New GMC guy from Boston - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Sierra sin fin · 12-15-2009, 07:31 PM

Hello! I'm Dave, and I live right near Boston. I have a 1956 GMC 3/4 ton longbed pickup with factory 270 inline six (90k original miles)that I have owned since 1980-I drove it seven years, then put it on weed control duty at my brother's place in northern Vermont for less than 13, and for the last ten it's been in a family owned barn in Eliot, Maine, slowly being made roadworthy again. The barn was just sold, so old Jack Straw (it was a farm truck) is now in a tent next to my house, quickly being made roadworthy. (before snow collapses the tent!) I got paint on it just before it got too cold, and now it needs mainly a total brake reassembly/replacement of everything plus a dual master cylinder, and a new floor.

I am a carpenter and a therapist, and my daily driver is a 1985 GMC High Sierra 3500 Crew cab with a 350 crate engine, the venerable th400 tranny and a longbed as well. My philosophy is if you like to drive old vehicles and like to do the repair/maintenance yourself, have two so when one has a problem, the other will get you where you need to be while you fix the broke one. My Chrysler van died this summer, and so far the one-ton has been doing well, except for a transmission problem i will write about elsewhere. I did some overdue body work on the '85 this fall while doing the same on the '56, and solved a vexing exhaust noise problem on the '85. It had headers when I got it, and they kept loosening, so on the advice of a friend who is into trucks and racing, ("you don't need headers, you're not racing")I got stock manifolds from a junkyard, put 'em on, and had a muffler shop make up the connections. To make a long story short, there was a persistent exhaust leak noise from the rh side- turned out that the rh junkyard manifold had been repaired with the incorrect studs, (no shoulders) and a gasket was left off between the heat riser valve assembly and the manifold. The correct studs and a gasket made all the difference, and now I have a very satisfied feeling pushing down on that accelerator pedal and hearing a contained roar rather than a leaky manifold.

Best regards,
Dave

**Thealien** · 12-15-2009, 08:05 PM

Welcome from just south of Boston.

Electrician BTW

str8axle55 · 12-15-2009, 08:59 PM

Welcome from the South Shore.

Hoods69BadBowTie · 12-16-2009, 04:09 AM

Hey welcome to the best boards around from MT! Sounds like a couple sweet rigs you got. Any pictures of either one?

12-15-2009, 07:31 PM	#1
Sierra sin fin Registered User Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Boston MA Posts: 2	New GMC guy from Boston Hello! I'm Dave, and I live right near Boston. I have a 1956 GMC 3/4 ton longbed pickup with factory 270 inline six (90k original miles)that I have owned since 1980-I drove it seven years, then put it on weed control duty at my brother's place in northern Vermont for less than 13, and for the last ten it's been in a family owned barn in Eliot, Maine, slowly being made roadworthy again. The barn was just sold, so old Jack Straw (it was a farm truck) is now in a tent next to my house, quickly being made roadworthy. (before snow collapses the tent!) I got paint on it just before it got too cold, and now it needs mainly a total brake reassembly/replacement of everything plus a dual master cylinder, and a new floor. I am a carpenter and a therapist, and my daily driver is a 1985 GMC High Sierra 3500 Crew cab with a 350 crate engine, the venerable th400 tranny and a longbed as well. My philosophy is if you like to drive old vehicles and like to do the repair/maintenance yourself, have two so when one has a problem, the other will get you where you need to be while you fix the broke one. My Chrysler van died this summer, and so far the one-ton has been doing well, except for a transmission problem i will write about elsewhere. I did some overdue body work on the '85 this fall while doing the same on the '56, and solved a vexing exhaust noise problem on the '85. It had headers when I got it, and they kept loosening, so on the advice of a friend who is into trucks and racing, ("you don't need headers, you're not racing")I got stock manifolds from a junkyard, put 'em on, and had a muffler shop make up the connections. To make a long story short, there was a persistent exhaust leak noise from the rh side- turned out that the rh junkyard manifold had been repaired with the incorrect studs, (no shoulders) and a gasket was left off between the heat riser valve assembly and the manifold. The correct studs and a gasket made all the difference, and now I have a very satisfied feeling pushing down on that accelerator pedal and hearing a contained roar rather than a leaky manifold. Best regards, Dave __________________ 1985 GMC Sierra 3500 crew cab long bed 1956 GMC 3/4 ton model 150 long bed Last edited by Sierra sin fin; 12-15-2009 at 07:33 PM.

12-15-2009, 08:05 PM	#2
Thealien Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Pine Ridge Florida Posts: 4,135	Re: New GMC guy from Boston Welcome from just south of Boston. Electrician BTW

12-15-2009, 08:59 PM	#3
str8axle55 Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Weymouth Ma Posts: 489	Re: New GMC guy from Boston Welcome from the South Shore.

12-16-2009, 04:09 AM	#4
Hoods69BadBowTie Chevys Kick A$$ Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Zootown, MT Posts: 12,699	Re: New GMC guy from Boston Hey welcome to the best boards around from MT! Sounds like a couple sweet rigs you got. Any pictures of either one? __________________ HOODS is what I answer too -'79, '77, '88 Pickup Sold, '85 Camaro, '83 T/A, '81,'83,'90 K5 Blazer All Sold -'79 3/4 ton "Big Yellow Bananna" Lifted 4spd. 39.5 TSL Swampers, The money Pit -'86 K5 Blazer Silverado 6.2 4" lift 35"s -'95 Ext. Cab Shorty 4" Tuff Country rolling 35" M/T's -'83 Monte Carlo T-Tops. 126,500 Original Miles -LATER I would rather push a Chevy then drive a ford!!



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