It shames me to admit it, but I’ve never owned a proper pickup truck. Although I’ve long used my ’65 Dodge Dart wagon for similar purposes, it’s not the same as throwing greasy engine parts over the bedside to take to the machine shop, or hauling home a stack of 2x4s without having to fold the rear seat down and leave them hanging over the tailgate. No, nothing but a truck will do sometimes, and I’ve had a hard time deciding what my perfect truck would be. Until now. This 60,085-mile 1963 GMC is for sale on eBay at a dealer in Pleasanton, California, with an asking price of $14,995. Aside from one concern that I’ll discuss in a minute, it’s exactly what I’d want in a truck. How about you?

My concern is the engine. The seller has posted a video of the engine running, and while the ad says it “runs even and sounds healthy,” there’s an audible rhythmic noise that does not sound right. Cameras can absolutely distort sound, so I’d want to check the truck out myself or have a chat with the selling dealer; if it ends up being something innocuous like an out-of-adjustment valve, I’d be in love with the 60-degree GMC 305 V6. Is it the best practical choice for a modern truck? Of course not. But is it something that a guy who loves quirky old things would appreciate? Yes, it is. The 305 produced 165 gross and 142 net horsepower, along with 280 gross and 260 net lb.-ft. of torque at a low 1600 rpm. Having never owned one, I cannot corroborate this, but according to things I’ve read, fuel economy was fairly poor with the big six (although we can always expect comparatively poor mileage from our older rigs); however, they were designed as a heavy-duty truck engine from the start.

The doortag shows us that what we see is what we get: a two-wheel-drive, half-ton, V6-powered longbed GMC truck built in Pontiac, Michigan.

This GMC was purchased from a Texas collection that was stored in a warehouse for at least 30 years. Aside from getting the truck running, the seller says that other mechanical needs will still need to be addressed, meaning that it will be a good idea to inspect (and probably replace) brake hydraulics and change all the fluids. The interior appears to be in excellent original condition, and you’ll get some three-on-the-tree driving practice. You’ll also get a bicep and a quadricep workout: no power steering or brakes here.

The undercarriage looks nearly immaculate, and the painted floorpans seem to indicate that the turquoise paint is original, although I can’t find it on any period paint chips.

The 1960-66 Chevrolet/GMC pickups have, in my opinion, some great, purposeful styling, but I tend to prefer the GMC variant if for no other reason than the huge “G-M-C” block letters in the grille.

There’s no doubt about it; if I were going to buy a truck right now, this would be at the top of my list. Nevertheless, I’d be getting to the bottom of that noise I’m hearing in the video before I wrote the proverbial check.