Roger Party, your GMC is ready!

[balthazar]

It's got your desired powertrain : Pontiac 347 and HydraMatic, supposedly one of 603 units

[balthazar]

Truck was last registered in '98. It's complete, engine/trans is original, owner says is starts right up. However, systems will have to be gone thru of course.

LOTS of extra & new parts- new emblems, new hood 'GMC' piece, quality-made cab corners, original steel rims, crossmember- whole bed is full of parts.

Seat upholstery is not original, but it's in great shape. I'd guesstimate its 98% complete. Will need work obviously.

Guy is asking $3K, says he has $2600 into it.

Mutual friend/ wheeler dealer says he should take $2K cash and be thankful.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Rough, but has potential after a LOT of work is put into it. I could see this being a 10-year project for me, with money being the main factor (I'd have to outsource most of the work needed for this). It's a shame because you're right balthazar, the 347 GMC V8 and Hydramatic trans are my desired drivetrain. '55/'56 are my preferred years, though I wouldn't turn down a '57. Sadly the budget doesn't exist for this vehicle - I have about half what is needed to buy it

[GMTruckGuy74]

Ultimately, I could see this looking like:

[balthazar]

I haven't seen a '55-57 GMC in the wild in years & years- might be some time before another shows up, esp with the PMD V8.

I hear you about the money, tho; times are tight. I'll keep an eye out, as always; we'll get you that GMC yet.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Guy is asking $3K, says he has $2600 into it.

Mutual friend/ wheeler dealer says he should take $2K cash and be thankful.

Somehow, I missed the second part of this statement. Did the owner seem to think this was possible? I'd have to agree, honestly. There is a ton of rust (was it parked in a lake since '98? ) It will need a lot of work no doubt, but if the frame is good and most of the cab is intact, the rest can be sourced as time and money allow.

[GMTruckGuy74]

I haven't seen a '55-57 GMC in the wild in years & years- might be some time before another shows up, esp with the PMD V8.

I hear you about the money, tho; times are tight. I'll keep an eye out, as always; we'll get you that GMC yet.

I'm seeing less and less each year myself. I could count on seeing some '55-'59 GMCs at the bigger classic truck shows, but either owners are not bringing them out or the market is drying up. At this year's ATHS truck show in Macungie (June), I saw only one '55-'59 GMC there, a '57 from NJ that I've seen there multiple times in the past. A '56 GMC from NY state that has been a part of the last two year's shows was absent, as was the OldGMCTrucks.com group that usually show up with 3-4 GMCs from the club. I'm not holding too high of spirits for the upcoming AACA Fall Meet in Hershey, as it's been a while since I've spotted a '55-'59 GMC either in the car corral or show fields.

$1,300-$1,500 and I could likely bring myself to buy that '57 GMC - though I know a lot of replacement pieces/parts will be needed for that cab. $2,000 is a stretch right now - I have to start moving more of my toy & diecast collection and stop spending money elsewhere and maybe I can have an extra $500-$1,000 available for a find.

[GMTruckGuy74]

This one was a barn find in summer '11:

They're still out there!!

[balthazar]

I know a lot of replacement pieces/parts will be needed for that cab."<<

The cab corners come with it, the rest of the metalwork is flat stock patching. Original dash, seat & wheel are there, tho. Only thing else it needs that I noted are a radio & rearview mirror (may in the crates of stuff).

Rest of the body work necc. is also small piecing in- a few spots on the bedsides, etc. It's much more work that buying parts.

I'm not sure how low the owner will go, but I get the idea that $2K wouldn't do it. Then again- I just met the guy, and he was tough to get a read on (biker, drinker, a bit befuddled by car restoration). He wanted the money to put toward a '37 Cadillac he had also bought, but needed everything PLUS a LOT of poor work undone on it by someone previous. That seemed to be his focus, and he had bikes for sale also- including an LT1-powered Harley (!)

My impression is it's a good solid start, it's mostly complete, it has the V8/HM & the chrome package. If this were my dream vehicle, I'd seriously offer $2K on it & start going. Trucks are SO MUCH easier to rebuild than cars fo the same vintage. The emblems- whether their NOS or repro- have to be worth $400 all day (hood GMC & backing grille, both HydraMatic & both V8 emblems), which is way cheaper than getting pitted originals filled & rechromed. Only thing I'm not sure I prefer is the long bed.

[ocnblu]

I'm trying to figure out the original color on Balthy's thread-opener truck. I keep coming back to battleship gray, based on the door guts, and some other areas where various colors have been worn off, etc.

