Jake Groby UPDATED 1960 GMC build with Photos

[jbgroby]

Hi Guys and Gals,

It's taken awhile BUT I moved all my picture from webshots to Photo Bucket
(2 weeks of work), but there are done. Becasue I can't edit the current build threat (replace picture links) I have to start another one - so I'm going to cut and paste the words with the links in this thread.

I'm copying this build thread from the 47-72 chevy site. The pictures won link just yet will address thsi soom I promice.


TRUCK: 1960 GMc with a 305V-6 3 speed trans, 3.93 rear axle, fornt torsion bar suspention. For now, the photo in the links won't work, webshots switched over to Smile and I' have not put them in Photo Bucket.

In January 2000 I found the first GMC I was to restore in New Orleans, LA. The idea was to have it ready for my son for his senior year. That did not happen because the truck I bought was a basket case. The cab was shot. However, the bed, frame, engine and transmission were in decent condition we decided to keep it and look for another cab and doors. The disassembly began as you can see.

This was the first time I had ever tried to do a project this big. Let alone fool with an engine. Being adopted and a single parent (mom) household, car were just not my thing. A friend Bill who found the truck for me also was into old cars and gave me a ton of pointers of what to do, where to save money and what not to waste my time on.

Many of these pictures were upload in Webshots and the originals were lost to Hurricane Katrina, so I feel lucky to have the ones I saved, when possible I’ll load photos from my CPU. I’ll also post the link to the entire album. I figure this might save server space on the club site.

These pictures show her one day one January 2000.

As you can see the truck was used for plumbing work in the New Orleans area. The custom made tool and parts bins in the bed were a work of art. The owner Ashton Chargois had built these in 1960 and they were still going strong. It took me and my son 2 days to dismantle and the boxes and piping. I have no idea how he managed to put the piping in the bed. Each end was threaded in opposite, as I unscrewed one end, it tighten the other side. I had to take a Saws-All to remove the pipes

We dug right in and starter tearing her apart, saving and numbering the zip-lock bags with the bolts and stuff we took off. In a notebook, we recorded the date and numbers of the bags so we could REMEMBER what the **** the nuts and bolts came off of YEARS later Everybody know what I’m talking about right? The first thing I noticed was the design of the engine which was like no other engine I’d ever saw before. The location of the plugs was the first indication I had that this was a weird engine. Little did I know that it was on the rare side and IT would start my love affair with the V-6.

The Engine

Before I get into the nuts oand bolts of the build and because the engine is the hearts of ANY truck, I ‘ll take a moment to explain why this engine is so radical and different. ( I would have said better, but all that does is start fights)

The 305 V-6 was the brain child of GMC engineers. In January of 1959 GMC decided to design a new truck, with a new type of engine. This was Detroit’s first V-6 and was hailed as a major engineering breakthrough with advances in metallurgy and design; they had developed the first of its kind, a 60 degree V-6 block with 12 degree off-set cylinder bank (narrower which created less friction/drag on the up-stoke). This is the only engine ever to be designed like this. The position of the sparkplugs (inside of the heads, plugs run cooler) and the design of the pistons (3 compression and 1 oil ring). Additionally, 92% of the cylinders are surrounded by water, which eliminated hot spots, the water pump moves 135 gpm. The camshaft sits in a bath of motor oil and is lubricated as soon as it's started. Cam lobes dip into a built-in reservoir of oil as the camshaft rotates, preventing cam and valve scuffing - a major reason why this engine gives long, dependable service.

(The following information is Courtesy of the 60-66 GMC page owned created by Jolly Goodfellow)

With thermostat open, only half the water goes to the radiator, the other half returns to the pump through a by-pass. This results in excellent cooling ability. There is less than four degrees variation in water temperature throughout the engine. This checks the possibility of hot spots. Here's cooling efficiency that is not matched by any other comparable size engine. Life of pistons, valves, valve guides and spark plugs in much greater, and the possibility of head-cracking is held safely in check.

Wires are short & designed to remain trouble-free. Instead of looping around & over the cylinder banks, they're neatly nested between the banks.

Identical left & right exhaust manifolds of special alloy iron & highly resistant to cracking & warping by extreme temperature changes. Large individual ports for each cylinder & short, large diameter passages permit more complete scavenging of exhaust gases. Result is better fuel economy, longer life, & better performance.

