Best GM Truck to Restore

[isd503]

If you were able to start from ground zero and select a pickup truck to restore, what truck would you choose?

Please explain why you would select a vehicle as well; availability of parts, etc.

 

[Drunkcanuk]

88-94 GMC 1ton Crew cab dually. 454 with a manual transmission.
Why....cuz it's the best damn truck ever made!!! Lol.
A relatively easy engine to work on. Parts at probably every parts store in North America, or a day or two for shipping.
Almost every conceivable issue is fixable, and that fix can probably be found on here!
And I have kids, and it's nice of they can't touch you when you're driving.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

A 92 Chevy 2500 4x4 extended cab short box with 5.7 and NV-4500 trans and 14 bolt rear. Lowered 2” all around, completely rebuilt with an old school forged internal Chevy 350 and a single turbocharger.

Easy to find parts for and easy to work on!

Oh and spray foam filled cab corners….

 

[svrh89]

A 92 Chevy 2500 4x4 extended cab short box with 5.7 and NV-4500 trans and 14 bolt rear. Lowered 2” all around, completely rebuilt with an old school forged internal Chevy 350 and a single turbocharger.

Easy to find parts for and easy to work on!

Oh and spray foam filled cab corners….

i understood that spraying foam in cab corners was a bad idea due to them becoming like a sponge when wet. I have never tried it but sounded legit.

I would build a single cab short bed w/ a 5.3 turbo build or a 2 door obs tahoe w/ either a built 454 or a cammed 6.2 lifted and loud. the single cab would be because It would just be easier than say the burbans I have owned and the 2 door would just because that is currently the dream truck I am interested in. although a s10 street truck would be fun too. to many for me to pick; I want many many trucks. I am jealous of jay leno

Edit: I read the op topic as dream truck lol; If I were to restart and build with the budget I have I would do the obs single cab short bed truck and build the hopefully 5.7 sbc in it. or a 2000-2002 single cab short bed truck as the 5.3 seems like a fun base engine for a truck that wouldn't be a daily or a truck truck

 

[isd503]

88-94 Chevy trucks are better than GM? I would start with a GM 2500 extra cab. I don’t have that now and wish I did.

 

[Sean Buick 76]

GM and Chevy are the same, no difference between brands other than cosmetics. The 88-94 have lots of advantages over the 95-98. The TBI setup is the most reliable to this day in my opinion. They aren’t the best for performance or modifying but leave them bone stock and they are dead nuts reliable!

For performance the 99-06 6.0 powered trucks are where it’s at! Add long tube headers and true dual exhaust, a mild cam, with a tune and these things are reliable and WAY better than anything you will ever get from a TBI 350.

 

[Scooterwrench]

88-94! Pick one,they're all good.

 

[FLGS400]

While I love my 91 OBS, if I had the choice of any to restore (this means having the means to restore too), I would go with either s 64-66 or 67-69 Chevy C10 short bed. Step or fleet side would not matter. Probably LS swap it, automatic, lowered, and add AC. I just always liked those 2 body styles.

 

[Scooterwrench]

While I love my 91 OBS, if I had the choice of any to restore (this means having the means to restore too), I would go with either s 64-66 or 67-69 Chevy C10 short bed. Step or fleet side would not matter. Probably LS swap it, automatic, lowered, and add AC. I just always liked those 2 body styles.

I took my driving test in a '64 stepside. 283,3spd with a crappy Spark-O-Matic floor shifter. During the test I was sweating that shifter wouldn't hang up coming up out of first.
Those were really nice body styles but total tanks,Chevy poured the metal to those. Go like hell with a 454.

 

[EJ_74]

I like the way the 55-59 trucks look