Sometimes you just have to haul stuff, whether it be moving, helping a friend move, hauling large items, or going from job site to job site. And this 1964 GMC Panel Truck may have done any number of those things in the past.
The 1964 GMC Panel Trucks were like a super-long bed pickup with a shell on it and no bulkhead between the cab and the cargo area. The available cargo space was massive, allowing one to haul far more than an average pickup, and keep the cargo safe from the elements. Since most of these GMC Panel Trucks were used as work or utility vehicles, they were worked hard, used as tools to get jobs done, and then parked until they were needed to work again. As such, not many can be found today in good condition.
The GMC Panel Truck we see here has been the subject of a recent restoration. The current color combo is a bright red with a wide white stripe around the upper half, making the truck prime for a business logo or lettering, or maybe the perfect rig for towing a red-with-white classic car.
It is a longer variant, with an enormous cargo capacity, making it ideal for hauling nearly anything.
The interior is finished in a dusky gold color that would have been called Fawn Beige on 1961 Corvettes. It has a pair of bucket seats, AutoMeter gauges, and the original radio. The cargo area is a combination of painted walls and roof with color-matched carpet.
The restored GMC Panel Truck also has had a number of significant changes from new. The inline-six cylinder it was born with has made way for a 283 cube V8 that has had its bore enlarged. The transmission has been changed to a five-speed manual unit. Vintage Air climate control has been fitted. The truck now benefits from power steering and power brakes, and it wears more modern chrome GMC wheels with corresponding rubber.
You’d be hard pressed to find another of these GMC Panel Trucks in this condition. Today, it could be used for any number of utility purposes, or it could be taken to car shows or events. And chances are that its new owner would be the only one with a super slick GMC Panel Truck at a (socially-distanced) Cars and Coffee gathering. Just don’t tell your friends about it… they will want you to help them move!
Anyway, this one is currently on sale for $39,900 at Garage Kept Motors in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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Comments
Classy!
Niece ride! And it doesn’t have an LS swap, GREAT!!
I had the pleasure of having a 1965 version that had windows on the sides, 283 V8 ,3 on the tree shifter and a second bench seat for my highway survey crew. Extremely effective vehicle for the job and great to operate.
Bob the fact that it doesn’t have a LS swap is actually a bad thing. Reliable high horsepower and fuel efficiency are not negatives. The 283 was a Terrible package and very unreliable. Notice you never see anyone building 283 blocks there is a good reason for that.
That appears to be a tasteful customization and upgrade. The 5 on the floor shifter is a decent upgrade from the 3 in the tree that would have been stock. The Autometer dash panel looks pretty nice too. If I remember right, all you got stock was a gas gauge, speedo, and a few idiot lights. I don’t believe I’d be too concerned about the 283 engine unless you’re planning to flog the vehicle on a regular basis, and that seems unlikely for this ride.
Most of these GM work trucks took the term “utilitarian” with unrelenting seriousness. I had a ‘69 G-10 van back in the 1980s and it didn’t even have a passenger seat. The 250 L-head 6 with the 3 in the tree was pretty unstoppable. It was about as Spartan as it gets but was a ton of fun anyway. You wouldn’t have wanted to crash in a G-10 though. About all that was between you and carnage was six inches of air and 1/16 inch of sheet metal.
Anybody know how long the interior is that you could use for storage?
This is the first time I’ve ever left a post on any public post so… “That’s ONE SWEET RIDE, I WANT ONE!”
I have a nice 1960 GMC if you are interested this one it’s for sale
This is my phone number in case you need some information on this beauty my number is +5218184729244
My name is Sergio Escamilla from mty mx
I would have done an lLS swap these motors are bad ass ! But the 283 is still a great motor !