Short Intake Manifold with individual ports for each cylinder are a special feature of this engine. Individual ports permit faster intake & more uniform distribution of fuel-air mixture to each cylinder. Because manifolds are short & have a minimum of bends & curves, too rich or too lean fuel mixtures, usually found in longer in-line or V-8 engines are completely eliminated. This results in much better fuel economy, cleaner, more complete combustion & greater engine efficiency.

New, long-reach spark plugs have greater surface area in contact with cooling passages. These cooler running plugs stay cleaner so they last longer. Spark plugs, located inside the "V", away from hot exhaust manifolds, run cooler, have much shorter wires, & are easy to service.

Smooth, precision-machined combustion chamber minimizes carbon deposits, hot spots & pre-ignition. & there is uniform combustion in all 6 cylinders for smoothest engine operation. 6 equally-spaced head bolts surround each cylinder to reduce bore distortion, & guarantee gasket sealing for long engine service.

Valves operate efficiently at any engine temperature, The hardened steel rocker arm shaft is held firmly in place by 5 aluminum brackets. As valves warm up & expand, brackets expand too, assuring proper valve clearance under all operating temperatures. The engine runs quieter with fewer valve adjustments needed, valve life is extended. Brackets at both ends of the shaft, & one bracket between each set of rockers arms holds shaft deflection in check.

V-6 roller timing chains are double-strand, for double durability. They're quit, & positive in action, models 401 & up have a three-gear train.
Compared with other engines of equal displacement, V-6's have the largest exhaust valves of all to keep back pressure low, efficiency high.
Tough, Silchrome XB-steel exhaust valves, hard-faced with Ni-Chrome--plus long-life valve seat inserts.

Self-locking adjusting screws s-t-r-e-t-c-h the time between valve adjustments -- & then lighten the work; it's a simple & inexpensive one wrench job.

Ok Back on track. And to the Engine tear down

These pictures show what it took and looked like to tear the engine down. The back patio was a mess for about 2 months, my wife was having fits and I have to keep everything clean. After the engine was removed we took it to a local shop to have it dipped and de-greased.

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After we got the engine back from the shop then it was time to sandblast, prime and paint. These picture show the work involved over 2 days. The yard where I was sandblasting was Mr. Bill’s place in New Orleans east. His compressor is a heavy duty Leroy industrial road compressor mated to a 1,500gallon air tank. At 125 psi, you can blast for over a 45 minutes before needing to kick on the compressor, Compared to him, we are all amateurs and fly weight hobbyists!


It took over 68 bags of sand, and 16 hours to blast EVERYTHING on the frame and suspension. All work proudly done me and I was really getting into the job. We used a engine hoist on a sheet of plywood to flip the frame over when done.

This pictures show a VERY UNSAFE PRATICE PAINTING WITH OUT A MASK. I’ve learned a lot. However, the way Bill tough me to paint rims was perfect.


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[jbgroby]

Post 2

You remember what I said about the cab being rotten? Well another around 2004 member from the 60-66 club offered me a 60-61 cab for only a $100, I jumped at the chance to grab it. Great deal you say, well the cab was in the state of Oregon and I was in the state of Louisiana, or as my wife said a state "derangment". Steve was his name (I think) and he offered to drive the cab to his dads place in Illinois during the summer and keep it there until I could come get it. YES! Now, it was only 1900 vs. 2,400 miles away! Over a few months I saved up $400 for fuel, food and hotels.

My friend BIG Sam (you’ll see why) :ahhhh: who had a decent truck and plenty of time off, got together with me and drove to Illinois to grab the cab. The story of the FIRST TRIP TO TRY AND GET THE CAB WAS A DUSEY, Yes I said FIRST TRIP.

On the first attempt we left on a Friday night about 6 PM and was happily on our way north along I-55. We got to about to Granada, MS. At about 10pm when Sam notices his engine temp a little high, so we pull off and into an all night gas station when the lower radiator hose decided to lost loose. At this point we forgot to leave Mr. Murphy (of Murphy Fame, “Whatever can go wrong at the worst possible time, usually does”) at home and he came along for the ride. Of course we had the great luck to be in the only town in America which did not have a 24/7 WAL-MART. We used a roll of duck tape to seal the hose along with some hose clamps to help hold the tape in place and drove to the nearest auto parts place we could find which was a Western Auto, (I had not seen one of those in years).

