It's a 1952 GMC 228. In an era when Chevrolet was still using 'babbitt-pounder' splash-lube rods in their 216s (no oil pump!), GMC had been using modern insert bearings since the 1930s. Chevrolet built cars and GMC built trucks. A GMC motor weighs almost 100 pounds more than an equivalent Chevy motor. Five main bearings instead of four. An inch longer such that the front crossmember on the chassis is physically in a different location. The only pieces interchangeable between a Chvy and GMC motor are the bellhousing and distributor.
I have been searching for a drivetrain for my daughter's '52 5-window pickup. Although I bought it for parts, it is unusual in that it is a half-ton with an 8-foot bed. Only GMC offered this configuration. While the 228 is the base truck motor and not really valuable like the 302 or 270, finding a complete running GMC drivetrain today is like finding the Hope diamond. Something like 1 in 20 survivors from this era are GMCs. While not as rare as a Studebaker International or Diamond REO, the GMC has the benefit of being different yet uses much of the same body panels (and repair patches!) as the Chevrolet pickups.
I have been searching for a drivetrain for my daughter's '52 5-window pickup. Although I bought it for parts, it is unusual in that it is a half-ton with an 8-foot bed. Only GMC offered this configuration. While the 228 is the base truck motor and not really valuable like the 302 or 270, finding a complete running GMC drivetrain today is like finding the Hope diamond. Something like 1 in 20 survivors from this era are GMCs. While not as rare as a Studebaker International or Diamond REO, the GMC has the benefit of being different yet uses much of the same body panels (and repair patches!) as the Chevrolet pickups.
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