Fellow Stovebolters, I have acquired a new project and have decided to start a project journal so those that are interested can follow along and also so I can get advice from members of the forum.
The vehicle is a 1937 GMC panel delivery. It is a Canadian built GMC that has spent its life in Alberta Canada. I purchased the vehicle and this week I am headed to Coaldale, Alberta to pick it up.
As to the condition of the vehicle, it is in pieces but in good condition. The prior owner started the disassembly and had some work done to the vehicle but lost interest about 15 years ago. It is rust free and most of the pieces are there. Of course finding the missing parts will be a challenge.
Bill, I'm depending on you to tell me if it's been altered! This Canadian made GMC is a bit different. This panel truck is a monster, the body stretches 10 feet aft of the drivers seat. That is the same cab that is on the American made 1.5 ton panels. From information I've found, this model, the T15, was only offered as a 3/4 ton or a 1 ton in Canada for the 37 model year.. The motor is a 224.1 cubic inch 86 b.h.p unit that we think is the original motor. It does have 16 inch wheels 16 inch wheels and I'd like to hear opinions on the originality of the wheels. At a minimum the wheels are the same color as the body, for what that is worth. If anyone has any thoughts, please let me know. Also,to answer the 3/4 ton question, what does this plate tell us? 6000 pound MVGW
On a different topic, I'm halfway to Great Falls in my journey to pick this beast up. I brought all the nuts and bolts to install the fenders, doors and running boards. The cab has no dash and the steering column is not supported. Sooo, I boxed up a replacement dash and a ubolt to secure that for the ride. The parking brake isn't hooked up so I have some cable and cable clamps in my bag to remedy that. Airport security had to go through my carry on since I have at least 200 nuts, bolts and washers on me.
I'll post some pictures in a couple of days and I hope the fenders, doors and running boards.
My 1/2 ton came with 6 lug wheels and a closed driveline.but yours looks original. You will get more response in the Panels & Burbs form or Tons of Fun. I had no idea there were so many differences. And weren't they called Maple Leif.
These old bolts are in my blood. Hard thing is focusing on just one.
1937 Chevy 1/2 ton panel 1953 GMC 2 ton. future car hauler
Trip report. My trip to Alberta went better than I could have imagined. The PO was so accommodating I told him he was a roll model for humanity. He helped me get the project ready to ship and I paid him to haul it down to Montana. The border crossing was a non-event since both the buyer and seller were present.
Here is a picture of the truck with the fenders,doors, running boards, etc installed. All the really irreplaceable parts went into my suitcase or was mailed. Panel on trailer ready to ship!
Now I'm waiting on transport from Montana to Maryland. I'm in no hurry as I'm building a garage and my plate is a bit full at the moment.
My truck has arrived! It was dropped off yesterday after being hauled from Great Falls, MT to Upper Marlboro, MD.
Here are the next steps;
1. Properly attach the body to the frame. At the moment the body is being supported at the front and rear but no crossmemebers are installed. I am fortunate the thing didn't fold in the middle!
2. Remove several leafs from the springs. Because the panel sits at 7 feet tall it won't fit in my garage! The vehicle is a 3/4 ton with a MVGW of 6,000 lbs and an empty weight estimated at 3,500 pounds. To improve the ride I plan on pulling a few leafs and hopefully that will lower the truck a few inches so it will fit in the garage.
3. Brakes. The master cylinder is a rusted mess. There are no brake lines. Luckily I converted my 46 GMC to disk brakes and I kept the old drum brakes so I imagine I can scavenge parts from those.
4. Transmission seems frozen. Again, my 1946 comes to the rescue! I replaced the 46's 4 speed crash box with a three speed sybnchro mesh. The 4 speed should be an exact replacement for the 37s tranny. I think....
5. Engine. This Canadian GMC has a 224 CI engine that is a cousin to the chevy 216. The engine was rebuilt 15 years ago and never started. It was also left out in the weather with nothing over the carb! I calculated that over the last 15 years about 15 feet of water fell on that open carb so it will be interesting to see what cylinder walls look like.
More plans are in my head but the above should keep me occupied fora while.
Not sure how the body is supposed to be attached to the frame. I looked at my 46 pickup to get an idea about how to attach the body to the frame and I believe the steel cross-members sit atop wood blocks and a rubber pad. I am unsure how the ends of the cross-members are attached to the body. Is there wood between the body and the cross-member or is the body sandwiched between the cross-member and the wood floor? Also, does anybody know the spacing of the crossmembers?
I have a '37, T18 HB, I found a place to make the missing horizontal chrome bars along the hood sides, 4 on each side over the louvers. Does yours have small holes for these bars? Not all may have them?
Ed
'37 GMC T-18 w/ DD 4-53T, RTO-610, 6231 aux., '95 GMC running gear, full disc brakes, power steering, 22.5 wheels and tires. '47 GMC 1 ton w/ 302, NP-540, 4wd, full width Blazer front axle. '54 GMC 630 w/ 503 gasser, 5 speed, ex fire truck, shortened WB 4', install 8' bed. '55 GMC 370 w/270, 420 4 speed, grain, dump bed truck from ND. Works OK.
