Pumping Up Power: Impressive Overhaul of a 1957 GMC 9700

A 1957 GMC 9700 Gets New Life

Bob Ward has modified vehicles just about all his life. The 46-year-old millwright from Ontario, Canada, started building custom rigs when he was teenager.

“My previous vehicles include a 1967 Jeep CJ5 that has evolved since I was 17 years old,” Bob says. “It now has a 1.9L ALH TDI Stage 2 from Malone Tuning and 33-inch mud grapplers.”

“The truck was formerly a 3-ton Pumper from the city of Woodstock in Ontario, Canada. I only bought a rolling cab.”
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You can only imagine what his plans are for this ’52 GMC 9700, which he purchased for a mere $1,600 back in 2006.

“The truck was formerly a 3-ton Pumper from the city of Woodstock in Ontario, Canada,” he says. “I only bought a rolling cab.”

Needless to say, Bob has done some work to get that ol’ pumper to what it is now. Let’s take a closer look at the details.

Solid S-10 Base

Starting with the chassis, Bob scored a solid S-10 as a base. He built it up with 2x5x3/16-inch frames with a triangulated 4 link. He modified the frame, too: “I built the back half, and the front has ladder support and gussets,” he says.

The GMC’s rear suspension is Dana 70hd dually with 3.54 gears. Both sides have 2,600-pound airbags with S-10 shocks, a 1-ton drum, and a Lock Right locker. Bob says he also shortened the rear end 21 inches to fit the fenders and added a couple of Viair 480 compressors. It looks damn good when it’s all aired out, doesn’t it?

In the front, the suspension’s shocks are from Monroe, load assist, for an S-10 frame. It has front springs and 2,500-pound airbags. Bob chose Wilwood 4-piston calipers with 12-inch discs for the brakes, along with a Stock Chevy 3500 master cylinder and stainless flex brake lines. The GMC’s steering box comes from an S-10, and the steering column was donated from an ’87 GMC van.

Rolling the chassis down the road, the truck’s wheels and tires get the job done in style. Detroit Steel Ambassador wheels measure 18×8 in the front with 16×6 duallys in the back. Nitto rubber wraps the steelies, 235/55/18 in front and 205/60/16 in the rear for a comfortable ride. Speaking of rear, that’s where the stainless steel 23-gallon gas tank lives. Two 850 cca batteries are in the back, too.

Under-Hood Experts

For under-the-hood improvements, Bob called in the experts from Klotz in Cambridge, Ontario, and Stage 2 Customs from Kitchener, Ontario. Klotz machined the 1997 7.3L 8-cylinder Powerstroke, ultimately giving the engine 800lb-ft of torque and 500hp.

After Klotz finished off the machine work, he handed the project over to Stage 2 for the install. The 445 CI engine uses stock rods, pistons, and crankshaft, while the Melling high-volume oil pump keeps everything running smoothly. The crew added a Derale 17-inch 2,400-cfm cooling fan and a custom aluminum four-core radiator to keep temperatures down. The alternator puts out 130 amps of energy, the cylinder heads are machined, the pushrods are full-force chromoly, and the springs are COMP Cams 910s.

This truck breathes via a custom, 3-inch stainless steel intake system and four-core intercooler. It has a KC Turbos KC300x with 66/73 trim, 1.0ar housing, and a 40psi boost. The billet intake manifold comes from Irate Diesel Performance. The Stage 2 team also chose a Walbro lift pump, CNC-fabricated injection pump, Full Force Diesel Stage 3 fuel injector 205/30%, all tied together via a 3/8-inch power driven diesel regulated return. For the exhaust, the stock, stainless steel bellowed-up pipes do the trick. The exhaust diameter, a straight pipe, is 4 inches, and has a 6-inch exhaust tip. The EBPV has been removed.

Hydra Performance provided the programming, which has been custom-tuned by JeliBuilt Performance. Additional electronics include EGT, boost, transmission temperature, and fuel pressure gauges.

The transmission comes from a ’79 Ford E40D. Bob and the team from Tri City Transmission in Kitchener, Ontario, used a billet triple-disk and billet flex plate converters and installed a shifter from B&M. They also used a Tugger valve body with custom driveshafts and U-joints.

Black and Orange Experience

The truck certainly has a one-of-a-kind exterior and interior. The black and orange paint colors and patina stand out while Bob cruises daily to work and on road trips, turning heads wherever he and his wife, Heather, go.

“I drive the truck daily to work, and we go on long road trips 2,000-plus miles pulling our 23-foot camper,” Bob says. “From 2016-2022 the truck had a 7.3L-idi diesel. We put an average of 5,000 miles on it a year from April to October.”

“I drive the truck daily to work, and we go on long road trips 2,000-plus miles pulling our 23-foot camper.”

