CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

2000 GMC K2500 Sierra Crew Cab Stepside

TerryD

Mildly demented...
 Premium
Joined
Jul 27, 2008
Posts
5,843
Reaction score
4,185
Location
Covington, Va
I've been searching for trucks for a few years now. Well, I finally sold my old Jeep and then found this sitting 4 hours away outside of Raleigh, NC. Went and checked it out, drove it, haggled and left it sitting. Spent a bunch of money truck hunting for another month and finally decided if the offer I got on this one was still good, I would get it. Called and the guy told me he would still take what we agreed on last time, I told him to get the paper work ready I would see him the next day.

Specs:
2000 GMC K2500 Sierra SLE Crew Cab Short Bed
350/4L80E
14BSF
4.10 gears

She was the personal truck of a contracting business owner from South Carolina and as such, is pretty clean. Zero rust, just sand every where and she's a little dirty inside and dented on the outside. But, I don't want a show truck, I want a nice truck that I'm not afraid to work with. 267k miles on the clock and still ticking along just fine.

The day we brought her home:





Had to replace the hood release latch, park brake release latch, put in new head light, park light and marker light lenses on the front, had ball joints put in and got a set of Michelin LTX M/S2 tires in 285/75/16 Load Range E tires put on her.

The tires scrubbed pretty good so I jacked the torsion bars up 4 turns and that got me about an inch of lift in the front and opened up plenty of room for the 285's to do their thing.



Next I changed the thermostat, both temperature sensors, and the antifreeze as it was still the original (looking) DEX-COOL that is known to break down and start attacking the aluminum it is designed to protect. The temperature gauge is bad but I'm looking at getting another gauge set to have a place in Richmond rebuild, put my mileage in and install when the mileages match. I'm proud of the 1/4 million miles on this thing, hope I can get it to 1/2 million. :waytogo:

I've always loved the idea of a crew cab step side, and since I own a crew cab with a "well worn" 6' bed, I figured now is the best time to put one together. I lucked out and scored a pretty clean (rust wise) bed from a kid who was parting out his mud truck. $200 with tail gate, new tail lights, and it is already bed lined.

Coming home with the bed:



I had wanted a set of the newer aluminum wheels for it, but the steelies with caps and rings are really growing on me and I think I'm going to stick with them. They need a little clean up, but the whole truck needs that.
 
Last edited:
Curious to see where you take it!

Reminds me of Jason (Willyswanter)'s truck.
 
the stepside oughta look different:thinking: hope to see it on there soon:thumb:
 
the stepside oughta look different:thinking: hope to see it on there soon:thumb:

I'd like to get started in a couple weeks. Funds don't exist for it this weekend and next weekend we are going to a party.
 
Hey if after you put the step side bed on and realize you don't like it, I'll take the truck off your hands :wink1:

Also, you should put some spacers on the rear axle so the track widths match.
 
I've been thinking about spacers on the rear. I'm wanting to swap axles to a full floater so I will probably wait till I get one of them.
 
Started on the bed a few days ago. I spoke with a local body shop owner who builds some really sweet stuff and he told me that if the primer on the bed was rattle can, that Easy Off heavy duty oven cleaner would take it off. I bought a can and it worked pretty good.

I had Julie pick me up three more cans the last time she went to Mal-Mart and worked on one side this evening. I sprayed it on heavy and covered it with trash bags like Wes said. Let it sit about 30 minuted and viola, most all of the primer washed off leaving the original paint intact. It started looking like rain so I packed it in with just the one side done (I did the front with the first can earlier). Still hasn't rained, should have kept going. I had two full cans left. I could have probably gotten the other side and the tail gate done by now. :rolleyes:

Video:


DSCN0427_zps9e3c3fa0.jpg


Shot of the PO's DIY roll in bedliner job. Not too bad, it'll do for a working truck I think.

DSCN0432_zps3856de50.jpg
 
Started sanding on the tailgate last week then was gone all weekend. Well, started back today and I got the outside sanded till there is no shiny paint left. Since I'm going to use a spray or roll in bedliner, I hit the inside with a stripper wheel on the grinder and cleaned up the surface rust growing around the hills where a plastic tailgate liner was attached to it.

uploadfromtaptalk1373406964092.jpg

Ryoken, what do you suggest to get in these recessed areas and around the hinges? The hinges are welded on inside the tailgate our I would have pulled them off like the latches and cables.

uploadfromtaptalk1373407056713.jpg

uploadfromtaptalk1373407070247.jpg

uploadfromtaptalk1373406964092.jpg

uploadfromtaptalk1373407056713.jpg

uploadfromtaptalk1373407070247.jpg
 
I think it will be nice. Unique I'd nothing else. What pinstripe are you talking about?
 
pin strip info is just fyi info for anyone . not you realy .

i always wanted to do a 73-91 crew cab long bed step side. that would look correct jacked up on around 38" tires i think .
 
I know where there is a 73-87 style step side long box truck sitting. I was going to try to get it if I would have gotten the older style truck. Not sure 38s would do well on a DD though.
 
I've got the tailgate in primer but I've been focusing my little bit of pay money on stuff for the air compressor and I swapped the cam in my K5.
 
I've about given up on painting the bed myself. I'm going to talk to a local shop back home that Dad uses some and see what he would charge to paint it for me. He doesn't do amazing work, but for a DD work truck, it should be better than what I could do here.

Also, has anyone know if the air dams under the front bumpers help fuel mileage much? This thing gets 10-12 and I'm wondering if it could help bring up the highway mileage to have one on it?
 
Theoretically yes...in actual dollars and cents no.
 

Latest Posts

Top Bottom