1962 GMC Railroad Crew Cab Pickup - Specialty Order

Oscar Lopez's 1962 GMC crew cab "railroad truck" is a rare beauty. On several websites they say that it's not a custom. This 1962 crew cab BODY came from GMC just like this but the wheels, the lowering kit, and several other items ARE custom. And the truck was ordered with several options that weren't 'standard' on this 'railroad truck. (And right here I will state, just in case I haven’t said it before, lowering a truck and/or 95% of cars should be punishable by several years of drivers license revocation and at least one year in a re-education camp. If it were mine, it would have the shocks and suspension restored, so it would be a real truck again.)
It was rare to see trucks like this in the early '60s, except in a low number of industrial settings. It's rarer to see them today. Oscar's specialty-order Fenderside crew cab is reported to be one of six of its kind built that year, the only one remaining in the United States, and the only one anywhere optioned like this one.
As the name implies, crew cabs were originally created for carrying a six-man work crew in one vehicle on the job. In 1962, GMC crew cabs were not built at GM factories; the conversions were done at coach companies like Crown Steel Products in Ohio and Stageway Coaches in Arkansas. Only a few were ordered and most were used in the railroad industry, further modified with retracting front and rear flanged steel wheels for driving on the tracks.
Even though "railroad trucks," were purpose built for work crews, anybody could walk into a GM dealership and special order one. One guy who did was Ray Rein from West Covina, California. Ray wasn't a railroad worker. He was a family man who had heard about the "railroad trucks" and wanted something similar that could be equipped with a camper shell for vacations with his kids. At the nearby dealership in El Monte, Ray placed his unique order. He wanted the crew cab conversion, but he wanted his equipped with a few items not found on other such trucks. Ray wanted a larger rear window, the longer 9-foot Fenderside bed, a large rear step bumper, and a Hydra-matic transmission. He also ordered a gasoline version of the 305 V-6, as opposed to the diesel burners used on the railroad trucks. The bill for Ray's truck with all the extras was $6,000, approximately twice the cost of a standard version.
Oscar Lopez found out about this one-of-a-kind GMC through his lifelong friend, Armando Carillo, the truck's second owner. Armando had been doing contracting work for Ray and couldn't miss the mile-long four-door GMC in his backyard. Ray hadn't driven the truck in years, but wasn't interested in selling it either. After eight years, Armando inquired about it again, and Ray called back right away. This time he was eager to sell, and brought the unique GMC to Armando, accepting $700 for it.
There were a hundred different directions Armando could have gone with the GMC, but considering the truck's originality and rarity, the only path he could justify was to rejuvenate it but leave it in original condition. The body came off the frame for the project, with Armando's father, Antonio, helping with much of the mechanical work. The original frame and suspension components were left intact, the only modification being the airbags added to smooth out the ride and bring the extensive body a little closer to the ground.
The body, likewise, was kept original, despite the urge to replace the step bumper and convert the rear door hinges to hidden hinges. "I couldn't do it," Armando says. "I couldn't change the truck from the way it has always been." Those elements stayed, along with the side-mounted spare tires and front bumper guards. The electrical system was redone, glass was replaced, and chromed parts were re-plated. Chrome is another detail that makes this truck different; the few ordered for the railroad had painted bumpers and trim. Instead of repainting the GMC the original plain white, Armando chose a two-tone combination of custom-mixed tan and an off-white shade similar to GM's Cameo White from the early '60s. Railroad trucks in service never wore Firestone whitewall tires on 15-inch artillery wheels, but like the paint, this touch of style adds a lot to the truck's looks.
It may have been tempting to drop a modern engine and transmission into the truck, but that wouldn't have been nearly as cool as staying true to its origin by keeping the 305 V-6 and Hydra-matic four-speed. Armando and Antonio rebuilt the engine to get the GMC roadworthy again.
As you'd expect, the interior maintains the appearance of the GMC from the years when Ray Rein was going camping with his kids. The bench seat was recovered with early-'60s style fabric similar to the factory upholstery. An aftermarket stereo and Sony speakers are a hidden upgrade over the factory radio.
Oscar, who has owned a wide variety of classic cars and trucks fell in love with the one-of-a-kind GMC the first time he saw it and persuaded Armando to sell the truck. Since then he has replaced the wiring and made some minor repairs. Like Armando, Oscar intends to maintain the unusual classic just the way Ray ordered it more than 50 years ago. When Ray died, the truck was driven at his funeral.
Oscar is continuing the tradition of driving the GMC, and enjoys that more than parking it at shows. He gets it out on the road every couple of weeks, where the railroad truck inspired former camper gets a ton of attention. As we mentioned, people have never seen anything like it. That's because there isn't anything like it.