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Post Info TOPIC: The Beast (55 GMC)
Stephenzone


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The Beast (55 GMC)
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I see that they are making a run on old GMC trucks so heres The Beast.

I have a 1955 2nd series Canadian version GMC 9300 (base model same as a 100). According to George this truck was built in Oshawa and is # 9 down the assembly line of this body style . Being a Canadian manufactured GMCs it has a Chevy drivetrains because they both went down the same assembly line.

I originally bought the truck on Vancouver Island back in the late '80's for $1000 it was a daily driver back then. While on a road trip down into the states on the I-5, I heard two clunks -- then my rear wheels seized up. By pushing in the clutch and coasting down the highway, I was able to pull into a gas station. I guess at some time someone had welded two of the fan blades. One went through the radiator; the other cut a gash into the oil pan.

Once I got the truck back home, I replaced the 235 ci with a 1970 LT1 350 that I had from my other car that had rusted out. I made a deal with a small shop to put a front clip on it from a 1967 Pontiac Firebird while I was on course in Ontario for six months.

Four months into the course, I get a phone call saying the shop had gone bankrupt and my truck was at the owners brothers garage in parts. Upon my return, I was moving back to Ontario so I put the truck back together as a rolling carcass and shipped it up to my Dads house near Ottawa. I was always going to undo the damage but the military sent me to the east coast three years later. So it sat in his back yard for about 10 or more years with many people offering to buy it.

In 1999, I was posted back to Ontario and I started earnestly to restore (sort of) the truck. I bought a 1956 Chevy frame with V8 mounts from California through Bills Trucks in Courtice. The motor is a 283 ci and came out of a 1966 Impala. It was bored 30 over and has a 65 vette intake w/ a square 4 rochester carb and has the oil filler on the front. for spark, I updated to an HEI ignition. The cooling system is a custom 4-core using stock tanks. I used a 3-speed out of a 1970 1/2-ton for a while but it now has a T5 out of a Camaro with an S10 tailshaft. It was still winding out on short tours so I replaced the rearend with a 12-bolt (3.08gear) out of a 1978 Jimmy 4 x 4. Dual Flowmasters handle the exhaust with the 1966 Impala ramhorns. The gauges are by Stewart in the original bezels and every single bolt has been gone over or replaced.

 

kyle hamming it up in Halifax

 



down at the harbour in cobourg for some sun



In BC w/ 67 firebird clip.



-- Edited by Stephenzone on Sunday 31st of January 2010 07:16:50 PM

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sTevE

55 GMC, 70 Pontiac 2+2 rag
73SC


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Your truck is very similar to the one they use on Heartland, CBC Sunday's at seven.

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Ray White, Toronto ON

Formerly - The one and only 1973 LeMans 454 "Astro-Jet"

Built March 9, 1973 - Oshawa ON

1993 Corvette Convertible LT 1

Built January 10, 1993 - Bowling Green Kentucky 

 
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jmont64


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Good story there Steve about a well travelled truck. I always enjoy hearing the history behind the final result. Every vehicle has a story, some more interesting than others.

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Jerel
gparis7


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Cool truck. 55-57 GMCs were the best lookers of the 50s in my opinion.

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69-Tin Indian


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Absolutely beautiful truck! Maybe some day I'll get my '61 looking half as good as that. I too have ordered stuff from Bill's Truck Shop in Courtice. What a great bunch of guys they have working there. Their website is pretty neat too!
How about some pics of the interior and engine compartment of your truck? I'd love to see them as I'm sure the other fellas would too. When I saw the pic of it sitting in pieces and then the finished product, the first thing that came to mind was that old cigarette ad which read "You've come a long way baby!" LOL!

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1969 Pontiac Parisienne Convertible
1969 Pontiac Grande Parisienne Hardtop
1961 GMC C930 1-Ton
1985 Chevy Blazer (plow truck)
Stephenzone


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Only Bill and his wife. i'll fine some better pics. these were taken last year. it now has a moroso breather with pin stripping and that intake has gone to BC







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sTevE

55 GMC, 70 Pontiac 2+2 rag
Stephenzone


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when i moved from BC in 89 i towed the beast with a 72 GMC. this is taken from my hotel room just before you get on the ferry.



and flowmasters



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sTevE

55 GMC, 70 Pontiac 2+2 rag
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2drpost


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there's that claw hammer again....wink

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Stephenzone


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i gotta quit using that darn ford tool

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sTevE

55 GMC, 70 Pontiac 2+2 rag
69-Tin Indian


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When I called Bill's for my wiper arms and blades, I talked to a guy, who I'm sure he said his name was Pete.  It wasn't Bill.  Maybe when he's out gathering up other trucks and trinkets someone else minds the store?  Dunno.

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1969 Pontiac Parisienne Convertible
1969 Pontiac Grande Parisienne Hardtop
1961 GMC C930 1-Ton
1985 Chevy Blazer (plow truck)
Stephenzone


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on going saga now has a 70 LT1, ST10 4 speed and repainted 76 jeep brillant blue. i was trying to tell someone about the vintage cap but i figured a pic is just as good. the caps were called sticks and staples, because that is how they were made.

