Stovebolt.com Forums The Forum Gallery 1973 - 1987 Trucks 1984 GMC General

Here is the photo shoot I did about 10 years ago of the late Bill Alderson's GMC General. I can't find those notes and its hard to remember everything he told me. I do recall that the mechanical restoration of this truck was relatively straightforward -- it had been a well-cared for truck. It has the 1st year Cat 3406 engine and an earlier Eaton-Fuller 13-speed transmission.

He did say that most of the interior pieces were challenging to track down, but his dogged determination paid off. I recall that he could tell me the ultimate source for each piece of weatherstripping, each interior panel, each knob. Just a beautiful truck and a great job by Bill and his son Wayne (who did a lot of the work and, especially, the paint.

John

When does the first generation of anything not fail?? The first 6.7L Fords we got were dropping valves. They seem to be doing okay now.

What made it "not as smooth?" -- that it was in a wrecker? I drive a 13 spd Double OD behind a 400 Cummins on a daily basis. Short W/B tandem axle day-cabbed road tractor. I think it's pretty smooth. The Transmission is smooth. The *truck* is rough (springs, not air bags)

I never got an opportunity to drive Bill's truck (the one this thread is about) but with air bags and a long wheel base, I bet it was nice!

It's been 40 + yrs since I owned that truck, but mainly I recall the 13 spd had a lot more overdrive whine then the 20 spd that it replaced. I guess the best way to explain it is that it was a big , heavy duty truck with a primitive feel to it and installing that 13 spd didn't change that too much.

I wasn't trying to be negative or whatever. Just talking big trucks & posting ,or linking, to T & T's down in ravines just lead me down memory lane & my time in the HD wrecker business.

I'm sure your friends restoration job on the General was first class. It certainly looks that way in the photo shoot.