Are 55-57 3600 and 3800 really rare?

[sam512bb]

Good day All,

I am curious...Are the 55-57 3600 and 3800 series rare, as I have seen very few around and even less on Ebay, etc. I bought my 3800 series last year (1-Ton, extended long box, mostly original) not knowing the finer details of these heavier duties machines... At the time of purchase, I just thought that it (3800 series) was a extended long box 1/2 T and it was only after I got the truck did I fully appreciate it for what it is... I am quite happy with my purchase and I find the truck to be a great rig and it runs and drives very well. Anyway, after watching ebay, etc I see very few of these trucks for sale and so are they that rare? Were not too many sold? Or were they used pretty hard as a truck in their day and not many survived? I am just curious if anyone has some info they would like share and/or if others would like to comment?

Cheers,

Sam

[MrTucker]

I dont think they are all that rare, just not very desirable which is why you dont see too many of them. Another thing to keep in mind is that with these old trucks "rare" doesn't always mean they are valuable.

I have a '53 GMC with a numbers matching motor and auto tranny. I've searched online for years and have only seen 5 of them, 2 of which were running and only one of those 2 was a numbers matching truck. Once I inquired about the value of the truck, I quickly found out that it wasn't worth much more than a non-automatic.

[sam512bb]

Originally Posted by MrTucker

I dont think they are all that rare, just not very desirable which is why you dont see too many of them. Another thing to keep in mind is that with these old trucks "rare" doesn't always mean they are valuable.

I have a '53 GMC with a numbers matching motor and auto tranny. I've searched online for years and have only seen 5 of them, 2 of which were running and only one of those 2 was a numbers matching truck. Once I inquired about the value of the truck, I quickly found out that it wasn't worth much more than a non-automatic.

Good day MrTucker,

Thanks for your post. In my case, I am not concerned about value, just why I did not see them for sale or around too much. I am very happy with my 3800 and the only fault is that it is really tough to find original hub caps... lots and lots for the 3100/3200 and even the early 50's 3/4T and 1T... but 55-59 1Tons... really scarce. Although I may have found someone that has some through the local online classifieds.

Cheers,

Sam

[sweet70beast]

Originally Posted by MrTucker

Another thing to keep in mind is that with these old trucks "rare" doesn't always mean they are valuable.
.

There were 400 1970 Chevy Novas built with the optional 4 cylinder engine. Are they rare? Extremely, I have never seen one. Are they valuable, maybe. Are they sought after. No, I have never seen a clone 4 cylinder Nova either.

[jfnar]

If you have the 9' stepside bed, they are very rare. Most of the '57 3800s were either flatbeds or grainbeds with dual wheels. Typically the 1/2 tons, especially short beds, are more disirable due to the hard ride of the 1-tons but the bigger trucks are getting more popular because the 1/2 tons are getting harder to find. If it's a good truck and you like it, just enjoy it. I've got one and I wouldn't want to make it a daily driver but I like the "big old truck" feel for just putting around on weekends.

[sam512bb]

Originally Posted by jfnar

If you have the 9' stepside bed, they are very rare. Most of the '57 3800s were either flatbeds or grainbeds with dual wheels. Typically the 1/2 tons, especially short beds, are more disirable due to the hard ride of the 1-tons but the bigger trucks are getting more popular because the 1/2 tons are getting harder to find. If it's a good truck and you like it, just enjoy it. I've got one and I wouldn't want to make it a daily driver but I like the "big old truck" feel for just putting around on weekends.

Good day Jfnar,

Indeed, I have a '57 3800 stepside with extended box (9'), single wheels. The truck is mostly original with sympathetic restoration(s) over the years. It drives excellently, and surprisingly it is not overly harsh. In fact, I bought the truck and even drove it 180 miles without issue...maybe I am a glutten for punishment ... or just bonkers ...

I recognize that the 1/2 short boxes are the most desirable, but to me, I cannot see why. I say this as they all are the same looking truck except for the box length (and mine with larger wheels and beefier suspension, etc). In my case I really wanted a long box, as I use the truck often and work various truck duties (i.e. Home depot runs, etc). When my 3800 came up for sale I was sold simply because of its mostly original condition (Interior, exterior all original... transmission and engine changed to a early 60's model, but looks stock).

Anyway, I am really happy with my truck and posted my question on here to see if there was some reason why I did not see them around too often. Thanks again for your response!

Once I clean it up (it has been sitting all Winter outside and so is really dusty) I will post some pics for anyone that is interested.

Cheers,

Sam

[jfnar]

Looking forward to seeing some photos. My 3800 was a grain truck that belonged to a local wildlife refuge it's entire life. It was only used to haul wheat around on the refuge to trap ducks so it only has 29K miles on it. It's in good shape and all original but needs some TLC to look new again. I've removed the bedsides to make it a flatbed but I'm considering changing it to a 9' stepside. You might consider tracking down some 4.10 rear gears to make your truck a little more highway friendly. That seems to be the most popular modification for these 1-tons. Good luck with it.

[MrTucker]

another reason some of the heavy duty trucks are so "rare" is because they were worked to death, and often scrapped....I guess nobody thought they'd ever have value, or be collectable.