2012-10-20 001.JPG

10 05 28 truck cap 006.jpg

10 05 28 truck cap 008.jpg

 



-- Edited by Stephenzone on Saturday 31st of January 2015 03:39:54 PM

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sTevE

55 GMC, 70 Pontiac 2+2 rag
Stephenzone


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so the on going saga of the high mileage beast is that i took out the super t10 last year towing a 28ft camper from syracuse. manage to limp home but the t5 is back in for now. i've acquired a 93 NV4500 with parking brake on the rear that has been mated to my original bellhousing, so i'll have a strong towing tranny and a overdrive. should be going in within a month. i'll have to get the driveshaft converted over with a slipjoint and a tranny crossmember because that hunk of metal comes in just shy of 200 lbs. last year i also put in a offy crossram using 73 pontiac 455 quadrajets that i got from the cadillac thug commonly refereed to as big Ray. yesterday i went down to the states to pick up some k&n velocity stack that i ordered from summit and this morning i installed them for fitment purposes.

100_7574.jpg

100_7753.jpg



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sTevE

55 GMC, 70 Pontiac 2+2 rag
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Canadian Poncho


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Thanks for the update Steve. We don't hear from you very often. How does the engine run with that new intake?

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73SC


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The stacks look great, can't wait to see it in person this season.



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Ray White, Toronto ON

Formerly - The one and only 1973 LeMans 454 "Astro-Jet"

Built March 9, 1973 - Oshawa ON

1993 Corvette Convertible LT 1

Built January 10, 1993 - Bowling Green Kentucky 

 
Stephenzone


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work asked me to switch over to full time last year and that really cramps your style. in other words nothing got done in the shop except honey do list and compulsories. 2 months ago i told them switch me back to part time, whats the use of being semi retired and working all the time. so last week i finished off the driver side wheel well for the 2+2 using a core and a sidepanel i got from rarechev, and this week i hoping to redo the passenger wheel well doing the same. that being said its figgin cold outside and i'm not turning the heat on in the shop if i'm not out there for the whole day. i've assembled a 327 recently for my jeep and just have to put the heads on a 427 that is being assembled for the wagon. baby steps. realistically the rag should be off the rotisserie within the month.

the truck got the best mileage this past summer going to the east coast with that crossram. little sluggish off the idle but wholly f once you're into the pedal. i rebuilt the carbs using parts from a well known quadrajet guy (cliff ruggle) from the states also using his specs after i told him what i was doing.

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sTevE

55 GMC, 70 Pontiac 2+2 rag
Captain Beaumont


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That is one cool truck

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raggs


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Great truck. Love the beer tap shiffter. Where did you get the wood grain dash?

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66 Grande guy


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Those are such glorious trucks!  Back in the 70's we acquired a used but pampered 55 GMC shortbox from a cranky old german guy.  It was really well equipped with the chrome package, the big back window 261 and hydramatic, and deluxe seat.  The only thing it didn't have was a radio so I managed to find one in a local boneyard and we were off to the races.  I used it in Edmonton for a while and what a great daily driver it was.  You're sitting on top of the world in those cabs and with the big back window the visibility was just superb. Between the low end torque fo the 261/ Hydramatic and the luxury of not having to row up and down the streets shifting madly away made life pretty easy. it even rode  and handled pretty well as I recall.

 

Have to find a picture some time.  Its still around(belongs to my brother the hoarder) but has been sitting for many years. It ran a 409 for quite a while but that is back in the car in came from now so it needs a restoration for sure.

 



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ken from northern Alberta

38 Willys pickup electric

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69 Chevy CST pickup

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long stroke


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Beauty and "The Beast" all in one vehicle. The 1955 to 1959 generation of Chevrolet and GMC pick up trucks have always been the BEST looking pick ups ever made and i will go out on a limb and say they ALWAYS will be. I would take any of those years of pickup over anything else that came after, in the way of styling. 



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Stephenzone


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started doing the install of the nv4500 tranny. had to make the bellhousing crossmember removable for the install. cut the crossmember 3 1/2" from the frame and welded ears

100_7922.jpg

100_7925.jpg



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sTevE

55 GMC, 70 Pontiac 2+2 rag
jmont64


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Keep smiling there Steve. Seems like you only got grease on a couple of your fingers.

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Jerel
CdnGMfan


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Stephenzone wrote:

started doing the install of the nv4500 tranny. had to make the bellhousing crossmember removable for the install. cut the crossmember 3 1/2" from the frame and welded ears

100_7925.jpg

 

 

 I've got to say, and this in no way is a slam on you Steve, that the above picture reminds me of the little guy that stops you on a bridge and asks you 3 questions before you can cross. wink

I hesitate to use the term "troll", but I mean it in the nicest of ways. biggrin

.

.

 

When you say NV4500 trans with the parking brake on it, are you talking about a Navistar HD truck transmission?

 

 



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Stephenzone


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it came out of a GM 93 3500 HD and is called a NV4500. its basically a farmer 5sp that replaced the sm465 4sp. this thing weights closed to 200 lbs with a 1st of 6.34 and the reverse is Un-synchronized 6.34. so realistically a 4sp with overdrive of 0.73. i'm liking the emergency brake is on the tailshaft so i can hook my emergency cable up to it. because of the weight i'm also gonna have to make an other transmission crossmember on the rear to take the weight of this beast. uses the same clutch as the one on my super t10

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Venture_Gear_4500_transmission
100_7453.jpg


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sTevE

55 GMC, 70 Pontiac 2+2 rag
Stephenzone


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transmission has been in for the season. what a solid tranny to drive. but the next issue is the one wheel peel. i think i fixed that one this morning.

100_8316.JPG

100_8319.JPG

100_8324.JPG



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sTevE

55 GMC, 70 Pontiac 2+2 rag
Pontiacanada


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Oh ya! thumbsup.gifthumbsup.gif



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Prince Edward Island

'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.

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