This 1953 GMC pickup truck is like the goldilocks equivalent of just right. Some that I have reviewed are a wreck and others have been so extensively restored or modified that one would need a mortgage to make the acquisition. This example is just right as it is a nice old driver and is worthy of further investigation. It’s located in Lawrenceville, Georgia and is available, here on craigslist for $8,550. Thanks to Ikey H. for this tip!
This truck is technically a P100 model or a 1/2 ton capacity member of GMC’s “New Design” series, introduced in 1947 along with Chevrolet’s more popular “Advance-Design” model line-up. With basically the same platform as a Chevy, GMC’s were marketed to commercial/business users as Chevrolet was focused more on the retail market. Where one stopped and the other started was blurred, however. Among the more notable differences were the powerplants, Chevrolet and GMC still went their separate ways in ’53.
The seller claims, “One person said best looking one east of the Mississippi“. Well, nothing wrong with a little self-promotion I guess, subjective a comment as it is. I must admit, it’s in nice, driver shape, worn but not worn out. While hardly a show quality vehicle, it can be driven anywhere and enjoyed while still looking pretty sharp. The listing text is thin, there is little said about the truck and its condition so the images tell the story. There is no sign of rust or crash damage and the finish is certainly passable. There is no description of the cargo bed floor’s condition and no revealing image provided. The five-window cab style does enhance this truck’s marketability.
Under the hood is a 93 HP, 228 CI, in-line, six-cylinder engine. This is a unique GMC motor though it has design similarities to Chevrolet’s stove bolt six. The seller and the odometer claim 64K miles but there is no documentation referenced to authenticate that claim. The seller lists this truck as “road-worthy” but that’s it for a mechanical or operational dissertation. While a three-speed manual transmission was the standard gearbox and is present in this truck, ’53 was the first year that GMC offered GM’s Hydramatic automatic in their truck line-up.
The interior is probably the strongest aspect of this truck. The upholstery looks new, a modern vinyl pattern actually, and the instrument panel is well finished off with clear legible gauges. There is one image of the floor and the rubber mat is sound, probably a more recent replacement. Ditto the door cards, in many of these old pickups there is nothing left of either of them. That’s not the case here as they appear to match, or at least be similar, to the seat upholstery/pattern and color.
The seller is enthusiastic about his truck’s value, stating, “People are saying I’m asking too little. Going for the best offer over my asking price.” He may be trying to raise value expectations with that statement but the marketplace will ultimately decide, especially if there is a “best offer” over the asking price offered. Ths GMC is a nice reasonable truck and it deserves a nice reasonable price; what do you think that price is?
I’ve often been puzzled by this strategy. It is just counter intuitive. Tell me how much you want and I will tell you what I am willing to pay his how I’ve been programmed.
Gone.
Steve R
Cmon. A ’53 GMC has door cards? Wheeler Dealers seems to have infected our hobby with affectations.
It’s 67 years old! Somebody took good care of the old girl.
I understand the GMC six was quite an engine, different from the Chevy cousin.
Chas
Well love me some 5 window! But someone either paid through the nose or the seller got tired of looking for a…ummm…………..person who appreciated the ‘low’ price.
Somebody (geomechs, HoA) would know, but were the babbit pounders gone in ’53? I’m guessing they were.
I’d like to bump into one I’d pay for and relive my errant yute.
I know I’m showing my newby-ism here, but could somebody explain the “5 window” moniker to me, please? Is the windshield not included, as it’s not a window?
Thanks,
Tim
@Timmerz, correct. Virtually every car has a windshield. That’s a given. But the majority of these trucks only had the back window and the two door windows. It was the two additional windows on the corners that set these apart, thus the five window moniker.
It’s the 2 door windows and the 3 windows in the back of the cab….or, the “corner” cab windows. Most trucks just had the one window out the back…
8500 is a good price for that truck drop an LS, automatic in the truck them 20k is the value of that truck, think about that
I was sent to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska in November of ’60, and learned fairly quickly what cars were most favored. The consensus I got was that if you needed a good relatively cheap car for year-around duty, or even for navigating what was still called the “Alcan”, your best bet was an early- to mid-fifties Chevy with a GMC 6-cylinder transplant. I never got to drive one of those, but knew of at least two that had quite a bit of “Alcan Time” on them and were still going strong. The most obvious difference between the two engines was that the earlier Chevys were still using poured-metal bearings instead of modern shell ones, but the differences also included better porting in the cylinder head.