THE GMC TIMES
The Newsletter of the GMC Truck Chapter of POCI May/June 2017
‘76 Jimmy Casa Grande
GMC GOES TO THE DRAG RACES GTC Head Honchos
GMC TRUCK President CHAPTER David Bailey 26033 E 103rd St gtcpoci.info Broken Arrow, OK 74014 [email protected] The GMC Times May/June 2017 Vice President Steve Cook Volume 11 ~ Number 3 16565 Lancaster Est. Grover, MO 63040 The Official Publication of POCI’s (314) 795-4700 GMC Truck Chapter jumbodog54 Pontiac Oakland Club International @sbcglobal.net Chapter #93 ~ Established 2007 www.gmctruckclub.wordpress.com Treasurer Don Berringer he GMC Times is published six times T 1303 U.S. Hwy 42 per year by the GMC Truck Chapter Ashland, OH 44805 of the Pontiac-Oakland Club Interna- 419-282-1200 tional (POCI), a nonprofit organization. [email protected] The GMC Truck Chapter, founded in 2007, is dedicated to the preservation, res- Secretary, toration, education and enjoyment of all Newsletter Editor, GMC vehicles, stock or modified. Mem- Web Site Administrator: bership in POCI is highly encouraged Paul Bergstrom when joining the GMC Truck Chapter. 1165 County Road 83 Maple Plain, MN 55359 Dues are $15.00 per year (U.S. funds, (763) 242-6734 $20.00 outside of U.S.) Annual “sub- scription only” rates for the GMC [email protected] Times newsletter are $20.00 U.S. and $25.00 (outside of U.S.) An “elec- tronic” membership is available for $12.00 per year. Send change of ad- dress notices and article submissions to the GMC Times editor (use the contact information listed at right).
Page 1 PREZ SEZ Hello GMC Truck Chapter members!
Well, Spring has sprung and Summer will be here soon. I hope everyone is ready for another season of car shows and showing off our trucks!
I unfortunately have been too busy al- ready and haven’t made a single show yet! Dang it! Anyway. I hope things light- en up soon.
The POCI convention is coming up soon (July 11-15) so hopefully some truck people can attend. Thanks to Paul who probably will be hosting our chapter meet- ing there again. Thanks also to Don, our new treasurer for the work he does! Me? Well, I am sitting on the sidelines once again thanks to the IRS and family stuff that keeps getting in the way of me attending.
I greatly appreciate what each member has contributed to this chapter. If you have suggestions please forward them onto one of the chapter Head Honchos shown in the front of the newsletter or email any one of us. So dust off those GMC’s get out to those car shows and take a few pictures forward them onto Paul for the rest of us to enjoy! This will probably be my last President message - hopefully we have someone to take my place! So I wish each and every one a very good year both with health, family and of course your trucks! David Bailey, GTC Prez.
What’s going on in your neck of the woods? Take some photos and send in a short write up about the car shows and cruises that you attend. We all enjoy seeing the pictures! E-mail your submissions to [email protected] or mail them to: GMC Truck Chapter, 1165 County Road 83, Maple Plain, MN 55359
Page 2 WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
GMC Truck Chapter
Francis Everett Meridian, Idaho Jay W. Hommer Ankeny, Iowa John O’Day Anchorage, AK Natalie Priekschat Sask., Canada Robert T. Symons Jefferson, OR
Member Stories & GMC Truck Photos Wanted! What’s in your garage?
New members... send us some photos of your trucks!
Page 3 From The Driver’s Seat If you are attending the POCI conven- tion in Fort Worth, Texas we invite you to attend The GMC Truck Chapter an- 2017 nual meeting (see details below). POCI Convention
Keeping busy here in Minnesota, work- Fort Worth, Texas ing on my ‘69 GTO, cleaning up from July 11-15 a tree falling on out house in a recent storm, and preparing for the POCI con- Online registration ($65 through vention. Keep those photos and stories 6/30/17) and activity sign ups are coming. Thanks to Dennis Carol for the available on the POCI website (www. article and photos on the GMC-powered poci.org). dragster. Until the next issue... Keep on Truckin’! Hotel information and event updates Paul Bergstrom, Editor are posted on the website and pub- lished in the Smoke Signals. Call the POCI Club Office at (877) 368-3454 if you have any questions.
