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1992 Sonoma GT Restomod

Vonrottes

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After having my G8 deemed a total loss, and them wanting more money than the sum of parts was worth to me.. I've gone back to daily driving my original project car a 1992 GMC Sonoma GT #70 of 806 made. I've also been spending a lot of money trying to get it ready for a an upcoming truck show.

Anywayyyys
I picked up the truck for $3,000 in 2017 after finding it for sale in a Grocery store parking lot down the street for me the week my original 1992 Chevy S10 was stolen and wrecked.
This was the truck when I brought it home.
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It ran and drove when I bought it, and everything except the tires was original, and the only factory part missing was the Tonneau cover.
I had recovered my S10 which had several thousand dollars worth of aftermarket parts installed on it, that I would eventually swap over to the Sonoma.
including a LM7 5.3 and 4l60e, stainless long tube headers, tubular control arms, coilovers, and a bunch of other supporting mods for the V8 swap.
after several months of work in 2018
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It was done and ready for its first meet with the local Sy/Ty community
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Most recently I've added Brembo brakes which I had purchased for my G8 but never got to install them
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And this is the truck now
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The complete mod list:
2004 LM7 5.3, 2000 4l60e running off a 2002 Tahoe pcm, stainless works Longtube headers, BBK SSI intake manifold, transmission has a Trans Go HD2 kit,
Spohn control tubular control arm, which I kind of hate.
Viking Coilovers on the front and viking double adjustable shocks on the rear, 33mm from sway bar from a Blazer, GeForce transmission cross member, ALL polyurethane bushings, belltech 2" 1998+ blazer drop spindles, 5th gen Camaro brake calipers, C6 Z06 front driller rotors, 5th gen Camaro 19" wheels, hydroboost brake booster, stock gov-lock diff was replaced with a Torsen T2 from a 4th gen Camaro, Trick flow diff cover, updated/upgraded AC is a modern plate/fin design and the compressor is a scroll compressor inside a R4 housing for aesthetic purposes..
Fuel system is full braided stainless -6an with an absolutely overkill walbro e85 pump which I think is good for 500hp on ethanol....feeding a stock 5.3
I'm sure there's some stuff I'm forgetting but it's still a work in progress.


Future plans include a drivetrain upgrade, I want a gen 4 6.0 or 6.2 and a 6l80 transmission, once I get that it will be the exact 400whp build I had in my G8.

Front accessory drive is going to be updated from the original GM truck brackets, L98 waterpump and aftermarket AC bracket to the Holley cast high mount alt Corvette style brackets with matching R4 AC bracket and LS3 water pump so I can hopefully gen a few inches of clearance between the fan and pulleys to properly mount/seal the AC condenser to the radiator.

Suspension in the rear is going to be Calvert split monoleafs and caltracs bars, possibly switch to an 8.5 from the absolutely anemic 7.5.
Front suspension will probably see a different brand of control arms that are properly set up for coilovers.

Body has a lot of rust that was treated in 2018 but came back after 2½ years in outdoor storage, paint also needs to be stripped completely and redone since when I had my dad paint it in 2018 he just sprayed epoxy primer/sealer over the original paint and put the new paint on HEAVY over top of that, so it's chipping like crazy. Though I did spend the extra $$$$ on PPG single stage paint to match what the original was. And I will most likely go back with PPG single stage for the new paint as well since I'm personally not a big fan of base/clear on older cars like this. Just doesn't look right to me.
 
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someguy360

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So cool,

I really wish we got these in Aus....our trucks (not Holden/Ford utes) but trucks through the 80s and 90s were so dull and boring and very agricultural (the hilux is a prime example).
 

Vonrottes

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So cool,

I really wish we got these in Aus....our trucks (not Holden/Ford utes) but trucks through the 80s and 90s were so dull and boring and very agricultural (the hilux is a prime example).

We got the Hilux in the states, or at least a US market version called the Tacoma, they are literally a cult truck here fetching insane prices for clean examples because folks want them as off-road rigs.

The standard version of these things the GM S-Series trucks are the closest thing we had to a domestic kai truck wheel base of 108" iirc, curb weight of about 3200lbs in all kinds of configurations from 2.4l, 2wd, 4 cylinders with a bench seat, no carpet, no AC, manual locks/windows, no radio and a 4 speed manual to fully loaded 4wd, 4.3l, ac, CD player, bucket seats, power lock/windows/mirrors.

