One Family Owned: 1959 GMC 100 Pickup

One of the more melancholy aspects of old car ownership is knowing that your classic car (or fleet of them) will eventually be cast to the four winds. That’s not always a bad thing, as getting a car into the right hands is certainly why we’re here, and this one-family-owned 1959 GMC might be just the truck you’ve been looking for. All-Star Barn Finder Curvette spotted it here on craigslist in Seattle, Washington, and although it’s what I’d call a “running project,” it could be used basically as-is while you tend to some of the items on the repair list. The asking price is $9,800.

The seller was kind enough to post a picture of the VIN tag, which in the case of this GMC really doesn’t tell us too much. It’s a “Series 102” model, which simply meant that it is a half-ton pickup with an eight-foot bed. The “P” means it was assembled in Pontiac, which is located in the great state of Michigan, and that also might explain why the GMC’s optional V8 in 1959 was a 336-cubic-inch Pontiac unit (called a GMC in factory literature), which differed from engines in Pontiacs of the same era by having a smaller bore. This truck, however, has the tried-and-true Jimmy six, the 270, which produced 130 gross horsepower and 121 net horsepower in its final go-round. Net peak torque was 233 lb.-ft. at a stump-pulling 1200 rpm.

Even the sales literature hinted at the temporary demise of the inline-six, saying “the trend is to V-Type engines.” Indeed, the 1960 models introduced the 60-degree V6, but I don’t think anyone will be upset by seeing the old 270 under the hood of this one. The seller has done quite a bit of work on the truck (which is said to have 43,000 miles on it): It has new brakes, brake lines, wheel bearings, shocks, distributor cap, rotor, and spark plugs/wires. The radiator looks too clean to have not been dealt with at some point, but that’s just conjecture.

While a three-speed manual on the column was standard, this truck has four-on-the-floor, which would have been an SM420 in 1959. The interior looks like it’s in perfectly usable shape, especially if you plan to use this truck for truck things.

Unfortunately, before that happens, the truck will need a bed. Wooden bed kits appear to be available in the aftermarket, but they are not inexpensive; of course, there are other alternatives if you’re handy. The tool box is sold separately, by the way.

Yes, after 67 years in the same family, this GMC is looking for a new home, and given the popularity of trucks these days, I don’t think it will have a hard time finding one. It represents a few “lasts” for GMC, but yours might be its first new digs in years.