GMC TRUCK CHAPTER ANNUAL MEETING HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY TO THE TO GMC TRUCK CHAPTER! ANNIVERSARY 10th HAPPY Friday, July 14th 3:30-4:00 pm Brazo Room Marriott Host Hotel HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE! Page 4 ‘76 GMC Jimmy Casa Grande
Gone Campin’ - 70’s Style
Rich Truesdell – Aug 11, 2015 Photographers: Rich Truesdell
The ‘70s must have been an interesting time for General Motors as its product planners were watching the recreational vehicle marketplace explode well be- yond its Jeep CJ roots. Their first shot across the bow was the introduction of the ‘69 Chevrolet K5 Blazer, followed by the GMC counterpart, the GMC Jimmy. In their time, they were unique in that, instead of a purpose-built small SUV like the Jeep CJ or the International Harvester Scout, GM shortened its full-size C/K pickups to produce a unique, go-anywhere vehicle with its own singular set of attributes.
Dave Lindsley, a GM muscle car collector living in Southern California, brought this pristine example to our attention. “You must check out my friend Jack’s truck. It’s a ‘76 GMC Jimmy Casa Grande,” he said. Not knowing what a Jimmy Casa Grande was but knowing Dave wouldn’t turn us on to something that wasn’t noteworthy, we made arrangements to photograph the truck. In the time between his phone call and our photo session a week later, we did our due diligence of the program’s history.
The GMC Jimmy Casa Grande was a collaboration between GM and Chinook, a manufacturer of self-contained motorhomes and campers, being best known for their Toyota-based camper conversions.
The only instrumented road test of either the Blazer Chalet or the Jimmy Casa Grande was in the Feb. ‘77 issue of Pickups, Vans & 4WD, and the numbers were a bit surprising, considering that this was the era of diminished performance and fuel mileage. The Blazer Chalet could accelerate from 0 to 30 in a respectable 4.6 seconds, with 60 mph coming up in 13.3 seconds when equipped with the optional 400ci, 175hp V-8 that was also offered on the Jimmy Casa Grande. Top speed was 91 mph at 3,500 rpm. Fuel mileage was an entirely respectable 11.4 city/highway mpg combined. Not surprisingly, mileage off-road suffered, with the test vehicle measuring 7.1 mpg.
Page 5 Jack loves telling the story about how he found his latest acquisition. “I was hav- ing breakfast with a couple my friends and one of the gentlemen that was there started talking to me and mentioned that he had a GMC with a camper for sale,” says Jack. “This was a Sunday morning and he invited me over to look at it. When I saw the GMC I told him that I never saw a GMC with a factory camper back end. He asked me if I wanted to buy it being he had no use for it. I told him I would think about it. I called and saw him the next day and purchased the truck.”
Jack started the truck’s restoration the day he purchased it. He got the AC work- ing, the interior cleaned, and the body buffed and polished. Next up is the rust repair and paint, which he plans to handle himself as well. The restoration time- line? Just three months according to Jack. And yes, as a life-long RVer, he plans to take it camping!
At some point in its life the original 400ci V-8 was replaced with a new-style 350 small-block and is equipped with an Edelbrock four-barrel carb, headers, and intake. The motor has around 20,000 miles on it since it was changed by the first owner, for more power and efficiency. With just a few, possibly 100-200 of the 1,800 Blazer Chalets and Jimmy Casa Grandes built having survived the last four decades, if you encounter a Casa Grade in the wilds of the Southwest this summer, there a pretty good chance that it will be Jack. Knowing Jack, we think he’ll welcome you saying hello and we’re equally sure he’ll proudly want to show off his rig.
Specifications: 1976 GMC Jimmy Casa Grande • Engine: 350ci V-8 • Transmission:Four-speed automatic • Transfercase: NP203 (full-time) • Ground Clearance: 7 inches • Overall Length: 218.1 inches • Overall Width: 79.6 inches • Overall Height: 92.5 inches
source: www.trucktrend.com/features/1508-1976-gmc-jimmy-casa-grande/ 2017 Membership Dues We have included a renewal form if your chapter dues are due. Please remit payment to Don Berringer, treasurer.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!