EDIT: Seems like "Harmony Gray", according to a paint chart from 1957.

Edited September 8, 2012 by ocnblu

[GMTruckGuy74]

balthazar, do you recall seeing a VIN-like plate on the driver's side A-pillar and a data plate on the driver's side door jam? If these are missing, well...

[A Horse With No Name]

I wish I was in a better position for a long term project, I would actually buy this myself.

I have decided to cut my automotive bucket list to two vehicles, I would like to possibly still build a Factory Five Cobra, and I would really love a vintage truck.

This pretty much takes the kit price of a Factory five and lops a zero off, making it muhc more do-able.

NEAT project....

I am in a lot of lust over this one, actually.

[balthazar]

Pics taken @ night- that grey was white. In looking over the pics & remembering last night- I couldn't tell you the original color. The red appears to the the original interior color tho.

[hyperv6]

Ultimately, I could see this looking like:

We have a Chevy for sale just like this one near my home. I almost stopped to see how much but I would be too tempted and my wife would not be happy.

[Camino LS6]

I'm going to guess red for the original color.

It might not take all that much to make this driveable - full resto is another story.

[A Horse With No Name]

Full resto would bankrupt a small third world nation, but making it a decent rad rod or decent cruiser is doable.

I like this truck, and actually this thing is making me think....

[balthazar]

I DID see the data plate, I noted that the original HP was listed as 205 IIRC.

Problem is, Rog, is the cheaper trucks take that much more money to make roadable.

The rule of thumb on vintage stuff is buy the best condition you can afford and you'll save over spending lessinitially on a worse-condition truck (unless you have a shop and can get the labor done for next to nothing). Rust-free is of course preferable, but not likely on a 55 yr old truck in Jersey. I've owned far worse shape trucks.

[balthazar]

Others... just because :

http://baltimore.cra...3210484215.html

http://saltlakecity....3135648618.html

http://cosprings.cra...3198308149.html

http://smd.craigslis...3171460129.html

http://delaware.crai...3215543330.html

http://goldcountry.craigslist.org/cto/3187803799.html

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwi/bar/3213406780.html

http://fresno.craigslist.org/cto/3175991315.html

[ocnblu]

Well I am looking at the shot showing the door at the opposite side, untrimmed, showing hardware with no overspray, and that area appears to be Harmony Gray. The same gray color shows in other small areas of the interior where other subsequent colors are flaked off.

[Camino LS6]

Like that Longhorn...

[balthazar]

Well I am looking at the shot showing the door at the opposite side, untrimmed, showing hardware with no overspray, and that area appears to be Harmony Gray. The same gray color shows in other small areas of the interior where other subsequent colors are flaked off.

But that's the interior, and under the door panelette. Might that not be factory primer vs. finished ext color?

[ocnblu]

Too glossy. One can also see the same color on the A-pillar in the same shot, and in the shot showing the right side step, amidst areas of the red flaking off. Also, look at the sloppy application of red on the steering column, at the shift indicator area. To me, the red seems sloppily applied throughout. In the shot showing the interior looking at the back glass, one can see gray at the very edge of the sheetmetal along the top of the glass.

I am wondering how interior color was applied on these trucks in 1957. Was red an interior color option? If so, how much of the interior would have been red? It seems like a rather base model truck (v. a Suburban) with favorable powertrain options, although the chrome v. white exterior trim might prove me wrong.

[Robert Hall]

I was under the impression that trucks back then had interior metal the same color as the exterior and that only the soft parts (seat, door panels, floor mat) varied in color, or maybe that was just how the low line models were. (at least that's how I've painted my 1:25th scale models of trucks of that era based on photos I've seen of 1:1 ones..

Edited September 9, 2012 by Cubical-aka-Moltar

[ocnblu]

That is what I am thinking as well, Moltie. The exposed area of the door appears unmolested factory color, the red and white are far too sloppily applied to be original, imo. I do see red at the firewall area, but that appears sloppy as well.

[ocnblu]

Looking at renderings in the '57 brochure, it shows a green exterior pickup cab with interior painted to match except for attached trim, but it also shows a medium-duty cab-over with red exterior and gray painted interior.

Edited September 9, 2012 by ocnblu

[balthazar]

Could be right- there was overspray everywhere. The black exterior primer was shot earlier that day- it still stunk of spray paint at 8PM.

'exterior color = interior color doesn't ring true as SOP to me, but not sure. My '40 Ford is Vermillion red in & out, but my '57 F-250 had a dark green ext & a black interior.

Moltie- you may have paid more attention to this question via modeling than I have in real life knocking around.