We parked and tried to sleep in a hot *** truck with mosquitoes along for the ride. At 10:00am the store opened and we were able to buy a new hose I told Sam to replace the upper hose and thermostat while we were at it and as Mr. Murphy was right by our side and decided to let Sam break the cast aluminum water inlet neck right then. So, one more trip back in the store to buy one more part. Oh **** it is not in stock, sorry I can’t help you. After explaining out plight to the mgr. he drove Sam to AutoZone about 5 miles away to get the water neck inlet. YEAH! We be back on the Road Again (Yes, I sang some Willie).

O.K. we blew through Memphis, got to Sikeston, Mo. When Sam notices the temp starting to rise again. We pull over and he figures that the fan clutch is not working, so we get to the local AutoZone and buy a new clutch. Mr. Murphy was right by our side again to inform us that although the store had the clutch it DID NOT have the special tool we would need to remove and install the new one. We are now about 700 miles from home with no way to get back. Then that AZ mgr, called another store located the tool and drove to go get it. We removed the old clutch, put a few more scratches on our hands and installed the new one was kept on trucking.

O.K. we made it about 10 miles when the temp stated to come up Again! We pulled into a motel 6 BEGGED for a room which was not available. We decided that was enough for one weeked from **** and decided to head for home.

That weekend was Founders day and the place was packed! WHAT THE HECK IS A FOUNDERS DAY! We spoke very nicely to the lady at the front desk and she found us a room and asked us if a smoking room with 1 queen bed would be OK? I told her I was so tired that I’d sleep in the lobby if it was O.K.? The room at least HAD a bed, which by this time out eyes are bleeding we’re so tired and dirty. We get in the room and proceeded to attempt to scrub the grease and dirt off. I tell you, them wash rags that we used ain’t never going be white again!

Sam and I were so tired we barely made it to the bed. Let alone give a crap it was a queen and we had to sleep in the same bad. We promised each other we would not grope in the night and let it go at that!

At the time, I wore glasses and ONE OF THE SCARIEST things I’ve ever saw was the site of Sam in his Spiderman Briefs. Picture this, I woke up looked over forgetting where I was at for a moment and all I saw was Spiderman crawling across Sams’ AZZ, I jumped up and grabbed my glasses and made that made it worse because his Big Azz was now in complete and utter focus :ahhhh:. I took off the glasses and staggered into the bathroom.

Nursing a sick truck back home over 700 miles away is something I wish on NO ONE. We noticed about 50 miles into the trip home that if we stayed at 55 mph the temp held ok, any faster we started heading high. It took us about 16 hours to get back home. The problem was that Sam though he was doing good by prepping for the trip by flushing out the old radiator juice and putting in new stuff, but what he did not realize, that the small rust particles simply clogged up the core.

He brought the radiator to the shop and had it boiled out and he was a good as new. OK 4 more months later I was able to save up some MORE money and we tried again, only this time it went perfect. Got to see the Arch in DAYLIGHT . These pictures show the cab we went to pick up on the SECOND TRIP.

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EVERY place we stopped for gas the guys all came to look talk trucks and to say the Indian term “IHOJLT” I Had One Just Like That”, or the other Indian phrase “IHOJLT-EIWD” I Had One Just Like That, Except It Was Different?

[jbgroby]

Post 3

OK, I got the cab home and it will need to be stripped and checked for rotten areas which were not many except the rockers panels as usual. How did they get that name anyway? Ok. We get a chance to remove the cab. And all is well. My brother gets his friend Rudy Ramelli to make me a great deal on soda blasting the cab., I’d always wanted to try this so I said sure lets do it. My brother and I load up the cab on a small trailer and deliver it to the place. What I did not know was that the deep heavy rust was not removed, so I only wasted a $150.00


I called my EX-friend Fred, Yes I said EX-friend, you’ll see why! To let him know I had the cab blasted and was dropping it off by his shop for him to put the primer on, I had bought all the primer and supplies. No problem, bring it over we’ll get right on it (famous next to last words) The cab sat for over a month in a high humid environment and re-rusted all to **** This is after he used the primer on someone elses project and was promising he fix the mess. I told him no thanks demanded the $200 for the primer and got the cab the **** out of there! I have not talked to him since. This is what a cab will look like if you expose the metal to Louisiana high humid air for about a month or so. First several pictures in album.

