OT-----Truck related---Anyone remember??

I started working at a large independent garage in the late 1950s.
To the best of my memory, back then and later, Chevy and GMC trucks were two completely different trucks, and you could buy a GMC truck with several different engines--but I never saw a Chevy engine in a GMC truck and was told GM didn't offer one so equipped.
Anyone know when GMC trucks became virtually the same truck as chevy?

(quoted from post at 10:01:14 10/06/14) I started working at a large independent garage in the late 1950s.
To the best of my memory, back then and later, Chevy and GMC trucks were two completely different trucks, and you could buy a GMC truck with several different engines--but I never saw a Chevy engine in a GMC truck and was told GM didn't offer one so equipped.
Anyone know when GMC trucks became virtually the same truck as chevy?

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would say that "completely different" is a stretch. Early days, perhaps B&S differences, etc. Then along in 50's a "different from Chevy V6" (GMC unique), and late 50's GMC trucks used Pontiac V8. Always close cousins. From the ~70's more or less, GM started using the so called "corporate" engine in just about everything from GMC trucks, to Cadillacs, and it was the basic small block Chevy engine. I didn't look up the dates, so interpret those with liberty.

Yeah, seems like the mid 70s was when GM started installing Chevy engines in Buicks??
It resulted in a class action lawsuit and that's when GM stated "engines from various divisions" or something like that.
I think GMC trucks got Chevy engines before that.
I remember having a 1957 GMC truck that had a Pontiac engine and a BW dual range Hydromantic.
Best truck of that era I ever owned.
Today I consider a GMC and Chevy truck to be the same truck, just different body. And many people will swear GMC is a better truck??

Think Escalade/Chevy surburban........add a ton of bling, etc, and sell for another 20K. As the late Rolls-Royce Master, John Bamberg stated many times that, "there are a lot of products on the market to sell, but not to buy!"
:lol:

(quoted from post at 10:01:14 10/06/14) I started working at a large independent garage in the late 1950s.
To the best of my memory, back then and later, Chevy and GMC trucks were two completely different trucks, and you could buy a GMC truck with several different engines--but I never saw a Chevy engine in a GMC truck and was told GM didn't offer one so equipped.
Anyone know when GMC trucks became virtually the same truck as chevy?

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1973 Model year change.
All they did was change trim and badges.
Tom

(quoted from post at 18:50:00 10/06/14)

(quoted from post at 10:01:14 10/06/14) I started working at a large independent garage in the late 1950s.
To the best of my memory, back then and later, Chevy and GMC trucks were two completely different trucks, and you could buy a GMC truck with several different engines--but I never saw a Chevy engine in a GMC truck and was told GM didn't offer one so equipped.
Anyone know when GMC trucks became virtually the same truck as chevy?

Click to expand...

would say that "completely different" is a stretch. Early days, perhaps B&S differences, etc. Then along in 50's a "different from Chevy V6" (GMC unique), and late 50's GMC trucks used Pontiac V8. Always close cousins. From the ~70's more or less, GM started using the so called "corporate" engine in just about everything from GMC trucks, to Cadillacs, and it was the basic small block Chevy engine. I didn't look up the dates, so interpret those with liberty.

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1) Which domestic GM division never used a version of the small block engine in any of its vehicles.

2) In 1908 the newly formed GM brought the truck line we know today from what company.

BTW doing a parts search a V8 did not appear until 1967 until then by the parts look up all that was available till then was a V6...

(quoted from post at 19:57:42 10/06/14)

(quoted from post at 18:50:00 10/06/14)

(quoted from post at 10:01:14 10/06/14) I started working at a large independent garage in the late 1950s.
To the best of my memory, back then and later, Chevy and GMC trucks were two completely different trucks, and you could buy a GMC truck with several different engines--but I never saw a Chevy engine in a GMC truck and was told GM didn't offer one so equipped.
Anyone know when GMC trucks became virtually the same truck as chevy?

