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.”
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
