My 1976 Palm Beach Project

Congratulations Justin. This is hands down the nicest resto-mod GMC I have ever seen. You have set the bar pretty high, and I sincerely doubt anyone
will ever come close to this level of fit and finish. Just awesome!!!
--
1977 Palm Beach, 455, mostly stock and original
 
Congrats Justin!

Well we made it!
5000+ Miles in the last 2 weeks and we're home safe and sound.

Diverting the fuel lines around the engine compartment 100% cured the vapor lock. Not so much as a stutter after that. Anyone with vapor lock issues,
fitech or not, should consider routing the fuel lines OUT of the engine compartment and using an electric pump instead of the mechanical. I'm
convinced that carburetor or FI this is the real culprit.

For the motorcycle that we all had concerns about. It rode on the carrier all 5000 miles, up every mountain and into every campsite. Not a single
shred of an issue.
There's a few reasons for that. This is just my opinions and your mileage may vary:
We rebuilt the whole interior, we did this with light weight materials instead of the heavy ass particle board that we pulled out. On the way westward
I stopped at a certified CAT scale and weighed. Total weight, with both of us up front, fuel full, water full, and packed for 2 weeks out west our
weight was 11,200 lbs. That includes the motorcycle at 590lbs and the carrier at 150lbs. So weight without the bike is a piddly 10,460 lbs FULLY
LOADED.
That includes walnut countertops and trim and a full tile bathroom.
Point is, I think the reason we do so well with the bike is the fact that we're ~1500lbs lighter than stock.
http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170712_195148-EFFECTS.jpg

http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170712_200017.jpg

The only other major issue we had was an oil leak at the fuel pump (Gasket replacement helped but didn't fix it)and a BUNCH of broken belts. We broke
3 AC belts and 3 Alternator belts. What a PITA.
My view on this is two fold, we were driving too much (12hr days) to stop and retension them after a few miles (/ i was lazy) and 2nd, the quality of
belts is all over the board depending on the source. I finally ended up with Napa Premium belts at $30/piece and those seem to be holding with no
squeals so far after about 1000 miles.

We didn't quite get finished before we left, a few little things left to do but here's the "finished" product.

http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170713_081802.jpg

http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170713_081659.jpg

http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170713_082034.jpg

http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170713_074636.jpg

http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/PANO_20170713_074333.jpg

http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170711_072321.jpg

And all this work turned out to be worth it! Here's the end result:
http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170718_133353_346.jpg

--
Justin Brady
http://www.thegmcrv.com/
1976 Palm Beach 455

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Driving 12 hours does not cause the belts to brake, must had old stored
belt.

> Well we made it!
> 5000+ Miles in the last 2 weeks and we're home safe and sound.
>
> Diverting the fuel lines around the engine compartment 100% cured the
> vapor lock. Not so much as a stutter after that. Anyone with vapor lock
> issues,
> fitech or not, should consider routing the fuel lines OUT of the engine
> compartment and using an electric pump instead of the mechanical. I'm
> convinced that carburetor or FI this is the real culprit.
>
> For the motorcycle that we all had concerns about. It rode on the carrier
> all 5000 miles, up every mountain and into every campsite. Not a single
> shred of an issue.
> There's a few reasons for that. This is just my opinions and your mileage
> may vary:
> We rebuilt the whole interior, we did this with light weight materials
> instead of the heavy ass particle board that we pulled out. On the way
> westward
> I stopped at a certified CAT scale and weighed. Total weight, with both of
> us up front, fuel full, water full, and packed for 2 weeks out west our
> weight was 11,200 lbs. That includes the motorcycle at 590lbs and the
> carrier at 150lbs. So weight without the bike is a piddly 10,460 lbs FULLY
> LOADED.
> That includes walnut countertops and trim and a full tile bathroom.
> Point is, I think the reason we do so well with the bike is the fact that
> we're ~1500lbs lighter than stock.
> http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_
> 20170712_195148-EFFECTS.jpg
>
>
>
> http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170712_200017.jpg
>
>
>
> The only other major issue we had was an oil leak at the fuel pump (Gasket
> replacement helped but didn't fix it)and a BUNCH of broken belts. We broke
> 3 AC belts and 3 Alternator belts. What a PITA.
> My view on this is two fold, we were driving too much (12hr days) to stop
> and retension them after a few miles (/ i was lazy) and 2nd, the quality of
> belts is all over the board depending on the source. I finally ended up
> with Napa Premium belts at $30/piece and those seem to be holding with no
> squeals so far after about 1000 miles.
>
> We didn't quite get finished before we left, a few little things left to
> do but here's the "finished" product.
>
> http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170713_081802.jpg
>
>
> http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170713_081659.jpg
>
>
> http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170713_082034.jpg
>
>
> http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170713_074636.jpg
>
>
> http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/PANO_
> 20170713_074333.jpg
>
>
> http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_20170711_072321.jpg
>
>
> And all this work turned out to be worth it! Here's the end result:
> http://www.thegmcrv.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMG_
> 20170718_133353_346.jpg
>
> --
> Justin Brady
> http://www.thegmcrv.com/
> 1976 Palm Beach 455
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

