1981 GMC Sierra – Ray M.

My mechanic friend bought this truck new right after I met him in 1981. I was special ordered with all options and a trailering package. He tossed the keys my way any time I brought him a vehicle to work on. He started his own automotive business in the mid nineties and had bought a company loaner car to drive. I noticed the truck sitting in the parking lot when I would visit and asked him why he wasn’t using it. He said it needed work he didn’t have time for and pointed out it was getting pretty rusty too. I offered to trade a computer for it and he agreed. He changed the water pump for me as it was leaking pretty bad and off I went. The original motor was weak and the transmission was covered in grease as well as the rear-end howled like a scalded cat. The first outing it leaked gas out of one of the tanks as they were rusty too. I bought all new GM panels and doors then had them painted in original orange metallic. The transmission was rebuilt with a shift kit and stall converter then new rear gears and a positrac. I had the rims sandblasted and oversize tires fitted as well as new gas shocks, brakes, steering gear and rear airbags.

I built a 400 small block for towing and bought a fifth wheel trailer that was huge. After burning up the original TH 350 I had a 700R4 built for the job and it still works great! I have bought a lot of things from LMC to fix up the interior like the sagged out headliner, door panels, dash pad, seat upholstery etc. It is still in use today for hauling my quad around as I have upgraded my fifth wheel hauler to a Silverado 1Ton Dually (another story).