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I had another friend named Joe Manent who owned a body shop and does excellent work. He ride is the Puzzled? truck you see in the picture’s. His body work is so good, what you are looking at is 5 different truck parts morphed into one, Ford, Dodge, Chevy, Toyota, and Nissan. He's one all sorts of awards for that truck (lost it to katrina too) You had to see this thing in person to fully get a grip on how nice it was.

Here we are delivering the cab and hood to the Ready Strip in Jackson, Ms. 250 miles from my home. When we picked it up you would not believe the great condition the cab was in, she looked new. I told Joe the day we were to pick up the cab and he was ready that afternoon with the primer and within 15 minutes after we unloaded the cab he was priming it. Please not that the date was August 25th, 2005.

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As most of you know we got his by Katrina just 4 days later. Luckily Joe had primed the cab and although she went under 11 feet of water, the primer keep the metal from re-rusting. However, when you lose everything you own, including the dog, things get in a lot better perspective.

I did not worry about the truck anymore. I was one of the lucky ones in order to find my family a home and everybody was safe. I was working non-stop at the water plant, was able to get off one weekend in every 6 to visit the family and get setup in a new home. Then things started to happen. More later!

[jbgroby]

All that is left is the bed and tailgate. The Hood ornament sure does look really pretty sitting up there "jetting" the truck forward.

[Funky61]

Looks Fantastic Jake! Love the early hoods.

[FetchMeAPepsi]

Aww man that's nice! I'd get a sunburn if I had that in my yard because I'd never stop standing there staring at it and grinning haha.

Thanks for the pics

[jbgroby]

I was able to shim up the radiator as I needed to and was able to correctly hang the P/S fender I have literally waited 13 years to put on the badge. I need a hanky, sniff, sniff.

[Andice]

Jake:

Love that V6 and the entire truck!

[FetchMeAPepsi]

:goodjob: now we need full pics of the whole truck!

[jbgroby]

about 4 hours work.

[Funky61]

Looking Great Jake! Please tell me what size tires your are using? Are those rims 15x5?

[jbgroby]

I'm not sure I know they are stock from 1960.

[jbgroby]

Mounted the bumper, I need to order two more bolts (or find the ones I had!) and the first lens. I need to figure out how to make the other lens get riveted or mounted to the housing without breaking it. It is WAY too rare to gamble with. The OEM factory ones I have plain mushroom head rivet, not the traditional type, where you pull the shaft though. I think they are airplane style, if so I have a friend who just built his own aircraft who has all the tools

[dustbowlfarmer]

Nice truck sir!

[jbgroby]

Thanks Dust bowl

[donrm]

Nice to see you got your fender fitting properly. Donrm Cincinnati ohio 1966 GMC Fleetside

[FetchMeAPepsi]

Your pics aren't showing right. It looks like you're linking to the first page of your photobucket album with every link. It starts with a cute little munchkin with a headband :)

Ive never used photobucket but if you dont see anything different than guests do when you're logged in then heres what I think you would do to make them show up.

Click on the album link you posted. Click on the picture you want to show. Click on the broken chain icon above the picture on the left. (using IE, that is). Then click on the last box, IMG Code. It'll copy to yoru clipboard.

Then just come here and paste like this. Hit enter after every paste.

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I really dig that hood ornament too

[jbgroby]

I thought I had that fixed. There are so many pictures that tell the story, I'd be month posting. Let me see if I can figure out how to direct link the albums from Photobucket. Anybody else have them ?

[jbgroby]

Now that I have the front end finished, this weekend I'd like to start on the routing and wiring of the electrical components.

I’m using the E-Z wire 21 circuit and the Dolphin gauges, I’m using analog fuel, oil psi, temp and amps gauges, 12 volt clock and Tachometer. I understand basic wiring, but will probably have a ton of questions on different needs etc.

I also believe in using the right tool for the job, with that being said I would to ask the first advice on the following.

What type stripping tool should I get, an auto wire stripper - self gauging or a manual one?

What type of or brand of electrical connections and /or tape I would think 3-m is the best on the tape?

Thanks
Jake

[Clyde]

Do it right the first time, get bare connector and solder them then apply heat shrink, then you never have a problem. There are some very good automatic wire strippers but they cost a few dollars more than cheap ones, you get what you pay for.

