GMC Sonoma SST ??

[jtcfanof3]

OH NO!!!
YOU CUT A PEICE OF HISTORY!
I told ya id be intrested in that bumper....................

[some-beach!]

Well, I'm not much of a history buff. Wanna buy a piece of history [the cut out piece that is] ?

I just had to, I had this compelling desire to cut it in an attempt to make it look better. I'm not finished yet!

I just snapped this photo quick. It's hard to see but I black waxed the drivers fender and door only and polished that front wheel too. In person it looks remarkably different/better.

* Note the cut out section of the fiberglass lower front bumper



Next fiberglass cutting project moohaha....moohaha :

[some-beach!]

This shows it better:

[some-beach!]

I bought some smoked headlight covers for a Syclone ~ new off eBay last week. They arrived today and 1 was cracked almost all the way through! I e-mailed the seller ~ awaiting a reply. I was so damn eager to see what they looked like and sure enough ~ broken.

I've got to do something with the wheels. I don't really care for them and being backwards [or 1 one way, one the other way] looks dumb. I think the white lettered tires on the rear help them look better but.......?? I was on my way to the tire shop last week and got sidetracked.

[phantom_mia]

im sorry man to say this but it looks like a yoda, and cross rotate the front axel and voila all your rim troubles are over

[some-beach!]

yoda, as in toy-yoda?

I think the "cut" makes it look like a Mighty Max/Dodge Ram but I'm not done yet

I know how to fix the wheel directional problem, just not the time to get it there. I just don't know if I want to waste the $ on 2 new tires [blackwall to match the 2 new fronts], get 4 new white lettered or new rims/tires????????

[sdime98]

if it were me, i'd definately go with a updated, factory styled s-series wheel, as in something found on a 2nd gen, to kinda modernize the look of the truck, so it doesn't look so early 90's...but yet it keeps a subtle look.

[jtcfanof3]

OK,well that doesnt look bad,matches the upper notch.
And HOLY BARNFIND BATMAN!!!!!!!
LOL
What year is that,53/54?

[phantom_mia]

it looks like youve been rubbin wax or somethin on the cab and front fenders looks a lot better than when you got it

[some-beach!]

sdime98: I really don't think theres any factory wheel that I'd want but ??

jtcfanof3: Yep, that was my plan, to match the upper area. I just wish I hadn't gone up as far as I did. I have other plans too, to make it look better. That's a 1955 Vette I think, don't really know for sure.


phantom_mia: Yeah, I explained that a few posts ago;

"FYI: I got the idea this morning of using some of that 'Color Back' colored wax [black of course] to get rid of some of that white wax residue/wear through on the cladding. I went to NAPA and grabbed a bottle and it really makes a difference! I also got some Mothers wheels polish. I started a wheel and the drivers side front fender/door until I just about passed out from the extreme 98 degree heat. Shew, will get back to it this evening or whenever it cools off but I'm dumbfounded by the difference $15 can make "

[sdime98]

just a suggestion, i know opinions are like...but yea, i think it'd be an improvement over those wheels..but thats just me..lol i think the zq8 wheels on the earlier pages, or a set of the older zq8's, or maybe even swirlies would compliment the truck well..

[jtcfanof3]

Swirles on my first gen:

Now First style ZQ8's:

[bg's]

Some-Beach, is that a 54 sitting in the shed ?

[jtcfanof3]

Its a heck of a barn find for sure.

[phantom_mia]

imho i think that vette is a 53 based on the bird screens over the head lights

i want that hood jtc has on his blazer

[some-beach!]

'55 w/ '54 1/4 nose, '5? headlight stone guards and what looks like custom Buick fender vents.

No progress today on the waxing/polishing, it's too damn hot!

I think I'm going to get rid of the original wheels altogether. I don't have room to store anything. I've already got a set of Conquest TSI wheels in the shed now [5 years!] so I'm going to list some stuff on eBay.

What are the originals worth [less 1 center cap ~ 2 w/ new tires]?

How will these look on it?

[sdime98]

definate improvement, a friend of mine had those on an '89 in high school...i say go for it, if the price is reasonable.

[some-beach!]

I wonder WTH happened to some of my photos??

Oh well........ I should have bought that set of Cragar Pro Stars w/ tires on eBay. I hated to pay the high shipping but in turn missed a great deal

I've tried to research using the net and the search feature here. I'm trying to find out if the '84-'87 Corvette wheels are a direct bolt on or if they need spacers/adapters. I know the newer C5's up wheels do require them. I believe the '88+ wheels do as well but....??