Click to expand...

would say that "completely different" is a stretch. Early days, perhaps B&S differences, etc. Then along in 50's a "different from Chevy V6" (GMC unique), and late 50's GMC trucks used Pontiac V8. Always close cousins. From the ~70's more or less, GM started using the so called "corporate" engine in just about everything from GMC trucks, to Cadillacs, and it was the basic small block Chevy engine. I didn't look up the dates, so interpret those with liberty.

Click to expand...

1) Which domestic GM division never used a version of the small block engine in any of its vehicles.

2) In 1908 the newly formed GM brought the truck line we know today from what company.

BTW doing a parts search a V8 did not appear until 1967 until then by the parts look up all that was available till then was a V6...

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oo much time Googling, Hobo!
1) Saturn
2) Rapid/Reliance

1955 - All new GMC Blue Chip light and medium duty models debuted mid-year, featuring many improvements in comfort and styling. V8 engines were offered for the first time, providing more power and smoother operation than the GMC inline 6s that were still available. The V8s used in light and medium models were built by Pontiac and the larger V8s in heavies came from Olds.

1960 - Most models were powered by a completely new family of GMC V6 and V12 gasoline engines.

1960 - V6s were 305, 351 and 401 cid
GMC Truck produced a unique 60° V6 engine from 1960 through 1978. The engine was available in 305, 351, 401 and 478-cubic-inch (5.0, 5.8, 6.6, and 7.8 respectively L) versions. In late production there was also a 432-cubic-inch (7.1 L) version with enlarged crankshaft journals. GMC also made a 637-cubic-inch (10.4 L) 60° V8 with single, not twin balance shafts using the same general layout(bore & stroke) as the 478. The 637 V8 was the largest production gas V8 ever made for highway trucks. Finally, there was a 702-cubic-inch (11.5 L) "Twin Six" V12, which was basically two 351s placed end-to-end with a common block and crank.

1963 - Chevrolet 230 cid inline 6 engines appeared as base equipment in GMC light trucks identified with an "I" prefix in the model designation.

1966 - Chevrolet 250 cid inline 6 cylinder engines replaced 230s in "I" models.

1968 - A full range of Chevrolet engines was available in GMC light trucks, from a 140 hp 230 cid L6 to a 310 hp 396 cid V8. Many models were cancelled that year due to low sales volumes.

1973 - Redesigned light duty conventional models debuted with all new cabs and sheet-metal. Improvements included much larger interior space and glass area. 6-passenger crew cabs were available on 3/4 and 1-ton models and dual rear wheels were offered on 1-tonners. Engines available ranged from 250 cid L6 to 454 cic V8, all from Chevrolet.


1974 - All remaining GMC V6 and V8 engines were cancelled. Gas engines were replaced by Chevrolet's.

You aced it I did not expect less...

As I recall:All Chevys had OHV engines.All GMCs had L head engines in to the early/mid '50s.Seemed to me that up to the mid '50s the GMC was built a little heavyer but maybe not.
They were all stout old trucks though.

(quoted from post at 11:14:09 10/07/14) As I recall:All Chevys had OHV engines.All GMCs had L head engines in to the early/mid '50s.Seemed to me that up to the mid '50s the GMC was built a little heavyer but maybe not.
They were all stout old trucks though.

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Believe you have to go back into 1930's to find a flat head GMC.

Don't know about big trucks,but when Dad bought a new pickup in 66 the only difference was that the GMC had a V6 and dual headlights.

only difference was when they come down the assembly
line and it didnt pass quailty control they put a
chevrolet emblem on it.LOL and also Gmc has lock
washers and chevrolet dont. I Love my GMC.

We had a 51 GMC pickup and it had an OHV engine that was pressure lubricated and had a few more cubes than the 216 that was in the chevy of that year. I worked for an Allis Chalmers dealer that had been a GMC dealer and my service truck was about a 58 model and there was a mistake in the assembly as the inside dash trim was marked Chevrolet.

Some hotrodders put GMC sixes in their old 49 and 50 chevy cars because they were tougher.