[ocnblu]

[balthazar]

Looking at renderings in the '57 brochure, it shows a green exterior pickup cab with interior painted to match except for attached trim, but it also shows a medium-duty cab-over with red exterior and silver painted interior.

I see that.

'55 GMC brochure lists color combos ::

standard cabs are Harmony Gray & Panama Cream

DeLuxe cabs are either Aqua Blue/Dover White, Seminole Brown/Panama Cream or Delta Green/Aspen Green, harmonized w/ the exterior color.

http://www.oldcarbro...MC Cabs-03.html

Ocnblu gets the Kewpie.

What must be the factory green combo :

This one sure looks correct, but the colors...:

http://www.russoandsteele.com/past-collector-car/1957-GMC-100-Pickup/5350

[ocnblu]

...here's a nice rendering of the Harmony Gray/Panama Cream standard cab interior. Edited September 9, 2012 by ocnblu

[ocnblu]

Yup, and at your link to the Old Car Brochure, on a subsequent page about the cabs, it states that all interior surfaces were primed and then painted, there would have been no exposed primed surfaces on a 1957 GMC truck cab interior before final assembly.

Edited September 9, 2012 by ocnblu

[balthazar]

^ sure, not exposed, but these had a metal 'door panel' covering the area of the pic with the grey showing. It's possible in my mind that they could have sprayed around that area rather than giving it a thorough coat, since they knew it would be covered. I've seen this done on '60s cars, like the A-Bodies where the interior metal top edges of the door were painted & the door panel started down a few inches, but behind the door panel it wasn't painted. However, all the GM factory primer I've seen from the '50s was not that dark of a grey.

My theory was incorrect and you were right on the Harmony Gray interior.

[ocnblu]

My next question then is... if it had the base interior treatment, how come it has chrome exterior instead of white? Or could the deluxe interior and chrome exterior be ordered independently?

Apples to oranges, I know, but I am assuming a Ford Custom Cab came with chrome exterior/deluxe interior as a package...

Edited September 9, 2012 by ocnblu

[GMTruckGuy74]

Truthfully, I'm not a big fan of the restored long bed GMC pickups of this generation:

If it was for a restored fire department vehicle, maybe (they needed the longer bed for the equipment that would be placed back there). As a car show, fair weather cruiser type of ownership experience I desire, the short bed is the one I want.

This one - http://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/3215543330.html - was listed on CL for over two years at $2,500 with an extra cab and other parts for $2,500 in Pottstown, PA. I wonder if this is a new seller that has buyer's remorse!! It is a '56 and not a '57 - I see this seller hasn't corrected that in his ad (the original Pottstown ad also listed it as a '57).

This one - http://goldcountry.craigslist.org/cto/3187803799.html - is the ultimate machine for me in the sense it's a 1956, though it's a very basic pickup. More likely worth $1,000-$1,500 than $3,200.

This one is my favorite of all that you listed - http://smd.craigslist.org/cto/3171460129.html. 347 GMC (Pontiac) V8, Hydramatic Auto Trans, 6' bed. Much better starting condition for a full-restoration. I wish I had a winning lottery ticket right now as I'd be all over this one.

Anything I buy will end up as a full restoration job. I want an original, stock classic GMC pickup. I realize that this will take both time and money to accomplish, but I want what I want

[Camino LS6]

I can respect that, Roger.

But I still like the longbed

[balthazar]

I'd have to go with the shortbed- the way the bed sticks so far outside the fenders strikes me strange. They had 6', 8' and 9', right?

Roger- I agree that that last one looks like a very solid base.

[ocnblu]

Sorry to go all Matlocky and ruin the thread. It's just that I love trying to figure these things out.

[Camino LS6]

Sorry to go all Matlocky and ruin the thread. It's just that I love trying to figure these things out.

Well, you are our resident guru of paint - I think you're entitled.

[Camino LS6]

I'd have to go with the shortbed- the way the bed sticks so far outside the fenders strikes me strange. They had 6', 8' and 9', right?

Yeah, but you know me, I like different. The term "Longhorn" applies to the 9' beds - although this is the first time I've seen it applied to a pre-1960s truck.

[hyperv6]

The one exception I like over the short stepside is the GMC model that had the Cameo bed on it. Someone here when I was growing up had a red one with all the chorme etc. The restored it and sold it about 5 years later.

The real problem is for the cost of restoring one anymore like this it is almost cheaper in the long run to buy one already restored. Even with doing the work yourself the problem of getting parts is so expensive unless they have been reproduced. Even then they are not cheap.

