AUGUST 2024: 50 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP AND STILL ON GOOD TERMS WITH HIS HOLLYWOOD STAR 1953 GMC PICKUP

0
375

Thomas Butt was a young guy when he bought his 1953 GMC pickup 50 years ago from a farm family.

It would be safe to say that Thomas did not know his truck would become a future movie star when he bought it back in 1974. More on that angle later in the article.

Initially, Thomas bought the ’53 GMC and wanted to keep it as stock as possible, an unusual game plan for a young car guy then and now. Thomas stuck to his game plan because his GMC still has its original 235 cubic-inch straight-six engine coupled to a three-on-the-tree manual transmission.

Most car guys are aware that a three-on-the-tree tranny is simply a 3-speed manual transmission mounted to a steering column on a vintage vehicle. The transmission was phased out of use many decades ago and is a source of bewilderment for most members of younger generations.

However, a three-on-the-tree tranny is no mystery to Thomas’s son and daughter because he taught them both how to use the outmoded transmission. Thomas added his son “drove it (the old GMC) like he stole it”, in his words.  The happy ending is the lost art of how to use a three-on-the-tree tranny is not lost on either of his kids.

As mentioned, Thomas wanted to retain his truck’s originality, albeit with a few changes, including its color, because he wanted a lighter color on the GMC. He also replaced the GMC’s bench seat with a replica from a similar era and had it reupholstered because the original seat was too far gone to save.

The other significant change was a radiator swap because the truck’s original radiator was also a basket case and needed to be replaced by Thomas. The new radiator did not have the same curved filler neck, so Thomas was forced to cut a gap in the rad support housing to get access to the new rad’s filler cap.

For the record, Thomas wants to find a suitable filler neck so he can return his GMC back to the original look.

The truck still has its vacuum wipers and floor-mounted push starter because Thomas still leans heavily toward originality whenever possible-even after 50 years of ownership.

He also believes a truck never loses its practical purpose and is not afraid to use his 71-year-old pickup to haul stuff when the situation warrants it. Additionally, Thomas is not afraid to drive his truck in the winter and he lives in wintry Alberta Canada, although he chooses not to drive his GMC on snow-covered roads and parks it inside during the cold months.

The final part of Thomas’s truck story is his ’53 GMC has been used in a few films as a backdrop vehicle, a list that includes ‘Running Brave’ and ‘Let Him Go’, along with the ‘Fortunate Son’ TV series.

BY: Jim Sutherland

Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section. 

SPONSORS