Square Body pickups built between 1973 and 1987 by General Motors are a hot commodity in the vintage vehicle market right now, but Dave Metituk took his 1982 GMC Sierra Classic to a completely different level when he became the truck’s owner in 2021.
Dave told MyStarCollectorCar that his ’82 GMC “was not a restoration…it was a reimagination”, a process he believed made the truck into something unique and cool.
It’s an opinion we believe describes the resto mod to a tee.
Jim Sutherland
Dave is a seasoned builder who typically applies his skills to somebody else’s automotive dream, but the 1982 GMC short box project was built for himself during the Covid era and required some radical changes to achieve his resto mod goal.
For example, the truck’s powertrain was swapped out for an LS engine because the new age GM small block offered a major performance boost for the ’82 GMC pickup. Dave connected the LS small block to a newer transmission so the wiring process to connect the modern powertrain combination to a 1982 GMC was complicated, but his skill set includes custom-built wiring systems.
The ’82 GMC can run with the big dogs all day, but Dave wanted his classic pickup to stop on a dime, so he added a beefy four-wheel disc brake system. The net result is a resto mod pickup that really goes-and can really whoa in a hurry.
Creature comforts were also addressed in the ’82 Sierra resto mod project, including power windows, air conditioning, power brakes, power steering, and BMW leather seats, along with a Bluetooth sound system to add some enjoyable noise to the now-quiet cabin area in the truck.
The net result is a truck that’s “beautiful on the highway”, in Dave’s words because it is so quiet inside and has so many modern upgrades.
Dave pointed out the GMC’s tailgate had catches donated by a Dodge Dakota pickup truck because they provided a smoother operation when the tailgate was closed or opened.
The truck’s unusual nickname is Hef and was inspired by the Playboy licence plate holder on the GMC when Dave bought it.
The ‘82 GMC already had a two-tone paint job when Dave became its owner, but he added his own touch when he put vinyl wrap to replace one of the colors in the paint scheme. He added the vinyl addition allows him to “change the color in a day”, in his words.
Dave told MyStarCollectorCar he is “goal-driven and starts with a big project and then figures out the little details” to hit the finish line. His GMC is an excellent example of what happens when Dave asked himself: “What is the coolest thing I could do with this”?
The correct answer: take a vintage Square Body pickup and build it into a combination of new technology and old school style to make it even better.
The net result is a retro ride that was “built to beat up on 2000 Camaros”, in Dave’s words.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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