Intro from an old Assembly Plant guy

[Royal Sierra 454]

Hi Keith Seymore, this is Scott also form PY (67GP428). Awesome truck you have and great read!!! Do you know any history on the 76 Bicentennial GM trunks? I just bought a 76 GMC Royal Sierra 1/2-ton short bed and 454 air truck. I'm trying to get all the information of these trucks. One question if you know. Did the GMC trucks come with a different exterior Bicentennial paint scheme?
Thanks Scott

 

[Soundmound]

So that leads us here: This is my '87 Chevy pickup, of which I am the original owner. In fact, I ordered this truck and followed it down the assembly line as it was being built on Monday September 29th of 1986. It was coming down out of paint and into the trim area at the beginning of second shift (about 4:30 pm). I picked it up there and followed the body through trim with no issues. When the cab and box were complete, I hopped downstairs to the engine line and followed it through the process (we changed out the oil filter and fixed a cross threaded dust cover bolt). By then the chassis had started on the rivet line; I followed the chassis, then the engine/chassis assembly down to body drop. Once the cab and box were set it's a straight shot down the final line to the end. During roll test the inspector wrote up an A/C charge (which I bought off on) and that the backup lights were not working. The lights were repaired on the "short line" repair line, after which I drove the truck myself off the line and over to the shipping building. I told "Lloyd" that this was my personal truck, left the plant at 1 am and by 5 pm that same day it was at Hank Graff Chevrolet in Davison, Michigan.

I owned this truck for two years in Michigan and then two years in Arizona. By then I had been promoted to a GM Company Vehicle driver and, not having need of this truck, sold it to my father - in - law. He owned the truck, in Arizona and Montana, until his passing last August (of 2008). Having bequeathed it to me, it's now back, cosmetically a little worse for wear when I got it but in great shape mechanically. I took the summer (from May to September) of 2009 to whip it back into shape.

So that makes me both the original and third owner (lol).

Here it is today (it's my daily driver):

Man! I can't even fathom ordering and following my rig down the line. It gave me the feels just imagining it... I would almost certainly be buried in it, no question.

 

[Ken B]

Helluva Story

 

[ChuckN]

Very cool story, Keith. I grew up just outside of Flint- we lived in Atlas. My dad drove car carriers out of Flint for Boutell and Ryder. About ten years before he passed, I went back home to help him get our old 3100 out of the shed and running again. We went to Burton Auto Parts for some stuff, and he took me on a tour back to Flint- it was crazy driving past all the fenced-off concrete slabs where the plants used to be.

I still have an old family friend (more like my brother from another mother) that works at the Milford proving grounds til this day- though he is expecting to retire at some point. Your story sure brought back some memories for me.

 

[Keith Seymore]

Very cool story, Keith. I grew up just outside of Flint- we lived in Atlas. My dad drove car carriers out of Flint for Boutell and Ryder. About ten years before he passed, I went back home to help him get our old 3100 out of the shed and running again. We went to Burton Auto Parts for some stuff, and he took me on a tour back to Flint- it was crazy driving past all the fenced-off concrete slabs where the plants used to be.

I still have an old family friend (more like my brother from another mother) that works at the Milford proving grounds til this day- though he is expecting to retire at some point. Your story sure brought back some memories for me.

Thank you; I had two uncles that drove for Boutell: Uncle Hal and Uncle Joe.

Uncle Joe is the guy that loaned Mr Boutell the money to start the business.

Uncle Hal is the reason my family moved to Michigan from SE Missouri.

K

 

[Keith Seymore]

Very cool story, Keith. I grew up just outside of Flint- we lived in Atlas.

Our paths may have crossed. We moved to Davison in 1969; mom still had that same house until earlier this year.

My homes during my adult life have been in Davisburg, Ortonville and now Clarkston, and we still do a lot of activities locally (Davison car show, Widetrackers activities out of Lapeer, Hadley Parade and such).

In fact, just the other day I drove up to grab some cream puffs from the Davison bakery. We used to stop and grab these to eat on the way as we walked to Jr High School.



K

 

[Terry Wilkerson]

What a story.
Welcome from KC

 

[ChuckN]

Our paths may have crossed. We moved to Davison in 1969; mom still had that same house until earlier this year.

My homes during my adult life have been in Davisburg, Ortonville and now Clarkston, and we still do a lot of activities locally (Davison car show, Widetrackers activities out of Lapeer, Hadley Parade and such).

In fact, just the other day I drove up to grab some cream puffs from the Davison bakery. We used to stop and grab these to eat on the way as we walked to Jr High School.



K

I'd be surprised if we didn't cross paths at one point, especially if you ever went to the car shows down at the Sloan Museum, my dad used to take his '68 Vette every once in a while. At the very least, we are both clearly familiar with running up and down M-15

Spent lots of time in Davison. Used to love going to Whitey's for Fish n' Chips.

 

[Juggernaut]

Just found this thread and wow, you have had quite an experience at GM! Very interesting reading. One thing that caught my eye is that you were in on the design of the air intake system. I have a 94, C3500, 454 and I always wandered what the chambered air box on the intake pipe did. I assumed it was some type of resonator. Does it help, or hurt performance, gas mileage? Always wanted to hear the real story from someone who knows!

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Big Ray]

Very cool story. My Dad gave me his 87 he bought new.
He had a deer jump into the B pillar at 70 mph, gave it to me.
I had a grandma in a full size Mercury t-bone me. That rang my bell pretty good lol.
Finally put 250k miles on it, let my ex #2 have it when we split.

I bought a A833 for my K5, just have to go get it in Denver.