How about some pics of '73-'87 Short Beds Part II

[Skeetman]

'85 GMC Step side
In the paint shop right now, here are pictures before she went in the shop.
I am putting in hidden tailgate latches, smaller mirrors, remove drip rail and side markers.
And Lower 5/6

[Whaler]

Hey guys. I've been lurking here for a while, but recently bought an 83' C10 Scottsdale and have just begun the restoration and modding process. It has a worn out 305 in it that will be replaced with a 383 I bought from a friend. The transmission is a 700R4 that was supposedly rebuilt a year ago, but will be checked out and have some shift improvements done and a stall convertor before the new engine goes in. I also want to find a posi traction rear end with either a 3.73 or 4.10 gear. I'd prefer a bolt in swap but will buy a posi and gear if I'm unable to locate one. I am also replacing some interior parts as I find them. I bought a very nice dash that doesn't fit my truck and will sell it and try to find the right one. I need one with the wiper function above the light switch. Any help would be appreciated. I like an old school look, so I'll lower it a couple of inches and hopefully find a pair of 7" and 8" Rally Wheels to go on it.

[Advanced Design]

Looks good Skeetman! What is that lurking under the hood?

Originally Posted by Skeetman

'85 GMC Step side
In the paint shop right now, here are pictures before she went in the shop.
I am putting in hidden tailgate latches, smaller mirrors, remove drip rail and side markers.
And Lower 5/6

Attachment 1491909

Attachment 1491910

Attachment 1491911

Attachment 1491914

[Skeetman]

Doug, What hood?
I have a 5.3 iron block LS and trans from a 2009 Silverado that had 4500 miles,
stock motor with an Edelbrock intake and headers.

[OutlawDrifter]

guys...it's an olds in a chevy/gmc pickup with a custom grill.

455 maybe?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

guys...it's an olds in a chevy/gmc pickup with a custom grill.

455 maybe?

If I were a bettin man......

[Scudboy]

So...are you saying that OP is mistaken about the "rareness" of his Oldsmobile pickup?

[OutlawDrifter]

Originally Posted by Scudboy

So...are you saying that OP is mistaken about the "rareness" of his Oldsmobile pickup?

Not mistaken, notice the wink emoticon. Sarcasm is tough through text.

[HAULIN' IT]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

guys...it's an olds in a chevy/gmc pickup with a custom grill.

455 maybe?

Exactly! To get the whole story you would have to go back to the mid '80's when as kids, everybody got "hand-me-down" Pontiac's, Oldsmobiles & Buick's from a parent, aunt or grandparent to drive. Much of my early wrenching/hotrodding was on Oldsmobiles.

Jump to the mid '90's...when I built my first Olds powered truck. I have a '78 4x4 350/4 spd long bed that my wife wouldn't drive because of the manual trans. I had my friend that builds trannys do a multi-case TH350 for me with a 4x4 output shaft & we swapped it over a weekend. My plan was one step ahead now as I had been thinking about doing a big Caddy swap to make pulling a trailer nice & easy.
Not even a year later, at work we towed in a MINT '71 Delta 98 with 39,000 miles on it...HEAVILY damaged in a front end collision. I worked a deal with the insurance co. trading the car for the storage money owed.
A weekend swap resulted in a GREAT driving, smooth operating, towing vehicle that was just "so right" that you couldn't help but notice if you drove it or rode in it. I have always truely have felt GM missed the mark by not using an "alternative" engine family in the GMC trucks! They would have sold Two to One of the Chevys. Don't get me wrong, I like small & big Chevy engines...the smooth, low speed torque of the Buick, Olds & Caddys are just right at home in a big, heavy truck.

Now on to this one, about 2000 or so...My transmission building friend had riden in the truck, borrowed the truck & commented on how well it worked. He was working at a mom & pop, primarily Olds dealership (remember those...Buick & Pontiac were up the street?). He had bought a Brown/Tan 4.3 V6 gem that was real tired & asked if I would help him do an Olds swap to his if he found a motor. He ends up with a '67 Olds Delmont (insert what the air cleaner & oil fill tube decals match) with a 425 for $200...sold the car for $100 & we get started. We had re-sealed the engine, installed a timing chain & painted it up like it is in the photos in spare time after hours at the dealership.

Once fully assembled, the dealership owner asked if he wanted to put the engine in the corner of the waiting room in the service dept. to keep it clean & would make a nice conversation piece for the "ol men" that come in until we install it.

Sooooo, he calls me one day & says this guy came in that was building a streetrod...you know the story, he had a 425 in a blah, blah, HAD to have it & was willing to pay $800 for it & pay my friend another $200 to install an Edelbrock carb, aluminum intake, chrome valve covers & oilpan.
The deal was made & now he finds a '74 455 that we re-seal & installed the left-over parts on & we stick it in. It runs real well for a '74 motor & he drove it year 'round for a couple years (ya know, BIG snow tires in the winters & weight in the bed). At some point he pounds a bearing out of it from beating it because it just felt so right & it sat behind the dealership for a while. In spare time I was porting heads & he was gathering parts to put it back together. One day he calls & says they are adding to the parking lot & the truck needed moved. He told me to come get it if I wanted it, go pay the bill at the machine shop for the heads & collect the parts, it was mine. He had lost interest (the LS stuff was out).