While these are worth some money the cost often out weigh the value. With the rust here it may be an issues unless you can find a doaner cab and bed from the SW.

[A Horse With No Name]

Which is why I said rat rod or fair weather cruiser.

Although for guys like GMCTG and I, it is easier sometimes to sweat it our one moulding or one trim piece at a time, than to go for a fully restored truck.

In my case, I have a few body shops willing to do Electrical/HVAC work in trade for body work, so I could swap favors and cut deals on THAT end of it.

Also, I'd be perfectly happy with the old 350/350 setup, as long as the truck looked mostly original....

But I am liking this project. The trucks of this era are growing on me...I previously really liked the 48-55 ERA of GM truck better...but I am seeing what Roger likes in these....

What would really help is some advice on buying a project...what are these trucks really worth as projects, and what are they really worth done....

[A Horse With No Name]

Agree with Roger that this is overpriced...

http://delaware.craigslist.org/cto/3215543330.html

[GMTruckGuy74]

What would really help is some advice on buying a project...what are these trucks really worth as projects, and what are they really worth done....

From what I've personally seen, restored pickups ('55-'59 GMCs) tend to sell in the $12-$25k range, depending on model, trim, drivetrain, and level of restoration. A Suburban Carrier (GMC "Cameo") will sell for much higher restored, since there are less of these available than the similar Cevy Cameo.

As with any restoration project, your love for the thing will cost you more than you'll ever get in return at time of sale. What you realistically buy the project for is up to your negotiation skills and the sellers desire to part with the thing for the cash being offered. If I have $2,500 cash on hand, I'd be all over the seller of the one '57 GMC balthazar posted from CL. $2,500 cash in hand could motivate the seller to part, unless he was in more than that and wanted to hold out.

[A Horse With No Name]

Glad to know that these trucks are still this affordable, as so much other stuff has shot up into the stratosphere.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Well, trucks are not muscle cars or pony cars, they don't ride too well and even when equipped with a V8 they are usually geared for hauling/towing not off-the-line performance. Not saying you can't do that with a truck, but most 100% original trucks were designed to do a specific job, not for cruising or street racing. Plus not everyone is into trucks The prices have gone up and down since I've been watching them (around 1989-1990). Rare models and limited production models (Cameo/Suburban Carrier, Power Wagon, etc) seem to hold their value and restored versions have sky-rocketing prices. Your grandpa's old farm truck sitting in the field, small rear cab window, 3-speed manual, 6-cylinder engine can be had for almost a steal (couple thousand). My problem is I've only got a single thousand to work with (sad, but true). Something always seems to come along and take that money away from me (two lay-offs, debt issues, etc. - I once had close to three saved up but that's the way life goes).

Anyone that is looking out for me - balthazar seems to be the main one and I thank you from the bottom of my heart - '55-'56 GMC is my heart's desire, and I would consider a '57-'59 too. But I also love the '68-'72 GMC pickup, Suburban and Jimmy, and also the '73-'79 and '85-'87 GMC Sierra Classics. I've got a solid $1,000 to work with, and could possibly come up with another couple of hundred if the timings right. I plan to increase this fund soon by selling off a large chunk of toys and automobilia - that is if I get off my arse and go through the basement

[A Horse With No Name]

I'll post pics later, but thought of you today. Three quarter ton....81....31,000 original miles and clean chevy guy wanted like three and a half grand for....thought of you and camino both!

[A Horse With No Name]

Off topic, but here she is....

Notice how clean the bed is on this thing....

And while we are at it, this thing has been following me all over Columbus...I think of you guys every time I see it..

Edited September 10, 2012 by A Horse With No Name

[balthazar]

^ Ahhh... a BonnEvil !

My buddy has the twin (same hue, 4-dr hardtop), but in a Catalina.

[Camino LS6]

That truck is one of my least favorite years, but it sure is clean!

[GMTruckGuy74]

That truck is one of my least favorite years, but it sure is clean!

Agreed. I don't like the '80 models (the base & mid-level models look like '79s, but the top-of-the-line models received square headlights in the rounded grille which looks odd to me). '81 & '82 models, especially Chevies, have the wierd grille/headlight set-up as pictured above on the brown Chevy, with the turn signals in the bumper.

'83 & '84 Chevies had a nice looking grille, but I prefer the '85-'87 grille design better:

'83 & '84 GMCs had a nice looking grille too compared to the '81-'82s, but I still prefer the '85-'87 better:

Here are the '85-'87 pickup uplevel grilles:

GMC

Chevrolet