Page 6 GMC GOES TO THE DRAGS By: Dennis Carol This past February, the family and I headed to Charlotte, NC for a week so Jacob could train with a pitching coach in preparation for his upcoming high school baseball tryouts. This gave us time to do some local sightseeing. One of our stops was to the Memory Lane Museum in nearby Moorseville, NC. There, packed in amongst a plethora of Busch Grand National, Winston Cup, and Sprint Cup cars, next to a Harry Gant Skoal special, was a ’59 dragster powered by a GMC straight six engine.
Now let’s face it, when you think of drag racing, you don’t think of GMC as any- thing other than a support vehicle. Yet here is an example of a GMC power plant going down the quarter-mile in 1959 over 129 mph. Not bad for a straight six that produces slightly more than one horsepower per cubic inch. Memory Lane has not returned any of my requests for more information on this car.
I have been able to find out more general information about the racing history of the GMC straight six en- gine thanks to Al Teague’s dragster, a 320 cu-in, natu- rally aspirated dragster that is part of the Speedway Motors Museum collection in Lincoln Nebraska. It ran a best of 152 mph. The Jimmy six is a largely forgotten power plant today, yet a good design, meticulous assembly, and a surprising array of go-fast parts from tal- ented, ingenious experimenters made it successful back in the day. It seems racing Jimmy sixes were at its height in the late 1950s and very early 1960s.
Many factors made the Jimmy six a successful engine. It was a strong, robust de- signed that was born out of demanding commercial hauling; something GMC ob- viously excelled at. The design of the original Jimmy six overhead valve cylinder head was originally developed out the Chevy “Stovebolt” six. In its stock form, the Jimmy six had inefficient porting - with three siamesed intake ports and four exhaust ports on the same side of the engine. Wayne Horning was one of the first persons to develop and take advantage of the engine’s potential. Just days prior to the start of WWII, Horning designed a 12-port cylinder for the Chevy six that had cross-flow breathing capability. After the war, Horning designed and built a 12- port head for the post-war Jimmy six as well. Most of these heads were produced by Horning’s soon-to-be former partner, Harry Warner, under the company name “Wayne Manufacturing Co.”.
Page 7 The new head’s valves were verti- cal, opening into shallow combustion chambers. Compression ratios ran as high as 12:1 using a homebrew fuel mixture. Lightweight pistons were made by Frank Venolia. Fuel typically was supplied by a Hilborn constant flow fuel injection system. The use of 5 Carter single barrel carburetors was also not uncommon for drag racing. Run- ning on straight alcohol, a well-tuned Wayne-headed Jimmy six delivers better than one horsepower per cubic inch displacement. This level of power tested the engine’s durability but compared much favorably cost wise with the rather mega- expensive (for the day) purpose-built 270 cu-in Offenhausers.
Al Teague’s 320 cubic inch GMC-Wayne -headed six powered roadster would do mid-120 mph trap speeds in the quarter mile and turn low 11 ETs. When they put the same Jimmy six into an early rail dragster chassis, speeds jumped to 137 mph and high 10 ETs. Turning to nitromethane fuel, that raised the trap speed of the dragster to 152 mph, a startling accomplishment for any unblown 320 cubic inch engine and nothing short of miraculous for a “truck” engine that was (and prob- ably still is) considered well outside the mainstream of performance develop- ment. When Teague put a Hilborn injected Chevy V8 in the same dragster chas- sis, times dropped into the 8’s and trap speeds climbed into the low 170’s. The handwriting was on the wall for the Jimmy six, but it had shown what it could do. If you would like to read more about the history and development of the Horning cylinder head, I invite you to check out the Inliners International website (inlin- ers.org) and read Herbert Hall’s 9-part series on the subject (hit the Historical tab on the left hand side to bring up the series). This group is dedicated to all inline engines.
MEMORY LANE MUSUEM PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR
2017 POCI Convention
Page 8 Hot Jimmy Van
An interesting find on the intenet, has anyone ever seen one of the 4 x 4 Mohave GMC vans made by American Coach Corporation?
