Foir the old truck folks

jon f mn · Dec 21, 2017

Came across this at work. That factory 4x4? Can't be too many of those around.

Mike M · Dec 21, 2017

Looks in good shape too !

DeltaRed · Dec 21, 2017

I think it's probably backyard engeneered.I saw an old Chevy film about a 58 pickup with the newly availavle 4WD equipped with 'Knaepco' axles doing a rock climb up Pike's Peak.either way,pretty cool.

DoubleO7 · Dec 21, 2017

(reply to post at 11:07:33 12/21/17)

A 1955 Chevy with a NAPCO 4x4 conversion most likely.
In 1956 to 1959 you could get it factory installed instead with the NAPCO parts.
1960 on up was all GM 4x4.

or the one pictured could be a backyard
conversion but the donor axles used would likely have been too wide for the truck to "look right".

GVSII · Dec 21, 2017

Love those '55,'56 GM PU's!

tim s · Dec 21, 2017

I wonder when GM first offered a factory 4X4,,I know the early Fords had a Marmon-Harrington front end under theirs, you would order the truck they would ship it to Kentucky and install the drive then to your dealer..

lee little · Dec 21, 2017

Beautiful!

Steve@Advance · Dec 21, 2017

The first GM 4x4's were 56, 57. Made by Napco.

Some were factory installed, some dealer installed.

Around 60 the factory started building their own 4x4 drive train.

Anonymous-0 · Dec 21, 2017

You don?t have to be old to appreciate that. (37, young buck)

Mike M · Dec 21, 2017

Go back to WWII GMC trucks were being made into 4x4 and 6x6
Same cab as the regular medium duty's of the day. I don't know where the parts came from and/or if the GM assembly line did them though ?

gab · Dec 21, 2017

I've only seen about one of those and think it had a Pontiac V/8.

Paul from MN · Dec 21, 2017

Nice find!!

You found it at work? I thought you just retired?

Smalltowner · Dec 21, 2017

The 55-58 GM pick-ups are bringing top dollar by the customizing shops with or without 4wd. I saw just the bed bring $2500. It was a 56 Chevy no rust.

rossow (mn) · Dec 21, 2017

I love the second-series '55 through '57 Chevy pickups. Is the one shown a long-bed? I think I can read that it's a 3200. My personal preference is for a short bed -- but I'm biased. I bought a second-series '55 3100 with the large back window back around 1971 and still have it tucked away in one of my machine sheds, but it needs a lot of freshening up even though I did a partial frame-off rebuild in the mid '70s. Another project to keep putting off.

fixerupper · Dec 21, 2017

A lot of the four wheel drive stuff in WW2 that I have seen was made by New Process. The Half tracks built by White, Diamond T, and Autocar used NP Power trains. I don’t know what the IH built half tracks used. Most of the Dodge built stuff used NP also.

fixerupper · Dec 21, 2017

(quoted from post at 10:41:03 12/21/17) A lot of the four wheel drive stuff in WW2 that I have seen was made by New Process. The Half tracks built by White, Diamond T, and Autocar used NP Power trains. I don’t know what the IH built half tracks used. Most of the Dodge built stuff used NP also.

If I remember the MB and GPW jeeps from WW2 used NP too. I rebuilt a Ford built GPW ‘Burma jeep’ too but I forget who made its power train.

Pipestem · Dec 21, 2017

johnlobb · Dec 21, 2017

My dad had a '58 that looked very much like that one, but it was light blue (loser blue). 6 cylinder, 3 on the tree.

TomA in CA · Dec 21, 2017

That is a '55, it is probably sitting on a newer 4x4 frame. I don't remember any GM trucks with factory 4x4 before '58 but I may be wrong.

notjustair · Dec 21, 2017

She looks a lot like my 55 late style grain truck. Been on this farm since new. I need to go snap a picture of old blue. I'm fairly certain she has some of both styles, because there are double emblems on the front and I know that's the grill that came on it. Maybe I will go snap a picture of it right quick. There is even family resemblance to my 58 GMC grain truck. That one I do have a pic of on my iPad.

Super H Mike · Dec 21, 2017

I had a 1960 3/4 ton factory 4x4,it was a divorced transfer case and lockout hubs on a Dana 44 front end with enclosed axle joints. It had a 283 and 4 speed, I drove that truck everywhere for a number of years, then retired it to a plow truck for about 10 years. I sold it to a guy who was gonna restore it, I hope he did. I heard the ones before 1960 were NapCo conversions done by the dealers.

Steve@Advance · Dec 21, 2017

gab, if it was a GMC, it could have came with a Pontiac motor.

Was it 4x4?

showcrop · Dec 21, 2017

I agree with Delta Red. I have this picture in my mind from 1970 of the 4x4 Ford that a fellow that I knew had at the time. It sat waaaay higher than a two wheel of the time and it was just a year or two later that they were making them only slightly higher than a two wheel drive.

gab · Dec 21, 2017

This was about 45 years ago, powered by Pontiac, can't say if it was a 4x4 or not.

Steve@Advance · Dec 21, 2017

I doubt it would have been. Think they were all Turbo Hydro 4 speed.

I've only seen one real live one.

Strange, it was a custom cab with chrome, sun visor, but had no heater!

olgentdc · Dec 21, 2017

Your Red GMC is a close cousin to my 58 chevy C-60 Viking ,,My great uncle Les bought it at the Ky state fair ,Summer of 58 ,..i am the 5th owner with Biscoff blood still owning it ..

Kansasredneck · Dec 21, 2017

I think you mean NAPCO, Northwestern Auto Parts Company out of Minnesota.

Clarence Slydell · Dec 22, 2017

Loser blue?

Foir the old truck folks

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