Didn't GMC originally stand for "General Motors
Canada"? I thought that I read someplace way back
when that due to trade agreements back in or
sometime before the '20's that US automobile
companies had to have different models to market in
Canada than those marketed in the US. Didn't Ford
market a truck sold as a Mercury or Meteor and
Chrysler market a Plymouth truck up there? Maybe
someone from Canada can shed some light on my foggy
memory. (My $0.02 worth. jal-SD)

I,ll bet if a man could find one of those 637 cu in v8s today he would have a nice collectors piece. I always thought the ih 549 was the boss of the truck v8s .

Early sixties GMC pickups were quite different from Chevies. In addition to the famous V6 GMC engine, they used a torsion bar front end rather than the coil springs of the Chevies. We had a '61 GMC with the V6 and a four-speed automatic.

Back in the late 50 s, I work for A grocery co. that had all GMC trucks, and they had all starch 6 cy. Then around 1960, as someone said, the V6 came out. We call them "syrup bucket piston". They was big back in those days, all gas.

Hammer Man

(quoted from post at 18:48:01 10/07/14) Didn't GMC originally stand for "General Motors
Canada"? I thought that I read someplace way back
when that due to trade agreements back in or
sometime before the '20's that US automobile
companies had to have different models to market in
Canada than those marketed in the US. Didn't Ford
market a truck sold as a Mercury or Meteor and
Chrysler market a Plymouth truck up there? Maybe
someone from Canada can shed some light on my foggy
memory. (My $0.02 worth. jal-SD)

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Yes, we had Mercury trucks and cars up to the early seventies. Same as a Ford mechanically. If you want to be confused further Mercury cars were sold here as Monarchs from 46 to I think the early sixties.
Don't forget Dodge and Fargo trucks. Same truck, different name.

Chevies had OHV engines in the quite early thirties. I don't know about GMC's but I think they had OHV's also. I know they had OHV's before they had hydraulic brakes.

The GMC six cylinders in the 50's were the 228, 248, 270 and 302. The were all overhead valve engines with full pressure lubrication were the chevy 216 and 235 sixes were still splash fed on the rod bearings. The GMC sixes were extremely tough engines and would out do most of the standard truck engines offered at the time in power, and durability. Many REO, Diamond T and other makes were often retrofitted with "Jimmy" sixes and the 302 version was often used in hotrods in the 50's due to its large displacement and power. One actually set a land speed record at over 200 mph on nitromethane. There are still performance parts offered for "Jimmy" sixes.

My straight truck is a 58 GMC 370 with the 270 inline six.
Original engine with 77 thousand miles. It has full pressure
lubrication (as noted by the oil leaking around the crankshaft
rope seals) but NO oil filter. Seems like a bad idea on a grain
truck.

It still runs like a charm and gets used every harvest and to
haul feed. Filled to the brim it will hold just over 200 bushels
and that six has plenty of guts to get it to town. Not enough
gears on the top end, though. It is kind of a bear to get some
parts for as it is all different from Chevrolet. The last time I
could find front park light repros they were $375 each and now
aren't made. I do like the GMC guages and interior much
better than the Viking series speedometer. It rarely leaves the
county - why do I need something newer???

I drove a 534 Ford from 79 to 88 0r so. Loved it, a torque monster. Vic

(quoted from post at 21:48:20 10/07/14) Early sixties GMC pickups were quite different from Chevies. In addition to the famous V6 GMC engine, they used a torsion bar front end rather than the coil springs of the Chevies. We had a '61 GMC with the V6 and a four-speed automatic.

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ummmmm.........I still drive my 1962 Crevy C10, bought new and it has torsion bar front suspension and 235 I6.

All Chevrolet engines went to full pressure lubrication in 1950, of course including rods. That ended the dipper rod period.

And in the badge engineering De Soto trucks of which we saw a few in OZ

Down the bottom at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeSoto_(automobile)

JMOR, my dad always insisted that only GMCs had torsion bars, but a little research proves him wrong.

Couple of problems there and one was the GM diesel where they
used a standard gas block and it wouldn't stand up. Some of the
warranty replacements were Chevys. I specifically remember one
instance of an Olds owner that got a Chevy engine and he made a
big stink about it and GM put him an Olds in it after the fact and I
might be recalling that it was a used engine at that but he took it.

