55.2-59 Does anyone have an ORIGINAL Canadian 55-59 GMC V8 pickup?

[bobinbc]

What do the valve covers look like? Are they Chevy script or plain or something else? And what colour is the engine?

[Foot Stomper]

Bob, I'd expect you to be able to answer this question, and not be asking it.

I hope you find your answer. I expect you already know our Canadian built GMC trucks were deployed with Chevrolet engines including the 235 and the 265 V8.

Perhaps this image will help? I honestly don't know the answers to your questions, but hoping this helps anyway.

Perhaps there'a a clue from the Cameo crowd?

[1project2many]

The question may revolve around information that Chevrolet 265 V8's were chartreuse in early '57. Half ton Chevrolet trucks received the 265 so the engine should have been chartreuse. The 283 was available in larger trucks.


http://www.angelfire.com/in/EMARKAY/joutline.html
https://www.trifive.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81376
https://www.trifive.com/forums/showt...ght=Chartreuse

[bobinbc]

Great pictures guys!

Unfortunately most days I feel like I know just enough to be dangerous lol!

Interesting that the 283 never came in 1/2 tons in 57, was that in both the US and Canada?

I've read about the yellow 57 engines but never seen one that I can recall. The reason I ask is the engine in my yellow 57 Chevy truck is a 57 Chevy 283 with Pontiac valve covers (common in Canada for many years) and the original color is green. My first thought is that it was from a Canadian 57 Pontiac (Laurentian, Pathfinder) being the right color.

But then I started to wonder what the Chevy engines in the 57 Canadian GMC trucks looked like? Part of it is that mortec.com lists the heads on my engine as "57 283 truck Made in Canada"

[1project2many]

Hi Bob,

I am using parts and service information for US Chevrolet and GMC trucks. I know that Canadian models were different and it's very difficult to locate service information on the 'net for the Canadian trucks. The information available from the GM Heritage Center shows the 265 available in all trucks while the 283 was only available in larger trucks.

There is a service bulletin which states that Chartreuse was discontinued on 265 engines and gives approximate dates in 1957 for two US assembly plants:


There is a Canadian Pontiac forum that may provide insights although it sounds like you have a good handle on what was available locally. https://canadianponcho.activeboard.com/index.spark
Edit: There is a reference thread showing engine colors:
https://canadianponcho.activeboard.c...iacs-1955-197/



What type of information is available from GM of Canada? Did they keep better records than GM here in the states?

[dsraven]

have you tried the gm heritage route? send your vin and get some info? the fellow I dealt with was quick to get back to me.

[bobinbc]

Thanks I have gone through GM Vintage Vehicle services. My truck was original 6 cyl so not much help there for that part of it. I was able to confirm the original color, and the build date. Also it shows just short of 4500 of my model produced in Canada ( Model 1314 - half ton was 1300 series in Canada) Another interesting thing is I bought the truck from the second owner who lived not far from where it was sold originally, stayed in the same area all it's life.

I had done some searching but missed that thread you posted. Nice pic of the engine in there, looks like the same color as mine. I'm a member on Canadian Poncho and have a post going on there as well. https://canadianponcho.activeboard.c...n-pontiac-283/

So basically it looks like this engine originally was in a full size 1957 Canadian Pontiac, just thought there might be an outside chance that it was originally in 57 Canadian-produced GMC. Either way I find these little mysteries from the past of our trucks fascinating...