From the days when a GMC truck was a GMC, and not a Chevy, we have this 1950 GMC 100 for your review. The seller bought it a year ago but does not disclose why he’s ready to move it on – perhaps it’s a bit more of a challenge than he assumed, so let’s look it over and see what it needs. Spring Hill, Kansas, is where you’ll find it, and it’s available here on eBay for a current no-reserve bid of $1,450 with one bid tendered so far.

While Chevy trucks from this era (’47-’55) were known as the “Advance Design”, GMC went with the moniker “New Design”. They’re very similar, though the GMCs used their own powerplants and featured a wheelbase that was two inches longer than the three different corresponding ones offered by Chevrolet. Also, the frame girders of the GMC are a bit more stout than those employed on the Bowtie version. Our subject is a half-ton model, known as a “100”, though three-quarter and one-ton variants, the same as Chevrolet provided, were offered. The seller suggests, “The vehicle needs work and is not regularly driven.” Yeah, I can believe that. There’s plenty of surface rust noted, as well as some rot-through in places such as the running boards. While it’s not stated in the listing text, this truck is wearing a 1986 Iowa license plate, which is reason to believe it has been off the road for 39 years. All of the glass is fogged or delaminated, half the windshield is broken, the rear cargo bed floor has been either covered or replaced with a sheet of plywood, and this baby needs a restraining strap to hold the hood and/or fenders in place – yeah, it’s gonna need a lot of work. I wonder about the underside integrity…

I’d like to tell you a bit about the interior, but there’s a radiator in the way as well as a box of detritus, so who knows? The gauges are cloudy and deteriorating, the floor is disturbed with a jumble of mats or coverings, and there’s at least a roll of duct tape attempting to reupholster the seat bottom. Well, you can see where I’m going. This environment will need to be blown up and started over.

Likely powering this rig, at least at one time, is a 93 gross HP, 228 CI, GMC, in-line six-cylinder engine attached to what I believe is a four-speed manual transmission (floor shift as opposed to column shift). I say likely, as there was an optional 270 CI powerplant available too, but the listing is mum on powertrain specifics. The engine compartment reveals a motor that hasn’t run in many moons, and there’s no included discourse regarding its viability.

The seller suggests, “Perfect Rat Rod or restoration project. Great Patina. 5 window…” Yeah, I suppose, but as is often the case, this one will take a ton of time, effort, and $$$ to bring around. Of course, being the less commonly encountered GMC, as opposed to a Chevy, helps with its cause a bit. There’s not much movement on the bid so far, so at least the price of entry might be reasonable, wouldn’t you agree?