Mark

In my "neck of the woods", GM got a bashing and Ford was the
engine company....GM had the body by Fisher, rolling coach, ride
like on a cloud.

So here we have these old "Babbit Bearing" they were called
Chevys back in the early '50's and Ford was still using the flat
head up till 1953 when they went to OHV....aunt had one.

Two things:

One is the word Babbit which was a slander term but seems
Babbit is THE material for engine bearing "races" and is used
today, possibly with more tin alloy over a copper base. My Mac
dictionary has quite a write up on the subject of Babbit bearings.

No mention was made of what Ford used. However, after
reading the replies below, maybe the slap was due to the Chev
splash oiling system of the day.

Been a lot of years but back when I was a kid seems to me the
cubes in the GMC were 270 and we called them the "Jimmy 270".

I was a Ford man (boy) at the time but the Jimmy lovers would
split the exhaust manifold into two separate exhaust systems
and install dual " glass pack" pack mufflers. Boy did those
suckers sound neat in second gear winding out. Best sound I
ever heard coming out of an L6.

My 2c,
Mark

Neighbor's dad had a little Chevy truck, 1950 or thereabouts. Even though the speed limit was 60 back then, on the couple of times I went fishing with him and his dad, at 60 mph that little six was screaming. Must have had a 4.11 rear end to get some kind of work out of that little sucker. Course trucks were a lot lighter and smaller then.

Same thing on big trucks. Here's this little small cube six on a duce and a half and all and you wonder how it can do what it does. All in the gearing of the rear including 2 speed rear axles.

Last I recall at around 1956 another neighbor's dad bought a Ford p/u new with V8, 3 sp stick, heater/defroster, for $1600. Never forgot that number. Course a couple of years later I was making 50 cents an hour working at a Humble (Now Exxon) full service station on Saturdays and Sundays, and if you grossed $65 a week you were "doing good" as a tradesman. My mom and dad paid $60 a month on the mortgage and I just though that was an enormous amount of money......just keeping things in perspective.

Mark

I've got one of those old 549's from an IHC truck I'd sell if some one wants it. I thought they were a pretty poor engine with that 15degree intake valve angle. Didn't take squat for it to warp or get so it would leak.

I'm thinking 73 was the first year they became the same except for the name.

Somewhere around 67 to 72 about the only difference was the Chevys has rear coil springs, GMC had leafs.

Before that GMC had a variety of different engines including an oddity in late 55 that had a Pontiac engine, 4 speed automatic, all the chrome, but no power steering, no power brakes, not even a heater!

I know my dad's 1/2 ton 68 had 3 engine choices.
230 straight 6, not sure of the cubes v-6, or a
307 v-8. I know the 307 was a chevy engine. He
went with the 230. He paid $2,400 out the door
with keys and a heater (and an AM radio).

(quoted from post at 04:38:36 10/08/14) Couple of problems there and one was the GM diesel where they
used a standard gas block and it wouldn't stand up. Some of the
warranty replacements were Chevys. I specifically remember one
instance of an Olds owner that got a Chevy engine and he made a
big stink about it and GM put him an Olds in it after the fact and I
might be recalling that it was a used engine at that but he took it.

Mark

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And he got a better engine with the Olds gas. I'm still running the Olds 403 that I transplanted into my 81 GMC (former 350 diesel). The Olds gas engines from the seventies had a reputation for long life and for good reason.

(quoted from post at 04:52:55 10/08/14)

I was a Ford man (boy) at the time but the Jimmy lovers would
split the exhaust manifold into two separate exhaust systems
and install dual " glass pack" pack mufflers. Boy did those
suckers sound neat in second gear winding out. Best sound I
ever heard coming out of an L6.

My 2c,
Mark

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The split manifold was a GM option for trucks and also the Corvette in the 1950s. I've got one, just need a car to attach it to

Yeah--take a gas engine and convert it to diesel and let the buyer check it out.
Wonderful management?

