THE LAST OF THE MILITARY 6 CYLINDER GMCs

joel gopan · Post by **joel gopan** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 11:19 pm

Most likely was the Commercial 1955 model 424V 1 1/2 Ton 4X2 Stake and Platform with the 302. It had 5 Speed Direct sliding gear transmission and shifted just as difficult as the CCKW They were low geared, 50MPH was max. These were a familiar truck on army Posts, they had the wrap a round windshield and the grill was a simple piece of expanded metal.
The engine was painted Red.

dr deuce · Post by **dr deuce** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 8:25 pm

I have had 3 (still have 1) 1955 GMC mil/civy tankers including data plates with 302 engines (bought them for the 302's) with the 5 speeds and they were synchro tranys I believe. The crash boxes went out in 1947 I believe for Chev and GMC smaller trucks.

joel gopan · Post by **joel gopan** » Wed Dec 05, 2007 10:09 pm

No, the 1955 424 commercials that the military bought had them, these were all clones with an expanded metal grill. None were synchro.These were from a series known as Fleet Option Trucks, and were bare no frills trucks. I worked on them. They were second Series 1955.

joel gopan · Post by **joel gopan** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:01 am

The 5 Speed Clark 204 V/204 VO(overdrive) and 205V/205VO(overdrive) Series were used up thru 1955 on GMC, all of these have some parts in common with the CCKW. All were sliding gear with no synchro.

I have sold a few new parts for these over the gears, used to buy them from Edie Goldberg at Merit, he was one of the largest transmission parts distributors in the USA. Eddie passed away a couple years ago, and most of the nice parts are gone.

dr deuce · Post by **dr deuce** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 6:11 pm

I will have to look again at the one I still have. The had a 13" Brown and Lipe clutch and the tranny I don't recall looking like a CCKW else I would have save them. I could be wrong, or we could be talking about different trucks. Mine look like a 1955-56 GMC PU with 9.00 x 20 rubber and a different grill from stock with a mil data plate inside. Is that what you are talking about? It has a later 302 with a 4 bolt intake manifold and Stromberg 2 bbl carb (as opposed to earlier 302's with 3 bolt intake manifolds with Holley [much better] carbs).

I never drove any of them so I don't know if the tranny was synchro or not.

joel gopan · Post by **joel gopan** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 6:16 pm

We may be talking the same truck. But the 5th speed was direct. They were tricky to shift. GMC Model of truck was 424, and had 900X20s. There wasn't enough truck to wear out engine.

dr deuce · Post by **dr deuce** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 6:40 pm

Would the tranny case look different?

joel gopan · Post by **joel gopan** » Thu Dec 06, 2007 10:09 pm

Would look close as it shared same gaskets, countershaft and a gear or two.

Tell you what would look closer tho, would be a closed cab windshield thumb screw or two.

The engine if a 302, is ideal for a hotter CCKW. I don't need a hotter truck, I need hotter weather, like maybe a shorter winter so that I can enjoy the Army toy collection. I didn't get a 100 miles on my fleet this year.