--
Jim Kanomata
Applied/GMC, Newark,CA
jimk
http://www.appliedgmc.com
1-800-752-7502
 
Justin, your coach is one of the most appealing I have ever seen; very
liveable.

The finished product is beautiful. Have a happy, adventurous life together!

Sandra Price

> Congratulations Justin. This is hands down the nicest resto-mod GMC I have
> ever seen. You have set the bar pretty high, and I sincerely doubt anyone
> will ever come close to this level of fit and finish. Just awesome!!!
> --
> 1977 Palm Beach, 455, mostly stock and original
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>
 
Congratulations. A few things come to mind in no particular order.

Outstanding way to bring another GMC back on the road. Ive watched and read the build up thread and you have some very well thought out designs. Its
one thing to think of something and quite another to build it and put it to use. Great Job all around.

This particular post has over 54 thousand views at least by the counter meter.... Not too bad for only having a few thousand of these coaches on the
road and certainly demonstrates the interest in what you were up to.

Its nice to see some new ideas and actually making a coach that works for YOU and your new bride.

And a 5K mile trip to boot.

Its a breath of fresh air to have some great work, and great outcomes.

--
77 Royale, Rear Dry Bath. 403, 3.55 Final Drive, Lenzi goodies, Patterson carb and dizzy.
Mid Michigan
 
Bravo Justin, looks like you've got two keepers. Welcome to your happily ever after.
--
Sean and Stephanie
73 Ex-CanyonLands 26' #317 "Oliver"
Hubler 1-Ton, Quad-Bags, Rear Disc, Reaction Arms, P.Huber TBs, 3.70:1 LSD Honda 6500 inverter gen.

Colonial Travelers
 
Congrats! The coach came out beautifully, I really admire your craftsmanship. I wish you both many years of happiness!
--
JD Lisenby- USAF Ret
1978 Royale-455
Electromotive Tec2 FI & ignition

Navarre, FL
 
VERY NICE, Justin.

Congratulations on your great project and your wedding. What a honeymoon!
Ours, 58 years and 15 days ago, was only 830 miles, from her home town to
my first USAF officer assignment. May yours be even longer and more happy!

I don't think you've told us her name.

Ken H.

> Well I added this to the wrong thread earlier, so here it is to keep this
> one up to date:
>
> Well we made it!
> 5000+ Miles in the last 2 weeks and we're home safe and sound.
>
 
Congrats Justin, how about some pictures of you and your new wife and of course the GMC. It took me 27 years before I got my wife to even sit in a GMC! I wish you and yours many adventures.

----- Original Message -----

From: "Ken Henderson"
To: "gmclist"
Sent: Monday, July 24, 2017 7:26:39 PM
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] My 1976 Palm Beach Project

VERY NICE, Justin.

Congratulations on your great project and your wedding. What a honeymoon!
Ours, 58 years and 15 days ago, was only 830 miles, from her home town to
my first USAF officer assignment. May yours be even longer and more happy!

I don't think you've told us her name.

Ken H.

> Well I added this to the wrong thread earlier, so here it is to keep this
> one up to date:
>
> Well we made it!
> 5000+ Miles in the last 2 weeks and we're home safe and sound.
>
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Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
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Cool, Very Cool.
Congrats Justin, all the very best that life has to offer.
May you and your new wife enjoy many thrilling adventures together both with and without the GMC.
Mike
 
Thank you guys for the warm responses, they are greatly appreciated!
Ken, her name is Kathleen.

The photographer took some really cool shots of us in the GMC but we don't have them back yet. I'll post them up when I've got them.
--
Justin Brady
http://www.thegmcrv.com/
1976 Palm Beach 455
 
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