REBUILT FOR SPEED
Introducing the 1973 GMC SIERRACER
WHEN YOU’RE HOOKED, you’re hooked—there’s just no way around it. Jim Fields of Fort Worth, Texas, knew instantly when he was caught up in the whole performance truck thing hook, line and sinker. Jim has always been partial to classic GM pickups, as he has owned a customized one for a while now, but just in the last couple years has he experienced something unlike anything else like it in the automotive world that forced him to take action with his old GMC truck.
“I’ve always liked the ’73-’87 Squarebody trucks,” Jim says. “I lucked out during my search for a truck as a ’73 with a somewhat rare original olive/white color combo crossed my path. It was pretty clean and rust free, and the natural patina was to my liking—it was a major score.”
Jim had a good time with his truck, as he simply built the thing to cruise around and take to shows, but it wasn’t until a trip to local Goodguys event that totally changed the way he looked at classic trucks.
“Once I saw these trucks on the autocross course, I was instantly dead set on transforming my Squarebody into something that could maneuver like the ones I was in awe of at that show,” Jim adds.
He did appreciate the fact that a lot of care and skill goes into building trucks to move and turn the way the others did at the track, and he wanted to make sure his truck was built the right way the first time around, so he enlisted the help of a local Fort
Worth shop Scot Rods Garage to do things correctly.
Since Scots Rods Garage specializes in all customizable facets of street rods, muscle cars and everything else in between, there really wasn’t anything Jim wanted that they couldn’t handle. To start the overhaul process of Jim’s Squarebody, the truck’s original chassis was completely removed and slated to be replaced by something much more specialized and capable for the autocross arena.
“We ran with a Speetech Extreme chassis for true Pro Touring suspension handling,” Jim says. “In fact, at the time of installation, this was the first Squarebody to sit atop a Speedtech custom chassis, which was a big deal to us.”
Since all of Speedtech’s chassis platforms are completely customizable, addons are plentiful in order to dial a truly purpose-driven work of rolling art. While this route doesn’t necessarily walk on the “cheap” side of the tracks,