For years, that old green GMC used to park here or in front of the fence; now suddenly a young upstart has replaced it. And what a handsome devil it is, sporting those fashionable orange stripes down its brown flanks. A real whippersnapper. Here’s how ol’ Jimmy used to look:
Four subtle smiles. But no more….
Nice truck, hopefully it gets repaired and put back in service…
Oh, and Punch Buggy Blue!
Ow! 🙂
My oldest sister does this ALL too often (do “Punch Buggy”).
Punched Buggy to be exact!
As much as I love old pickups like that GMC, I have to admit that after spending a lot of time driving one, I might be ready for something like that Ranchero too. As many bad things as we can say about it, it is undoubtedly a much smoother, quieter and more relaxing drive than the old Jimmy. Sometimes a guy could use air conditioning and a decent stereo.
Well, if one took that old GMC body and dropped it on a newer pickup frame, you’d get a better suspension, OHV V8, 12V electrical system, A/C…. oh, I’m being motioned to go sit in the corner again. 😉
…what you’d have as a result would be worth less than either of the donor vehicles.
That’s all. Let’s face it: what you described is not a “practical” vehicle. And with the mods described, it’s not a collector-interest rig, either. So…what would it be, other than a hole in the road you’d fill with money?
(o:
It was intended to be sarcasm, and somewhat tongue-in-cheek. I was getting a kick out of JP romanticizing over the experience of “authentic” old cars in the recent Hupmobile hot rod thread, and then seeing his comment above about not wanting a long-term relationship with that GMC pickup because it lacks creature comforts.
In all fairness however, I know TWO people that are building project vehicles along the lines of what I just described. One is an old Suburban on a newer 4×4 truck frame, and the other is a 30’s Chevy sedan on a shortened S-10 frame.
I’m not sure why you say such a rig could not be “practical”. Depends if the builder finished it up a a show vehicle or not. The old GMC body with newer underpinnings would be even more capable of hauling whatever it was used for before, and easier to service as parts would be more available.
My friend that is building the Chevy on an S-10 chassis also has an early 40’s Chevy pickup body on a 1978 Chevy 1-ton frame. It’s setup as a tow truck and he uses it all the time in his scrap metal business. (I believe it’s currently his only tow vehicle.) He built the rig on a modest budget too.
As for dollar value, I have LOTS of experience spending more time and money on a vehicle than I would ever get back if I sold it. Sometimes, it’s just not your car unless you built it yourself. 🙂
I got to ride in a ’53 (I think) Chevy with a stake bed once. It was this same color green. I think most were painted that color. The noise and ride harshness were unbelievable with no load. The return trip with a load was not much better. I can’t imagine using that truck every day.
Fill the bed with something heavy, It will handle much better, I know my 50 F-1 did. As much as original is nice, removing the tank from the cab and moving the seat back goes a long way for comfort. Maybe a 292 six and a truck 4 spd would help too. And then you could ……..
LOVE those 70s colors on that Ranch’o!
Love how even the “trucks” had vinyl tops back then.
Not many. Let’s not forget, the Ranchero wasn’t a big seller and its numbers were trending wrong.
I always liked those utes/trucklets…but I guess I’m in the minority. My thinking was, passenger-car comfort; truck utility…perfect for someone who hauls a heavy load once or twice a year.
Obviously, as it turned out, everyone else was thinking C.W. McCall and trying to make their light-trucks look and sound as much like a Peterbilt as they could. Having driven a Peterbilt, I don’t share their romance about it or the image.
+1 – I had a ’77 El Camino SS as a daily driver and loved it. Thankfully, SS was more appearance than anything as my ute rode like a Cadillac and its notch bench seat was very comfy. Its A/C was phenominal — having a much smaller passenger compartment to cool made it even better. Oh…and I hauled a lot of stuff in that thing.
I assume the Ranchero would have delivered just as much enjoyment.
Sorry I prefer the old digger I love old Chevs and Bedford of the 50s and that stripy ute just aint right somehow cosidering the roof is a stressed panel covering it in rust under vynil isnt a good idea.
Nice GMC and Ranchero. That Ranchero looks to be very solid, especially since Fords of this era virtually evaporated into a rust pile in a few years. These GM trucks were always one of my favourites, although I prefer the Chev grille to the GMC. Note that the Ranchero has a “Gran Torino Sport” grille emblem.
Interesting to note then the “Advance design” of 1947-55 (1st series) for Chevrolet and GMC trucks was recycled for Brazil to have a longer life as the 3100. http://www.flickr.com/photos/machadobrazil/4778260432/ there also some screenshots from IMDB http://www.imcdb.org/vehicles_make-Chevrolet_model-Brasil+3100.html
Glad to say, I now have the best of both worlds. My ’02 F250 Super Duty will carry nearly a ton of cargo ( literally ), or tow 15,000 lbs- all with the ice cold AC on full blast, the cloth bucket seat reclined, and Metallica or Ice Cube blaring over the four speakers.
If I ever get my ’71 GMC Sprint on the road, it’ll be a musclecar with a bed.