Even spawned a whole subcategory of car scene in the us "minitruckin" along with the Mazda b2000, Nissan hardbody and to a lesser extent the Ford ranger which never really got out of the utility truck market to my knowledge.



But GM definitely started the modern "sport truck" era with the Silverado 454ss and Ford followed suit with the F150 lightening. Which I believe was the highest top speed production truck, but the Syclone held the record for fastest for quite a few years... I believe the dodge ram SRT10 stole that title from both trucks when it came out... A whole literal viper engine shoved in a single cab Ram truck

The 1991 Syclone and 92/93 typhoon were just commemorative trucks for the 1989 Banks Land speed record syclone, which only really shares the name with the production trucks.
My truck however is only related to the production Syclone in appearance, with a similar body kit and the same interior...Only real upgrade from a standard truck was it was the first year, and only truck that came with the new 4.3l CPI engine, all other trucks got them in 1993. Making a whole 200hp and 260ftlb
 

Deuce

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Body has a lot of rust that was treated in 2018 but came back after 2½ years in outdoor storage, paint also needs to be stripped completely and redone since when I had my dad paint it in 2018 he just sprayed epoxy primer/sealer over the original paint and put the new paint on HEAVY over top of that, so it's chipping like crazy. Though I did spend the extra $$$$ on PPG single stage paint to match what the original was. And I will most likely go back with PPG single stage for the new paint as well since I'm personally not a big fan of base/clear on older cars like this. Just doesn't look right to me.
I painted my truck in PPG delfleet 2k
It has less colour options than PPG deltron, less shine, but harder wearing and cheaper. (Perfect for my truck)
The standard version of these things the GM S-Series trucks are the closest thing we had to a domestic kai truck wheel base of 108" iirc, curb weight of about 3200lbs.
Interesting, that my 2 long wheelbase British trucks are 107 & 109" wheelbase. (Years ago I drove an 88" wheelbase British truck)

PS 'stay tuned' on YouTube is building a Syclone replica. It might be worth you watching out of interest.
They are definitely cool trucks!
 

Sandman

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Very cool mate, very jealous of how cheap and accessible these things are in comparison to over here in Aus
 

afstruct

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I believe the dodge ram SRT10 stole that title from both trucks when it came out... A whole literal viper engine shoved in a single cab Ram truck

Now that's a starting point !!!

Nice ute/pickup .
I love my utes!!
 

Vonrottes

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I painted my truck in PPG delfleet 2k
It has less colour options than PPG deltron, less shine, but harder wearing and cheaper. (Perfect for my truck)

Interesting, that my 2 long wheelbase British trucks are 107 & 109" wheelbase. (Years ago I drove an 88" wheelbase British truck)

PS 'stay tuned' on YouTube is building a Syclone replica. It might be worth you watching out of interest.
They are definitely cool trucks!

I'm not sure exactly what paint I got, just went to the local paint shop gave them the original paint code and ask for a single stage. Both colors are technically fleet colors "frost white" being just a basic white, and "Argent grey" being a steel wheel color. The guy at the shop looked at me funny when I gave him the paint codes and said "that didn't come on the Sonoma"

Man even our mini trucks are bigger than proper small trucks I think the nissian was quite a bit smaller than the chevy but I'm not sure.

Yeah I saw that the other day, ask the group I'm in if we could get Tony to attend the Carlisle truck nationals with us in 2 weeks. Since I'm fairly certain he also lives in Pennsylvania
 

Deuce

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I'm not sure exactly what paint I got, just went to the local paint shop gave them the original paint code and ask for a single stage. Both colors are technically fleet colors "frost white" being just a basic white, and "Argent grey" being a steel wheel color. The guy at the shop looked at me funny when I gave him the paint codes and said "that didn't come on the Sonoma"

Man even our mini trucks are bigger than proper small trucks I think the nissian was quite a bit smaller than the chevy but I'm not sure.

Yeah I saw that the other day, ask the group I'm in if we could get Tony to attend the Carlisle truck nationals with us in 2 weeks. Since I'm fairly certain he also lives in Pennsylvania
PPG have different lines of paint.
One set is called delfleet (named for its target of trucking company's etc) and deltron for the auto car market. They will also have others, and then your local may have supplied glasurit, autothane, spies heckler or a multitude of others.
A single stage as you call it, I assume is a premixed colour and at paint time you add say 20% hardener, and another 10% thinner, mix it and spray as a single stage (no clear coat). Which I am also a fan of.

He is in Pennsylvania state, yes.
 
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