1956 Gmc Suburban Carrier Truck; The Other Cameo Powered Past Times Pontiac

Getting our kicks amongst a ’56. What happens when a Pontiac guy needs a truck? What are our options? Outside of a transplant of powertrains, nosotros are non left amongst many. The torque too dependability of a Pontiac engine actually brand feel inward a truck. For that matter, how many Pontiac diehards convey e'er attended a Pontiac-Oakland Club International come across too wondered why GMC has a presence there? Although most GMC products nosotros convey experienced inward our Pontiac-geeking days are Chevrolet powered, the respond lies inward the beginning. Junkyard Life’s Pontiac-powered truck bespeak has an answer... 

  Introducing the 1956 GMC Suburban Carrier! This truck is rare beyond the likes of our travels. We convey never seen one. The Suburban Carrier was produced from 1955 until 1959. These classy trucks lived inward the shadow of the popular civilization icon nosotros know every bit the Chevrolet Cameo. The persuasion behind the Cameo too Suburban Carrier was to wreck the stigma attached to trucks of the era.

The oculus department of the ’56 GMC’s nurture bumper opens to allow spare tire to slide nether the bed. 

Trucks are for work

  The consumer marketplace position demanded trucks. They actually needed them. Every manufacture from farming to manufacturing had 1 prerequisite inward mutual — We demand a truck. Thus, the stigma was born. 
  These abused, non-glamorous vehicles were non to hold upwardly used to become on a date. My Grandmother’s dating advice was quite clear, “Do NOT pick her upwardly inward a truck.” (Editor’s Note: This judgement made it through editing due to beingness a quote from Ron’s Grandmother. Ron is non allowed to rate dating advice after the missive of the alphabet nosotros received from our attorney too his daughter.)

Luxury truck alternative
   This is what Pontiac guys amongst deep pockets could hit for a truck inward the mid-fifties. Was this luxury truck ahead of its time? Or was the marketplace position only non create for the sticker stupor they would have if FredTruckBuyer were to stumble upon 1 on the dealer’s lot? Chances are that FredTruckBuyer would non fifty-fifty regard one, because production full for the entire model run was entirely closed to one-thousand units.  

Beefy price

  This truck carried a higher sticker price, thence making the target audience a chip thinner. What did you lot acquire for the money? Class volition state too inward this case, you lot bought a really overstep shelf appropriate vehicle. These trucks ordinarily made their means to affluent owners amongst an icon to maintain. GMC had an icon to keep every bit well. So, did they brand their luxury appointed truck into a manicured, pansy hauler? No. We learned from this awesome 1956 instance that GMC gave us to a greater extent than than nosotros e'er expected.

Big torque flowed from the Pontiac engine to acquire the truck-worthy project done.

Hauling arrowhead power 
  H5N1 317-cubic-inch Pontiac-V8 powered 1956 GMC Carriers. Chevy’s Cameo cousin offered upwardly a 265-V8 Chevrolet. So, correct from the start, GMC offered a larger engine. If that was non enough, George Jetson hither had a 4-speed automatic transmission. Big deal? Yes. Four-speed autos were everywhere thirty-years later. But, a four-gear automatic inward a globe of 2-speed Powerglide automatics too manual 3-speeds was unheard of inward 1956. Very much earlier it’s fourth dimension but all the same truck-minded. A super low, granny gear gave the GMC stump pulling might every bit business office of the 4-speed auto set-up. Check out the indicator below too the strange patterns. How much is that business office worth? Also notice the extra bracing from the firewall. Steady every bit she goes!

Although nosotros could non uncovering a cowl tag for cut back codes, nosotros did uncovering a bully plate that declared the next horsepower too torque ratings: 

180 gross HP @4400

315 internet ft-lbs TQ @2800

Unique gear selector for a 1956 GMC Suburban Carrier pick-up.

More leafs than Fall inward Connecticut nether here. Also, banking concern annotation the 6 lug heavy duty drums. The ’56 GMC Carrier has the creature hauling too pulling might of Paul Bunyan’s oxen too the shape of Cinderella.

The possessor of the truck plans on restoring the ’56 GMC Carrier to its old glory. It was purchased every bit you lot regard it now.