Page 9 GMC Photo Page
I spotted this cool poster at a local retailer (Duluth Trading Co.)
Page 10 Searchin’ the Internet...
1991GMC Syclone
The special-edition Marlboro Syclone was the grand prize for the ten winners of The Marlboro Racing ‘92 Contest. All ten trucks were provided to American Sunroof Corporation (ASC), by Shinoda Design Associates, Inc., in conjunction with Phillip Morris, Inc. With the help of Larry Shinoda, designer of the Corvette Stingray and Boss Mustang, a transformation of the originally black Syclones took place. Marlboro Syclone custom features include: ASC converted the roof to a targa-style roof panel with mounts in the pick-up bed, ASC installed a slide- down rear window assembly, Guidon hard tonneau cover, Boyd Coddington “Co- bra” wheels with Marlboro emblem center caps and Goodyear Eagle GS-C tires, PPG “Hot Licks” Red paint, with white strobe stripes provided by Graphik Con- cepts, Recaro leather seats with Simpson 5-Point racing harness, Custom Momo “Evolution” steering wheel, Sony sound system, PROMPaq performance chip and Borla stainless steel exhaust, Bell Tech suspension dropped 3 inches.
Asking $85,000 - for more information, Allen at call 706-332-6378 http://muscletruckmuseum.com/1991-syclone-marlboro-edition-1-of-10/
For sale: 1951 GMC 3 ton truck : Rebuilt original 302c.i. inliner Jimmy six with 5 speed trans and working 2 speed rear. New clutch, brakes, tires, paint and glass. Runs perfect! Western rust free truck, very nice driver quality that shows well and is ready to enjoy. Located at I-90 & I-35 in south MN. Tony (507) 448-3749 ext. 507
Page 11 GTC Facebook Page www.business.facebook.com/GMCTruckChapter
Join us on Facebook - we currently have 1,500+ likes, not too shabby! Can anyone help out on this question that came through on our Facebook page: Check out our new Website: www.gmctruckclub.wordpress.com
If your chapter membership dues are due... we have enclosed a renewal form for you to use. Thank you for your continued support!
Page 12 GMC Times On-Line GMC Times Members have access to the news- Classified Ad Rates: letter on-line from our web site: (for 6 issues) www.gmctruckclub. wordpress.com $200 full page $100 half page $50 quarter page $25 business card size
Parts & Accessories for Trucks & SUVs 1947-13 Chevy/GMC • 1948-15 Ford • 1972-15 Dodge
John Thomas’ 1964 GMC C10 Share Your Truck Journey at LMCTruckLife.com
LMCTruck.com | (800) 562-8782 | ©2017 Long Motor Corp.
Page 13 Page 14 GMCs FOR SALE PARTS FOR SALE I have a 1947 250 GMC flatbed, single For Sale: NOS 1965 GMC Truck axle that I am not able to restore. If Right Side Front Fender Part #1- there is someone out there that would 3781472 $150 or best offer John like to take on this project. Please con- C. Zaborowski (814) 739-9421 tact me at [email protected], (PA), e-mail [email protected] Fred Dutton Literature for sale: 1998 GMC Denali 1957 GMC: Camaro sub frame. 1966 info in styrofoam block, unopened $18 389 motor.700 r4 trans. Cruise control, postage paid; 1999 GMC Sierra tri- tilt wheel, vintage air/heater, power fold box info. $15 postage paid; 2002 steering, power brakes. We drive this GMC Envoy tri-fold box info $15 post- truck anywhere, it gets noticed wher- age paid. Contact Mark Jaffke, 8101 ever it goes. Iowa. Fly in, drive home! Westview Lane, Woodbridge, IL 60517 Asking: $22,000 Rainer Nielsen, rn- (630) 910-1247 (weekends only) [email protected]. 712-431-6837 Have rear ends, trans, etc. for larger 1962 GMC 1/2 ton 4x4 V6; ‘54 GMC trucks. Richard Hurt (925) 200-5279 1 1/2 ton 6 cyl 4-spd w/hydramatic; ‘55 Pontiac Chieftain 2-door wag- Rebuilt ‘63 305 V6: GM HEI dist., on; ‘59 Catalina convertible & ‘59 Rochester elec. choke, carb., updated Catalina 4-door wagon ‘60 Catalina heads. 6,400 miles, drive it, $650. Also 2-door. Contact Charles Jorgenson have chrome grille and bumper for (701) 680-0777 [email protected] ‘60-’66 GMC $25 @.Roger Aho (734) (Lisbon, ND) 751-9316 (Plymouth, MI)
