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| | | Forums66 Topics128,081 Posts1,056,077 Members48,434 | | Most Online14,466
Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
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For helping keep this great
old truck web site
on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down
with Ads!  Again, thanks!
| | | | Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,438 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,438 | 30 March 2004: Removed cab from 1954 GMC.
20 March 2005: Put it back on.
But it's only temporary until the body work is done. It looks strange with a cab on it
after it's been sitting there bare for a year. During that year I:
Had the frame sandblasted,
Gave it a coat of ZeroRust,
Painted it black,
Replaced the front crossmember someone had butchered to install a short motor,
Replaced a spring perch,
Installed new king pins,
Installed new tie rod,
Had the springs re-arched, front and rear,
Installed new shackles, pins and bushings in the springs,
Installed new disc brakes on front,
Installed new shoes, cylinders, retainers, springs, adjusters and cables on rear,
Installed new power dual master cylinder,
Built new brake lines,
Replaced rear end with one from a '55 first Chevy,
Rebuilt the differential with all new bearings and new ring and pinion,
Dis-assembled a rebuilt 248 from a '56 to put a motor mount plate behind the timing cover,
Installed rebuilt 248,
Installed rebuilt TH200-4R transmission,
Altered old rear mount crossmember for clearance,
Installed new rear crossmember for tranny mount,
Built side mounts for tranny adapter,
Cleaned and cleaned and cleaned some more old rusty parts,
Sweated, bled, cussed and spit.
Did I leave anything out? Probably. But the point is the chassis is essentially finished
and I'm fixin' to start on the body work. Maybe in another year I'll be driving. | | | | | Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 328 Member | | Member Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 328 | It's looking great Cletis! Good luck on the rest of the build!
-Stephen | | | | | Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 734 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Mar 2004 Posts: 734 | I see a rusty frame
I want to paint it black.
There's no more scaly brown
I'm going to paint it black.
That's a heck of a lot a work, Cletis. Good on ya. About 3 days ago, I saw a '54 GMC on the freeway close to my house. Real cool lookin' truck. I'm sure you can't wait for that day...
-David | | | | | Joined: Feb 2000 Posts: 988 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Feb 2000 Posts: 988 | Cletis how did that cracked block experiment work?
Did you ever get the engine running?
Thanks
Brian Moore
1949 3100 5 window Deluxe
"Today is better than yesterday, but not as good as tomorrow"
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 784 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2000 Posts: 784 | Cletis, hang in there, it all takes time. Until just a couple of weeks ago I was in the same boat you are. A finished frame but no body. Now after 2+ years I have the body parts back from the painter and I am putting things back together. Let me tell you it's worth the wait.
Good luck
Geroge | | | | | Joined: Apr 2003 Posts: 66 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Apr 2003 Posts: 66 | Cletis - You have provided INSPIRATION !!!
Nice job !
Joe - (Buckeye Bowtie)
"Remember it takes about 2850 bolts to built a Chevy Truck and only 1 NUT to scatter them all over the highway"
1950 3100
1971 C-10
1939 Buick Century
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 466 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 466 | Good job c. Thanks for sharing with your webpage. I have a '50 GMC with a 228. Did you rebuild your motor or have it done? Was it hard to find new GMC motor parts?
Thanks, Buddy | | | | | Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 578 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 578 | Wow. In the same amount of time I purchased some parts which are in boxes in the basement.
Must feel good.
"Happiness equals reality minus expectations" - Tom Magliozzi
| | | | | Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 324 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2003 Posts: 324 | Cletis
What did you do after lunch? That sounds like a pretty busy morning for a Texan. | | | | | Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 117 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Nov 2004 Posts: 117 | Wow, Cletis, how did you find time to go to Decatur? I enjoyed the day, maybe I can get some shopping pointers at the next swap meet. BTW, still considering the 700r4 or 2004r swap for my hydromatic. Any suggestions?
cgresham1212
If you don't drive it, why have it?
55 1st Series 3100 5 window
| | | | | Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,438 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,438 | Looks like I got some 'splainin' to do. Brian, the cracked block experiment was a failure. It didn't hold. I've been meaning to add a footnote to the web page but........ Buddy, I found the engine on Ebay already rebuilt. We had to go to northern Arkansas to get it but we made it a recreational trip and spent a couple days in Memphis before going to Mountain View. It was such a nice little town we spent a couple more days there. 235 Fat Fenders, after lunch I took a nap. cgresham1212, I added a section in my 54 GMC site about the tranny install. I forgot to mention in my Email to you the rear crossmember had to be cut down. You asked about the cab clearing the transmission. We put the cab on to start the body work and the lip of the floorboard hole just touches the tranny case. | | | | | Joined: Nov 1995 Posts: 5,722 24601 | | 24601 Joined: Nov 1995 Posts: 5,722 | CLetis Good on ya -- you're doing better than me 4 July 2000 -- Took cab off '49 1.5-ton 26 March 2005 --- Cab still off '49 1.5-ton  John
~ John A kid raised on Hotwheels, Matchbox and Tonka cannot be reasonably expected to own only one vehicle as an adult. 1949 Chevrolet 3804In the Legacy Gallery | In the Gallery Forum1973 IH 1310 Dump1963 Kaiser M38A12001 International/AmTran RE3000 "Skoolie"2014 Ford E-350 4x4 (Quigley) | | | | | Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 Bolter | | Bolter Joined: Oct 2002 Posts: 4,066 | Cletis has many talents, I will be glad when he gets the blue goose on the road,, looks like it wont be long..it will be a driver wont it?,,,Fred
Redryder pixMy HotrodA veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard, or reserve - is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to The 'United States of America', for an amount of "up to and including my life."I am fighting cancer and I am winning the fight | Pain is part of life; misery is an option. | | | | | Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 394 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jan 2005 Posts: 394 | cletis like the website. keep up the good work. trying to work on the boys 50 now with the weather break will be back in the barn. hope to have it on the road by may. he will do the touck up stuff after its in tx. so don't be surprised if he logs on and asks for some help i know he can get it from the masters on the site. thanks again..mike j | | |
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