Background
  Rob Herring, of northward Alabama, plans to restore this 1956 Suburban Carrier he flora inward Georgia. According to a windshield sticker, it also spent some fourth dimension inward Illinois. Herring said he flora a foreign coal or ore heart too individual inward the crevices that led him to believe the truck spent some fourth dimension closed to a mining community. Perhaps a supervisor inward a really successful try would hold upwardly assigned such a truck. We liken that to a foreman today beingness assigned a Cadillac Escalade instead of a Colorado or an S-10. We also noticed this fancy pants had a headliner! That wasn’t mutual inward 1950’s trucks. How cool. However, this 1 had a provision that made us wonder if it may convey been equipped amongst a lite bar. That would farther substantiate our “supervisor” theory. Also, is that a ii means radio or intercom speaker? 

They were quite serious most inspection stickers on the 1956 GMC Suburban Carrier.

Color me confused

  The truck was sure enough a beauty. We could non uncovering a cowl tag amongst the cut back codes. This would convey been super interesting because of the foreign color combination. The literature from the fourth dimension indicates ii colors ordinarily used together on GMC Carrier trucks. We flora a darker blueish color on the outside amongst a white roof for a two-tone effect. Well, the interior is clearly the Aqua color. Three-tone? It appears to hold upwardly factory. We looked behind the cab too other places Junkyard Life detectives procedure a criminal offense scene for a re-paint. It all appeared factory. 

See the Aqua interior color? Also, banking concern annotation the really majestic steering wheel. Junkyard Life loves cool steering wheels. We must because nosotros advert them often.

Dreamers

  So, fifty-fifty amongst this truck’s mysterious history too several unanswered questions, nosotros confirmed the myth of the Pontiac-powered pick-up truck. Okay, nosotros already knew it existed too nosotros know you lot likely did too. We only convey never seen 1 too this is really exciting. So, perhaps Junkyard Life’s Pontiac-powered truck ideas are non that far fetched after all!

Ron Kidd

— Junkyard Life

Junkyard Life’s GMC Suburban Carrier Fun Facts:

• The possessor of this truck purchased an old filling station inward Alabama too discovered that it used to hold upwardly an old Texaco station. He uncovered a wall of the master copy Texaco light-green too white ceramic tile. We were hoping the truck was discovered inward the old gas station. That would convey been super cool. 
• This truck, too other trucks of the era, had a provision inward the floorboard to add brake fluid. That’s right. If you lot needed brake fluid, too your cab was carpeted, brand sure you lot could pare it back.
• The GMC Suburban Carrier is non too so good known because it lived inward the shadow of its famous, highly-collectible cousin, the Chevrolet Cameo. 
• The yell “Suburban” was also used on a utility vehicles that eventually evolved into SUV, Suburban, that nosotros tin all the same purchase today. That must convey caused some consumers confusion. “Suburban? Which 1 is it, the Truck or the utility vehicle?” 
• The yell “Suburban” is the longest continual exercise nameplate. Chevrolet produced the initiatory of all Suburban for the 1935 model year. 
• This classy truck could pick upwardly anything except Ron’s grandmother; She would convey refused to admit the civilization barriers this truck overcame too all the same non convey been picked upwardly past times this pickup.
• Even though the focus was on trend too luxurious cut back appointments, this truck was rather heavy duty amongst enormous foliage springs too extra bracing.
• Not finding a cowl tag was compensated past times an interior tag telling us the horsepower too torque numbers. 
• The early on Pontiac V8s had a foreign housing that went from the H2O heart straight into the driver’s side cylinder head.
• These trucks had a embrace that attached to the bottom nether the bed too so that the spare tire could non hold upwardly seen. 
• The nurture bumper had a unique pattern that allowed the oculus department to opened upwardly up too the spare tire would slide in, much similar a large glove compartment — if your gloves were circular safe tires that said “Goodyear” on the side.

Painted steel dash amongst lots of difficult parts on the 1956 GMC Suburban Carrier.

Water heart pushed H2O straight into the forepart of the head.

Fancy pants headliner inward the 1956 GMC Carrier. Luxury items were rarely flora inward trucks of the 1950s.

Not some other pretty face. 1956 GMC trucks were tough looking, almost ugly. Some all the same run to a Chevy or Ford for less intimidating looks.

Do you convey a classic or musculus motorcar barn find? Got a cool motorcar story? Send us details too we’re on the way!  Send emails to Ron Kidd at Kidd403@bellsouth.net & Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com 

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