[jbgroby]

I was going to solder thanks I'm trying to find the correct tape.

[jbgroby]

Worked on getting the antenna installed. The new after market unit I got from LMC (same as others I would suspect) may all have this problem.

The existing hole from the factory (you can tell if it OEM factory because the hole has a slight notch) is designed for a slightly different antenna base. The one from the kit will need to have the rubber bushing/gasket glue in place to hold it while you tighten down. Also the lower mast brace is too short, I had to make a new one from a piece of flat bar aluminum.

Picture 1 shows the original and the new heavier long brace. I was able to use the supplied speed washers and wrap-around.

Picture 2 shows the hole you have to drill to mount the brace through.

Picture 3 shows the new brace mounted.

Picture 4 shows the assembly braced at bottom.

Pictures 5 shows the size of the kit supplied vs. home made brace.

[jbgroby]

Finished antenna,
When I got through with that I put on the mirror and Spotlight.

Then I sat in truck and took a picture looking over the hood I've dreamed about for years.

[FetchMeAPepsi]

Looks good!

[Andice]

Jake: I am 100% sold on "Packard 56" as used on our trucks when new. Check them out at PCS Connections. Bought a lot of mine on eBay and NAPA Auto Parts

[Andice]

The best tape is sold at Grainger and is called "plating tape". It is very forgiving and reusable. Simply unwrap and rewrap as needed. Again - the same stuff used on our trucks when new.

[GMCNUT]

Jake: I am 100% sold on "Packard 56" as used on our trucks when new. Check them out at PCS Connections. Bought a lot of mine on eBay and NAPA Auto Parts

Do you have a www address for PCS connections? I may need some wiring stuff like Jake too

[Andice]

<br><font color='red'>To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?</font><br> The parts are commonly called Packard 56, GM 56, or Delphi connectors. They are the same as the connectors used on our trucks when new.

[jbgroby]

thanks

[RichG]

FYI the company's website is <br><font color='red'>To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?</font><br> (<br><font color='red'>To view some links or images in this forum your post count must be 1 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. Maybe you should introduce yourself with a new topic?</font><br>) I found them after a short google search, but I thought I would save the next guy a few minutes.

RichG

[jbgroby]

thanks Rich

[jbgroby]

Rigging them daisy chain, crimp, solder, and heatshrink

[jbgroby]

Been a long few years. The column is a hydromatic

[snazzypig]

Great looking dash!! No doubt it took lots of time and effort to get everything connected and wired up properly. Doesn't look overdone either.

[Vernski]

Hi Jake that looks very nice I would be well pleased with it. I sure like the gauge panel it gives it a nice clean look, it is a good choice. Are you driving it yet and how are you doing? Hope all is well keep up the good work...Vernski:thumbsup:

[jbgroby]

Not driving it yet, we just put the dash in last night, I still need to do a systems check as well as the wiper wiring, that's why the heater controls are still out (I need a heater core as well).

If all goes well with the electrics check next week, we put the steering wheel on. Next come the temp muffler tie in; I'm still running open headers- loud engine.

Then the windows. Time, time, time......

[Funky61]

That came out great and looks like you got the turn switch/wiring harness issue resolved as well. Good luck on the rest of the electrical systems check.

[Clyde]

Looks great.

[jbgroby]

I have a green wire and a grey wire leaving the column.The green is for the horn,the grey is for the shift selector light,I'll need to tie that into something for the headlights.

[Animal]

Looks good!

[FetchMeAPepsi]

Yeah it does! That should last another 50 plus years if it's anywhere near as tight as it looks

:goodjob:

[jbgroby]

Only took a year.

[MrCos]

lookin good!

[jbgroby]

I had to have a friend help me with the shaft as the threads were badly deformed. Once we cut the new threads, the wheel wend on easy. One more part finished.

[Foley]

Excellent!! Sure looks good from here

[jbgroby]

I'm up for an award, the longest rebuild in history

[1960HDGMC]

Hey Jake, That sure looks good. I am in the middle of getting a column/steering wheel painted and installed. I know you are glad to have that on there. As for the longest rebuild, if you are past 8 years, your still in the running, haha.

[WDShaffer]

The wheel looks super. 14 years and counting for me...now that the 'lil one is a teenager, I will have less face time and more truck time.

