Previously used a grocery store hauler, this old GMC has been parked under a lean to since 1989. The current seller purchased it in an estate auction with the intent of making a car hauler project but plans didn’t work out. Not currently running or driving, this large classic could certainly be re-purposed into a once again useful hauler. With an opening bid of $500 with a reserve, this GMC may wind up being a deal. Check it out here on ebay out of Gainesville, Georgia.
Equipped with a trusty 216 inline 6 and a 4 speed manual transmission, this truck supposedly has 52,000 actual miles based on the confirmation of the previous owners family. The seller also claims the engine is a re-manufactured unit, but there is no information on the replacement other than an engine mounted tag. Not running, and somewhat difficult to move, this truck needs all of its mechanicals checked and repaired. The driver side rear wheel is locked up, so flatbed towing will be required, or you could certainly try to free up.
Inside of this old work truck is a dusty and tattered interior. Despite the heavily worn door panels and the tattered bench seat, the rest of the interior appears without any major issue.
Fairly straight, the only real concern on this GMC is some rust that has developed in one of the cab corners, and some minor denting on the both fenders. The driver window appears to be missing or broken, and the driver side windshield appears to be delaminating. The flat bed portion is well weathered, but appears solid, and prepared enough to carry some crops. Although left for dead for so long, there is still some hope and potential for this trucks future. What would you do with this old GMC?
Farm Trucks are usually low miles because they are used locally. I bought a 1975 Chevy pickup in 1998 with 48,000 original miles for $600. It’s geared low for farm use.
Love the little slit in the bulkhead on the bed so you can see with the rearview. I dig this truck a lot. Get it working mechanically and maybe some faux patina lettering on the doors and use it as is. Thought I’d be tempted to modernize it a little with a small block and disc brakes so it can run with highway traffic.
Finally, a realistic price for an old farm truck. And that’s what it is, folks, not some fire-breathing resto-mod. I get a kick out of the speedometer. In ’52, they went with a 90 mph speedo, up from the 80 mph one. What, did they have complaints from customers “running out of numbers”? They never did 90 ( or 80, for that matter) in their best day. While it’s certainly not the pre-war Ford ( that what, they wanted 12g’s for?) this is a much better project. For a grand, you could get the engine humming, tires, brakes, and ( slowly) off you go. Pretty useless as a truck today, but a great find for a parade.
I don’t think this is a 216. Perhaps the 228 or 248. geomechs?
Hi Howard. Just thinking the same thing. I’d guess 228, or (possibly) a 270. I know of a couple of trucks similar to this one closer to home where they were re-powered with a 270. Went pretty good too. The 216 was a Chevy motor and even though it tried very hard to keep up, it couldn’t quite match the 228. Besides the 228 had the added bonus of full pressure lubrication….
Wasn’t the 270 related to the military 302? That is a wonderful engine.
Hi Dave. I think the 270 and 302 were nearly identical. The 302 was primarily a military engine but there were versions of it used in other more civilian applications, examples of which were the Futurliners. I think the 302 powered Deuce and a Half trucks well into the 60s. The 270 was used in the heavier civilian truck applications and was eventually the only six cylinder across the entire light and medium truck line through ’59 when the V-6 took over.
Absolutely………………but still useable if you don’t need to go far or fast.
Not sure, but looks like somebody removed the A/C. I don’t think I see a power steering pump either.
Hi JD, I got a chuckle out of “A/C removed”, but I think you meant air cleaner. Doesn’t matter, motor probably pretty tired anyway. A/C wasn’t in this trucks owners wildest dreams.( maybe in Texas) Power steering too. Power steering didn’t make it into trucks like this until the early 60’s, and even then, pretty rare. We called it “armstrong steering”.
The Armstrong Co made more devices than Acme had Road Runner traps.
Somebody needs to get it back to this:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8d/4e/91/8d4e91a84b6a2934fe065194f2d2aeec.jpg
That is a beauty. I have always preferred the GMC to a Chev. They generally had better engines and I love the round gauges on the dash. I had a late 53 5 window pickup as a daily driver in the early 70’s. It had a 283 with double hump heads, a dual point distributor with a powerglide. The second half of 53, GMC went to the one piece windshield. Mine also had a full chrome grill that was available as an option. Big wide tires and air shocks that were nessisary if you wanted to haul much….keeping the rear fenders off the tires. Great truck. If I had not received orders to Germany, I would still own it.
That is nice! I often wonder why so many people think that a pickup is the only cool truck to have; I guess they haven’t seen very many of these….
I think one of the problems is parking. (And lots of people want hot rods) When I lived in the east Bay Area, I was the only one within miles that even drove a crew cab flatbed. Here in Idaho they are as common as pickups. In the city we lived in in California, anything over 10,000 was illegal to park at home. It had to be in a commercial zone. Off course the dummies never figured out my truck was a 3500 with a GVW of over 12K.
I think this would be a great camper – find an airstream shell and fit it to the back, drop in a big block 454 and glamp your way across the USA!
Hi Jimbot, how’s this? https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/0d/b7/b3/0db7b3a6d74fc7ae7510e6d61575d0bd.jpg
Is Johnny Cash’s Cadillac parked behind this rig?
They are good old trucks, like to have a dollar for every Bale of hay I threw on the back of one., kind of like this.
On this series of GMC engines, the displacement is stamped into a ledge on the block next to where the distributor goes into it. 228 248 256 270 and 302. 270s and 302s were great hot rod engines, an early Chevy with a hot 270 could give the flathead Fords more than a run for their money.
The romantic version of how you want to find old trucks – parked under a lean-to and dusty.
This is NOT a 4400. That is Chevrolet nomenclature. Barn Find writers need to learn the difference, as I see this all the time, e.g, “1951 GMC 3100 1/2 ton” instead of a 100 series.
This is a GMC 300 series 1 1/2 truck.