Long Bed and Big Back Window: 1958 GMC Half-Ton Pickup

One of the truest statements that I've ever heard is that if an enthusiast cannot afford a classic car, then the next best thing is a classic truck. Classic trucks offer the same amount of style a classic car does, with the added benefit of utility that a car typically does not offer. As a family that mostly owns GM vehicles, my preferences typically lean more towards trucks from Chevrolet and GMC. This classic GMC pickup is a long-bed, big-window half-ton model, and is a much rarer sight in any condition than its Chevrolet brethren. Find it here on eBay in Denton, Texas, with no bids and a little under ten hours left to bid.

After the success of its New Design series pickup trucks, GMC redesigned its light-duty pickup trucks and were thusly designated the Blue Chip series. For its 1958 model, GMC switched its headlight setup from dual to quad headlamps, and every pickup truck celebrated GM's 50th anniversary with minimal chrome adorning. This 1958 GMC pickup is a half-ton model, and features the big rear window and long bed, making for a desirable pickup truck. Found in a barn in southern Oklahoma, there is some rust in the usual spots for trucks like these from the 1950s (under both doors, passenger-side door pillar, the top of the cab, and by the back light). There are also some dents in the grille, and the driver's-side window is cracked. On the plus side, everything else is rust free, and I dig the big Western mirrors and the dealer-installed heavy duty bumper. I would address the rust, smooth the body out, and restore the truck in its original Dover white exterior color.

Wait, that's not a Chevrolet engine? No folks, that's a 336 Pontiac-based V8 engine under the hood of this truck. Backed by a column-shifted Spicer Hydramatic automatic transmission, the engine is said to turn freely, but has not been running for a while. Mileage reads 20,000 on the odometer, but my gues is the odometer has turned over once. I would try to get the engine running again before tearing down the engine for a rebuild, with the possibility of some Pontiac performance parts bolted on.

Taking a peek inside, the interior is original and fairly complete, missing only a back dome light cover. The seat is torn up and the foam is shot, but the springs and seat frame are solid, so I would replace the vinyl and seat foam. I dig the column-shift automatic, and the dealer-installed Climatic Air Custom air conditioning and Eureka heater are nice and desirable options. Overall, this GMC pickup truck would be a nice project, and though the price may seem high, the odds of finding another one at this price are slim to none. What are your thoughts on this big-window, long bed half-ton GMC pickup?