The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Identifying Grandpa's other truck

I was looking at some old pictures at my grandma's house, and I ran across one of a little boy standing next to an old blue-green truck. I'm pretty sure the little boy is my dad or one of my uncles, but I'm unsure about the truck. Any help here would be great, because I would like to know what it is. I think I know exactly where this truck is hiding, and I would like to dig it out, if I get the chance.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd33/jdbjicase/Truck.jpg

Thats a 59 chevy 3/4 ton 8 foot wide bed. Cool picture! Its amazing that Hamilton is still rural.

It could be a '58 or '59 and it looks like a GMC to me.

Looks like quad lights. Did both 58 and 59 have quad lights.

It's a 58' or 59' GMC, the side badge tells its a GMC. Looks to be a long bed. Not quite sure about size, could be 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton. If I could see the lugs on the wheels I could tell ya. That would be an awesome find!

it has 59 gmc hubcaps and emblems

4 bolts, are you from the Hamilton area? I didn't know anybody else knew where it was.

I'll have to ask my dad about this truck. I think I only saw it once, stuffed in the back of a shed somewhere, but I joined this forum and thought maybe somebody knew something. Is this a rare truck, or pretty common? I know nothing about this truck, and my first priority is to fix Fireball (see my post "Grandpa's Stovebolt" in the Big Bolts section), but I decided to look this one up just for the fun of it.

Recently drove through the area--nice place to live!
Any old truck in this area is rare. The truck pictured looks to be a base model with less desirable 8 ft. bed ,but a cool looking truck all the same. I love the old phone # on the door. I'd be curious how the truck has withstood all the years since the picture was taken. I think the fact that its still in the family, after all the years, is the rare part!

Ya know, if ya don't want it, Maybeeeee ya could give it to me?
Just kiddin tho I dearly love that body style. The color I think was standard in that a color was not ordered from the factory.
It would be a cool ride and the long bed is distinctive.
dg

I'm just curious on this one, since I've already got a couple irons in the fire. I've got a '47 flatbed that needs rebuilt, and a '66 Ford (that's right, I said the F-word!) F-250 that needs a new clutch. Since I've only got a little time to work, I'm going to focus on those more. This one is kind of buried anyway if I remember correctly, so I should probably get the other two fixed before I go hunting down any more trucks. Does anybody have any information on this truck besides it's a '59 GMC? Were they pretty common trucks, or did they get overshadowed by others in the day? Hopefully I can get this one running and keep it in the family too.

Pretty common or not, dig that truck out...take some pix and post em here. Add that photo to woody's door art page, I'm sure he'll appreciate it, he's got some cool photos there.

Dave

I believe these were called "Fleetside" trucks. While the trucks were quite common back in the day, for whatever reason the shorter beds and stepside beds were more common. Neat truck though, would make a cool ride today.

Anthony

Jared, from what I can see, it looks like your grand-dad's truck had a standard interior based on no chrome trim around the windshield. I think chrome trim can be an indication of a deluxe interior. It looks like you might have a "big back glass." The angle makes it hard to see how far it wraps, and the driver's outside rearview mirror sorta gets in the way, but it doesn't look like the smaller standard mirror. This is a desirable option. Some people prefer fleetsides, some prefer stepsides- it is just a matter of personal preference.

I think you might have a hood ornament, which was an uncommon option.

It is hard to tell if your grill and front bumper are chrome or painted, but I think it is chrome. It looks like it had a "farm bumper" on the back, which was more utilitarian than the typical bumpers you see.

The branding (GMC rather than Chevrolet) is a matter of personal preference. Some GMC-specific items can be hard to find. Some folks like this since it makes the truck more special, others find it an aggravation. I always thought that GMC branded trucks tended to me more "luxurious" or city-fied compared to a similarly outfitted Chevy. Just my opinion.

Look in the gallery at these similar trucks and read their write-ups. You'll probably learn something about your truck from their trucks!
'59 Chevy Fleet
'59 3/4 Ton Chevy Fleet
'59 Chevy Fleet with Big Back Glass
'59 Long Fleet
'59 Chevy 3/4 Ton Fleet
'58 Fleet

Bill

I guess nobody else can tell anything more from just the one picture. I'll try to get more when I get home but time is precious. I'm sure everybody would love to know more.

It's got a chrome bumper, is a GMC, and has the small window. Also has a hood ornament if that's not something on the other side of the truck.