1938 GMC "Driving" Home My Dream Truck

[@mikerussell505]

The truck is a 1939 (one year only dash). I have a lot of stuff for it in Columbia MO. Grille, housing, hood parts, engine??, doors, headlamps, gauges and more.

[@Mercmad]

So it should have a 228 GMC engine?

[@mikerussell505]

@@Mercmad I think it is a Chevy, not a GMC. The GMC grille does not match the truck. The quickest way to tell. if it is still readable, is to look at the oil pressure gauge. If it is a 30 lb. gauge it is a Chevy. If the gauge reads to 60 or 80 lbs., it is a GMC. I'm betting Chevy. I'm not sure GMC ever used the 10 bolt wheel, with only 5 holes used on the front. I think a GMC of this size would have had 6 bolt wheels, front and rear. I have reached out to him on his website. I hope he will respond. I have a lot of stuff he will need.

[@CarCommentator]

Your restorations are absolutely amazing! Each video is a testament to your dedication and expertise. I'm always excited to see what you'll bring back to life next

[@paulreft7133]

Man my heart is beating faster now! 😮 You might have heard me yell "SWEEEEET' from here in PA! Another very cool rescue, can't wait to see this old girl come back to life! I vote for RMC lettering on the doors, using your logo, that would be sweet, but whatever you decide, the old girl is smiling knowing she has a new life coming... someday! Still amazing a 216 powered that big girl! We'll stay tuned! God bless!

[@morgansword]

I did wish to say that I owned a 42 GMC with the 503 engine, factory wrecker body installed on it with twin booms, winches, tandom axle chain driven rear ends. The engine ran like a swiss clock right up to the time my brother told me it had to go in 2014. It had the dual exhaust manifold and a four barrel carbration system from factory.... got about a half mile to the gallon. One of the things they did to hold the passenger mirror from shaking was to hang a sack full of washers from the mirror to keep it steady... found that quite funny what they used in the day. I am seventy four now, did my time in the army like many of us during those years. Best now forgotten as we all hurry up and wait for the lord to bring us home

[@heartland96a]

I hope you can attend vehicle shows to share your memories and mechanical knowledge with younger generations

[@cameronmurie]

Yes: Very very nice thing to restore - and SO GOOD that it wont be Rat-Rodded or dropped and flopped and all that other stuff they do. By the way you helped me with info on my own General Motors engine a year or so back: its running very nicely now. Cheers. CM - South Africa.

[@steves9915]

Awesome story and hope to see it come back to life. I just picked up a 37 Ford Pickup completely patina with a flathead I needed to get running. Very solid and no plans to paint or chop. If you saw the seat you could tell immediately it is not a rat rod but s mouse rod, LOL.

[@heartland96a]

Yes they are original only once and many like the patina look but please do something to protect the metal so another generation can enjoy it

[@tinroofranch4722]

39 - 40. Very much a keeper! Grille assm. is 38. Cab and doors interchange to early 47

[@dyamariv3628]

Please, please PLEASE drop everything else and start on this beauty ASAP!! 🤩

[@SignalyardsGarage]

You know me, I wouldn’t paint it at all! But you do what you like my friend! Great find! Enjoyed this one very much!

[@JDale56]

The door inscription is “State Board of Social Welfare of Kansas.” I found a copy of their journal dated 1937-1939 so it is period correct. Also means that is the original green paint for the vehicle.

[@jimwhite1061]

Cool find

[@Mercmad]

Sounds a bit socialist LOL!

[@ostrich67]

@@Mercmad New Deal. It was popular until the Republicans convinced poor country people to refuse the help offered to them.

[@catherineoneill1420]

I am totally with you on this one! What great condition. It's a wow. Brian

[@williamstamper442]

16:21 aint no way in 100 years would I have guessed that to be the balance point! Ive lifted and moved countless equipment over the years as a forklift and equipment mechanic and this one absolutely thru me for a loop! I guess that axle is heavy!

[@karensavarese5684]

Your truck is 39-40. 37-38 were 2 year only cabs, with flat windshields. Looks quite solid.Doors from 39-46 fit, and easy to find. Early chevs., are fun , I have owned several. Keep goin'. Love, Dubs

[@jessestout8646]

I hope you work on this truck soon!! Also, i like the idea of bringing back what is already on the door and making it ledgeable! 🙂

[@catherineoneill1420]

The stovebolt from our 51 Chev pickup was long gone but a newer 235 was put in which is what you see when you lift the hood. It is still the whole package that is the heart of the truck. We have been restoring the original systems little by little. The sooner you start driving this, the happier you will be. Cathy and I get comments and many thumbs up whenever we take it to town, we have a blast driving it and it is still doing farm work! Brian and Cathy

[@andrewmacdonald4833]

What's not to love about these old trucks?...I've got a 43 GMC...I saved her from a pretty nasty fate...just weeks away from heading to the scrap man. Good luck!!

