Suburban has been used by GM’s Chevrolet Division as a multi-passenger truck model name for many decades, but it was also used by GMC from 1955-57 as a name for their pickup counterpart to Chevy’s Cameo truck.
GMC Suburbans had a unique truck bed with a car-like rear deck on its back end, not unlike Chevy’s Cameo pickups.
It is believed there were only about 1000 GMC Suburban models built during their three-year production run-and less than 300 of them were manufactured in 1956.
Jim Sutherland
Shane Wiebe owns a 1956 GMC Suburban 100 and is aware that he has a very rare pickup from a bygone era. Shane bought the truck in Reno 15 years ago and drove it back to Kelowna, BC Canada.
The stylish 70-year-old pickup was initially purchased in the San Jose, California region and was spared from the ravages of winter so it did not have rust issues. The ’56 GMC is still spared from winter after the truck was moved to western Canada because Shane stores it during the cold months.
Shane told MyStarCollectorCar he “always wanted a GMC Suburban” because he is a big fan of vintage General Motors pickups from the Elvis era, but his search for a genuine version was severely limited by their scarcity. Shane summed it up thusly: “Such a strange old pickup to find”.
However, patience paid off and now Shane owns a real deal 1956 GMC Suburban. The truck still has its factory 316 cubic-inch Pontiac engine coupled to a 3-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. Interestingly, the park mode on the transmission engages when the engine is stopped and the shift indicator is in the reverse position, according to Shane.
The powertrain combination provides plenty of power on the road for Shane whenever he drives it. He describes the road experience as “not bad”, calling it a “good runner”, while adding “it’s pretty comfortable at 55(mph)”.
Shane wanted his ’56 GMC to be safe on the road, so he rebuilt the front end, including new kingpins during the process. He retained the front and rear factory leaf springs because they were still in good condition and did not need replacement.
He also took a cautious approach after he rebuilt the engine and added an electric fan to cool it and prevent overheating during the break-in period. Shane intends to return the GMC back to its original mechanical fan once he is comfortable with the break-in process. He noted the large front grille vent in the truck’s hood provides better air circulation in the engine compartment.
Originality is an important component when it comes to Shane’s philosophy regarding his GMC Suburban pickup, so he kept the engine’s factory oil bath air cleaner. Additionally, Shane was not a huge fan of the truck’s aftermarket wheels so he switched back to dog-dish hubcaps because he wanted the original look for his GMC pickup.
MyStarCollectorCar will leave the final comment to Shane regarding his 1956 GMC Suburban 100 pickup truck: “It’s nice to drive the new ones but these are fun”.
Jim Sutherland
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.
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