The 1980 GMC 3/4 ton 4x4 Sierra Grande. We bought it in 1994 when I was 13 years old. We retired our '68 Chevy 3/4 ton 2wd truck and began using this 1980 GMC as the main truck. It had a 350 motor all stock except a Carter AFB carb, SM465 4spd tranny, NP205 T-case, 14-bolt full-floater rear and Dana 44 front with 3.73 gears, 31x10.50R16.5 tires. We paid $1965 for it. It was dark brown.

When I was 15 my dad let me experiment my "rattlecan" paint skills on it, and I painted it blue and white, which was the paint scheme I had wanted most in a truck, plus my dad's favorite color was blue too. I added chrome rims, and a few other shiny add-ons that seemed cool at the time. It remained our main truck. When my dad died in 1997, the truck kind of became mine. I still used it to drive around and haul stuff when I got my license.

We found out it had an intake valve going bad when I was 16, so it needed a motor or a rebuild. Originally I looked into how much a 350 rebuild would cost... then I started dreaming about a big block 454. But a big block motor seemed like one of those un-attainable things at the time. But I started looking at donor big block trucks.

I was eying my neighbors '77 Chevy 3/4 ton 2wd truck that had a 454 in it that ran excellent. He wanted $1500 for it, but said he'd take $1200 from me. But that was still more than I could afford. At Christmas that year, I received a gift from my mom, which was a box with the keys and the title to the '77 truck in it.

I drove the '77 2wd for a bit, excited to actually own a 454 motor, but more excited to get it into the GMC. That winter, my brother helped me pull out the old 350 from the GMC, and I pulled out the 454, added an Edelbrock intake and M/T aluminum valve covers, headers, and put the 454 into the GMC. It was the first motor install I ever did.

From there, it remained the main truck for towing, hauling, and driving around. I was all excited cause I had what I felt was "the ultimate truck" as far as the drivetrain I had always wanted... big block 454, 4spd, 205, and 3/4 ton axles.

31" Tires I had said were big enough, until my friend Nathan put 33's on his Suburban and wanted to go off-roading. So the GMC got 2" add-a-leafs and 33" tires, and a Warn 8274 winch. The step up to 33's seemed so much of a big step up at the time. Now I had a winch and 33's. My truck felt so much more complete.

Then I started hanging out with other 4-wheelers, off-roaders, and mud racers. I got an '81 Chevy 1-ton 4x4 Crew Cab with 454, 4spd, 205, 14-bolt and Dana 60, which became my main towing rig, taking over the duties of the GMC. I put a 4" lift and 33's on the Crew Cab, so it was time for the GMC to grow. The original plan was a 6" lift and 38" tires. After 2 years of waiting, saving up and collecting parts (all used stuff), the GMC finally had finished it's main makeover and drove out of my garage with a different 454, 8" suspension lift, 3" body lift, on 39.5" Boggers, with a 12000lb Warn Winch, different box and nose clip with cut-out flares, rear disc brakes, crossover steering, and a Dana 60 front.

Sold the stock 454 out of it, put some closed chamber heads on another 454 shortblock and swapped cams and put in a gear drive and Edelbrock intake.

Moyie Mud Bog 2005

Blew the motor the 1st day, rebuilt the bottom end in the campsite.

Had it going again and took it through the pits on Sunday.

Same heads on another shortblock, wiped out the rings right away.

Got torn apart and sat from 2005-2008.

Finally in 2008 in July I changed the springs and put the Dana 60 front under it with 4.88 gears welded and 14-bolt full floater rear with 4.88 gears and Detroit locker, and got it sitting back on the 39.5 Boggers instead of blocks.

Since I dont have all the money I wanted to build the "real" motor for the GMC, and was tired of it sitting idle, I grabbed a 454 2-bolt main block with fresh .060 over bore thats been sitting in the garage for 6+ years, and brought it to Jeff Cassell of Cassell Engines and had him assemble it with some used flattop pistons I had, a .010/.010 forged steel crank, the pair of closed chamber heads, some used roller rockers and used gear drive, a used SSI .540 lift cam, he balanced the motor and I used a Weiand Action Plus intake. It was a quickie $850 rebuild. The plan is to run this motor in the GMC until I can build up the roller motor (or better yet afford a 502) then swap this motor into my 1972 Jimmy.

I pulled the GMC over on Sept. 29th and put the motor in.

October 1st, the day before we're supposed to drive this over to the fall Moyie Mud Bog.

We put the 35" Radials on it so we could tow with it. Loaded it up full, loaded the Truck Blazer on the trailer behind it loaded full, and proceeded to tow with the GMC and its new motor over 100 miles.

Swapped the 39.5" Boggers back on it again and played with it at the Mud Bog.

Put the 35's back on after the weekend and towed with it back to Ione, and there since it's been back to tow duty like it was 8 years ago.

 Winter '08/'09 Hit and since trucks locked front and rear don't do well on ice for handling, the 39.5" Boggers went back on and it went and stayed at Ione for the winter. It's been out playing in the snow a little bit in the field a few times.

VIDEO: Weather Report with the GMC:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZ2OnEiZwwo

Springtime is here:

Front Dana 60 axle with welded 4.88 gears comes out and replaced by a 5.13 Dana 60 front with Detroit Locker. Havent finished the rear gear swap yet, but the small tires go on and it returns to 2wd towing duty for now.

And the rest of The Fleet: