Mods
Custom chassis based on a 77 GMC 3/4 ton with 1 ton springs, IFS, disc brakes, 350/400, 14 bolt 4:10 rear, 19.5 tires, satellite radio, all LED lighting.
Build story
Originally built as a sort of hot rod tow truck in the late 30's early 40's from a wrecked 1936 GMC 1 ton panel truck and a 1937 Dodge truck, the original builder cut the top off of the GMC panel truck and bobbed the rear and then grafted in the 37 Dodge truck cab in place of the GMC's. The Dodge hood top was used and the GMC hood sides were modified to fit the cab. The fenders, running boards, dash and hood sides are all 36 GMC, the door handles are 36 Ford car and the cab and hood top are 37 Dodge and it's all welded and leaded in place. At this time it was fitted with a 1936 Weaver Auto Crane.
The truck worked as an AMA (AAA) tow truck in Alberta Canada from the time it was built till 1958 when it got retired and was left behind a gas station garage till sometime in the 70's when I local tow truck outfit bought it to build as their mascot. At some point they decided it needed too much and they sent it to a wrecking yard. Fast forward to the early 90's when my dad spots it on his way to work sitting in the wrecking yard. We liked the truck and talked about the idea of having it but never really did anything about it till one day in 1994 as he went past he saw it was marked to be crushed, so he went in and made a deal for it. We traded a 1982 Ford Escort station wagon for the truck, borrowed our neighbours tow truck and towed it home!
The truck was very rough and very stripped out, it had no engine, tranny or gears in the differential. The glass was bad, there was no floor, no radiator shell, headlights or front hubs. SO the truck sat for a few years till a TV series being filmed nearby asked to use it as a background prop, they ended up renting a few of our cars and trucks and did major damage to all of them. After that the truck came home and sat some more. In the meantime we gathered parts for it and formulated a build plan.
The original frame was badly butchered, poorly repaired and damaged and repaired over and over for years while it had been in service to the point it was unusable. So we worked out that a squarebody GM long box frame was within 1/2 an inch of the correct wheelbase and the front width and rear width were bang on to the 1936 frame. We sourced a donor truck for the chassis, removed and relocated all of the body mounts to align with the 36 mounts, and then moved the engine and tranny back 7 3/4 inches to keep it in the 1936 engine bay. The radiator is a 1986 Lincoln LSC unit turned on it's side with the cap relocated and has a pair of Mercedes M class electric pusher fans.
We used a 1986 GM truck vacuum booster and master cylinder, hanging pedal and gas pedal, 1982 Plymouth Caravel steering column and wheel (Because it fit and we had it) a 1986 Ford Aerostar shifter what the handle shortened 8 inches and 1985 Toyota van low back seats (until I can locate a stock 336-38 Dodge truck seat) The fuel tank is from a 1982 Ford F650 and sits behind the cab inside the box, next to it is the battery box made from a 1942 stamped ammo box. The tail lights are vintage clear glass Guide utility lights that I made custom LED internals for so they are clear till they light up, there are a pair of 1940 Chevrolet park lights on the back with red LED internals for auxiliary lighting as well. The license plate light is from a 1950's mobile home and the work light on the back of the cab has had the internals updated to a modern H4 bulb and reflector. The head lights are 1933 Buick pots on 1933 Plymouth mounts (which are swapped left for right and turned 90 degrees) the park lights are 1932 Pontiac, the grill is a rear 1936 Maple Leaf grill mounted in 1935 Chevrolet rad shell. The windshield wiper motor came from a wrecked Detomaso Pantera of all things and uses a 1959 German Ford Taunus wiper arm.
The wheels are 19.5 CN rail truck wheels that are inset for service trucks to be able to drive on train tracks, using these allowed me to use the 1977 GM axles which are much wider than the originals and keeps the wheels inside the fenders and helps make it look like they are original.
I have been driving the truck as my daily driver all year round for a decade now, I've had it all over Alberta, up mountain trails and fording small rivers, exploring back roads and recovering vintage cars from all over with it, I can't imagine life without this truck!
2 years ago I was at a road course event as a spectator and was dared to enter the truck, when I finally relented I had so much fun that I went back last summer and won my class!
Sometime in the summer of 2021 there is a chance the truck will get used in a B grade horror movie, so I am looking forward to that!
The truck worked as an AMA (AAA) tow truck in Alberta Canada from the time it was built till 1958 when it got retired and was left behind a gas station garage till sometime in the 70's when I local tow truck outfit bought it to build as their mascot. At some point they decided it needed too much and they sent it to a wrecking yard. Fast forward to the early 90's when my dad spots it on his way to work sitting in the wrecking yard. We liked the truck and talked about the idea of having it but never really did anything about it till one day in 1994 as he went past he saw it was marked to be crushed, so he went in and made a deal for it. We traded a 1982 Ford Escort station wagon for the truck, borrowed our neighbours tow truck and towed it home!
The truck was very rough and very stripped out, it had no engine, tranny or gears in the differential. The glass was bad, there was no floor, no radiator shell, headlights or front hubs. SO the truck sat for a few years till a TV series being filmed nearby asked to use it as a background prop, they ended up renting a few of our cars and trucks and did major damage to all of them. After that the truck came home and sat some more. In the meantime we gathered parts for it and formulated a build plan.
The original frame was badly butchered, poorly repaired and damaged and repaired over and over for years while it had been in service to the point it was unusable. So we worked out that a squarebody GM long box frame was within 1/2 an inch of the correct wheelbase and the front width and rear width were bang on to the 1936 frame. We sourced a donor truck for the chassis, removed and relocated all of the body mounts to align with the 36 mounts, and then moved the engine and tranny back 7 3/4 inches to keep it in the 1936 engine bay. The radiator is a 1986 Lincoln LSC unit turned on it's side with the cap relocated and has a pair of Mercedes M class electric pusher fans.
We used a 1986 GM truck vacuum booster and master cylinder, hanging pedal and gas pedal, 1982 Plymouth Caravel steering column and wheel (Because it fit and we had it) a 1986 Ford Aerostar shifter what the handle shortened 8 inches and 1985 Toyota van low back seats (until I can locate a stock 336-38 Dodge truck seat) The fuel tank is from a 1982 Ford F650 and sits behind the cab inside the box, next to it is the battery box made from a 1942 stamped ammo box. The tail lights are vintage clear glass Guide utility lights that I made custom LED internals for so they are clear till they light up, there are a pair of 1940 Chevrolet park lights on the back with red LED internals for auxiliary lighting as well. The license plate light is from a 1950's mobile home and the work light on the back of the cab has had the internals updated to a modern H4 bulb and reflector. The head lights are 1933 Buick pots on 1933 Plymouth mounts (which are swapped left for right and turned 90 degrees) the park lights are 1932 Pontiac, the grill is a rear 1936 Maple Leaf grill mounted in 1935 Chevrolet rad shell. The windshield wiper motor came from a wrecked Detomaso Pantera of all things and uses a 1959 German Ford Taunus wiper arm.
The wheels are 19.5 CN rail truck wheels that are inset for service trucks to be able to drive on train tracks, using these allowed me to use the 1977 GM axles which are much wider than the originals and keeps the wheels inside the fenders and helps make it look like they are original.
I have been driving the truck as my daily driver all year round for a decade now, I've had it all over Alberta, up mountain trails and fording small rivers, exploring back roads and recovering vintage cars from all over with it, I can't imagine life without this truck!
2 years ago I was at a road course event as a spectator and was dared to enter the truck, when I finally relented I had so much fun that I went back last summer and won my class!
Sometime in the summer of 2021 there is a chance the truck will get used in a B grade horror movie, so I am looking forward to that!