1955 GMC 100 – John S.
A Truck for the Ages
I have had many classic cars over the years. However, I never thought about getting a truck. One day in August 2007, I noticed a truck on display in front of a restaurant. It was hard not to notice it’s vibrant Dodge Viper Red paint. As I drove past I couldn’t help but want to turn back and take a closer look. When I arrived there were already quite a few people standing around admiring the truck and the owner said he had just put the truck out for sale.
The truck drew me in and I felt compelled to take it for a ride. I only took it for a short ride and although it looked good from the outside I knew it required a lot of mechanical work. The biggest problem was that the elderly man who owned the truck for the past 10 years could not recall what work had been done before or during the time he owned it. Buying I would have to be a sort of leap of faith. I knew I had to act fast so as I was contemplating the purchase, my wife reminded me that this is the month of your birthday so just go for it. We agreed on a price and the truck was mine just like that.
I didn’t know how rare the truck was until it came time to locate original body parts. For example, the front GMC logo on the hood and the middle front bumper took almost 7 years to locate. I was able to use bed rails from a 2010 Chevy truck to extend the chrome accents along the body of the truck. The balance of parts used inside and out, including the rear bumper, are from GMC. The truck is powered by a 1977 400 cubic inch Pontiac Grand Prix motor with a racing cam coupled to a turbo 400 transmission with a shift kit. Late in 1955 GMC mode only 300 1/2 ton pick-up trucks. This is 1 of only 18 long beds made that year. It’s a wonder that this workhouse survived the toils that it was designed for. Not many did, so I feel very fortunate to be able to share this with young and old who all truly appreciate this classic piece of Americana trucking. My son and I take great pride in going to numerous automobile shows per year and riding in our annual town parade each fourth of July.[lmc_story_gallery]
