An old man's journey with GMC 702 V12s

[Cayoterun]

and other stuff:

I had fixed up cars, pickups, and travel trailers, since I was a kid. After retirement, but still on the farm with a shop, I wanted to get outside the box.
GMC V12s had been used by the hundreds here on farm irrigation wells, during their hey-day. Bullet proof, and indestructable. I found the one I cared for in 1965 in a neigbors barn. Decided I'd like to hear it run again. After 20+-yrs pumping water, it had broken piston and head. Found the parts in junk yards. When I got it running, I decided to put it in a truck, so the project evolved, instead of being planned. The first post was Aug. 07.
This was named by forum members "Balaur", which means " mythical Romanian 7 headed Dragon".
The build thread and video links:



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Donated it to Cimarron Heritage Center, (museum) Boise City, Ok. There she sits in her permanent home.

Later, I found another running V12, so started another truck. As you can see from beginning to now, her build also, took more crooks than a snake from beginning to now as a '46 Chev, pu.
She's ugly, but I like her and is alot of fun. Called her "Thumpers Truck" I found the rabbit in one of the parts trucks I used, so decided it would make a good mascot.
I made my first post 7-10, and on page 11, videos are post 258. Hop in and we'll take a noisy ride. Max. recommended RPM is 2400, so this motor won't never be turned more than that intentionally.



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Thumper will report her future adventures as they go along, and this 72 yr old will be grinning from ear to ear.

I want to add my thanks here to my V12 buddies, Rap-em-Pappy, Locomotive Breath, and all the others that have helped me along with the 12s. Last, but not least, Jolly Goodfellow and all his people on the old site for their help.
Someday, I hope our paths will cross face to face.



May all our future trails we travel here on this new forum be full of good times, and not much blood lost from skinned knuckles.

[6066gmcguy]

Next time you want to Donate a V12 truck, cross my my path with it eh.

Last time I got a truck donated to me in a will, it was sold to pay the outstanding deit of the donor.

[Cayoterun]

I'm trying to learn a little more primative 'putor stuff today, so don't know what kind of mess this post might be. If so, I can plead ignorance with complete honesty.

My wife of '46 yrs. made her first suggestion on any of my projects today. Ever!! We were talking about taking "Thumpers Truck" out to it's first public debut at a meet this summer. She volunteered that she thought I should leave the paint as-is. She thinks it looks more appropriate, and authentic for it's age and locality, instead of painting it all almond/w black fenders and running boards, like I intended originally. I painted the firewall almond when I had the cab off and stripped. If Mama approves,--- I like it,too!!!

I hope this link will bring the post with the videos over here.



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Jolly: I doubt this truck will be donated. It's starting to grow on me as everthing has come together much better than I expected. With the stock '84 GMC 3/4T running gear, it drives good, front suspension carrys the weight well, and is much more agile with the shorter wheel-base, and with the 700-R4 tranny, you can get up to road speed without the risk of over-revving it. Eventually, I may add the 3.42 gears which will slow the motor more. I don't intend to ever be smoking tires or giving it a very hard throttle, as I wonder if the tranny would take the torque. Not worth the risk.

It looks like this one post transferred, so it might be better for me to transfer selected posts instead of the entire build thread from time to time with my limited savvy on this critter.

If I ever decide to sell it, it will go on E-bay. Several friends here has offered to buy it, so, to be fair to all, without ruffled feelings, I feel it best to put it up for public bids, IF that time ever comes.

[Cayoterun]

"Balaur"

Pics. taken at Santa Fe Trail days celebration, 6-4-10, Boise City, Okla., parade, and Cimarron Heritage Center, (museum).

The '47 Spartan trailer house was local trailer, had been used for storage at Boise City for several years, but had been used there for years as a residence. A son still lives there. He let the museum have it, and I restored it in my shop for them. It is totally functional as it was in 1947. Spartan was built in Tulsa, after they quit building aircraft for WWII. It's now Spartan School of Areonotics and Engineering. We pull it behind "Balaur" in the parades sometimes.
One neat thing about the trailer resto. was when we took it back out there. We had the son who lives there to meet us on the edge of town at a Dairy Kreem, so he'd be the first in town to see it. He lived with his parents as a boy in it, and he and everyone in town thought it was junk. He was really pleased it had been restored and would be in his hometown's museum.

The fellow in passenger side of "Balaur" is 85 yrs old. He bought the new '62 GMC pickup. Wore it out, parked in pasture for years, but sold to me to modify for the V12 engine. I gave the truck title to the museum that day, so he was pleased his old pickup would be in the museum, too. We left dents in the cab intentionally, and he can give the history of each one from farm use.

[Cayoterun]

Balaur's V12 as I found it in 2nd owners, Ted and Darla Summers, old shed.
I worked for the original owner, Meb Mallard, in 1965 when the motor was new on an irrigation well pumping 2,000 gpm. Summers bought it, then ran it 'til about '81. He retired it until I got it and put it in "Balaur". Appro. mileage based on hrs. on pump is equal to about 5 1/2 million miles. Number of rebuilds unknown.
This is how the motor looked when we pulled it out of it's extended hibernation on 7-11-07. Was good to hear her blow fire and thunder after all those years.

[Cayoterun]

Our family old car era from '86-'98 as we restored old first cars for all the kids, then my splurg on the '58 Impala to take back to my 40th class reunion.
We graduated in '58. Three of the kids still have their's in storage, but drive on special occasions. Each kid helped build their cars, both girls and boys.

68 Firebird
65 Chev Impala
64 Olds Cutlass
63 Ford Galaxie

[Cayoterun]

As I've driven this pickup about 400mi. locally, the bed somehow didn't look right. Then I remembered as a kid, they generally had grain side boards on them during wheat and maize harvest. Probably only old geezers will remember them looking like this during the 40s and 50s. They would haul 60-70 bushels. 65 bushels @ 60# per bushel meant they would pile around 2 tons on them. Off the wife and kids would go for the grain elevator, while Dad harvested another combine bin of grain, back in the good ol' days.

The old 6-cylinder engines would chug right along about 25-30mph with that big of a load. No ps, pb, ac, or auto tranny.

[FetchMeAPepsi]

That looks classic Coyote! I really dig that ol' custom job of yours.

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[Cayoterun]

I extended the fuel range some with the 80gal fuel reserve tank. The little 16gal tank of fuel didn't last long. Can go about 40mi. before refill. Lot's of idleing included in that number, tho.

I haven't been able to find a tank to fit where the little tank is mounted in front, so had the 80gal tank on hand that would sit behind the wheel wells. Plan to get the truck away from home on weekends some this summer, so needed more capacity in case no propane was available on weekends. The big tank is temperary until a smaller 30-40gal tank that will fit is found.

[6066gmcguy]

Thats A Nice Bomb you have there in the bed.

Good to see some one getting out on the weekends and showing off one of those V12s.