’77 GMC Sierra
Ken Lohmeyer
Post Falls, IdahoBefore Ken Lohmeyer ran across his GMC it had sat outside for seven years after the original owner passed away. His wife sold Ken the truck for $200. The original 350 engine was full of water to the base of the carburetor (17 quarts worth) and was frozen solid with rust (the original owner’s grandson had removed the hood to work on it). The truck sat next to Ken’s shop for an additional three years before he and his son finally decided to resurrect her. Rust was predominantly in the floors, cab corners, and rocker panels. These were all patched and treated with rust converter. A cowl hood was added and windshield replaced. The truck was scrubbed top to bottom to remove the moss that had accumulated while parked near a lake. The engine was removed and set aside. A fresh 355ci SBC was installed with a mild cam, headers, and Holley carb. The original four-speed transmission was reinstalled in the truck. The engine compartment was sanded and refinished in satin black. The frame was also sanded and sandblasted in some places and refinished in satin black as well. Camaro bucket seats were installed after the interior was cleaned, scrubbed, and refinished. The truck was lowered in the front and the differential was flipped to the top of the leaf springs. New Flowmaster custom 2½-inch exhaust was also connected to the headers and exit at the corners of the rear fenders behind the tires. Ken’s son re-worked the bed sides by the tailgate opening to close up the openings for the latches and chains, and a new one piece marine wood bed floor was installed. Ken painted the truck Chroma yellow with a black stripe on the cowl scoop and the GMC’s steel wheels. Ken says the truck is low, sounds really good, and looks great. Not bad for three weeks and a total investment of $1,184.00.