[@swhod2190]

Keep the cab and grill shell colors, get 'er running, driving and braking with new tires. Nice haul!

[@vagabond96h]

Decide what you are going to do with it and give us updates. That old truck is thanking you right now.

[@TheSearaider]

Just came across your channel watching from London England your living the dream .I used to do this in Africa on my farm

[@samseale2071]

It’s 39 Chevrolet one and a half ton. My dad had a 39 3/4 ton pickup,as well as two 1940 one and a half ton trucks when I was growing up.

[@boatnut64]

What a Beauty.❤❤❤ I like the "Ratzlaff Motor Co." idea... I don't know if I could hrlp myself... I would be soooo tempted, to strip, blast and paint the frame... I know for myself, the hardest part, is to get started... If I don't start, I may never get started... (but that's just me)... I'm soooo excited for you Brother... ❤❤❤ God Bless

[@stevecurtiss46]

That hood, if it gors to that truck is Chevy. Dash says 36 to 40. Thanks foe saving her. It's my favorite years. I have a 40 3/4 pu

[@christimm394]

You could try using linseed oil and try to bring out the lettering on the door, or as you suggested, make it an ode to your family’s business, whichever you decide will be great

[@johnkranz4004]

Definitely a KOOL Truck Going to be a good Build

[@randallsanders7446]

Nice find ... and for the right price. Perhaps you could hold some paper over the door & rub over it with a pencil or chalk to bring out the letters? Hope you can find some time to dig into this thing but ... no hurry. I can wait -- that's a little something I picked up in the military. However, on second thought, we did both -- hurry up & wait.

[@bentighe4811]

"Board of" something. We didn't get a good enough, long enough, clear enough look to make out more, though I thought one of the words might be "Well."

[@davidgates1887]

Beautiful truck I’m sorry I’m in love I have a one ton Chevy that looks great with that cab

[@timothysmith5769]

Beautiful save!

[@SteveBrock-c7c]

I was sitting thinking about how farmers do things in the midwest. Just take the old car or truck down to the lower 40ty and put em out to pasture. Then you said i purchased the property in 2006. You decided to search the lower 40. Small world.❤😊

[@chuckster6513]

From another Jayhawker, That is a wonderful acquisition ! I love seeing old work horses dragged out of tree rows to become loved again. To some, that looks like a pile of scrap iron. To a hot rod builder, it looks like a project waiting to happen. You have great sheet metal to work with. As for the lettering on the driver side door, Please work harder to figure out what it was and redo it. If you cut a piece of thin, light colored cardboard to a four to six inch square. Then cut a rectangle hole in the middle of the square just a bit larger than any letter you can plainly see. Place the hole around any letter. Then you can concentrate on just one letter at a time to figure out the words. I find this process works very well.

[@Friedbrain11]

I'd build it back up with an Atlas turbo straight six with a four speed trans. It would rock and be a stump pulling monster:) Love the rims too!

[@robertyork386]

Ratz Motor Co. on the back of the cab, with the original sign-writing on the doors would be cool!!

[@danw1955]

Heh heh, as soon as I saw the full-height side cover and the vents in the valve cover, I started placing my bets on it being a 216 dipper motor.😆 I had a '47 Chevy 1/2 ton with one in it, before I upgraded it to 'other things'.😉

[@Die_Apeschrauber]

Really love the Truck and the fact that you want to keep it original! There are so many of these "bigger" trucks out there witch are cut up to put the body on top of some 80's RV-Chassies and then thrown with an LS. Just one idea for the bed - i've seen these "big size trucks" converted into pickups, but never in original style with the big split rims and a time period correct engine. I would love to see it as a "max sized pickup" that look like it could've rolled of the line in 1938 like that.

[@frankennaro4572]

Try it no guts no glory. Don’t stop now.

[@danielalmendarez1878]

1st of all you gotta have an understanding wife. I tip my hat to you. If I brought anything close to that home she would have kittens. I own a ‘46 Chevy truck in nice shape which I don’t get to drive as much as I would like and she still is on my ass about having it in the garage.

