HELP! Deciding on my '74 ground up RESTO

[Jimmy74]

Hey all

Little bit about me before i post my questions.

New to this forum, but pretty experienced on forum rules/posting pics etc.
I would rate myself as "Intemerdiate" as far as experience goes. I am DEF not at the point yet that im welding brackets and such on frames to accomodate new "kit" or anything like that, but i have done one resto on a car before. I will be posting pics of actual truck soon.

Truck Deets
-1974 GMC Jimmy 4x4
-Truck is completely stock
-Manual 4 speed (but there is a low gear then the other 3...is this rare?)
-Fresh 350 and Transmission service.
-Truck has been sitting for 2 years

Doing a complete resto of this truck and i need some advise from you experienced gentleman. Here is my plan. Going to take the truck to a resto/body shop to get condition evaluated. If they take project on, i will pick-up the rolling chassis and restore ALL of that myself.

Since i wont be doing any crazy lifts for off-roading, and just towing a small boat or going down a crappy bumpy dirt road that a new GMC truck would make it through anyways, it would be "ideal" to have it look like this when im done.

But!...I love they way this truck "sits" (im guessing 4" lift with 33" tires)

I have all of the tools needed (i hope) to take this project on from here

If i decide to go with a 4" lift and 33" tires i would like some pointers on suspension styles and installation.
-I will be running new brakelines/gaslines
-Gastank
-all mounts and bushings (poly)
-springs
-shocks
-hopefully disc brakes up front.

Thanks
Dean

 

[Z71paramedic]

Welcome to the brotherhood man! This will be cool to watch.

You have the sm465 tranny. It's a bulletproof old 4 speed with granny low. A lot of guys on here (myself included) run those and love them.

I really like the look of that green one as well. It depends on how much $$$ you want to spend, but you'll get the best ride quality from a custom set of leaf springs from some place like Deaver, alcan or ORD. Other than springs, for a 4" lift you don't really have to change anything else except brake hoses on an old straight axle like these, so your suspension mods can be real inexpensive (relatively speaking).

Looking forward to seeing the progress!

 

[Jimmy74]

Welcome to the brotherhood man! This will be cool to watch.

You have the sm465 tranny. It's a bulletproof old 4 speed with granny low. A lot of guys on here (myself included) run those and love them.

I really like the look of that green one as well. It depends on how much $$$ you want to spend, but you'll get the best ride quality from a custom set of leaf springs from some place like Deaver, alcan or ORD. Other than springs, for a 4" lift you don't really have to change anything else except brake hoses on an old straight axle like these, so your suspension mods can be real inexpensive (relatively speaking).

Looking forward to seeing the progress!

Thanks for the speedy reply! Your Avatar pic is cool.
Also forgot to ask about the top. I will probably try and find a soft one...but
Was wondering if there was an aftermarket hard top or "faux" hardtop that isnt 600bls?..lol
That is probably the only i dont like about the truck is the heavy hardtop

Dean

 

[Z71paramedic]

Thanks for the speedy reply! Your Avatar pic is cool.
Also forgot to ask about the top. I will probably try and find a soft one...but
Was wondering if there was an aftermarket hard top or "faux" hardtop that isnt 600bls?..lol
That is probably the only i dont like about the truck is the heavy hardtop

Dean

Thanks!

I'm really not sure about an aftermarket hard top, I don't think I've ever heard of one. That may end up having to be you modifying the stocker. Not too many aftermarket parts at all for any of the full vert rigs any more unfortunately.

 

[1-ton]

one piece of advice I can give you, which most people never think of, is remove all the frame rivets, and replace them with grade-8 bolts and locking nuts. Rivets have a tendency to get loose after a hundred thousand miles or more, and the frame starts flexing, thus giving a sloppy ride which no amount of new suspension parts can fix.

 

[Jimmy74]

one piece of advice I can give you, which most people never think of, is remove all the frame rivets, and replace them with grade-8 bolts and locking nuts. Rivets have a tendency to get loose after a hundred thousand miles or more, and the frame starts flexing, thus giving a sloppy ride which no amount of new suspension parts can fix.

How many of them are there? Locations?

I guess i should try and get my hands on an assembly manual for this truck. If anyone can save me the google on it and can point me in the direction to find one!

