1971 GMC K20 – Justin H.
The Teen’s Dream
My truck’s story started with my dad and I wanting to build a truck together and finding “the one” in a Craig’s list ad in California. The 1971 GMC K20 with numbers matching 402 big block arrived at our home in Michigan in July 2016. I was 15 years old, and I had lofty dreams of having it finished and ready to drive when I turned 16.
As with most things, it took more time and work than we anticipated. We disassembled it down to the frame and began the slow process of repairing and reassembling. My 16th birthday came and went, and my truck wasn’t even close to ready for the road. Most of the money that I made from my construction job that summer was invested in truck parts. My dad and I spent our evenings and weekends in our pole barn working on the truck. Somehow, our plan to refurbish it into a daily driver evolved into something bigger. The 402 big block was rebuilt with forged pistons and a bigger cam, and the truck was now on an eight inch BDS lift with 20 x 12 American Force wheels and 37 inch tires. Many harder to find finishing touches, such as the chrome grill, steering column, and interior buttons were found at LMC.
The mechanical work and interior was complete just before my 18th birthday, and we were finally ready to finish the body work and get it painted. By this time, my goal had been revised to having it finished to drive to my senior prom. When the lowest estimate for paint came in at $8,000.00, which was well over my teenage budget, I began to think that my truck wound never be finished. Not one to back down from a challenge, my dad said “I think that we can do this ourselves. What do we have to lose?” After getting some pointers from a cousin who paints cars and spending a few hours with a friend who has redone a few, he turned the workshop in our pole barn into a makeshift paint booth and we got down to business. For the next month, we spent every spare minute out there painting, wet sanding, and polishing. It isn’t perfect, but I am pretty proud of it. Two years and ten months after it arrived, I was able to drive my truck to my senior prom. It was entered in its first car show in August 2019, and won first place overall, as well as the ladies’ choice award.
I love my truck and plan to keep it forever, but in the end, it is about more than the truck. The lessons learned, both about the mechanics of building a truck and about not losing sight of the goal in spite of disappointments, as well as the time spent with my dad, will be with me for a lifetime.[lmc_story_gallery]