I found a real nice set of '87 Corvette wheels w/ tires fairly local for $300. I also found a set of '92 wheels/tires but really don't like that style as much. I don't mind spending the money for spacers/adapters but I don't like the idea much. I'd rather get direct bolt on wheels/tires. They're both far enough that I'd rather know ahead of time before traveling 2+ hours just to see if they'll work.

I never gave C4 style Corvette wheels much thought but I kind of think they'd look decent.

BTW: I had 2 offers to buy it in the past 2 days. Maybe that would be easier?

[jtcfanof3]

Pretty sure anything after the C3 needs spacers.
LOL
Well,IMO if you can make a profit,go for it!

[some-beach!]

I was afraid of that! I did find out online after posting last night that the c4 wheels are +38mm offset which do require spacers/adapters. Not as much as the newer Corvette wheels but not direct bolt on.

I don't know enough to feel comfortable buying wheels/tires online due to offsets/backspacing, how they'll look or the stance/clearance issues.

I guess I'll keep checking locally, something will come up.

On a different note ~ does anyone with the same year/style A/C controls have any vacuum leak issues? It only had A/C out the floor vent when I bought it. I got the A/C to blow out the vents by simply removing the A/C control pod and pushing on the plastic/rubber multiport vacuum connector on the back but every day or so I hear the vacuum leak start and only have
floor vents again. I suspect an old multiport vacuum connector just doesn't have a good seal any more [very hard to see back there] but I wouldn't know where to look for a new one and GM would probably laugh at me. It's easy enough to pop it out and push on it for a few seconds and wa-la the dash vents blow again but I'd like to fix it permanently.

THANKS!

[bg's]

I had the same prob. I just put a very small film of
weather stripping cement around each port stem on the
control switch and slipped the vacuum connector
back on. Let it dry over night and it's been good
ever since..Let me see..That was around 3 yrs
back.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,ca...,parttype,7036

[some-beach!]

Cool! I was thinking along the same lines but wanted to ask. THANKS for the help, it is much appreciated!

Oh, I bought some rims today. I went with kind of a nostalgic old school look. I had the same wheels on my '67 RS/SS Camaro years ago. Quite rare wheels for cheap and I can use them on something else if I don't like the look.

When they get here and I get them on I'll post pics, until then I'll keep everyone in suspense

[some-beach!]

LOL!

[some-beach!]

I just posted a for sale ad on the forum. I bought a "new" truck yesterday that more suits my needs [extra cab full size] and I know I'll lose interest in the SST now. I thought I'd put it up for grabs here before I set it out or advertise locally. If interested make an offer.

[sdime98]

[some-beach!]

[jtcfanof3]

Wish ya werent so far or Id buy that truck!

[some-beach!]

Well, does it look any better?

[sdime98]

yea, i actually like the bumper..would be a damn nice project truck, 4.3 5 speed....grr...i'd love to get it

[some-beach!]

I stopped by to show it to the girl I bought it from and she [nor her Dad, brother or boyfriend] couldn't believe it was the same truck!

I really don't want to sell it but I'm afraid it will just end up being put on the back burner now. I had a guy call me [a friend of a friends, friend] that heard about it, wanting to trade me a 1976 Pontiac Ventura [Nova]. I declined but told him I'd take X amount of $ and he's going to try to get the $ together.

It's not much of a project unless someone wants to restore it to new [and I'm not sure its desirable enough to warrant that??] otherwise it's a great looking driver.

[jtcfanof3]

If you were 6 hrs away,I'd drive it...........
Good Luck though guy,its sharp looking now,it'll sell ASAP!

[some-beach!]

I don't even know what to ask for it so I left it as make offer.

I HATE the process of selling something and I usually regret it after I do anyways. If I had kept just a handful of some of the rare cars I've had ['67 RS SS Camaro, 1968 Firebird 400 conv, 1971 big block vette, 1972 & '77 Trans Am's to name a few], I'd be able to retire

This is certainly not even remotely in the same class as the above cars but..... it's neat just the same.

You could make it in 6 hours but 100+ MPH is not a good idea

[some-beach!]

I got a package today ~ 2 of the 4 rims I bought for the SST.

Well, they aren't 15X7's as advertised they're 14X6's and the lug pattern is not 5 on 4-3/4 they're full size car/truck or ? 5 on 5!

I called the guy and he apologized [said he didn't intentionally lie just went by what he was told ~ DUH!] and said to mark them "refused ~ return to sender" and he'll refund my $. I guess the other box of 2 will be here tomorrow??

I've sure had my trouble with eBay lately! I bid on/won a few things for this truck ~ a set of Syclone headlight covers ~ they arrived w/ 1 cracked almost in half ~ seller refunded. Then I won a set of 4.3 spark plug wires ~ I paid, then seller refunds saying they discovered 1 wire was missing in the package and now the wheels aren't