multiple coats of black... And heavy coats at that, there are runs all over the place.

[67chevy1series]

Since we are planning to replace the hood with a better patina'd original green hood (still have yet to find one but there has to be one out there) I haven't touched the original good yet, but I have removed the headlight bezels and cleaned off the black from the rest of the front end.. and I also removed those poorly modified factory parking light lenses for some very nice originals...

[67chevy1series]

And here's the passenger side as of tonight.. Started getting dark so I stopped for the day.

[nsulacountry]

Castrol Super Clean? Wow, that is a use I never thought of! It is highly caustic in its concentrated form.

Nice progress on the GMC. I like the tool box. I believe they were pretty rare on GM vehicles.

CT

[67chevy1series]

I think that's the same as what I use. Yes it has a pretty high corrosive level so I have to dilute it, but (for lack of a better term) it's got a "slimy" film to it which kinda helps the scrotch Brite pad not be so brutal to the stronger factory paint.

IMO one of the coolest things about longbed are the tool box option, I've always wanted to install one into my 68 k10

[bhc41051]

Very cool truck! If I was ordering one of these trucks back then I would have included the tool box, wood bed floor and tach.

[nsulacountry]

Originally Posted by bhc41051

Very cool truck! If I was ordering one of these trucks back then I would have included the tool box, wood bed floor and tach.

+1 on the tach.

I swapped a Tachometer and small fuel gauge from a 1974 C10 Cheyanne to my 1979 C20 Bonanza. I took the full size fuel gauge and clock from the 79 and put them in the 74. At the time, in 1997 (high school) I wanted the tach (in a stock, automatic, 350 4bbl, 3/4 ton, makes no sense...) Now I realize the clock made the Bonanza package... Live N learn!

I did have to solder jumper wires on both printed circuits to make both truck clusters work. You cannot swap 1974 and 1979 clusters. Pinouts don't match up. So we had to swap gauges and match up connections. We sold the 74. I still have the 79. Tach is still cooler than a clock that didn't keep very good time!

CT

[67chevy1series]

Originally Posted by bhc41051

Very cool truck! If I was ordering one of these trucks back then I would have included the tool box, wood bed floor and tach.

If could order a 73 and it was longbed I would definiltey have ordered a tool box! The tach is very cool, there's so little of them a round I actually forget they could even come with them lol. The wood floor is also pretty rare, I've had a bunch of guys argue with me about them not coming with one.

Originally Posted by 1774btcrew

Paint reducer works really well at removing spray paint and is non corrosive. It can be bought at auto paint stores. I use it all of the time.

Forgot all about paint reducer

Originally Posted by nsulacountry

+1 on the tach.

I swapped a Tachometer and small fuel gauge from a 1974 C10 Cheyanne to my 1979 C20 Bonanza. I took the full size fuel gauge and clock from the 79 and put them in the 74. At the time, in 1997 (high school) I wanted the tach (in a stock, automatic, 350 4bbl, 3/4 ton, makes no sense...) Now I realize the clock made the Bonanza package... Live N learn!

I did have to solder jumper wires on both printed circuits to make both truck clusters work. You cannot swap 1974 and 1979 clusters. Pinouts don't match up. So we had to swap gauges and match up connections. We sold the 74. I still have the 79. Tach is still cooler than a clock that didn't keep very good time!

CT

So bonanza model c10's all have clocks? That's pretty cool info to know!

[1774btcrew]

Paint reducer works really well at removing spray paint and is non corrosive. It can be bought at auto paint stores. I use it all of the time.

[daddyjeep]

That motor might look a little too good. Now the brake booster, AC compressor, and some of the hoses look like they need cleaned up. It might be better just to rub some dirty grease back on the engine.

[67chevy1series]

Originally Posted by daddyjeep

That motor might look a little too good. Now the brake booster, AC compressor, and some of the hoses look like they need cleaned up. It might be better just to rub some dirty grease back on the engine.

LOL! Your definitley right, the brakes actually feel a little soft and weak so I forsee the brake booster/master cylinder coming off and when that happens im defineilty going to make sure whatever goes back on is nicely painted

[67chevy1series]

Well I haven't updated this thread latley, I painted the radiator support and upper grille valance panel cover thing, and I got the radiator back in as well as the transmission coolant lines and stuff. The guy who owns the truck found a chrome rear can bumper so I'm going to see if we can make that work and take the farmers bumper off. And he also got the correct gauge bezel for it. But after pulling the gauge bezel off I seen more damage to the plastic lense for the gauges as well as seen before it has a crack through the speedometer (I think) so before I can put that on the lense needs to be replaced and the steering column really needs to go, the part of the lense where the shift indicator goes is butchered so the caddilac steering column shift indicator can take its space so that's all going to have to go back to the squarebody way first. Transmission is done and back from the transmission shop all im waiting on now is a new torque converter so this should go back together and be driving pretty soon

[67chevy1series]

Here's a shot of how it looks now.

[67chevy1series]

Alright it's been awhile but I have continued to make progress. Since the last picture I have picked up the steel rims from powder coating and got the tires put on and installed them with dog dish caps on the truck, I've tried my best at getting some black off the hood and reinstalled it, I've sandblasted the air cleaner and the radiator hold down and upper fan shroud mount and painted them as well as installed them. I've also cleaned up and painted the passenger exhaust mandifold and installed it with fresh gaskets. Now all that's left is new battery cables, find a uncracked driver manifold locally, find a 73-74 gauge bezel, get a new lense for the gauges, new market lights, a 4.5-6 drop, and then a nice good all around cleaning.

[1774btcrew]

It is looking good! I was starting to wonder what had happened to you and this build,

[Corts60]

Nice work buddy. It'll be cool to see this truck after all your hard work is done.