OldBlueDually
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2020
- Posts
- 2,428
- Reaction score
- 8,518
- Location
- Minnesota
- First Name
- Justin
- Truck Year
- 1976 GMC
- Truck Model
- C30
- Engine Size
- 455 Olds
Welcome from Minnesota!! Beautiful truck you have there!
Dad's "Old" Truck
- Thread starter TimeExposure
- Start date
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Babs
Full Access Member
- Joined
- May 10, 2020
- Posts
- 1,945
- Reaction score
- 9,607
- Location
- Ottawa Valley
- First Name
- Paul
- Truck Year
- 1976
- Truck Model
- Chevrolet CUCV
- Engine Size
- 350
Grit dog
Full Access Member
- Joined
- May 18, 2020
- Posts
- 6,970
- Reaction score
- 12,220
- Location
- Auburn, Washington
- First Name
- Todd
- Truck Year
- 1986, 1977
- Truck Model
- K20, C10
- Engine Size
- 454, 350
Welcome!
If it runs well, yeah man, I’d just clean the heck out of the engine bay and undercarriage, change all the fluids, do a simple tune up, bleed/flush the brakes and either replace or pack a spare fuel pump and drive the heck out of it.
While I’m not a big “patina” fan in general, a truck like yours that is truly original paint and not beat up, it looks sweet.
Refurbishing the interior is about as easy of a project as you can do. Most importantly, looks like all the painted surfaces look beautiful (roof, lower dash). Interior work is 90% wallet and 10% work.
Keep what you can, replace what needs refreshed. For around $1000 you can have a new OE quality dash pad, seat redone or do a new Oe style seat cover yourself, and new rubber floor or carpet and maybe new door panels.
Dash pad is about 1 hour to replace, door panels an hour a side. Half day to remove the seat and redo the floor and another day to take apart and recover the seat or however long and however many $ it takes to drop it at an upholsterer.
You may find you want to “restore” some of the parts, read up on here about re-painting parts like the heater vents or dash bezel or door panels. Can save a few hundred bucks and have a nice end product that you restored yourself.
And worst case you don’t like how something turned out, you don’t have any $ into it and you can always buy a new part instead.
Exterior, there’s some methods to shine up and “preserve” what you have.
I’d sand and re-paint the rims, easy, cheap just takes some time and elbow grease. Re-furb the hubcaps, fresh tires and it’ll look sweet!
Sorry, I just layed out my plan for that truck if it was in my shed and not yours! Lol
If it runs well, yeah man, I’d just clean the heck out of the engine bay and undercarriage, change all the fluids, do a simple tune up, bleed/flush the brakes and either replace or pack a spare fuel pump and drive the heck out of it.
While I’m not a big “patina” fan in general, a truck like yours that is truly original paint and not beat up, it looks sweet.
Refurbishing the interior is about as easy of a project as you can do. Most importantly, looks like all the painted surfaces look beautiful (roof, lower dash). Interior work is 90% wallet and 10% work.
Keep what you can, replace what needs refreshed. For around $1000 you can have a new OE quality dash pad, seat redone or do a new Oe style seat cover yourself, and new rubber floor or carpet and maybe new door panels.
Dash pad is about 1 hour to replace, door panels an hour a side. Half day to remove the seat and redo the floor and another day to take apart and recover the seat or however long and however many $ it takes to drop it at an upholsterer.
You may find you want to “restore” some of the parts, read up on here about re-painting parts like the heater vents or dash bezel or door panels. Can save a few hundred bucks and have a nice end product that you restored yourself.
And worst case you don’t like how something turned out, you don’t have any $ into it and you can always buy a new part instead.
Exterior, there’s some methods to shine up and “preserve” what you have.
I’d sand and re-paint the rims, easy, cheap just takes some time and elbow grease. Re-furb the hubcaps, fresh tires and it’ll look sweet!
Sorry, I just layed out my plan for that truck if it was in my shed and not yours! Lol
Grit dog
Full Access Member
- Joined
- May 18, 2020
- Posts
- 6,970
- Reaction score
- 12,220
- Location
- Auburn, Washington
- First Name
- Todd
- Truck Year
- 1986, 1977
- Truck Model
- K20, C10
- Engine Size
- 454, 350
The other big “plus” of that truck is if you do repaint it, it doesn’t look like a typical 80s paint peeler which will save many many hours of prep. (I’m prepping a peeler for paint currently...fml!)
ronniebomb
Member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2020
- Posts
- 33
- Reaction score
- 36
- Location
- n.e. Ill
- First Name
- ron
- Truck Year
- 1978
- Truck Model
- K25 Sierra Classic
- Engine Size
- 454/t400/np203
welcome from n.e. ILLinois !
They're only original once........... love the patina!
They're only original once........... love the patina!
HOTFOOT
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Feb 29, 2020
- Posts
- 474
- Reaction score
- 1,041
- Location
- northwest ct
- First Name
- michael
- Truck Year
- 1980
- Truck Model
- gmc k3500 srw
- Engine Size
- 400
welcome from Connecticut
DoubleDingo
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2012
- Posts
- 11,250
- Reaction score
- 17,176
- Location
- Right where I am
- First Name
- Bagoomba
- Truck Year
- 1981
- Truck Model
- 81-C20 Silverado Camper Special-TH400-4.10s
- Engine Size
- Carb'ed Vortec 350
Welcome! Great truck! I'd leave the front alone, it came factory like that, looks just fine. Don't be shy to post up photos of the power plant.
High Roller Ron
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2021
- Posts
- 53
- Reaction score
- 9
- Location
- Brandenburg Ky.
- First Name
- Ron
- Truck Year
- 1977 Chevy 4x4 swb
- Truck Model
- Chevy 4x4
- Engine Size
- 350
Welcome..... from Kentucky...
Pics are important some times we only look at pics....kinda get lost and forget to message lol...
Pics are important some times we only look at pics....kinda get lost and forget to message lol...
mrghostwalker
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2020
- Posts
- 50
- Reaction score
- 66
- Location
- Connecticut
- First Name
- Jim
- Truck Year
- 1983
- Truck Model
- K10/20
- Engine Size
- 350
Looks like a great platform for restoration!