[1960HDGMC]

The 3 years my truck was in little pieces were the longest years I ever saw. I can not believe I made it 3 years without a truck. Hopefully, never again. Hey Jake, are your colors 1960 GMC Varsity Blue and Olympic White? It really looks good whatever colors it is. Gotta love the two-tones. GM

[jbgroby]

It is supposed to be Canyon Blue and Olympic White or as close as my eyes and computer can tell.

[1960HDGMC]

Hey Jake, Is Canyon Blue a GMC color from another year? Wherever it is from, it sure pops against the Olympic White. Nice contrast. GM

[jbgroby]

Technically, it's a '61 shade of blue, it seemed to look better than the varsity

[Vernski]

Hi Jake that wheel looks great with that beautiful dash and gauges you got a winner there. I spent 6 1/2 years on mine but there are always the little things
I would like to improve on some, so I guess you never get done. What's your latest cigar? enjoy one for me...Vernski:thumbsup:

[jbgroby]

I grabbed a cigar.com special nothing to write home about.

[jbgroby]

Made up some ground straps over the past several days. Put some of them on the truck yesterday. I ordered the heavy duty ones from LMC and as II do not have the heavy duty crimper. I crimped, soldered, and used heat shrink on the smaller ones. I ordered a roll of the copper 10 gauge braided ground strap from NAPA. Connector are from HomeDepot and you get 15 to a pack for $2.99.

[jbgroby]

Number 2

[jbgroby]

Number 3

[jbgroby]

Number 4

[AZKen]

Another option.

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[jbgroby]

I call this post ‘Love in a Box’.

Got into the office this morning and found a lovely little oblong box just waiting for me to rip it apart – as I knew what pretty thing was inside longing for me to lovingly caress the long cool metal frame and gaze through the clear glass….. OK ENOUGH WITH THE BULLS**T……..

I bit the bullet earlier this month and decided to order the new aftermarket replacement vent window assemble. Try as I might I can’t quite get my rubber to sit right – and you KNOW how I am with the little details.

I’ve seen other posts over the past year or so waiting for some poor lonely trucker to take the plunge. SO I’m posting the pictures for your review of what I believe is a well-made and quality product. I have been wanting to do this for about a year now and after fighting to get my vents assembled - I gave up. (FYI I have a set of Vent windows as extras if anyone needs them)

I was crusin’ eBay last month and saw where the Truck and Car Shop listed the driver’s side vent assembly online for $210.00 + $27.00 shipping with Buy It Now. That was at least $60 cheaper than anywhere else I’ve found.

The vent assembly is shipped in its own box VERY well protected box. I’ve worked the vent handle and it is very well fitted (no wobble or looseness). The glass channel run comes with the felt already fitted and installed. The spring assembly is well built with the proper spacers/washers and pivots smoothly.

I’ll order another next month if I’m not sleeping on the couch this month with vent assembly for company, as my wife calls the truck “The Other Woman” .

[jagarra]

Nice job on the straps. Did you just recently install an aluminum radiator. Seems the addition of ground straps is part of the installation process.

[jbgroby]

I put in a new radiator but it not aluminum. I added the last two heavy duty straps from the block to the body this morning. I must be getting better as I only busted one finger getting everything in place.

[jbgroby]

The painter is ready to do his thing but wanted to mark the correct location for the 2 wide side step incerts. We had the factory assessory guide templet, so it was just a matter to transferring the marks to the bed so they could be cut out.

[jbgroby]

About time. I had to remove the halogen upgrade kit as we could not get the highbeams to work correctly no matter what we did or checked. Went back with OEM harness.

[jbgroby]

Highbeam s work too;)

[FetchMeAPepsi]

You should have a build thread going for all your pics!

[jbgroby]

I WILL update the one I have, I just jammed up with 2 jobs. My full time one and the Council one. I just qualified for re-election and this may be the last weekend I get to do anything on the truck for the next 2 months. ;)

BTW does anyone want a NEVER used Halogen upgrade wiring kit 1/2 off $25.00 with free shipping?

[jbgroby]

Highbeams working

[jbgroby]

Wrong picture

[jbgroby]

We finally brought the bed home this morning.

[ilvracn]

Looks great, are the step pockets factory? My truck has them as well

[pasadenajim]

JB, if you will advise on the part numbers for the Halogen Lights, I will take you up on the $25 for the harness.

