Eric Pesci's 1950 GMC 250 1-Ton 4 x 4 Flatbed Dually

06 February 2006
# 1405

From Eric:

         Hiya fellas! If I don't take the cake for most trucks, I know I am going to be close.

         Here's the first: 1950 GMC 250 1 Ton 4 x 4 flatbed dually. This truck is bone stock and unmolested. It also runs great and everything works. Usually, it's one or the other - haha. Either it runs but half the original stuff is gone and its got bondo and all kinds of weird repairs or worse - its been restored! Or, its all original but ran when I parked it 20 years ago. I got lucky with this one. Real lucky and I think I even underpaid for it, which would be a first.

         The truck is from Montana and "supposedly" started out at some military base up there. I am still trying to confirm that. I know NAPCO trucks pretty well and I was sure this wasn't a NAPCO even though you never know -- and I was right. I'm still trying to get a handle on the 4wd outfitter and I haven't crawled under with a scraper to clean the front axle and see if there's any ID on it. But ... I think it's a Coleman conversion which makes it quite rare and ... hopefully ... quite rugged because finding parts for NAPCO's is hard enough. I can't find anything on the internet at all for Colemans. Unless I am going camping -- which I will be -- but that's not going to help me with this truck.

         So far, she seems to be fully operational and needing only a good cleanup. Of course, there's so many levers in the cab that I will need data tags to remember what each one does. So as of today, she's not been thoroughly tested. I am crossing my fingers. She has that great grille guard which obviously is the reason the grille is intact and the GMC hood script is mint. How do I love grille guards, let me count the ways. She also has a Unity spotlight on the roof which seems to be original, given the nice install and correct gaskets and matching bolts.

         The flatbed has a gooseneck hitch which is as old as the hills and I guess looks as old as the truck. It could be original as the military could have ordered whatever they wanted and I know I've seen some weird custom stuff from back then. (How about those airport limo suburbans with three extra doors from the mid '50s? I almost bought one - lol - glad I didn't.)

         Whatever the case, it's a truck I've been wanting ever since I got my '51 5-window (which is in the gallery, too) almost 20 years ago and decided that -- even though I love the AD 1/2-tons, I really want a brute 4 wheel drive with an AD body. A truck that looks as mean as it is tough. Able to plow through anything, haul anything - no nonsense, no dilly dallying. Yet still be versatile enough to take it to the grocery, camping, movies, etc. This seems to be that truck. She's a keeper.

Thanks,

Eric Pesci
"Old iron fanatic"
Bolter # 10147
Terrebonne,Oregon (formerly of Bellaire, Texas)

         Be sure to check out Eric's 1958 Chevy NAPCO 3200 Fleetside, 1957 Chevy Napco 3200, 1956 Chevy NAPCO 6400 Rescue Truck, a 1958 Chevrolet Napco Suburban Carryall and 1950 Harley Davidson -- FL Police Bike in the Alternative Gallery ~~ Editor