$4,000 each: (3) ‘59 GMC 100’s. #1 305 V6 engine: 3,500 miles on prof. Rare fleet model, 8 ft. stepside, orig. rebuild, the works! $900. Walt Heini- and 90% compelete. #2 Small win- ger 208-835-4720 (Troy, ID) dow, 8 ft wideside, chrome grill, 350 V8. #3 Big window, orig. V8, pwr Front clip & chrome grille & bum- steering, 90% complete. Contact Bill per for a 1957 GMC 2-ton or larger Sells email [email protected] (Par- truck. Jim Goltz (507) 828-9712 email ma, ID) [email protected] (MN)
‘57 GMC extended cab w/’65 389 2 ‘58-’59 GMC hood emblem with good bbl, auto, Chevy front clip. Not com- emblem, no rust ever $175 Ralph pleted, project. Best offer over $7,500. Wescott (727) 430-3599 Largo FL Nelson Powell (618) 347-2370 (IL) 1954-57 GMC 6-volt radio, exc. work- ing condition with original installation instructions and manual. $575 Daniel Rush (207) 985-9850 [email protected]
Page 15 WANTED Wanted: Literature/brochures for ‘37 Wanted: 1963 GMC Fleetside send to ‘58 Canadian GMC light duty truck email to: [email protected] showing panel trucks and sedan deliv- Charles Ide. eries. Wanted for 1949 3/4-ton: radio, fog lights John Preikschat (306) 771- Wanted-Front Grill Emblem for 410 2929 [email protected] GMC 55-59, will pay in advance and pay for shipping. Contact: Lawrence Wanted: cab for 1/2 ton ‘69 GMC Pilgrim, (706) 892-6440 (GA) pick up. Lloyd Oman, Box 131, Brady, NE 69123 (308) 930-0131 1959 GMC wanted: fleet model (stripped down pick up). Send photo Wanted: ‘46 GMC lower front grille. to Jerry Welden, 202 Glen Dr., Iowa Louis Flippin (336) 986-8802 (NC) Falls, IA 50126 or email jerry.weld- [email protected] Wanted: Any speed equipment for 50’s GMC 228-302 C.I. engine (in- 1956-1959 GMC Pickup with original take manifold, exhaust headers, carbs., factory Pontiac V-8 engine. Contact etc). Duane Peterson 716-664-1973 Jim Ketchersid at (205) 979-5387 or [email protected] (AL) or [email protected] Wanted: ‘92-‘99 Suburban Running Wanted: Any GMC truck or tractor Boards. I am in need of the factory prior to 1950. Joe Castellana 404-808- ABS molded black plastic running 1010 (GA) board in excellent to mint condition. These boards consist of a long center 1970-72 GMC pickup: 1500 1/2 ton, along with a front and rear end-cap. 2WD, shortbed. #1/ or #2 condition. Bryan Hartley, bryanhartley@sbc- Reward paid to leads that end up in a global.net 317-530-5574 purchase! Steve Ledger (847) 487- 5340 (IL) [email protected] Wanted: 1954-59 GMC COE “Can- nonball” diesels: artifacts, memora- Frame to Transfer case bracket bilia, photos Also driver’s stories run- shown on page 368 of GMC Service ning these trucks. James Semon (440) Manual (1968 GMC 3/4-ton, 4WD, 979-0831 [email protected] 4-speed pick-up with Rockwell-Stan- dard trans. case). David Harris (860) Wanted: GMC COE, Delane Lang- 584-9377 (CT) ton Billings, MT (406) 248-7205 email [email protected]
Wanted: V-6 plaid valve covers (‘68), decals for Gentleman Jim (‘75), info on Longhorn model (‘69 with 8.5’ bed), grille for 1946 GMC. Don Ber- ringer (OH) 419-289-0591
Page 16 Wanted: 1949 GMC pickup ignition surround ring/lock, diagram for throt-
