Viva La GMC!

[tristessa]

Scored a "0 miles" 200-4R transmission at the PIR swap meet this afternoon. 4-speed automatic w/overdrive (0.67 fourth) & lockup torque converter .. $140. No driveshaft modification needed, same splines & length as the Powerglide.

w00t.

[Xelmon]

Yap, Tris said it - I guess I didn't hit the "Submit" button.

The reason why this is awesome is because the electronics are very basic and easy to adapt. From reading it would be perfect as a mild-mannered DD tranny and also a highway flyer thanks to the OD.

So, why get it if I have a full setup for a manual? ... Well, we don't know what condition whatever transmission is in the van, and the so we may as well come prepared.

[Amskeptic]

Yap, Tris said it -
The reason why this is awesome is because the electronics are very basic and easy to adapt.

The reason it is awesome is because you have two more gears! You have doubled your flexibility! That would be like an eight speed in my Vokswagen bus!
Colin

[Xelmon]

Yap, Tris said it -
The reason why this is awesome is because the electronics are very basic and easy to adapt.

The reason it is awesome is because you have two more gears! You have doubled your flexibility! That would be like an eight speed in my Vokswagen bus!
Colin

I'll give ya that once it starts rolling, the 3 speed would be a bit odd, and the 4 speed would be simply alien.

"Annnnd shift.... And shift? ... And shift again?! What gives?!"

[Xelmon]

Well gents, the day has come... 3:42 or so PM I arrive to see that Mike is already there, awesome.

After a bit of discussing, figuring out how to get the truck in, and doing the business end, by 4PM Mike has the rig ready to go.



We took 205, managed to get a shot of him in the back... By the way, that truck is huge.



Sitting pretty.



And of course this means that old whitey has to move. T_T



Another 2 fer shot.



And the 3/4 shot...
It is a 1969 GMC HandiVan "Custom".

At one time it was school "bus" for the Center for Living and Learning located in Vancouver. At some point it was sold, and it was used as a punk rocker van, didn't get damaged at all. Last registered in '87, it has sat more than half of it's life in a field or in a yard.

Needless to say those tires are oddly small and give the van a rather huge look. Notice how the guy started cleaning the right side. Turns out that's just a rough clean, with a full clean she may actually shine again.




Rear door comparison... Dad's handywork.



The bad side... Mmmm, green.



And the cabin. Seen better days. Do not worry, all of that on the ground is dirt, it's basically rust free there.



The engine on the other hand is absolutely horrendous... However, I noticed that the filler cap is flat, and that it has the same 1BBL Monojet carb that I have. After more looking it became apparent that this was no 235 or 230, but a 250 with a Saginaw behind it. SBC pattern, woohoo!



Huh... Mk, I guess it sat for a while.



Ah, the gas tank. The guy didn't remember if I had a good one, and I kinda went "Ehm, not really". So he threw in a "has to be redone" tank... Honestly I just wanted it out of the yard as those tanks are freakishly expensive.



And the oddity... A retractable step. I do not know if it's motored or not. Still, pretttyyy coool. :)

[Amskeptic]

Well gents, the day has come...
it became apparent that this was no 235 or 230, but a 250 with a Saginaw behind it. SBC pattern, woohoo!

You cannot do "GMC" lingo here on a Volkswagen forum. What is SBC pattern?
Colinwoowhat?

[Xelmon]

Well gents, the day has come...
it became apparent that this was no 235 or 230, but a 250 with a Saginaw behind it. SBC pattern, woohoo!

You cannot do "GMC" lingo here on a Volkswagen forum. What is SBC pattern?
Colinwoowhat?

Ah, ok.

Basically starting the early-60's or so GM's V8 bellhousing pattern was made the standard. Since it's been used so long, it's also called the universal, 90 degree, SBC (Small Block Chevy) and CBOP (Chevy-Buick-Olds-Pontiac) pattern. From the mid-60's basically all V8's till 2000, all inline 6-es, and the modern Vortec engines use that pattern. The Atlas engine is the current incarnation of the inline 6, and it is still in production!

Thing is though, even if I can, mating an Atlas engine to my 196x Saginaw is counter productive. The Atlas is all computers, and without a computer controlled transmission it would cut power to basically what my 250 puts out with a 1-barrel carb.

[hambone]

You cannot do "GMC" lingo here on a Volkswagen forum. What is SBC pattern?
Colinwoowhat?

It is weird that a GMC van is featured on an air cooled VW forum. That's it I'm joining detriotiron.com I hope they like my tales.

[tristessa]

This is the General Chat forum, we can pretty much talk about anything in here as long as it doesn't get inflammatory .. that's what Free Speech is for.

[hambone]

I don't have anything against it...it just seems out of place.

[Xelmon]

It is outta place. That's why I'm containing it all in 1 thread! :)
That's another reason why I added the quick links section to the 1st post.

[Kubelwagen]

Looks like fun! Love all the windows.

[Xelmon]

So after a few failed attempts at going through with painting in one go, and the weather peeps threatening us with some good ol' down pour for the next two day, I seized the day and completed one of the many projects to be done.

By this time I've attacked it twice, so it was a matter of cleaning up the light sheen of rust, and getting it prepped for paint.



That 49 / 1968 is a bit misleading. After looking up some codes, the engine was cast June 24th, '68, and assembled on the 25th. Looks like they were flying at the time.



When I dropped the oil pan to check the lower end and clean it for painting, I found something awfully cute.



In the end I put the oil pan and valve cover back as it was getting a bit late, and the tape wasn't up to par.





And tara! Wonderful engine enamel! Have to wait some 7 days to really work with it, plenty to do in the mean time.

[hambone]

Lookin good. That is a big engine.

[Mike Boell]

That color looks like my 1949 Flambeau Red Case tractor. Case Flambeau Red is actually orange in color. Looking good.
Mike