So fast forward another summer when my wife comes & says: "I'm tired of you always building/help others with stuff, I want something to cruise this summer! Either build me something or I'm going to buy something & you are NOT going to tear it apart!" So I gathered the parts up, stuck it together & have been "fine tuning" it ever since...that's been about 10 years now.

I made the grille with a mold from a Girlscout cookie box poured with some plastic glue, a bunch of time spent cutting a 1/4" thick piece of Aluminum & a broken Impala tail lamp. I have the interior dressed too...Olds steering wheel & "correct" mid '85's Olds emblem on the dash.

It's been allot of fun over the years. We drive it near daily in nice weather & have made hundreds of dragstrip passes. Over the years we have changed a bunch of things...re-did the body, suspension, fuel system, ect. but the SAME engine we were building for his daily driver is in there. Something with power to go 11.80's would have been hell on snow tires! Take Care, Lorne

[Advanced Design]

Hey Lorne, great story on your truck! Thanks for sharing.

[N2TRUX]

Great info and a fun to read history, thanks for sharing. Im sure you have heard how a guys Uncles, second cousin that worked for GM had one just like it.
Lets see more pics.

[Scudboy]

^Ditto...lets see some of that interior.

[Flatpat]

1990 r3500

[bbbc10]

Thats not a shortbed! Lol

[HAULIN' IT]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Great info and a fun to read history, thanks for sharing. Im sure you have heard how a guys Uncles, second cousin that worked for GM had one just like it.
Lets see more pics.

I have had a couple that were honestly pretty good. A couple guys have asked me if it was built in Canada, which in reality could/would kinda make some sense.
The best was slightly different. Two years ago at the Olds Powered Nationals a guy walks up & asks: "Do you know how much that air cleaner is worth?" I told him it was only worth what someone was willing to pay. He asked: "It's not one of those re-pops is it?" He goes on to say that the last one he saw for sale went for over $800 & wasn't as nice as mine. He then says: "I can't believe you have it on this pickup truck of all things" Remember we are at an OLDS event! I couldn't hold it any longer & told him I made it out of a pile of old parts (I believe he thought it was from a '68 Hurst Olds, which it does look similar). My friend just shook his head & said: "I would have told him $500 & it's yours! I couldn't have got that wingnut off of there fast enough! I know you got enough air cleaners laying around to build another one next weekend"
Thanks for the interest guys! Lorne

You can't make it out in the photo, but I used the VIN number from a '85 dump truck with a 454 to buy a replacement decal for the top of the rad. support...7.4 liter

Here is one from last fall...she runner-up'd in the street class Sat. night & won the ladies class on Sun.

The dashboard

[cjthompson]

Hello everyone,

First post here. In the process of going through my truck again, and seems like this website may be useful. Anyway, truck is an 87 GMC sierra classic. My dad bought the truck new, and passed it down to me when I was 16. That was about 10 years ago now. I went through it slightly then, but it's due for a refresh. 280k does some damage to bushings and ball joints..... Anyway, here's a picture. Hard to follow up an Oldsmobile truck though.....

[Scudboy]

cjthompson...very good looking truck. It's nice it's stayed in the family for so long. My 13 year old is hoping I'll do the same with my truck when he starts driving. I told him as long as I find a 68-71 before then...he can have it.

[cjthompson]

If he/she is anything like I was, it'll mean a lot to them. My truck probably isn't worth a lot, but it'd take a whole lot of money to buy it.

[LiveAnimals]

[IvanBlock]

Hello Everyone, long time lurker but finally have a reason to join.

Picked up this '87 GMC last week off of a buddy of mine, i've been trying to get him to let go of this since the day he bought it. Brian (previous owner) of Vastines Paint Garage took phenomenal care of it, put a lot of effort into buffing the original paint. I love the Patina it has.

305 tbi/700R4
all original other than being lowered.
Plans are a slight Pro-touring setup. Coilovers on all 4 corners, still undecided on wheel setup (possible 20x10). And motor/tranny swap

IMG_5370 by Todd Herndon, on Flickr

IMG_5372 by Todd Herndon, on Flickr

IMG_5374 by Todd Herndon, on Flickr

IMG_5388 by Todd Herndon, on Flickr

[Advanced Design]

Looks good Skeetman...yeah, I guess the hood is gone.

[Trust_me]

Nice

[Trust_me]

I thought the original condition better than any additional thinks

[chiro22]

Here's the 1973 Cheyenne, I just picked up from a buddy, solid truck, needs a little work but it'll be a beast.

[mud.man.rj]

Any more on the 73 Doc, looks to be pretty nice.