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

All of the frame crossmembers/body mounts/spring hangers are attached by rivets and it is definitely a good idea to replace all of them with bolts if you have the body off. Watch for cracks in the crossmembers as those are very common.

As far as I know, nobody makes an aftermarket hardtop, Softopper does build soft tops for your truck though and we deal with them.

 

[TheBeast_88K5]

I dont know if it's been mentioned,
but aren't those the military 37's on that second rig?

 

[NorCal_Chris]

I dont know if it's been mentioned,
but aren't those the military 37's on that second rig?

nope

 

[diesel4me]

The only rivets I would mess with are the ones on the front crossmember that holds the sway bar and engine mounts ---those often shear off when larger tires,lift kits or a lot of off road use......................................................................................................I've not seen many of the rivets in other locations ever loosen up or shear off,and there were a lot of GM trucks at the junkyard we parted that the rivets were still firmly attached,and a real mother to get off,without ruining the bracket or spring hangers we were selling off them....I would think bolts will be more likely to stretch and loosen than a rivet will eventually...but to each his own--if I put bolts in place of rivets I'd use an impact gun to tighten them,use lock nuts and or loctite,and check them frequently for loosening...my 74 GMC had sheared rivets at that front crossmenber,I used grade 8 bolts,plus I ran a bead of weld to the frame on it,to ensure it never came loose again...

 

[max 02]

Hey!
How cool your name is Dean and you are from Canada!
Me too!

How rusty is the body on your blazer...pics?
Every full vert I`ve seen around here is shot.

Welcome, good luck and have fun!

 

[Jimmy74]

Hey!
How cool your name is Dean and you are from Canada!
Me too!

How rusty is the body on your blazer...pics?
Every full vert I`ve seen around here is shot.

Welcome, good luck and have fun!

Hey!...how cool is that!

The truck is from B.C and barely got driven in Ont in the winter. On top of that my dad oiled it each year. So as far as rust goes it isnt too bad. My father and i were really close and he just passed away from cancer at 64

Restoring it in remembrance of him

I will be posting some pics shortly!

Dean

 

[max 02]

Oh man we got more things that are the same...
I'm from BC My dad passed away from cancer as well.
And I inherited his 85 sb 4x4. But money got tight for us so I ended up selling it!
That's cool you got you dads rig..don't sell it!
Where in BC were you guys?
I grew up in the Fraser Valley my wife did too.

Edit. I see you said the truck was from BC..not you guys.

 

[Jimmy74]

Oh man we got more things that are the same...
I'm from BC My dad passed away from cancer as well.
And I inherited his 85 sb 4x4. But money got tight for us so I ended up selling it!
That's cool you got you dads rig..don't sell it!
Where in BC were you guys?
I grew up in the Fraser Valley my wife did too.

Edit. I see you said the truck was from BC..not you guys.

Holy....

Truck is from Okanogan area. Raised in On but briefly lived in BC in 87...Thats when my dad bought it

Wont sell it...thats for sure

 

[max 02]

That's cool Dean.
Looking forward to seeing the pics.

 

[Jimmy74]

Pics!

Pics as promised. I havent taken a good look at this truck lately....Seems the only real bad parts (well bad to me) is the rockers and the doors are a bit sketchy. Everything else seems pretty solid and the truck was oiled for years. Does anyone know if they are orig locking hubs/rims?

Hope where body mounts are that the steel is still good. Fingers crossed

 

[K85 Octane]

first things first, gut the interior
then you'll see more of the floor

 

[max 02]

I would say that the hubs and wheels are not origanal...that truck probably was full time 4x4 from the factory...the wheels are off a newer blazer.

Looks like its fixable...not that rusty for a Canadian rig of that year.
At least its complete,going to be lots of work,but worth it!

Shoot you could clean it up get it running and drive it for a while before you start ripping into it.

 

[rdn2blazer]

Welcome to CK5. Good thing is anything info you need to know, or learn just ask. No other place like CK5 on the net with as cool a people anywhere. Good luck with the resto brother.

 

[82355]

I would say that the hubs and wheels are not origanal...that truck probably was full time 4x4 from the factory...the wheels are off a newer blazer.

While I don't disagree about the hubs not being original. It is a 4 speed truck. Full time 4x4 4 speed trucks are quite rare. I doubt it was full time from the factory.

Martin