It’s 1938 and the GMC division of General Motors is entering its third year of small truck production. Prior to 1936, the GMC line consisted of only larger trucks normally bought by Farms and businesses, for heavy hauling. The Great Depression was in full swing and GMC needed more sales to add to their financial bottom line. To help sales and even save some of their dealers from bankruptcy, GMC began to market light trucks in 1936.
When GMC developed their first 1/2 and 3/4 ton pickups (T14 and T16), they had no smaller engines that would fit these light weight trucks. They wanted no part of using the low oil pressure six cylinder engine in the Chevrolet trucks. Knowing their own small light weight full oil pressure six cylinder was under development (to be introduced in 1939) it was an emergency to find a temporary engine.
The answer was in the Oldsmobile Division. Their strong inline six cylinder flat head engine was just what GMC needed. It was used for the three years prior to the introduction of GMC’s own overhead valve full pressure engine in 1939.
One exception to this rule was in the 1/2 ton 1938 pickup. Possibly for economic reasons, the Pontiac inline six cylinder flat head engine was used in the small 1/2 ton during 1938. It was hoped this would lower the retail price on the 1/2 ton just enough to help GMC dealers better compete with the small pickup competition that were all fighting for the limited sales during the depression years.
The following two photos show a rebuilt 1938 GMC engine owned by Ron Loos of Redding, California. This Pontiac engine will soon be returned to his 1938 GMC. The most interesting part of this engine block is the Pontiac Indian head crest cast in the right side. GMC used it just as they bought it from the Pontiac Division of General Motors in 1938!
Photos by Ron Loos, Redding, CA
