1959 GMC 100 – Jacky T.

“Do you still want this old truck?” he asked.
“I do, but I don’t know if I can afford it now that I am married and have a new baby,” I answered.
“Well, you can afford this,” Uncle Glen said, “I’m going to give it to you.”

I had asked about buying the truck for several years, but he didn’t want to sell it because he still used it on his Dean, TX dairy, outside of Wichita Falls. I had fond memories of the truck because I remember driving it as a teenager to round up cows and hunt jackrabbits with my cousin, Danny. The year was 1972 and the 1959 truck was now 13 years-old. Uncle Glen had bought it brand new off a Wichita Falls car lot in late 1958. It was what they called a “fleet option truck” with single headlights on a wide front end instead of the dual headlights.

After a few repairs, I drove back and forth to work for several years until the brakes went out in 1986. My intention was to repair it, but life happened along the way. At least once a month, someone would call wanting to buy the old truck with the grass and weeds growing up around it. I’d tell them “thanks” but I didn’t want to sell. It had been in the Tucker family all its life! Finally, in 2014, I decided to restore it.

Just getting it out of the weeds and trees growing up around it and through the bed was an ordeal in itself. I was originally going to go back all-stock, but some parts were just not available for the motor so even though I had bought and installed several parts from LMC already, I had to change the 270 engine to a 350 and the manual transmission to an automatic.

Took us about three years, but thanks to God and LMC Truck, it finally runs good. Bodywork and painting took the longest but it not only runs good, it looks good, too. Uncle Glen would be proud that it’s still in the Tucker name after 60 years![lmc_story_gallery]