Jon Darbyshire’s ’69 GMC Short-bed

NOT MANY THINGS ARE MORE PERSONAL TO AN AUTOMOTIVE ENTHUSIAST THAN A TRUCK THAT HAS BEEN PASSED THROUGH THE FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS. For truck owner Jon Darbyshire and his family, his time capsule of great memories came in the form of a ’69 GMC Sierra short-bed that had been purchased brand new by his grandfather right when the truck was released. From weekend rides to vacations out to the lake towing the family boat, the ’69 holds a special place in Jon’s and his brothers’ hearts. As they were growing up, the Darbyshire brothers always knew that if their own rides broke down, Grandpa Pete’s truck would never fail them.

AFTER HIS GRANDFATHER, JOHN ‘PETE’ ARCHER, PASSED AWAY IN DECEMBER 2010, JON KNEW HE HAD TO KEEP THE TRUCK AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, GRANDPA PETE’S LEGACY ALIVE.”

After his grandfather, John “Pete” Archer, passed away in December 2010, Jon knew he had to keep the truck and, more importantly, Grandpa Pete’s legacy alive. In March 2014, Jon contacted his friends at Vintage Fabrication to do just that. From day one, Bobby at Vintage Fab new exactly how important this build was to Jon. Having built a ’69 Chevy with his father-in-law, and then having it passed down to him years later, Bobby knew the sentimental value and the love that goes into a build that never leaves the family.

The Vintage Fab crew started by modifying the stock chassis to fit a custom suspension with trailing arms and a 9-inch Ford rearend. However, plans changed once Jon saw a different chassis in two Mustangs that were also in progress in the shop at the time. Jon asked if there was a way he could run that same type in the GMC project. Having done that same chassis in the truck he built with his father-in-law, Bobby knew it could be done and immediately ordered a Fast Track Elite series chassis by The Roadster Shop with billet A-arms front and rear and IRS. In the meantime, they got busy with the metal work.

The flush-mounted front and back glass and shaved drip rails and marker lights offer a glimpse at the endless attention to detail taken with this build. The bed was raised 6 inches to clear the IRS, and a flush walnut wood floor featuring stainless rails with a billet gas door in the back was installed.

The perfection doesn’t end with the exterior, moving inside the cab, the crew raised the top of dash and removed the stock dash pad to recess the center to make room for the high-end Pioneer stereo. They also installed a pair of Tea’s Design seats covered in rich brown leather, which flawlessly matches the walnut wood used in the bed. Adhering to a theme of simplicity and class, the crew crafted a custom steel console and placed all of the controls and keys under a sliding door built in its side. Curt Cunningham from Carriage Works made a set of custom billet dash covers and sent them, along with the center stereo panels, to Summit Hydro- graphics to receive a flawless wood-grain look.

Moving on through the interior, Jon selected a Nardi steering wheel to ride on top of a Flaming River column with a custom adapter made by Vintage Fabrication to hold the paddle shifter for the 4L80 transmission. The Vintage Fab crew also added push-button start.

Before everyone knew it, the chassis arrived, and the stocky Edelbrock 435-hp 350-ci crate motor was ready to be dropped in place. It sits between a set of fenders that were turned inside out and used as inner fender tubs. All of these parts mold seamlessly into the AutoRad radiator, shroud and cover. Describing the engine bay as immaculate is an understatement; not a single wire or hose—except the motor and stainless Wildwood master cylinder—is visible to the eye.

THE DAY CAME TO UNVEIL THE TRUCK TO THE FAMILY AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE AT THE WORLD OF WHEELS SHOW IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI. THE FAMILY WATCHED AS IT WON EVERY AWARD IT COULD IN THE TRUCK CLASS.”

When it was time to select a color for the truck, the entire Darbyshire family got together and voted. Once the ballots were counted, the truck was sent to Carrender Collision to receive a two-tone green that fits the truck perfectly, even better than anyone expected.

The GMC has no problem turning staggered Billet Specialties SLG60 wheels, and it has plenty of stopping power thanks to the massive 14-inch Wilwood six-piston brakes. When the build was finished, Vintage Fab’s Bobby was so impressed by the ride quality that he decided not only to rework the suspension of his own family truck, but also the interior, saying, “I will never be satisfied with this truck until sitting in it feels like it does in Jon’s Sierra.”

The day came to unveil the truck to the family and the public at large at the World of Wheels show in Kansas City, Missouri. The family watched as it won every award it could in the truck class. It was a very emotional and rewarding day for Jon’s family and everyone who had a hand in completing Grandpa Pete’s truck.

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Jon Darbyshire
1969 GMC Sierra Short-bed
Independence, MO

ENGINE

• Shop: Vintage Fabrication, Bobby, Karen and Bruce Schumacher
• Edelbrock 350 crate motor
• Edelbrock carburetor
• Edelbrock valve covers
• Aluminum cylinder heads
• Aluminum intake manifold
• Phenix black AN fittings
• Polished Sanderson cast headers
• Concept One serpentine system
• Power Master 160-amp alternator
• Autorad radiator, shroud and cover
• 4L80 transmission from Mike Bodine, Independence, MO
• Coan Racing torque converter
• B&M shifter
• Bowler trans control
• 3-inch custom exhaust with Cherry Bomb mufflers
• 3.55:1 gears with heavy-duty shafts

SUSPENSION

• Fast Track Elite chassis by Roadster Shop
• Independent front and rear suspension, billet arms and spindles
• Wildwood 14-inch brakes with six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear
• Penske double adjustable front and rear shocks

WHEELS & TIRES

• 18×10 and 20×12 polished Billet Specialties SLG60
• 26-12-18 and 29-15-20 Mickey Thompson Sportsman S/R

BODY & PAINT

• Flush-mounted front and back glass, shaved drip rails and marker lights
• Custom billet side trim with wood inserts
• Smoothed and filled bumpers
• LMC Truck hood and grille
• Fesler digital LED taillights
• Kindig-it flush door handles
• Bed floor raised 6 inches
• Bedwood and Parts walnut bed floor with stainless rails and billet gas door in rear
• Painted custom shades of green to match stock colors with added metallic and pearls using DuPont paint
• All paint by Carrender Collision in Buckner, MO

INTERIOR

• Shop: Vintage Fabrication
• Raised dash with custom dash pad
• Custom genuine brown leather Tea’s Design seats
• Daytona weave carpet
• Custom center console with sliding door control
• Push-button start
• Nardi steering wheel mounted on Flaming River column with custom paddle shifter adapter
• Billet dash covers by Curt Cunnigham at Carriage Works
• All wood hydro-dipping done by Summit Hydro-graphics
• Full Pioneer luxury stereo DVD/Bluetooth speakers, amplifier and subwoofer
• Dynomat sound deadener
• Vintage Air air conditioning
• Seatbelt Plus seatbelts
• Clayton Machine handles

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE OWNER: “Grandpa Pete for the memories and inspiration, all the Darbyshire family who helped in decision- making, the whole team at Vintage Fabrication, the Carrender Collision crew and Jon Parman of Excessive Engineering who machined all of the billet parts for this truck.”

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