Saving SoGT #493

[GT493]

To start with, I guess I'll have to tell the story of how this truck came to be in my possession. GT #493 came to WV from South Carolina in 2005. About a year or two after that was when I first saw it sitting beside a house and garage alongside a little narrow two lane just outside town. I thought it was a Syclone and remembered thinking how cool it would be to have one and fix it up. Fast forward to just a couple years ago and I saw the truck again for the umpteen dozenth time, this time going slowly while pulling a camper, and noticed that the decals on the door definitely didn't say Syclone. A bit of Googling later and I had learned what the truck was, but school was a priority then and I put it out of my mind. Finally, a few weeks back I just stopped at the house on a Saturday and knocked on the door. The retired gentleman showed me the truck ("Just an old beater I haul stuff in." he says...) and was receptive when I said I would like to buy it. $1300 a couple days and some negotiating later and I drove her to her new home.

The truck has 232,000 miles on the odometer and amazingly doesn't smoke, burn oil, or make scary and unpleasant noises. It's a little rough around the edges, but all there and all pretty easily (even if expensively ) fixable.

Pictures of the "as driven home" condition.

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[Sparkz#0535]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

cool find!

what are you plans for it?

a good clean up would serve her well

 

[Static]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

I think ya scored. I would love to have a GT, in Aspen of all colors

 

[Quickstop [UK]]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

Steam clean and MOP and it'll look 100x better. Cool find indeed! You have a unique truck there!

 

[S10 Guy]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

another saved! congrats!

 

[GT493]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

Thanks!

The plan for this truck is to restore to original. I think to do anything else to such a rare truck would be a sin. 14 were made in Aspen/Argent colors and from the breakdown of truck colors by VIN that I've found here, 493 is the very last Aspen Sonoma GT to ever roll off the assembly line, all 13 others were strung through production from truck 90 through 475.

The paint is beyond buffing and fixing, a repaint will definitely be in store someday for this truck along with some cladding repair/replacement. The door and window seals are crumbling, but those parts are an easy install, I can fix that in an evening. A good cleaning of the interior along with a new dash from a donor (that I've yet to find) and some new carpet (LMC???) will put the inside in pretty good shape. I also need a shift knob and steering wheel. The knob I am sure I can get as it is a Corvette part, but the steering wheel I am on the hunt of, if anyone has one in good shape they'd part with, I'd be interested.

So far all I have done since bringing it home is replace the motor mounts (MAJOR PITA) and fix small lighting/wiring stuff. Also straightened and somewhat aligned the front bumper and removed the bumperettes as they were loose and one is broken.

 

[S10 Guy]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

Thanks!

The plan for this truck is to restore to original. I think to do anything else to such a rare truck would be a sin. 14 were made in Aspen/Argent colors and from the breakdown of truck colors by VIN that I've found here, 493 is the very last Aspen Sonoma GT to ever roll off the assembly line, all 13 others were strung through production from truck 90 through 475.

The paint is beyond buffing and fixing, a repaint will definitely be in store someday for this truck along with some cladding repair/replacement.

Its got patina! haha. I say leave the original paint and fix up everything else, cladding, interior and mechanical wise.

 

[GT493]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

Patina is one thing, bad touch ups done with what must have been a 4" brush are quite another. :lol: Some places on the truck have been resprayed and clear coated, some are original single stage, and others are just ugly. The plan for now is definitely fix any mechanical issues that creep up, fix all the interior stuff, and then do the cladding. Paint will be last on the list because I don't want to klutz around and scratch up a new paint job working on the truck.

On another note - I have driven it to work, which is about 35 miles one way, every day so far this week. I kind of figured that any mechanical issues would pop up in this amount of driving, and so far I've found nothing other than that it shifted funny due to an overfilled transmission. This was probably from when the PO had a new radiator installed a short while ago and the shop lost fluid and put too much back in. Took off a cooler line and pumped some fluid out down to the right level and now it shifts much better and doesn't leak out the vent anymore. (so far...) Also the Pitman and idler arms seem to be worn, will probably do them along with tie rods and all the ball joints. The stuff all looks like it's been there a while and front end parts for these are cheap and easy to put on.

