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Gene VonGunten's

1946 GMC

1/2-Ton Pickup


7 February 03

From Gene  

Gentlemen:

Here is a picture of my 1946 GMC 1/2 ton pick-up. The cab and chassis was restored by the previous owner who did a real nice "frame-off". He ran out of money before he got to the bed, so he fabricated a pressure-treated bed. I was amazed when he showed me the original bed and the floor and tailgate were in excellent condition. I had the bed "bead blasted" and then re-painted in the original "Permanent red" color. A pair of rear fenders were added as was a painted rear bumper. The truck does have turn signals as a safety upgrade.

A while back I saw a mention in "OLD CARS WEEKLY", that they were looking for GMC items for a new book KRAUSE PUBLICATIONS was writing about GMC trucks. I sent several pictures I had taken, and I was pleased to see my truck was featured in the new book: "GMC- The First 100 Years".

The truck gets driven regularly during good (dry) weather. It has the original 228 cu. in. engine and the 4-speed transmission. Of course, double-clutching is required for quiet shifts. The tires are 6.50-16's I found at Fall Hershey a few years ago. The truck is comfortable at 50mph and, although it will push the speedometer to at least 70mph, we keep it under 55.

In addition to the motor, there are a few notable differences between the GMC and its Chevy cousins. The bed is all metal- not termite chowder. The lower grill section has horizontal bars- not the Chevy's vertical elements.

I have swapped the 6-volt battery for an 8-volt battery and that really helps get it started. The only modification required is to adjust the voltage regulator output to 10.25 volts.

Thanks,

Gene von Gunten

Curator "Gene, looks like your hard work paid off on a rare truck!"


Last modified: July 26, 2022.
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