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12 April 2013 Update
# 2978

 
  Owned by
Eric Radack
"Beast54"
Bolter # 4961
Riverton, Utah

1955 GMC Deluxe 350 2-Ton

"The Beast"

comes to the big screen!

More pictures of my old truck

Join the discussion about this truck

 

From Eric :

So much has happened since the last we talked. A very well-known car show DJ here in Utah, named JC Hackett, sent an email out back in November 2012 to the car show enthusiasts about a film company wanting original vehicles from 1945-1962 for a television series called Granite Flats. He gave the contact person's phone number out to the interested parties.

I was defiantly interested! I had my 1954 Chevy truck in the “Worlds Fastest Indian” nine years ago and I was excited to get back into the movies!

So I called the person in charge, told him what I had and sent pictures ... and I was in ... and three out of the six trucks I have are being used. They are my 1954 Chevy Deluxe Pickup, 1951 Chevy Canopy Express, and a 1955.2 GMC Deluxe 2-ton flatbed truck.

My 1954 Chevy was ready to go as she was. The other two were not. The Canopy Express was already drivable but had old paint.

So I spent $65 for a gallon of cheep blue paint and got it painted so it looks decent on camera. The plans for the Express was to either make it an ice cream truck or a produce delivery truck. I hoped they would pick the produce route.

As for my 1955 GMC 2-ton, it had a box on the back, needed brakes, and a paint job. This was a lot of work to do. So I cut the box up, leaving the floor, and converted it into a flatbed. I got the brakes working, and threw some paint on it. That may sound simple, but it took me a few months to get it in its present condition.

The trucks still need proper restoration but they look good for now. My Red 1954 Chevy 3100 is just a background truck. The GMC is a FBI truck disguised as a Worthen Hauling Company Truck carrying a downed space satellite that was recovered from a lake. The Express is waiting for its job.

This new TV series (Granite Flats) will begin airing on KBYU and cable (possibly other channels) on April 7th. The show takes place in 1962 in a quiet Colorado town named Granite Flats. Most of it is filmed in various parts if Utah and some in parts of Colorado. There will be another TV series starting that takes place around the same time era but I don’t know any details about it at this time but I will post when I find out more about it.

Here is a trailer for the show. I have videos of the trucks at the TV sets being filmed and some other really fun videos and pictures of the sets, too.  I will add more as the months go on and new series come out. Here is my post in the Greasy Spoon about the events. I will try to keep it updated as things keep moving on around the set. Keep those cameras and trucks rolling!

Eric

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14 October 2012
# 2978

From Eric :

As you may know by now, I'm one of few words. (NOT ~ Editor; nor a man of few trucks!) I have yet another old truck to add to my restoration collection. So, here is may tale.

My newest project is a 1955 GMC Deluxe 350 2 ton. My first ever GMC build and the second GMC I have ever owned.

Right when I first saw this truck, I immediately fell in love with it and I HAD to have it! It's pretty rare to find a big bolt that's been chromed out like this one with all the trimmings. I have sent off for quotes for getting it all re-chromed. I know it won't be cheap. I doubt if the chrome on this truck had been painted, it wouldn't have gotten my attention as it does all glistening in the sunlight!

I bought the old truck locally here in Utah, after seeing a local classifieds ad online. The only thing I found that was really missing was the GMC front fender emblem.

Recently, I started a new business called Hail Blast - Dry Ice Blasting. It's a CO2 cleaning systems developed as a clean, safe alternative to hand scrubbing, solvent wiping, sand, bead, or soda blasting. We clean up bolts, fire damage, a lot of stuff. I plan to use this truck as my new work truck.

So, the old box will come off the back. It's not in very good shape and it will be better used for storage ... on the ground. Besides, it's hard to see around the box when driving! A 12' flatbed would replace it. I think it would be nice to put in a PTO and make it a dumping flat bed. I do need a flat bed to put the cleaning equipment on (we load it with a fork lift). We also have horses on the farm, so the flat bed with a dump will come in handy when we need to get (and unload) hay!

I have to have air horns, too!

This truck originally came from California and it appears to have been a Burgermeister Beer truck of all things, and possibly even a Ferrari Distributor (as it says on the doors). I'm amazed at how heavy duty the bumper is! Perhaps they did this for all the big trucks. To me it looks like 1/4 inch thick steel -- like someone had taken a piece of railroad and bolted it to the front of the truck! This thing will crush any of today's cars into a cube of garbage! This big bolt knows no "love tap" !

This old beast ran when parked over ten years ago. It took very little effort to get it started and it sounded pretty good. It ran very well and sounded quite healthy! When I tried to drive it though, I only got 100 feet before the clutch went out. And let me say it was not very fun to push.

Currently, I believe it has a GMC 270 inline 6. I am planning to get either a 6BT or 4BT Cummins diesel with a 5 or 6 speed, or a Chevy Duramax with an Allison would be nice. In addition I would also like to update the axles by putting disk brakes on the front and swapping out the rear for a better highway axle. I might just place the body on a newer frame with all the stuff on it, which probably would be easier.

I have bucket seats out of a 2003 Chevy Silverado that I am ready to put in. The buckets already have built-in seat belts.

I'm trying to get as much pre-planning done, considering all my angles, before I start the re-build.

Despite all this planning, it won't be until next year that I start work in earnest, but I plan on finishing during next summer. First I have two projects to finish up. I won't say too much about the other projects as they might get their own pages in the Gallery, but I am working on a 1951 Canopy Express Chevy that I have taken to a few car shows. The other is a 1948 Suburban that I have had for a year and a half.

I will probably finish the Canopy Express and sell it to support the business and finish this truck. As things move on, we'll see how things pan out.

Stayed tuned to the forums for more updates as I begin work on this newest project and finish my old ones.

Eric

 

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