'68 GMC 9500 Long Nose

[C10 - C90 Bill]

Saw a '68 GMC 9500 Long Nose today in my travels. Was a Fire Truck, converted to a Semi. Now, rare enough that it was a Single Axle, that I have seen before, but this one has a factory 5-Speed Trans, 2-Speed Rear. Still had the typical Shifting Sequence Plate riveted to the Drivers Door. That's a first for me. Never saw a 5 and 2 in a Long Nose before.

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

What engine did it have? Sounds neat none the less.

[C10 - C90 Bill]

That was another oddity, somewhat anyway. Instead of a 8V-71, it was a 6-71.

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

Figured it would be one of the two Detroits for sure. When I worked at the local salvage yard my boss picked up a late '60's GMC 9500 single axle dump truck that had a 6-71 with a 5+2. I wanted to see if it would run, but when the crusher came that month he sent it off to its doom. I took the grille, emblems, lights, stainless wiper arms/blades and some other stuff before it went. I took the ignition switch also, and I remember it had an octagon key with the knockout still in it. So I guess that made it a 1968 or earlier? Sad thing is it was actually in decent condition with little rust, the dump box was beat up and rusted out though. It looked a lot older than the truck was. PO told us it was running fine when they quit driving it. Supposedly it needed all new brakes and a clutch and was more than they wanted to spend to fix it. I've always like that body style of the heavy GM trucks. That's the main reason I saved the '69 8500, I wasn't going to let it happen again let alone to a truck that runs and drives!