WANTED tle & carb., AM radio (complete, was radio delete). Kerry Klotzman (216) Wanted: GMC hood emblem for 469-0190 [email protected] 1941-47 GMC C.O.E.; Intake, Exhaust Manifold for GMC C.O.E. 228, 248, Wanted: Continental 4-cyl. engine for 270. One for an updraft Carburetor a 1920 GMC 3/4 ton Model 16 truck, Walter Heiniger (208) 835-4720 (ID) need for parts. Also, 1922 Buda engine specs. Dennis Klug (320) 251-3133 Restoring a 1989 3500 short-wheel- base “Tipper”. Could use tan interior GTC Technical Advisors parts, door panels, dash, upholstery and good grille. Also married to “S-Series” GMC Historian (1955-67) IH 3/4-ton pickups and Don Meyer, GMC Historian, is avail- parts. Interested in sales brochures for able to field your questions. You may both. Deane Tehrman (303) 880-2900 contact Don at (248) 693-1227 (Michi- or email [email protected] gan) GMC Motorhomes Front clip & bumper for a 1957 GMC John Biwersi, (651) 779-6498 Central Pick Up. Prefer factory light blue col- Time Zone (MN), [email protected] or. Jim Goltz (507) 828-9712 email [email protected] (MN) 1947-53 Series 100-250 GMCs Wanted: set of hubcaps for a 1966 American Truck Historical Society GMC Suburban, 4-wheel drive, 1/2 (A.T.H.S.) mechanical advisor George ton. Don Golm (708) 485-6950 Bennett has offered to help out GTC members with questions on 1947- Wanted: step gas tank for a 1971 C60 53 Series 100-250 GMCs. Send a Chevy Single Axle dump truck. Con- SASE please. George Bennett, 8678 tact Jerry Holtzgrafe, 2626 Mayfair, US Highway 98, Sumrall, MS 39482 Quincy, IL 62305, (217) 316-329 George has owned a 1961 GMC pick- up for 44 years. He is also looking for Always looking for photos of GMC used chrome park light trim rings for Cannonball trucks, James Semon Sr. 1951-63 GMC pickups. Contact him [email protected] if you can provide any leads.
Wanted: 1959 GMC Truck “wide- Canadian GMCs side” or Suburban with original Pon- John Preikschat call (306) 771-2929 tiac V-8. Any condition. 910-686-0899 email [email protected] John Keating (NC) Late 1955 (2nd version) Wanted: early 50s to ‘72 GMC and 1956, 1957 GMCs 2-wheel drive automatic pick up, solid. Steven Cook, 16565 Lancaster Estates [email protected] (920) Dr., Grover, MO 63040 (314) 795-4700 621-0584 or email: [email protected] Page 17 GMC Chapter Membership / Subscriber Form Indicate if joining as a POCI Member or a non-POCI Member
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(US rates above, if outside of US, please add $5.00 to the rates above, except for Electronic Member) NAME: ______
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Send check or money order made out to: GMC Truck Chapter of POCI c/o Don Berringer, 1303 U.S. Hwy 42 Ashland, OH 44805
Complete 305 cubic inch V-6 engine, clutch and granny-gear 4 speed transmis- sion from my 1960 GMC 1/2 ton 2 wheel drive pickup. I pulled the engine for a Chevy 350/700R4 swap. Engine starts right up and runs good but burns oil... need an overhaul. Clutch and transmis- sion work fine. Will also include recent dual exaust with mufflers and chrome tips plus some other parts. Buyer to pick up all in Sturgeon Bay Wisconsin. $900 NEXT ISSUE... or best offer. Can supply pictues of en- how about a feature on gine and odometer. See contact details at: YOUR GMC TRUCK? www.hemmings.com/parts/item/12538. html?refer=news GMC Truck Chapter of POCI c/o Paul Bergstrom, Editor 1165 County Road 83 Maple Plain, MN 55359
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