A 'virtual garage' of antique Chevy & GMC trucks from around the World
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
1953 GMC Suburban
 |
Owned by James Galloway |
03 September 2007
USA Labor Day
# 2038
From Jim :
Here's my entry for the Gallery. It's my 1953 GMC Suburban that was bought new by the U.S. Army in 1953. It was used by the Army as an Ambulance. I have the old photo of it with the rear seat in it. The guy I got it from threw away that and the things that were on the other side of the cargo area that held supplies. Yup, I'm sick about it but oh well!
The truck sold some time later to the Colorado Forestry Service. We found the paint / lettering. It was used by them for awhile and then sat in a barn for 30 years. This is how it sits now -- here's a pix from the backside.
Here some technical stuff.
- It has 80-some thousand miles on it.
- It's bare Steel so you can see how nice the sheet metal is.
- It was also bone stock eight months ago! Here's a front driver's side pix.
- JW Rod Garage MII with drop spindles, tubular a-arms, with c/m raised up into the frame
- No Limit Engineering 'FatBar' 4-link with a 7' notch
- Bagged all around, lays running boards on the ground
- 2-tanks 2-viair 400C comp. 8-SMC valves 4 switch control 2-dual needle KP comp. gauges, and a tank pressure gauge
- New Coker radial BFG www's CPP dual master cyl/booster combo
- GM tilt column
- Aluminum radiator
- New windshield
- 1976 350 sbc
- New fuel pump, alternator, water pump, starter
- HEI Edelbrock performer intake and 600 carb
- Fresh rebuilt TH350 tranny and converter
- Electric fan
- New built drive shaft
- Kwik wire wring harness
- Interior has a pair of 1963 T-bird buckets
The truck has a weird rear seat that used to be a conversion truck seat, with fold down center and cup holders! But it worked for my kids when I went to NE Ohio to get it. On the way there, I got a HECK of a speeding ticket in Louisville, KY. Then I managed to get lost. Then the foot on the tongue of the trailer fell off.
On the way back, we had electrical troubles with the trailer lights which caused electrical troubles on my brand new tow vehicle which happens to belong to my wife. Then, just south of Nashville we blew a tire on the trailer ... and we had no spare. So, I unloaded the Burb and drove it the rest of the way in.
With all the problems we encountered, our 13 hour trip turned into an 18 hour trip. We were up for over 24 hours. I drank myself into a Red Bull induced stupor and had to sing loudly to myself in order to get home without passing out before getting to my exit!
We made it home in one piece, sort of, and the old Burb in tucked away safe in my garage.
Here's a photo of her pulling our little camper trailer. Here's a picture of her still on the trailer (which belongs to the previous owner) when we first got her home (I guess this is the "before" picture).
I'm going to just clear coat it for now. It's fun running it around "naked" like it is.
Thanks for all the hard work and effort that ya'll put into the site. We thank you!
-30-