[@allentrader3181]

I agree with you on color newer engine and a real nice flat bed

[@tomclaes450]

Love the old Patina trucks i have also a chevy 54 Patina diesel truck greetings from Belgium europe 👍💪👍

[@timot7746]

Like you said, the image of the truck in my head, black frame and fenders, green cab, wooden steakbed and one of those 292`s under the hood, that is going to be a sweet truck, and really, you must get a couple of those Impalas home too!😀

[@RT4Him]

A great recovery. You know me - I'd love Humble Mechanic on the doors.

[@scottcallahan-z2x]

loving it ,good luck

[@Conan_Obrien]

Man sees old truck in field. Man wish someday to rescue old truck. 20 years pass. Man brings old truck home for new life. Man smile. Man happy. I'm looking forward to this one, sir. Can't wait to see what you do with it. Unrelated, but any progress on your red 80s squarebody?

[@michaelguinn5736]

That's a very cool vintage truck! Please don't tell me you're going to cut it up & make a rat rod out of it!!! There's a channel here on KZbin, Waylon Wire or something like that, he cut one of these apart that was running & driving!!! He said it would be worth more $$$$ made into a Rat Rod!!! To each his own. I hope you put the truck back together, get it running & driving!!

[@scottsinfl]

They do fit good on the dodge 3500 chassis my 42 fit like it was made for it and the cummins is a beast.

[@1963impala2drWaylonWire]

excellent video m'friend!. you are definitely a brother from another mother! I have the exact same truck and i drove a 63 through high school but it was a beater.. 25 years ago I bought a nice 63 ss ..overhauled the original engine and completely restored the car. two years ago I drove that car from WA state to Myrtle beach S.C. and back! (over 7k miles) just a bit of trivia for ya. GMC used olds flathead 6 engines until 1938 when they used a pontiac flathead for that year only. by 1939, GMC had developed their own stovebolt 6. I have installed a 1960 GMC V12 in my 38, but I sold the running engine and chassis to a friend who is going to run it!. if you are interested, you can see my 38 on my channel here on youtube. good luck and have fun!

[@speedfreak8200]

I believe the old saying is Flipped My Wig 😂

[@caldaq219]

repair but not restore or mod would be my vote. plus A will it run video would be fun.

[@markallchorn2438]

Will be great to see what happens to the truck. Looking forward to see what happen. Maybe there is and old State of Kansas photo somewhere. All the best from England 👍

[@doctorhugocat]

AWESOME!! FWIW I'd paint it with your company slogan....

[@norman9219]

I love it 😊

[@franciscomontesdeoca5316]

Super nice truck.

[@AndreasAndersson-ve4jx]

Beatiful estates, yours and your neighbours. And nice, smooth sand road for your wheel loader, like a beach.. How comes the sand road dont't get compacted & "currugated", was that just a private road inside your neighbours property?

[@heartland96a]

Nice pair of vintage GMC’s. What degree of preservation/ restoration are you planning

[@jimgarner5574]

I hope you have experience with repairing the GM two-piece cab. Good luck.

[@brianbloom1799]

I owned a 33 Chevy pickup sold 8 years ago, With Lots of regrets, Thats a Great Truck, Trucks always look great whaen done right, and the 63 impala, I Personally , Cant stand that Body style, My Brother Had a 63 ss convertible, Big block Car and hated junked it, Bake in the 80's,I think There to Big of a Body style You Made the Right Choice 30-40 Pickups.

[@tracymullens4205]

Way cool I want one

[@kevinpfaff2301]

RATZLAFF MOTORS on the doors. She is a beauty, a hard working old girl. Restore it to original please.

[@keithmerchant225]

What Brand is your loader?.... And great save..

[@jefferyhamilton8099]

You can always keep the body original and drop the cabin, fenders and hood and grill on a light model 1 ton or something of that nature

[@garyfeltus9801]

If it was my truck I would keep all original body wise. I would put a Cummins motor in it . Your probably going to have to put a newer engine it. Cool ole truck.

[@JoeyToth-ti9tp]

Riverside Deluxe,Montgomery Wards tires,my father bought tires there

[@lucas_810]

Make it a boom truck to make it easier pulling those trucks out and for lifting up some of the heavier stuff to suspend it if you have to

[@stephenvose6359]

Could it be”State Board of Agriculture Kansas”? If so, restore to that. Make modest upgrades to make it drivable and a bit safer for today’s roads.

