1968 was a long time ago, but that’s when this (Canadian-only) GMC 910 rolled off the assembly line.
This was a strange build because the GMC was an upper-end model, but it came with a barebones, 250-cubic-inch, inline six cylinder and a three-on-the-tree manual transmission.
That’s just part of the story because this truck went through multiple owners before it landed in John Stewart’s hands.
Jerry Sutherland
John explained how the truck was originally sold at a now-extinct GM dealership in Holden, Alberta to a 72-year-old farmer who only owned it for a few years. There were several owners after that and some tinkered with the look of the truck by adding stuff.
John didn’t like the add-ons because his goal was to bring the GMC back to what it looked like in ’68 when the first owner drove away from the dealership in Holden. That meant the tiny steering wheel became an instant casualty—so did the aftermarket wheels and tires. John did keep the dealer-installed clearance lights because they are a part of its history.
The bigger tires caused the truck to rev higher on the highway, so by the time John bought it, the trusty old 250 six was worn out. John rebuilt the engine and experimented with gears to get to where he wanted with the GMC.
He believed the original ratio was a farmer-like 4:11 ratio, so he dropped it down to 3:42 but John learned the six-banger didn’t have the power for a freeway gear. He settled on a 3:73 ratio and the truck stays at 11 mpg—the price John is willing to pay for a stock powertrain.
John’s attention to stock detail doesn’t mean he hasn’t added a few upgrades like an electronic ignition and disc brakes. He did that because the truck is a flat-out road warrior that sees major miles every year. The interior was preserved as much as possible so John doesn’t even apply cleaving solution to wear areas.
The reproduction hubcaps aren’t exactly correct, but they look better than the aftermarket wheels the truck had when John bought it. He also likes to run moon wheels because they cost less and look period correct.
In fact, he clocked in 23,000 miles in 2024 and 21,000 miles in 2025. John admits he’s had a few problems with the linkage on the old manual transmission because it locked up in one gear. He replaced the bushings and has only had one failure thanks to a botched shift since the repair.
John has made some long-distance runs to place like Moab, Utah where they questioned him about the 910 badge on the truck. He explained the Canadian heritage and then he faced another question about why he’d drive such a nice truck instead of hauling it.
That was an easy answer as John explained, “I’m 68 years old—how many years do I have left to have fun with it?”, That was the perfect answer because John is truly having fun bringing this truck back to stock, resisting the class to put a crate small-block Chevy in the GMC—and he’s driving the wheels off it.
That’s how a true road warrior sees life.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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