1946 GMC ute

Nice tyre option the 205 r 16. Do you think the silver solder will be strong enough being a form of soft soldering?

Just has to stop it sliding. It is a press fit for radial loads. Three tiny spotwelds held it originally.

My vacuum booster just arrived. I have put these on every vehicle I have worked on for the last 20 years. Should be compulsory as it has the effect of doubling your braking ability in an old car.

I originally sourced real VH44 and VH40 boosters but these are hard to find second hand and require a bank loan for new or professionally overhauled unit. Then you have to source and make up all the fittings.

In come the Chinese, For the cost of a family feed at McDonalds you get the full kit including all lines, fittings and mountings. A home handyman mechanic could do the job in a morning. A vehicle I fitted a Chinese unit to about 7 years ago has done about 50,000km with the new owner and has not missed a beat. As it is just a booster on top of the normal system a failure will just mean your pedal will feel like it did in the original factory set-up.

One thing I did notice on my last Dodge Weapon Carrier was a delay in releasing the brakes because of the fluid volume of very large wheel cylinders and the small lines supplied. No delay in application because you have power pumping but return relies on the brake shoe springs. . I have never had this problem before. The ad says suitable for Falcon so that should cover most applications in the light vehicle world.
 
 

Nice looking unit. All the restorers of EH Hokden owners n earlier bought them for their projects then others realised it would work in theirs cars, hence rarity n price.
would a bigger bore pipe help that problem?

I am sure a bigger pipe would fix it. Hoping the GMC/Chev cylinders are smaller than the Dodge and I will have no worries.

Nice to hear from someone who has actually used a few, as opposed to the usual Chinese whispers, etc.

Jarrod.

This is a collection of GMH Adelaide factory photos showing construction of my ute. In Australia the only difference between Chevrolet and GMC was the grille and hubcaps. It shows both the half ton styleside and the one ton separate cab both produced in Australia.

In USA the cabs were the same, but of course American style separate rear tub only, but Chev and GMC had slightly different engines - why?

collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/BRG+213/207/4/page:10

 

I love these GM utes. They steer and ride like a modern car.

Here are some I have owned in the past.

The first one is the panel van I restored at a mate's place in Texas and shipped to Normandy 4 years ago. Only mod was a 5 speed overdrive T5 gearbox. It sat on 100kmh all day long. 

 

The second is a ute I restored in Brisbane and shipped to Istanbul, Turkey before driving to Normandy about 12 years ago. It had the original column shift 3 speed but worked just fine. Photo at ANZAC Cove and Bev relaxing in Switzerland' I brought this back to Australia and some idiot pulled the body off, put it on a Holden chassis and took the whole Chev rolling chassis to the scrap merchants.

 

 


The Third is a 15cwt separate cab ute I restored for the 50th Anniversary end of WW2 military convoy from Brisbane to Townsville. It had the optional floor shift 3 speed. Was original military with opening screen and army style instruments. see the thread "It will be alright on the day"

 



 

Has anybody got a lead on a pair of GMC bonnet badges. They were on all size GMC trucks from 30's through to 50's. Any condition. The style changed from year to year but I am happy with anything.

 

 

Lang,
Read with interest your comments on Chinese power brake boosters as you fitted them to early girls.
Do you have a link to them?
Thanks, Dave64