1986 GMC 1500 – Ronald Y.

“OLD HABITS”

My wife and I operated a 240-acre beef cattle farm near Lynchburg, TN.  I stumbled up on my GMC truck in 1993 at a car lot owned by an old friend from High School.  It was love at first sight.  I HAD to have it, and I committed to buying it before I even knew the price.

Over the next 24 years, the truck served me faithfully in 4-wheel drive for the rugged steep hills on the farm, in innumerable bogs of mud and cow manure, hauling loads of feed and round bales of hay, and towing a cattle trailer.  The GMC was just always there when I needed it.  Over those years, I had the transmission rebuilt, and the engine was replaced with a 350 V8 from Jasper Engines.  Although it was always parked in a barn, I never babied it—it was a working farm truck.

The year before I retired from the cattle business, our farm was hit by a massive tornado.  It did a lot of damage to our house, fences, etc., but it also brought a tree down on top of the truck.  Faced with repairing the damage versus buying a new truck, I decided to have my GMC restored.  I have never regretted that decision!!  The truck as you see it today was an exact restoration of the way it was when I bought it.  I resisted all attempts to make this or that “custom” change, because I wanted it to be as close possible to the original.

So, here is my truck: “Old Habits” is its name.  This comes from the 1980 song by Hank Williams Jr, “Old Habits Like You Are Hard to Break.”  Lastly, all the parts for restoration (except the chrome rails on the bed) were purchased from LMC Truck.  I did most of the purchases online, but my interaction with LMC was unsurpassed in accuracy, quality, and just plain old competence.  Thank YOU, LMC, for helping the truck turn out this way.

Ron Y.