In 1970, my dad bought a new Chevy CST 1/2 ton truck. Hugger orange and white. Beautiful truck with many problems.
After warranty expired, I replaced the starter three more times in 50K miles. The truck wouldn't start good unless he had a really high amp battery.
Then the flywheel was damaged/worn.
I went to the same dealer he bought the truck from and purchased a flywheel.
Parts manager was a personal friend and during my discussion he requested the engine number.
I called dad and he gave me the number.
Parts manager said the engine had been changed???
I assured him we had not changed the engine and he stated it had a CORVETTE engine!!
I asked him how could that be because it was not evident from outside engine.
He suggested that truck line may have ran out of truck engines and they just pulled a few from corvette line???
He sold me a different starter and flywheel and the starter problem ended. I have no idea why the truck had a corvette engine or how many others got the same type engine or why all external components--valve covers etc.-- were same as other trucks.
I checked the compression and to the best of my knowledge, been a long time, it had a lot more then other 350s I had worked on.
Another problem was with motor mounts. Don't remember how many left motor mounts we replaced before GM sent dad a recall and they installed a cable mounted to the exhaust manifold bolts and wrapped around frame.
[b:704866392f]"Excellent repair"[/b:704866392f] that actually worked if you could put up with buzzing vibration during heavy throttle!
Last GM product family ever owned!

I think it was 69 when they became the same with the same engine choices. The true GMC always had the V-6 engine and I'm pretty sure 68 was the last year for it. I worked for a GMC dealer in the 70's and can remember the owner telling customers that the GMC's were a heavier truck as a sales speech, always ticked me off cause I knew he was lying. More than one came in with GMC trim on one side and Chev on the other. The earlier true GMC's were heavier than the Chev's.

Thinking this over it might have been 67.

The company I worked for bought a new 1968 GMC tilt cab. The truck didn't have side marker lights which first came out in 1968. Found out that there was no year identification in the serial number on GMC trucks and although sold as a new 1968 truck it actually was older - could have been a 1966 for all we knew. I think Chevrolet trucks could be identified by serial number as to year.

the are the same but different sheet metal.

GMC has a different set of option combinations/pricing.

Just a general comment on this thread. "Anyone remember"? Actually, looking at all the conflicting "memories", I would say that the answer is "no". Should have been titled "anyone have a personal opinion"? :roll:

Weren't GM vehicles in Canada Maple leaf for a while? Did they have GMC and Chevy then? I have a 1952 Chevy pickup, original 216. I put a 3 speed overdrive from a 1959 Chevy car and a higher speed 1956 Chevy pickup rear axle. That got rid of the enclosed driveline. Cruises nicely at 65 mph. Dad had a '61 chevy pickup, short narrow box with a 235 and 3 speed, it had torsion bar front axle and coil rear. Nascar ran the pickup rear coil spring set up for years. We had a '59 GMC dump truck with a Pontiac engine. I had a 1965 GMC truck with the 478 and a automatic transmission, 2 speed rear tandems. I also had a log truck, 1953 GMC with a 503, 5&3 transmission, single axle. That thing had a tandem trailer and lots of power for a '53 gas truck, not as much as the '51 Kenworth with a 220 Cummins diesel though....James

