Farm Find – Jeremy Meredith Turns a Forlorn ’55 GMC Into a Twin Turbo Terror
An unrestored truck offers something a freshly restored example cannot: honesty. Nicked paint and weathered surfaces reveal exactly what a buyer is getting. Nothing is hidden beneath body filler, primer, or a shiny new finish. Some enthusiasts even argue that restoring a vehicle amounts to erasing part of its provenance. Once the original paint, factory worker’s fingerprints, and hard-earned scars disappear, the backstory can never be recovered.
As the acceptance of what we now call patina has grown over the past couple decades, it has even become commonplace for some builders to spend considerable time and money recreating the effects of age. That wasn’t necessary on Jeremy Meredith’s ’55 GMC as Mother Nature spent decades applying her weathered brushstrokes to the truck, free of charge. Combined with a custom chassis and twin-turbo LS power, the farm-truck character on steroids earned the GMC plenty of attention at the Summit Racing Nationals in Columbus.
“A friend of mine had the truck stashed in a Kentucky open-faced barn for over 20 years,” Jeremy says. “My brother and I have a small shop, and we build old Chevy and GMC trucks, so it was on our radar. When I saw this truck with its killer patina, great original color, big back window, and that huge GMC chrome grille and front end, I knew I had to have it.”
Jeremy bought the truck, brought it home, and completed the build with his brother, Hunter, in just under two years. The sheet metal didn’t need much help, which is the best part of a patina build. Tech guru Nick Cripps modified the cab supports and applied a matte wipe-on clear coat from Poppy’s Patina to preserve the weathered old paint.
Beneath that sheet metal, Steve Thompson of Thompson’s Garage constructed a custom frame finished by Viking Custom Powder Coating. The suspension combines tubular front control arms, QA1 ball joints, a Mustang II-style power steering rack, a parallel rear four-link setup, and Firestone air springs. A Ford 9-inch rearend houses 3.20 gears, while Wilwood front and GM rear disc brakes provide stopping power. Detroit Steel 20×8- and 20×10-inch D-Town steelies and Diamond Back tires complete the stance.
A 5.3-liter GM LC9 V8 provides a departure from the GMC’s farm-working past. Nick Cripps built the engine using aluminum heads, a Holley Hi-Ram intake, and 100-pound injectors. A pair of Mirror Image 67mm VS Racing turbochargers supply the boost, with exhaust exiting through fender dumps. Though never on a dyno, Jeremy estimates its output somewhere north of 500 horsepower. A modified 4L80E automatic with a lockup converter sends the twist to the stern. A 22-gallon TANKS, Inc. fuel tank helps Jeremy put roughly 2,000 miles on the GMC each year.
Inside, the stock dashboard and original steering wheel preserve the truck’s straightforward character, along with the modified original bench seat reupholstered in a vintage-style pattern by Mars Customs. Dakota Digital instruments monitor the new drivetrain, while Vintage Air climate control, a Rebel Wire electrical system, and a Bluetooth stereo provide modern accoutrements.
While most folks think old Chevy and GMC trucks are clones, Jeremy notes that was not his experience with this build. “Fitment for the Vintage Air, core support, dash, and other items are all different for the GMCs,” he says. “Lots of things had to be modified to make them work.”
Today, the finished truck still looks like a bluegrass farm find. Its history remains visible, but the custom chassis, air suspension, and twin-turbo LS power bring the truck into the 21st century. The result is the best of old and new, preserving the GMC’s past while giving the truck new life in the sunshine, far, far away from that dusty old barn.
Photos: Austin Bengston
