Alaska to Vancouver Island Cab Over Trip

41chevcoe

41chevcoe

Well-Known Member
Supporting Member
On Sunday we met at a service station to travel as a group to Vanderhoof and there was a 1950? GMC cabover there, that a Finlander was bringing down from the far northern reaches of Alaska with an old Airstream loaded on the back for living accomadations. There was a television crew travelling with him and documenting the adventure. I only got to talk to him a short while before we had to leave. He was having fuel issues with it and had the carburetor apart when I was there. He was headed to Vancouver Island with it.
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that reminds me of a vehicle i used to own, a chevy half ton with a boler trailer mounted on the back.
 
Now that's what I call an overhang ........ somewhat different than a hangover. :cool:
 
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hi all,

these guys are super good people and are in need of some parts for this rig to get it to victoria.
it was hard to understand from talking on cell phones and the communication gap but if any body has or knows of any one who would have a side draft carb for a 318 or 360cuin gmc six cylinder they could spare, lend, sell, these guys would be very greatful and appreciative!
apperantly a side draft carb from a 503 gmc would work also?
they are located 15min from canadian tire in prince george behind a petro canada gas station?

many thanks in advance.
 
Briumph said:
hi all,

these guys are super good people and are in need of some parts for this rig to get it to victoria.
it was hard to understand from talking on cell phones and the communication gap but if any body has or knows of any one who would have a side draft carb for a 318 or 360cuin gmc six cylinder they could spare, lend, sell, these guys would be very greatful and appreciative!
apperantly a side draft carb from a 503 gmc would work also?
they are located 15min from canadian tire in prince george behind a petro canada gas station?

many thanks in advance.
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:eek:That truck known as the "Cannon Ball" cabover is pretty rare and don't know of any around Prince George area.
http://www.classiccoe.com/oldcoetrucks/canball.htm

There is a 6 x 6 sales lot south of Quesnel (Kersley) that might be worth a call. I believe some of them used the GM engines and transmissions.
http://www.cariboo6x6.com/
 
41chevcoe said:
:eek:That truck known as the "Cannon Ball" cabover is pretty rare and don't know of any around Prince George area.
http://www.classiccoe.com/oldcoetrucks/canball.htm

There is a 6 x 6 sales lot south of Quesnel (Kersley) that might be worth a call. I believe some of them used the GM engines and transmissions.
http://www.cariboo6x6.com/
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Great, thank you for the link! i will pass that on to them. Due to timelines they only have 5 more days to get it running and on the road again. I think if all else fails they need to build an adaptor manifold to hook up a modernish down draft carb. the problem is the gas station they are at isnt equipped with a welder to make anything.

thanks again.
 
I just read this thread this morning for the first time. On my way home I'll stop in to see these folks. My house and shop are 4 minutes from where the truck is currently. I have a manifold and carb that came off of George's ('41ChevCOE) COE originally. If that doesn't work I'm sure we can fab something up. Stay tuned............


............ I know this is what Davey would do.
 
tinmann said:
Stay tuned........................ I know this is what Davey would do.
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Unfortunately, mostly though life’s experiences, I belong to the school of no good deed goes unpunished and therefore in my cynical ignorance probably wouldn’t get involved (sucker for a pretty girl though) but I’m sure Rudyard Kipling was talking about you when he said;

“You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!”
 
tinmann said:
I just read this thread this morning for the first time. On my way home I'll stop in to see these folks. My house and shop are 4 minutes from where the truck is currently. I have a manifold and carb that came off of George's ('41ChevCOE) COE originally. If that doesn't work I'm sure we can fab something up. Stay tuned............


............ I know this is what Davey would do.
Click to expand...

Mine was a down draft system, same as 1/2 to 1 ton, this is a large series truck with a very large engine (not sure of the size) and an up draft carb.

Maybe convert it to propane:eek:...............that being said I wonder what has happened to the carb on it, they are not that complex.
 
thank you guys! the truck is a 49-50 model 604 5 ton with a 318 ohv inline 6. it has a side draft zenith carb, only used on the big cab overs. the biggest thing they need right now to get the original carb working is the rubber cup for the accelerator pump.

thank you everybody for helping out!
 
Well I stopped in and it sounds like the PTP calvary beat me to it. With some local help, the carb has been fixed to the point where a departure is happening any moment now. What a cool story. I hope we hear how this story ends. I told our intrepid traveller that he is now the subject of world-wide conversation via this web site. He is well-versed on he subject of hotrods and uses names like Barris and Roth to illustrate his point. I told him if he has any further mechanical issues on his continued trek to Victoria, rodders along the way will no doubt come out of their hiding places to lend a hand.
 
Great result there guys and a cool looking truck, the cops here would have naailed him by now for too much overhang, good to see he is moving on. Neat truck eh.
 
I just took a drive out to see if they had got on the road but he is still having carburetor flooding issues. I didn't realize the truck had caught fire after I talked to him on Sunday, said he almost lost the rig when it had back fired and started to burn:eek: but emptied a couple of fire extinguishers and got it out. He was glad his 200 liters of fuel didn't start to burn. He has done a bunch of re-wiring that got burnt. The firewall and hood are scorched black. He is determined to make it run but....................we will see what the next saga is......
 
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