There is always going to be an attraction to owning a classic vehicle with a bit of interesting history to it. That’s the case with this 1941 GMC CC302 1½ Ton Truck, which is now looking for a new home. It is located in Commerce, Georgia, and is listed for sale here on Craigslist. If you would like to lay your hands on this old beauty, then the owner has set the price at $12,500 OBO.
Prior to its transition to civilian life, the GMC saw duty as a Wildland fire fighting appliance with the California Division of Forestry. As you can see from this photo, the truck had quite a decent setup for rapid response, but today, the majority of that equipment has gone. Still, it must have felt like something a bit special when it was new. You also have to wonder just how many fires this old girl saw, and how much property it was able to successfully protect.
The GMC is in quite good condition, with no signs of any rust issues. The red paint is peeling in a few spots, but overall, the condition is remarkably good. The fire-fighting pump on the front of the truck has gone, and a standard bumper now takes its place. Similarly, the truck now sports a custom-built flatbed with stake sides, although the original 9′ express bed and dually fenders are included in the sale. The remaining fire equipment is gone, with the exception of the 6-volt fire siren, which remains mounted on the passenger side front fender. The wheels look nice and shiny, as these have recently been sandblasted, and treated to a fresh coat of paint.
The interior of the GMC presents quite nicely, with a great combination of original and restored items. The dash wears its original finish (along with some surface corrosion), but the gauges have recently been restored using NOS parts. The seat is fitted with a new cover, while the rest of the interior is simply neat and tidy. It is certainly ready to use and enjoy immediately.
The original 216ci 6-cylinder engine still occupies the engine bay, but the GMC has undergone a transmission upgrade. The original 3-speed non-synchronized transmission has been removed, and a 4-speed transmission from a 1949-model 6400-Series truck has been installed in its place. It isn’t all bad news though, because the original transmission, which was in good condition when removed, is included, along with the bellhousing. The braking system has recently come in for a lot of work, with every item having either been replaced or restored. The electrical system has been upgraded to 12-volts, while the tie-rod ends and kingpins have also been replaced. The owner says that the truck runs and drives with no issues at all.
I know that we have a significant number of readers who have a passion for vintage trucks, and this one appears to be a good one. It is ready to be driven and enjoyed as it stands today, but I’m sure that there would also be a number of people who would love nothing better than to undertake some research, and then restore the GMC to its fire-fighting specifications. I honestly wouldn’t blame anyone who decided to follow that path, and I would love to see the results once the work has been completed.
A work of Art and Love-and to retain all of the removed original body parts then include them as part of an extremely reasonable price shows the heart of someone that built this as much for others to appreciate later; as for the builder, you are a guy we all would enjoy spending a day with talking gearhead stuff, IMHO.
If I had a use for this at the shop it would be mine already. Super price to boot.
Well worth it if you can use it.
Occasionally I pick up about 40 bales of hay for our horses in our ol 88 GMC. I’d much rather use this!
Beautiful Jimmy! Sure would be fun to drive to shows. Good luck to the new owner!!
Cheers
GPC
Only thing I would do is stain and varnish the wood stakes. The GMC logo on the tailgate is super cool
Nice truck, and just the right size to handle the larger jobs around the yard. I would do my best to revive that paint job; it looks like there is a lot of it left. That would be a 228 GMC engine and not a 216 Chevy. Power is close but the GMC does have full pressure lube for those who are nervous about that…
those 2×4 posts and home depot pine slats wont last a week. should have gone with fleming style tapered apitong sleeved posts and apitong 1×6 slats.
I better call my brother out in Georgia about this one he can always use a stump puller. Just kidding, this truck has done its hard work already now its time to be seen for show. Love this truck, would keep the 4 speed tranny.
God bless America
Agree. These trucks need all four gears.
Unless this is going to be a parade truck, the flatbed will likely need to be replaced with utility-grade wood and construction methods to match. It isnt difficult to build but needs to be done correctly to be functional. As JWinters said above, the stakes are virtually worthless unless they are captured by stake pockets. Nice truck, and a high-quality bed build would make it better.
Restore to original specs ?
What a waste of time and money that would be.
Enjoy it as it is
I believe there’s some incorrect information. There should have a 228 or 248 engine in it. 216 is a Chevy engine that was never used in GMC. It also has the wrong Park lights and rear window frame for a 41. This truck is a 42 through 47 early series.
Jeff, we found with our ’41 Jimmy that many of the WWII era trucks were cobbled together from whatever they had on hand. Ours was Olive Drab originally, and we can’t find the original serial number/engine matchup in the GMC database (so far). We are 3rd owner, had it since 1966, and it’s still a mystery after all these years!
Nice description and comments. To see our 1941 GMC in firefighting configuration check out https://firemuseumcanada.com/motorized-apparatus/