 

[Quickstop [UK]]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

You properly scored there!

 

[LSSonoma]

This is awesome, congrats, I would love an Aspen GT

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Ty93phoon]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

Nice score don't need much at all

 

[syclone3]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

Thats a good color. I was going to restore a red SGT I had. Lot of the parts were going to be difficult to get. Mine was little worn out. 252k. Great truck. It did lots of work. I got another SGT to replace it but haven't driven it much. Its in decent shape.

 

[fauXGT]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

The last aspen GT. Nice.
Welcome to the jungle... and NOT paraphrasing Axle Rose.

 

[Slyclone]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

Pretty cool. Did you happen to sponge up any of the history from the older guy who sold it to you? Maybe I missed it.. ? I always enjoy the back story. 230k, seems well used. Lately I have seen more Sonoma GTs " coming to the surface". A black gt dies, a blue gt survives..

 

[GT493]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

Thanks guys!

I have a nice SGT steering wheel and some other miscellaneous pieces I need for inside headed my way from crawlinGT's part out, and I found a nice C4 shift knob on ebay. Also headed my way from the part out truck is the passenger rocker cladding and the driver's side bumperette that this truck needs. Have talked to Sportmachines and I'm sending my rear corners off to them for proper repair.

 

[GT493]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

Pretty cool. Did you happen to sponge up any of the history from the older guy who sold it to you? Maybe I missed it.. ? I always enjoy the back story. 230k, seems well used. Lately I have seen more Sonoma GTs " coming to the surface". A black gt dies, a blue gt survives..

As far as I have been able to dig, I am the fourth owner. The original owner was in NC, and had it a short time, about 3 years. The old guy's daughter and son-in-law bought it after that in SC and must have DD'ed it for years, cause that's where the miles piled on. Old fellow said his daughter had a 50 mile one way trip to work. In 2005 the daughter couldn't get anything out of it for trade in value due to miles, so she gave it to her dad. This was when it came to WV. Since that time it has just been a spare vehicle and only been driven locally very short distances hauling whatever the old fellow needed.

Odd how the Sys got pampered while the SGTs got downright abused lots of times. This one isn't really in bad shape, just showing her almost quarter million miles.

 

[GT493]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

Not too much has changed since the last update, but parts are trickling in.



Got my new used shift knob and button from a C4 Vette on ebay, it looks like new! Also have some other interior parts and some cladding coming in from crawlinGT's part out, should be in Monday at the latest according to the tracking #s.

Speaking of cladding:



Took off the rear corners to get them fixed. Talked with Sportmachines and they fix cladding, so they're off to NY as soon as I can get them boxed up and sent. I'm just not comfortable with doing it myself as far as doing a repair that would actually last.

 

[GT493]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

I need some opinions here guys. I want to keep this truck stock as much as possible, it is one of 14 after all, but I always thought the SGTs looked a little goofy sitting so tall. Have been really considering lowering 2" all around. Not interested in slamming it and would like to keep the same front to back stance, just think it might look better slightly lower and not have so much fender gap.

Thoughts?

 

[fauXGT]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

I need some opinions here guys. I want to keep this truck stock as much as possible, it is one of 14 after all, but I always thought the SGTs looked a little goofy sitting so tall. Have been really considering lowering 2" all around. Not interested in slamming it and would like to keep the same front to back stance, just think it might look better slightly lower and not have so much fender gap.

Thoughts?

A good quality lowering spring up front and blocks in rear can be easily changed back to stock if need be. A few SoGT owners have the same feeling about it being a bit tall at stock height. I have Eibach progressive springs on my extended cab truck and they are fantastic, but I'm not sure if they are still available. I'd like to get another set for SoGT #15, when I get to that point.

 

[syclone3]

Re: Saving SoGT #493

I left my other SGT stock height. Was always hauling stuff with it. That thing did lots and lots of work.