[@ostrich67]

9:55 Riverside was Montgomery Ward's house brand of tires.

[@sparkplug0000]

One dark night you could try using a black light to possibly bring out the lettering on the side. I tried washing a screenshot through various Photoshop filters but couldn’t determine much more than you already had.

[@TheJayhawker]

lol I did the same thing. I will run out there with a black light and maybe share it with you members.

[@JDale56]

It says “State Board of Social Welfare of Kansas”

[@desolategrey]

Have a 1937 T16 myself I have some 39 40 stuff i may part with .......also have a engine that rotates Looking for some spoksteel wheels

[@tdublove9558]

This was awesome 😂

[@Bill-xc8le]

Repaint it green with the black fenders, and no lettering on the doors or anywhere.

[@mccrackenphillip]

IT looks Wasteland ready. So Try a budget build if u can piece here there the paint on it might be good enough for a service truck I would leave it. Oh try to source a GMC truck straight engine for it if possible. Possibly a taller Axle gearing so It can be driven better

[@josephkerley363]

I made out "State Board Of .... " You might want to investigate state boards for the year of the truck. That may give you a clue as to the rest of the lettering on the door. Just a thought.

[@SteveBrock-c7c]

Are you sure that the moss wasn't a hood ornament?😊

[@JeronWhite]

New build

[@dirtbikedemon0841]

It's a 39-40 me and my dad have a bunch of parts for um, hit me up edit: also have a 44 gmc t16 war truck we'll sell u were gonna keep the wheels tho its near Pittsburgh KS rn

[@bobwickham6631]

Changing the contrast a bit in Photoshop, it looks like State of Kansas Board of Social Welfare

[@rogerellison-cu9ur]

Restore it to it's past glory.

[@villainjohnnoel8075]

Why don't you do like in the Roadrunner animation,you know everything started with Acme..... I always had a soft spot for the coyote.....

[@ignacioanaya3403]

let the original patina and drive as it is... just like coming back from hell

[@ThomasofAkron]

Figure out door logo and go with that, unless grandpas forest agency works for you

[@bobspeer6774]

Try doing a rubbing with paper and pencil on the door.

[@4speed3pedals]

GMC was not Chevrolet as far as offerings and options They used to use Pontiac L-head engines and Oldsmobile engines as well as their own design. I was questioning the truck as to the viability of pickup bed but even on them, the rear axle was place close to the end of the frame giving it a long look. Maybe your frame is longer due to the rear axle assembly and the 7.00x20 wheels. Stil, once finished, it will be a desirable truck but quite and expense. Good luck with it.

[@stevecurtiss46]

Parts at Chevs of the 40s Vancouver Washington state

[@arthurn9237]

OOOHHH IM SOOO JEALOUS AND ☝️ AND LITTLE TO NO RUST

[@charlescox6608]

Shorten frame and make a bobtail out of it !!!

[@sidneyjreading7826]

I have a 46 GMC truck same size

[@doncotrona135]

39 gm door

[@SteveBrock-c7c]

Try making it period correct.❤😊

[@brucerabb860]

Shorten frame and put year correct bed on it.

[@jaybird8245]

Gmc would have came with a pontiac flat 6.

[@brianbloom1799]

Sorry for Spelling Key board needs changed. writes what it wants.

[@samcraig3924]

Call Jennings motor sports channel he will get it started

[@davidh266]

State board of ___ of Kansas Sanitation maybe

[@axelmansur]

Same motor as Opala six cylinders made by GM Brasil

[@Idrisbach]

Keep it stock original with patina. It was a real working truck, not a kit car.

[@heidenfelderkustoms1502]

Stay with the family business name

[@luissisneros1443]

Put car murders in jail

[@paulmurawski3683]

Your company logo

[@heidenfelderkustoms1502]

Be awesome if it’s s 302

[@denniskindrick6078]

family logo small block v8

[@alltimers_dizzies7311]

4x4

[@deweymattly4542]

U s forest service

[@akawireguy1197]

People believe, because of huksters on the television, that faith is blind faith, faith in what we can't see and can't measure and can't weigh. That is not the biblical standard for faith. The biblical standard for faith is faith because of what we can see, can weigh, can measure, can rationally understand. Isaiah 1:18, my second favorite scripture, says come, let us REASON together. REASON. In other words apply logic and rationalism, not blind faith except in exceptional circumstances, and even those are headlined by experience based in previous examination through reason and logic. What other faith than Christianity says to us let us examine and REASON together.