Corvette engines in the chevy pickup starter problems? Had a similar situation working auto parts store- shop had customer El Camino with starter needed- had gotten one from store by the book for model- didn't work. Tried possible options for the year and model with a year earlier and later- still didn't work. I was delivering the third possible and new mechanic showed me customer vehicle on lift, I recognized it and knew the customer had some odd balls, asked mechanic if he'd talked to customer about his engine--'no, not yet, wanted to get starter done first'. Station owner asked what's up and I told him -'We both know the customer collects the oddballs- but mech hasn't asked him what kind of engine he's stolen for this one, got to call him. Mech was shocked at words used, owner of station just nodded and passed me phone, I talked to owner and found out likely engine, double checked engine number and passed word back to store and machinist said he'd make one up. 2 hours later had a starter that fit and turned engine over. Book showed a possible 350 with a 400 smog possible- engine was a 396 Corvette derived from the previous years NASCAR banned engine with the truck 4 speed that needed different nose cone on the high powered corvette or police pursuit starter base. Dealer special orders and some special customer use packages don't get into base parts catalogs- they are the last line small print with ** check engine, transmission, rear end numbers for exceptions units. Warrantee replacement engines can be whatever is there that fits and customer accepts, a delivered new to dealer vehicle that has a catastrophic engine failure at dealer prep time can get a whatever dealer wants available now also. Corvette replacement engines in crate sometime more readily available than a production smog compliant for market engine- anticipated need for Corvette engine replacement didn't happen- engines weren't abused with lack of maintenance and blown engines were usually in crashed cars so no need to just replace the engine. Pickup truck line has more sort of options than the car line- and the 4x4 can be a bit off. RN

(quoted from post at 20:09:31 10/08/14) Weren't GM vehicles in Canada Maple leaf for a while? Did they have GMC and Chevy then? I have a 1952 Chevy pickup, original 216. I put a 3 speed overdrive from a 1959 Chevy car and a higher speed 1956 Chevy pickup rear axle. That got rid of the enclosed driveline. Cruises nicely at 65 mph. Dad had a '61 chevy pickup, short narrow box with a 235 and 3 speed, it had torsion bar front axle and coil rear. Nascar ran the pickup rear coil spring set up for years. We had a '59 GMC dump truck with a Pontiac engine. I had a 1965 GMC truck with the 478 and a automatic transmission, 2 speed rear tandems. I also had a log truck, 1953 GMC with a 503, 5&3 transmission, single axle. That thing had a tandem trailer and lots of power for a '53 gas truck, not as much as the '51 Kenworth with a 220 Cummins diesel though....James

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I have seen a few 67 thru 72 GMC pick ups that had rear leaf springs.. The first GMC V6 I built the rear seal leaked... The customer said he would bring it back in as soon as he found the time... That was the last time I seen'em I guess sometimes you get lucky...

This GMC stuff got me to thinking about when I just got out of the arm in '58. I was going to build me a hot rod but then reality set in that I had to make a living. The GMC and Reo engines were what were on stands and we took apart in school at Atlanta General Depot. I also checked my old motors manual (doesn't cover GMC) but the chev used the babbited rods with dipper oiling 14 psi pressure until '54. The powerglide engine used full pressure in 53 with hyd lifters also but std transmission cars used dippers in 53.

(I have seen a few 67 thru 72 GMC pick ups that had rear leaf springs.. The first GMC V6 I built the rear seal leaked... The customer said he would bring it back in as soon as he found the time... That was the last time I seen'em I guess sometimes you get lucky...

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I know of one 72 long bed 1/2ton GMC that has leaf springs. I thought it was odd since most had coils, kind of figured they all did until this one. I don't know if it was a special package or GMC only thing or what.

I had forgotten that. I worked at an auto parts store in the mid-'70's after high school in the evenings. I remember for instance, if needed to look up wheel bearings for a rear axle on a Chevy through 1972, Timkin had them listed by 1/2, 3/4, 1 ton. But if I needed them for a GMC, I needed to go out and crawl under the truck and look a the tag on the differential for a number and then go see where it fell in the book and get its wheel bearings based off of that. Didn't make sense to me, but thats an example of what you are talking abut and how it worked.

Mark

I know the larger GMC trucks used large V6'S while the Chevy's had V8's.

In the olden days (1930's) GMCs had 6 cylinders with full pressure
lubrication, Chevies had splash lubrication. When we get into the
50's and V-8 came out Chevies had the small block Chevy engine and
used powerglides if you wanted an automatic transmission. GMCs used
Pontiac V-8s and Hydromatic transmissions. In the 60's GMC pickups
used a version of their truck v-6 not sure what automatic you could
get as I never saw a V-6 with an automatic.