[jbgroby]

ok, text me at 985-503-0017 so I can send back a picture. and part number

[jbgroby]

There were a dealer or aftermarket add on.

[ilvracn]

i thought so, mine say gm on them so i bet they were a dealer installed item

[jbgroby]

They sure are cool huh?

[1960HDGMC]

About time. I had to remove the halogen upgrade kit as we could not get the highbeams to work correctly no matter what we did or checked. Went back with OEM harness.Hey Jake, I had the same thing happen when I made the switch to Halogen bulbs. Turns out there are at least two companies making these kits. I had them send me another one, and it works fine. The offshore model is made by folks that may or may not know what solder is and what wire color means. They use cheap relays too. Mine had a wire crossed FROM THE FACTORY. You really need to get a kit in there to get the juice off your switch. It really is an important safety feature. The kit really is just a pair of relays that do the function of getting the juice off of your switch. Your halogens will shine much brighter, and your switch will last forever, ( and it will keep your new truck from burning up, always a plus)once you get a kit or just hardwire in a relay set. Please consider doing this, Greg

[ilvracn]

yea i love em get lots of complements

[jbgroby]

Got the last parts from the painter. Will lay out the bed assemble in January

[rusty66]

Looks great. Good luck![emoji41]

Sent from my LGUS990 using Tapatalk

[jbgroby]

My brother came by to help me bleed the brakes, we realized that for what ever reason the OEM push rod was/is too short to actuate the new single master cylinder. We tried adjusting it out up to a 1/4" but that was still not enough. I wonder why the design changed?......

SO we found some 7/16th. fine threaded rod and machined down one end allowing for and extra 1 1/4" length, works perfectly. We also fired her up for the first time in about two years and realized that the Alt. fan blade is making contact with the shelf. so I need to get a 2" shorter belt to bring the Alt. inward.

[jbgroby]

On the Alternator issue, I had to grind down the brace.

Getting set up to flip the bed and put the wood in.

[FetchMeAPepsi]

For the alternator you can get a double-pulley nut to put on the end and it'll keep the belt away from the fins. That's what I've got and it's nothing to swap out each time I replace the alt.

I'm interested to see the wood installed. That's on my list of projects soon.

[jbgroby]

Got the bed flipped and on stands.l put the tubs on tonight.

[bobdylan]

Looks great.I'm thinking I should clean my garage after seeing your pictures., Sometimes I forget what is in the back of the garage, mainly because it is difficult to reach the back.

[jbgroby]

Mine is not always that neat. But I'm a Virgo so I'm a bit if a neat freak......

[jbgroby]

letting boards sit for a day or so to make sure they are spaced correctly. I see a light at the end of the tunnel

[bobdylan]

What is the finish on the wood? Did you buy a kit or fab your self? Bob

[jbgroby]

I bought the wood from Mar-K as well as all the strips and etc. I used the finish they recommended :

2 coat of POR-15 and 2 coats of BEHR exterior grade satin black (semigloss). She will be garage kept except for shows.

[bobdylan]

I like the black, looks much more stock.

[1965GMC1000]

Looks great I did mine last spring

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

[jbgroby]

Whatvyearvdo you have. I'm looking for any member with a '60 and an 8' wideside. I have some questions to ask about cross member placement.

[jbgroby]

Thanks to those members who reached out to me with help for getting the bed finished. She's done!

[jbgroby]

Got my ace helper to hold the bolts.

[jbgroby]

What it's all about.

[jbgroby]

her first roll out.

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[6066gmcguy]

Great Video Jake.

[jbgroby]

Thanks, even though it was lightly raining, I just could not wait.

[donrm]

Great job!

[jbgroby]

Got the bed on. Took only 20 minutes to lift and set, took about 4 hours to tweak it just right.

[jbgroby]

Took only 15 minutes to mount the bed, but about 4 hours to tweak it just right. getting the lines to match came out great.

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[Vernski]

Very nice truck Jake your hard work shows in the in a job well done, the inside of the box is just beautiful love it....Vernski:upyes:

[jbgroby]

Thanks vernski. Been a long time coming.

[1960HDGMC]

Hey Jake, You sure got her coming together. Looks great. Two-Tone 60 GMC's of the world...Unite!