And it’s still going strong thanks to a real steel hood, custom bedsides, aluminum checker-plate running boards, and an absolutely stunning bed made from electrocuted bed wood. The 7-inch Grote LED headlights, LED headlights, West Coast-style mirrors with 20% ceramic tint keep things visible all around the truck. Bob also moved the gas filler to underneath the bed.

“We also added the truck’s original fire truck red paint and some pinstriping, but we left the original paint letters on the hood,” he says.

“I built this truck because I wanted one that no one else had that I could drive anywhere.”

The interior carries the black exterior highlight throughout while gray carpet lines the floors. A pair of S-10 bucket seats and 600-watt amp Pioneer stereo add road trip comfort. Speakers include 6-inch Alpines, Pioneer 6×9-inches, and Earthquake Competition 10-inch subs. More creature comforts for driver and passenger: cup holders, lap belts, felt headlines, cruise control, heater, and Dakota Digital HDX gauges throughout. Stereo install was done by Stage 2 Customs.

In the end, this old pump truck sure has come a long way. What makes the transformation even more amazing is the fact that Bob drives it daily. He wanted something that would make a statement while doing its job—and he built it up from the original rolling cab in just 3.5 years.

“I built this truck because I wanted one that no one else had that I could drive anywhere,” he says.

Mission accomplished!

PERFORMANCE BY THE NUMBERS

Curb Weight: 5,200 pounds
MPG: 13 mpg while pulling a camper
Best Quarter-Mile: Not sure yet

TRUCK SPECS

YEAR, MAKE, MODEL: 1952 GMC 9700

OWNER:

Bob Ward
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Years to Build: 3.5 years

CHASSIS:

Custom, S-10 based
Frame Size: 2x5x3/16 inches
Triangulated 4-link

REAR SUSPENSION:

Axle/Ratio: Dana 70-hd dually, 3.54
Springs: 2,600-pound air bags
Shocks: S-10
Brakes: 1-ton drum
Locker: Lock Right
Shortened 21 inches to fit in fenders
Two Viair 480 compressors

FRONT SUSPENSION:

Springs: 2,500-pound air bags
Shocks: Monroe, load assist, for an S-10 frame
Brakes: Wilwood 4-piston caliper with 12-inch discs
Stock Chevy 3500 master cylinder
Stainless flex brake lines
S-10 steering box
’87 GMC van steering column

WHEELS/TIRES:

Detroit Steel Ambassador wheels, 18×8 in the front with 16×6 dualies in the back
Nitto tires, 235/55/18 in front and 205/60/16 in the rear

ENGINE:

Machined by Klotz, Cambridge, Ontario
1997 7.3L 8-cylinder Powerstroke
Torque: 800 wtq
Horsepower: 500 whp
Assembled by Stage 2 Customs, Kitchener, Ontario
Displacement: 445ci
Stock crankshaft, rods, pistons
Oil Pump: Melling high-volume
Cooling Fan: Derale 17-inch 2,400-cfm fan
Alternator/Output: 130A
Radiator: Custom aluminum four-core
Pushrods: Full force chromoly
Springs: COMP Cams 910
ARP head studs

ASPIRATION/FUEL SYSTEM:

Intake: Custom 3-inch stainless steel
Intercooler: Four-core
Turbocharger: KC Turbo KC300x
Trim: 66/73
Housing: 1.0 ar
Boost: 40 psi
Intake Manifold: Billet Irate Diesel Performance
Lift Pump: Walbro
Injection Pump: Stage 2 CNC fabricated
Fuel Line Size: 3/8-inch power driven diesel regulated return
Injector: Full Force Diesel Stage 3, 205/30%

PROGRAMMING:

Programmer: Hydra Performance
Custom Tune: Jelibuilt
Extras: EGT, boost, transmission temperature, fuel pressure gauges

EXHAUST:

Exhaust Manifold: Stock, straight, stainless steel, bellowed-up pipes
Exhaust Diameter: 4 inches from turbo
Exhaust Finish: Stainless
6-inch exhaust tip
EBPV removed

TRANSMISSION:

Shop: Tri City Transmission, Kitchener, Ontario
Ford 1997 E40D
Convertor: Billet triple-disc, billet flex plate
Valve Body: Tugger
Shifter: B&M
Custom driveshafts, U-joints

BODY:

1952 GMC 9700 pickup
Real steel hood
Bed Mods: Custom bed wides
Running Boards: Aluminum checker plate
Bed: Electrocuted bed wood
Mirrors: West coast style
Headlines: Grote LED, 7 inches
Taillights: LED
Window Tint: 20% ceramic
Gas Filler: Under Bed
Original fire truck red
Original paint letters on hood

INTERIOR:

Carpet: Gray
Seats: C-10
Headliner: Felt
Gauges: Dakota Digital HDX
Power Features: Cruise control, heater
Stereo: Pioneer, 600-watt RMS
Speakers: Alpine, 6 inches; Pioneer 6×9 inches; Earthquake, 10-inch subs
Stereo installed by Stage 2 Customs