Ed, thanks for the info. My truck has the bars and they are in good shape, just not installed. Problem is, I don't have the clips (or whatever is required) to attach the bars to the hood. Do you know what the clips look like? Maybe the folks that make the bars also have the attaching hardware?
This week I decided to check the condition of the Pontiac 224.1 cubic inch motor that was the original engine in this Canadian built GMC. It turns out the engine was rebuilt but never started. It was left outdoors with no cover on the carb. Being in the dry climate of Alberta means that about 12 inches of rain fell each year so after 10 or 15 years a lot of water went down the carb.
I tried to turn the engine by hand but of course that didn't happen. I drained the oil and because water is denser than oil I got about 3.5 quarts of water out of the crankcase before the oil started flowing. Water from crankcase
After talking to my local machinist, relining those cylinders (maybe only #5) may be the way to go if I want to keep this engine. The intake valves and seats are also in bad shape but everything else is like new.
The question of the day. Should I sink 600-800 dollars into an engine that probably makes 30 H.P. (85 bhp.)? I kind of like the idea of having the original engine but I do intend to drive this vehicle and that engine may not cut it.
I need to rent a cherry picker to get the engine out and decide what I want to do with it.
Turns out the engine is nor the original but a 1948'ish 216 built in Canada. Still wondering what I should replace it with. I measured the engine compartment for a GMC 228/280/302 but they just won't fit.
David, my bars are attached with rows of small screws, no clips. I can send you a px if you send me your email.
GMC engines you mention are all about 3" longer than Chevy engines which is why later GMC trucks move the radiator fwd into the grille support. 235 and 261 Chevy engines might be a better fit. Jerry(HRL) has a way to get Chevy engines up to about 300 cu. in., using other GM Pistons, etc.
Ed
'37 GMC T-18 w/ DD 4-53T, RTO-610, 6231 aux., '95 GMC running gear, full disc brakes, power steering, 22.5 wheels and tires. '47 GMC 1 ton w/ 302, NP-540, 4wd, full width Blazer front axle. '54 GMC 630 w/ 503 gasser, 5 speed, ex fire truck, shortened WB 4', install 8' bed. '55 GMC 370 w/270, 420 4 speed, grain, dump bed truck from ND. Works OK.
This week I decided to remove several leafs out of the rear springs so I could get the vehicle into my garage. I removed five of the ten leafs on each side. I would have thought the truck would sit lower by at least the thickness of the leafs removed but it sits at the same height minus about half the width of the leafs removed.
Additionally I went to a local welder and he is fabricating frame extensions that are missing off the back of my frame. The 131 WB uses a shorter frame with frame extensions. The cab body mounts on the end of those extensions so to properly attach my body to the frame those pieces are essential.
41' 1-1/2 Ton GMC flatbed '41 1-1/2 Ton IH crane/truck 1986 F700 Tall Box Truck '65 Sunbeam Tiger '59 Hillman Husky '94 Mercedes S500 coupe '99 Suburban 4WD Can be reached for personal business at 714-290-2470
I might be able to do something along those lines but I may go more modern on the engine as technology has come a long way. Still contemplating what direction to go on the engine. I aslo asked about "clips" needed to attach the metal bars to the side of the hood. Dumb me didn't realize the open part of the bar faces down. I thought the open part faced inward which confused me on how they attach to the hood. Installed properly a simple screw will do!
I began to work on my 37's grill and learned quite a bit. My grill was mostly there but the top part that has GMC on it is cracked, the vertical bars are rusted and dented and the crank hole cover was missing. I found the crank hole cover on ebay. I figured the bars would be easy to replace with steel of the same width that could be chromed. I could find steel and aluminum stock that was only .015" too narrow and I could double it up for the wider center bar and make the bevel that is on the middle bar. Then I could have it have it all chromed.
Lucky for me Mar-K Manufacturing makes replacement grill bars at a reasonable price. I ordered the seven grill bars and they are perfect. Mar-K also sells the side trim for the 1937 GMC along with lots of other quality looking parts.
The next trick I learned was an unbelievable method for removing rust from chrome. I used the method to remove the rust from my grill's side pieces. Grill photos showing before and after. I used water and a wad of aluminum foil to remove the surface rust and it works like magic! I also used Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish and it worked well but was at least 10 times the work. Check out this Youtube rust removal with aluminum foil. video.
1937 Drip Rail replacement. My Canadian built panel delivery had drip rails that were bolted on (apparently) and they are now missing. I luckily got some new drip rails for a 37 pick-up. These are spot welded to the cab so the pieces I have are cut out of the cab and need to have the spot welds removed. Once I remove the cab metal from the drip rails I plan on somehow welding studs or something on the drip rails and installing them through the holes above the door. Any ideas how I should accomplish this? Here are some photos of the drip rails and the cab. Drip rails.
I was going to grind out the spot welds from the back side leaving the drip rails intact. Maybe I'll then drill holes in the drip rails in the proper position and MIG weld flat headed screws and grind the heads flush with the exposed side of the drip rails.