[TJ's GMC]

Hi Jake! That truck is a piece of art! :thumbsup:

[jbgroby]

wow TJ, thanks.

[bobdylan]

TJ. is right, it is rolling art.

[GMCNUT]

Jake, that's a great looking build - I haven't had time to follow this build properly, so you may have already told this, but what brand of windshield rubber did you buy and was it difficult to get it to "seat" properly in the corners etc?

[jbgroby]

I bought the rubber from LMC. Both the
front and the rear

[GMCNUT]

I bought the rubber from LMC. Both the
front and the rear

Holy Moly - and it fit right? I've heard nothing but complaints about LMC's rubber so curious what your take is on your experience installing and getting a tight fit

[jbgroby]

Tailgates on and finished, hard to tell from the picture, but the lettering is the GMC reflective silver as OEM correct. For the next week I may not get anything done on the truck. I just landed a antique ship model restoration (upper section of the picture) .

[jbgroby]

Dont know just yet, that's the next project.....

[jbgroby]

not exactly, I have to fill one area with black silicone

[TJ's GMC]

Tailgates on and finished, hard to tell from the picture, but the lettering is the GMC reflective silver as OEM correct. For the next week I may not get anything done on the truck. I just landed a antique ship model restoration (upper section of the picture) .

Looks good!

[jbgroby]

Woke up the subdiv. early this morning getting there......but I got in before the sound meters were out and about!

[Funky61]

Looks Great Jake! Are you going dual or single?

[George Bongert]

Greetings JB!

Nice looking truck!! Just out of curiosity, what transmission does it have? SM318, SM420, or Automatic? Being an old Farm boy, I'm partial to any of these old trucks equipped with the SM420 behind the Big Block V-6!! None the less, it is still one of the few left that escaped an appointment with the crusher!!

[jbgroby]

Funky, I went with a single 2" exhaust.

George, I have the 4 speed Hydramatic.

[jbgroby]

Here is how he routed the pipes. I was able to change over to the spin on adaptor. Dan wanted to make sure I had good clearence for the oil filter and transmission pan. He routed down the side for a bit then took advantage of the arch for the torsion bars and then tied back in to the stock muffle I already had.

[TJ's GMC]

Hope to be able to hear it!

[jbgroby]

After 11 long years.

[AZKen]

Nicest truck I've seen in a long time. I know you did a lot of work and your buddies did also. You should be proud of the truck. Post your first Trophy here.

[GMCDAC]

It's a great story of resurrection with you and this beautiful GMC! Congrats for getting it done.

DAC

[jbgroby]

Thank You everyone, I'm driving the wheels off of her......

[jbgroby]

Rain caused the cruise in to cancel, so I took her to dinner on the lake and was able to grab a top view.

[jbgroby]

Driving her wheels off. Parked by the Lake for some shots.

[kknotts]

Looks like she i ready for "Cruising the Coast"!! I'll be there with my '63. Maybe we can meet up?

[jbgroby]

I'm going to be there Saturday only, I will be in Chicago all week till late Wednesday evening. and will need to play catch-up at work thurs/fri. ;(

[kknotts]

By saturday we will be done with venues and card punching. We park and watch at the Biloxi small craft harbor on 90 under the big oak trees. Come by if you can. We will have my '63 GMC and '66 Chevy pickups. Any other members planning on making the "Cruise"?

[jbgroby]

My brother and I will be parked and watching'em go by as well. I'll try to find out where we will be parked.

[TJ's GMC]

Sure is one beautiful truck Jake, job well done. :thumbsup:

[kknotts]

Jake, Heading to cruising tomorrow. Did you determine where you and your brother were going to park Saturday? kknotts

[jbgroby]

The weather has changed my plans completely, came back from Chicago at 6pm Wednesday evening and we have a possible storm in the gulf, so all supv. and mgr. must stand to and stay local...... So much for going this year.........

Freaky year for weather

[kknotts]

We decided to leave today and beat the mass exodus that will take place tomorrow. Had a good time although a short one. Maybe I can catch you next year.

[bigblockv6]

Jake, hope you take your truck with you or at least to higher grounds. I remember the last time back in 2005 all the work you did went to waste.

[jbgroby]

We'll be ok, I moved 40 miles north and I'm 10 ft. above mean sea level, PLUS i have insurance on her now.