Volume 1, Catalog Series #13

Peter Shier’s 1951 GMC 3100

As a kid, Peter was into building model cars. Then, as a teenager, he read an book about a guy rebuilding an old 50’s truck. He vowed to one day do the same. That day finally came. Somewhat bored during Covid, Peter, former Owner/President of Naked Creative Consultancy in Toronto and now VP Client Growth at Blackjet Inc., Toronto, was scrolling through Facebook Marketplace and stumbled upon a 1951 GMC 3100 truck in a rare five window version. It was located about 20 minutes north of his cottage. 

“I’ve got nothing else to do, so maybe I’ll just drive up and have a look. What could possibly go wrong?” he said to himself. 

As soon as he saw it, he was hooked. The guy who re-furbished it had done a quality job. The paint job (Flat metallic Nissan grey) and pin striping got his immediate attention but Peter also fell for the overall lines of the truck. 

Add in a brand new 383 Stroker engine, hooker headers and 4 barrel Edelbrock carb, a Mustang II front suspension, power rack and pinion steering and a Camaro rear axle with leaf springs and it was ‘let’s do a deal’ time. 

The truck became his mental health refuge during COVID. When he was down in the dumps, he’d take her for a spin which provided all sorts of joy, not just for him but also for those who love the look and had never seen anything like it before. It’s especially appealing to little kids out walking with their parents (“This truck is even older than your dad” he’d tell them), food delivery scooter drivers around Toronto and little old ladies who always give the thumbs up.

We are giving him the thumbs up today.