Vidar

We picked up this 1989 GMC Sierra Stepside pickup for $0.00. It was actually traded to us in exchange for some rendered services. Overall, the truck was already in excellent shape but ran with some fluctuations in the idle and otherwise seemed to lack some power. So, we got to work.

First came the engine overall. The engine and bay was in desperate need of a good cleaning. Some Gunk degreaser, a lot of water, masking off electrical and wrapping up with steam clean really did the trick. Once we redid the gasket on the oil pan and stopped that only leak, we then got down to the engine refresh, hoping she didn't need a rebuild. We flushed all fluids and refilled with high-quality products including Royal Purple Oil.

We had to jump start often, so we tore out the alternator and old battery and replaced with new products include a fresh Red Top. Then, we cleaned the carburetor, replaced the filter with a K&N product, and swapped the old spark plugs and wires with options from NGK. With a few tweaks to the carb setup, and the new parts, she started running like a dream.

The interior was in amazing shape, and someone had already put in a new headliner. We deep cleaned the seats and carpet next, followed by cleaning and protective coatings on the vinyl surfaces. One new Pioneer head unit later and we had a modern convenience in a beautiful classic.

This led us to the exterior. First, we completed paint correction of everything except the inside of the bed. Lucky for us, the paint was the second paint job on this truck and in good shape. We compounded, polished, and waxed. For some reason, the truck was begging for 20-inch chrome wheels and lower profile tires. We topped off this work with a Linex spray-in bedliner all the way over the rails and then polished the chrome all around.

Aside from replacing a taillight, undercoating a rust-free frame, and performing periodic maintenance, we called it a wrap, drove the truck for about two years of Home Depot trips and Sunday outings and ultimately sold it to invest in our Nissan GT-R.