Back before 1973 GMC/Chevrolet were a lot more abundant about what you
could order on a truck. To service fleet sales they offered different
suspension options, sometimes using of the shelf systems from part
manufacturers like Spicer, Dana, Hendrickson, Timken and such. If you
had a big enough fleet order they'd do a lot of things for you that
normally couldn't be done. I suspect some dealers tagged onto fleet
orders to try to pick up some margin on a few stock units.

As far as odd stuff GM was notorious about grabbing anything they
could to keep a line running or dropping odd lots into fleet orders
to pinch a few pennies not to mention the phenomenon, for which the
name escapes me, in which an employee orders a car and his buddies on
the line build it with the stuff he wants and didn't want to pay for.
And of course let's not forget the odd stuff ordered by executives,
engineering mules and tests and DSO (District Sales Orders) where
some sales executive gins up his own special packages, sometimes to
help production to get rid of surplus parts. And of course the
discussion wouldn't be complete without mentioning some times the
assembly workers just plain mess up, maybe by accident, maybe because
they're bored (gee wonder if this would fit?), maybe to get back at
the boss (he yelled at me so we'll tube his quality audit). When I
lived in Michigan I knew a few auto workers, a lot of them used to
like to brag about all the stuff they screwed up.

An example My Dad used to work for UPS driving a package car. UPS
ordered 200 chassis from Chevrolet and then had someone else (heck
maybe it was UPS) put the iconic brown truck body on them. They put
them into service and before to long the transmissions failed. Their
local terminal based fleet mechanic goes to the local Chevrolet
dealer to get parts to fix the tranny. The guy at the parts counter
says no dice that in't a Chevy transmission, they argue they throw
part numbers,chassis codes and serial numbers around. Eventually the
Chevy guy sends it to zone and the UPS guy sends it to corporate
fleet. The answer comes back, GM had about 200 transmissions laying
around, they were prototypes, they tested them enough to know they
didn't want to use them because they were junk. Along comes good old
UPS with their 200 unit fleet order. Some production line manager
makes a decision to save some money and use what he has on hand.
Mystery solved.

Then there is also the lost units that occasionally show up, when I
sold cars for a while (Lincolns & Mercurys) our fleet sales manager
came out on the point to show us what he just got. It seems Ford
found about 15 F350s they built 6 years ago in the corner of a plant
in Michigan and never shipped, they were asking dealers for bids on
them, he showed us the fax on it.

Hmmm. Didn't know that. Word of the day was that the guys made
them themselves. Considering the age of their equipment and the
depression of the ' 50's they probably did.

Thanks,
Mark

One of the things I recall about the Olds engine was exhaust
valve rotators. Since valve jobs were roughly 45k mile events
back then, I thought that was a great idea.

My first car was a '51 Olds V8 2 door sedan I bought used for
$75 from a dealer in Oklahoma. Borrowed the money from my
grand dad and took a while to pay it back.....I was on GI pay at
$30 a month. He was from the old school and held my nose to
the grindstone. Still remember the oil I used in it: Gulfpride
Select, Single G, 30W.

Prior to that when I was younger, kid down at the end of the
street had a '49 4 door and used to hotrod the heck out of that
thing. Every time he rounded the corner where I lived he'd gun it
coming out of the curve and throw gravel all over the place. Was
surprised that he never tore it up for as long as I knew he had it.

Mark

Not quite what you are looking for but when GMC
first started making light duty trucks 1936 37 38
they used Pontiac flathead 6 in pickups and
oldsmobile flathead 6 in larger trucks because the
chevy was not a full pressure engine. In 1939 they
came out with a new OHV full pressure engine for
the GMC.

(quoted from post at 15:12:07 10/09/14) Not quite what you are looking for but when GMC
first started making light duty trucks 1936 37 38
they used Pontiac flathead 6 in pickups and
oldsmobile flathead 6 in larger trucks because the
chevy was not a full pressure engine. In 1939 they
came out with a new OHV full pressure engine for
the GMC.

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eal proud of their water pump! So much for that old wives tale that removing the thermostat will make water flow too fast to cool things!
http://gmauthority.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/1962-GMC-V6-Water-Ad.jpg