The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1951 GMC pickup - Question on truck info

I have finally found a Truck I am interested in but am having trouble finding info on it. It is a 1951 GMC pickup, not sure on the exact model but it looks like the basic pickup 1/4 ton maybe? http://www.skywaytools.com/truck13.html but the truck looks similar to this. Does anyone know about how much this can tow as I am looking for a truck to tow my classic boat. also is GMC and Chevy the same company?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_General_Motors

Does the truck have wooden bed sides?

Does the truck have six or eight lugs/bolts holding on the rear wheels?

Are there emblems on the sides of the hood - post the number.

If there is a plate on the driver's side door pillar (between the hinges), post the information that is on it.

How about just taking and posting a few pics?

I don't have the truck yet picking it up tomorrow.

Ok got up to pick up my truck today and the guy got in it and drove it into a tree so he traded the title out for a 3/4 Ton GMC Flatbed. This truck looks a lot better, it has 8 lugs on the wheels to answer one question that was asked, its a 1953 has a busted radiator and a leak in the Master Cylinder. So my questions on here are this,

A. How do I go about registering it in CA it definitely will not pass smog.

B. Where can I get info on this truck. Can I look it up by the serial number if so where.

C. Where can I find parts, are there even parts still available for it.

whoa! you bought a truck from a guy who ran it into a tree??!! and then took a different truck with a title that didn't belong to it?? and you don't even know what company made the truck??

A - talk to CA DMV about it, but you better have the story straight about the vin# on the title AND the truck first

B - spend some time reading the forums here, looking at the gallery here, and find some info here ... the serial number just tells you what you already know, but there's some info here, including a vin decoder

C - parts for the 3/4T will be scarcer then for 1/2T, and GMC specific parts will be scarcer than for the same year/model Chevy

Bill

No Bill I got a different truck, with that trucks correct tittle.

Okay I have some pics of the truck now. but can not figure out how to post them


**Edit**

I put them on Photobucket here they are

http://s696.photobucket.com/albums/vv325/ilikeoldstuff/?albumview=slideshow

well you got pictures now. Now take a few more, interior, engine, chassis,etc. and post them. Looks like you skipped the dirty work. Nice looking truck. What are your plans for it?

Well without knowing more about the boat, I'd say a '53 GMC 3/4-ton will pull just about anything as long as you're not in a hurry.

The best source of information on GMC trucks of that era is OldGMCTrucks.com. You'll find lots of info on the web site, plus a forum dedicated to GMC's.

Its a no BS kind of place with lots of good info.

I own several old GMC's and if I could find a nice '54 or '55 1st GMC COE I might ditch all my Chevs in favor of Jimmys. But lots of people already think I'm nuts.

If its stock and I think even if it is not, no worries about smog check to old. Atleast for now they don't mess with stuff that old. Everything I own is older than that except for my HD, I have not got anything smoged in years. I dont know for sure but I would bet most parts are get able, they were for my COE. Napa is real good if you can find a parts guy who cares and is good at his job. Think otherwise the parts venders have a fair amount of stuff. As been segusted try to have your paper work in order before you go to the dmv - their a pain under the best of circumstances, Good luck with your truck.

The best source of information on GMC trucks of that era is OldGMCTrucks.com. You'll find lots of info on the web site, plus a forum dedicated to GMC's.

Its a no BS kind of place with lots of good info.

Thank you very much I know have a lot more information on it then I did. Also To the guy that said looks like I skipped alot of the dirty work?

The PO painted right over the rust, the engine is all rusted over, muffler pipe looks like if i touch it its going to turn to dust the frame looks clean of rust but that is about the only thing., now moving into the cab under the dash there are 1000 wires (not really a 1000) hanging everywhere not connected to anything, upholstery is in decent condition but still not great one small tear on the seat piping, the upholstery on the roof is falling off I am adding some pics of the interior and engine block ect to my page soon (next commercial break the SuperBowls on right now.)


**EDIT**

20 new pics of all views on the truck

http://s696.photobucket.com/albums/vv325/ilikeoldstuff/?albumview=grid

Cal,

Sorry I'm late to this thread ... and thanks for stopping by Stovebolt.com -- we hope to be the friendliest info source, if not the oldest and most complete overall. I'll admit our GMC info isn't what our Chevy info is, but we have lots of knowledgeable folks here who will be able to help you with just about anything.

Just as Bill said, we have a lot of good info in the various sections of the site, plus lots of images/stories in the Gallery.

There are lots of parts available for these trucks -- especially mechanical, interior and what not. NOS and sheet metal is more of a challenge, though. Be sure to check out our links section -- the most comprehensive you'll find online.

Again, thanks for stopping by -- we hope you've found a home here!

Regards,
John

Alright!!!
Now you're one of us. Break that baby down and have everything blasted and start from the frame going up.

No need to go to the gmc site, many of the same guys are here, some just lurk, but they are here. The engine you have is a 235 Chevrolet, so mechanically there are many guys on this site that can help. Find the casting numbers on the block and they can be identified for you. Many parts are interchangeable between the GMC and the Chevrolet. Good luck!

So if I have a Chevrolet engine in it does anyone know what engine it came stock with and what are the odds of finding one?

It does look like a Chevy motor from the pictures. I think a '53 would come stock with a 248, but might have been a 228. My '53 GMC has an original 248 in it.

The valve cover on your motor appears to be a '54 or later Chevy so its not the original motor, even if the truck was made in Canada where the GMC trucks had Chevy motors.

After a ton of research my wife found the serial number and it is this http://www.siaai.com/1953gmcpickuptruck.htm so it seems it was converted to the flatbed style, so what should I do find a bed or keep it like that? Since I am a first timer with this I am more then open to suggestions.

FYI im a lucky guy I think my wife loves that truck more then I do

You are a lucky guy and the truck is pretty neat. I don't understand what you mean by the serial number is the one in the photo. However, thd one in the photo has a different motor.

You can tell by the long running boards that the original condiguration was not a flatbed.

I think that you have a lot to work with there. Build it the way you want it to be.

Just to add to the confusion, has it been noted that the 53 GMC (in the link at two posts up) has a Hydra-Matic transmission (but this seems to now be missing); and, the oil filter in this photo is from a 58-62 Chevrolet 261?

Although, the variety of engine mods makes the identification difficult.

Are you able to find an engine ID pressed into the pad to the rear of where the distributor goes into the block? And/or post the block casting code?

Ill have to give that a look. I was not even aware of that.