GMC Pickup Loyalty

I’ve always owned GMC trucks from the first new vehicle I bought when I graduated college in 1981. About 19 years ago my son found me a 1961 GMC 1000 in St. Louis MO. I was born in 1961 and I’ve always liked the forward learning A pillars and the stance of the short bed step side for that year. My wife and I towed a trailer out there and picked it up and brought it back to Maine in 40 hours.

After driving it as an original survivor for a few years, I let her sit for a few years and eventually pushed her in the garage. 5 years ago, my wife asked me what my plan was for the truck. She suggested we fix her up and get her going again. What started as a simple build, turned into a complete frame off restomod and a yearlong build.

We ended up putting all new: Moser engineering 9″ rear-end, independent front suspension with coil overs from CCP, 4 wheel willwood disc brakes, mini tubbed the bed to fit 14″ of tread without cutting the frame, vintage air, shark gauges, Killduff lighting shifter, bucket seats, custom 2.5″ exhaust with Borla “S type” mufflers and electric cutouts from QTP, and a connect and cruise LS 376/480 and 4LE75 transmission from GM performance. The truck was painted Sea foam green with a white top to keep the nostalgic look. We named her “Raquel” after my mother.

Kristian Boehmer

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2 Responses to “GMC Pickup Loyalty”

  1. Mitch w Roberts

    Love the sea foam green makes that truck stand out awesome job

  2. Harald

    Beautiful truck. My first was a 1956 Chevy pickup I bought used, had been used by a house painter to support his ladders. I repainted it, overhauled the engine, clutch and transmission, and sold it when I went into the army.