Hot Rods Can you Say Ramp Truck? Or Too Rare to Cut Up? 1955 GMC

Picked up this truck last week. I have been driving past this thing going to my buddy's house for 3 or 4 years I guess it has been out there. A mechanic had it and it moved around some. Every time I saw it, I'd say - Russ should buy that cool ass truck at the top of the hill.

Well dang if I didn't finally stop after Russ bought some parts off of me and I had a pocket with some cash in it. Well dang if the guy didn't sell it to me.

I have searched high and low and can't find much information on these. The front fenders and grille are unique! It's got an Army plate says it's a model 424V, weighs 6200 lbs. There are a ton of pictures in my album. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/media/albums/1955-gmc-424v-4x2-platform-stakebed.44662/


Anyone have a lead on a manual or any good information on these?

It has a great running 302 6 cylinder with what looks like a Holley 2100. On the one thread I found with information on stovebolt.com I read some of them came with a Holley carb and some with a rochester.

It's got a 5 speed (granny 1) and is really all remarkably original and the only rust in it is the driver door because the window is gone.

Carl5coupe and Bradsmonster helped me fix up a temporary gas tank yesterday and after Brad got the needle valve unstuck on the carb we drove it and went for a good ride! Got all the way up to 35 MPH!!! Brakes don't work but the emergency brake on the drive shafts works good enough to let you ride it. What a damn blast I tell ya!!

Anyway - anyone know anything more about these GMC's?

 

The grille is probably some type of "fleet" option, to save money. Neat truck! It's probably geared to go not much faster than about 50 mph on the road, so keep that in mind when you're thinking about using it as a car hauler. With that bed on it, it would even be neat to take it back to OD and have an old Army truck. I doubt there are many of them left.

 

I know nothing about it .... but I have to ask if you're going to park it in front of the house.

 

That is a cool truck.
I say make a car hauler out of it, use it and enjoy it.

 

Hmmmmn work truck, nope probably not collectable and certainly worthy of repurposing.

Cut it up and make it worthy of the GMC body tag once again.

 

What configuration would serve you best? How many times a year would you drive a military truck. Ramp truck?
Love it, by the way!

 

Make it yours .I like the looks of it now, but wouldn't hesitate to upgrade it and make it more driveable.

 

I really like it!

 

a two-speed rear axle with better gearing would be a nice improvement

 

screw the purists, make it a ramp truck!

 

Ramp truck!

 

make a cool ramp truck out of it!

 

I agree, ramp truck.

 

cut holes in the tops of the fenders and bed for the tires to stick through and bag it?

 

Ramp Truck it. Probably want to put a big block or a diesel in it though- if you want to go very far/fast.
Then go ahead and send the 302 up to me. I'd really like to put one in my '51 in place of the 228 inline 6.

 

Oh- and some of those military ones run 24 volt. Fyi

 

Yikes that is cool !

 

wrong question , 20 more pages of don't change it --------------hell its yours do what you want (like) thats what its all about BE BRAVE go for it

 

What the hell you waitin' on?

 

dam i want a ramp truck ! i saw a coe once on a tornado chassis like that

 

Ramp truck! Or just build nice long removeable ramps for the dump bed. I wonder if school bus axles are around the same width. it would look cool with 24.5 aluminum semi truck wheels around it and might be geared better?

 

Glad you bought that ! Saw it everytime going to the pendly mansion and wondered why Russ never bought it. Ramp it and give it a new life. That thing is damn cool !

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One more for ramp truck. Nice find!

 

kinda makes me wonder how many of you guys have actually driven an old ramp truck?

 

Never drove one myself, but I have friends who drove them all over the Southeast and up into the Midwest hauling dirt oval race cars. And I'm pretty damn sure I wouldn't have enjoyed trying to follow them in a pickup pulling a trailer with the same load.

 

Neat truck. Hope you can find a trans and rearend that allow you to keep the GMC 302, those engines are legendary.