A 1961 GMC truck V-12 engine marked for scrap and living its remaining days in a metal graveyard is hard to pass up when you’re plotting your next car project. Pat McNeal, who owns a towing business and spends his days coming to the rescue of stranded vehicles, knows that consumers have a bad habit of letting go before it’s time. And having been around automobiles as long as he has, he knows that when it comes to auto parts, there’s often a second chance.
With the massive engine in his possession, McNeal attended a swap meet where he found a 1942 Chevrolet COE truck cab. With the two main features accounted for, McNeal set out to create an entirely custom frame and a look so radically different that only seeing is believing. But as it was conceived, the project was long and tedious and required a lot of brainstorming along the way.
“We set the cab and the engine where I wanted it, then stared at it for hours, drank a few beers, and stared at it a couple more hours,” said McNeal.
| Stats box |
| » Engine: 1961 GMC V-12 |
| » Performance: 1969 Cadillac Eldorado transmission, Winters quick-change rear end, twin Jeep two-barrel carburetors, aluminum race car radiator, electric fans, Wilwood disc brakes, Farmall exhaust tips |
| » Wheels: 15 ? 4 steel slots (front), 17 ? 7 steel wheels (rear) with dirt track tires |
The cab itself was chopped by a friend, giving it a lower profile. The engine was rebuilt to accommodate the new specifications in preparation for life as a custom. Another challenge involved fabricating the custom frame from flat 3/16-inch steel. Since nearly everything was original, many of the parts had to be individually machined. A ton of cutting and grinding was required to make things fit, McNeal said. Finally, the project required the rear end itself be inverted, since that was the only way to get the engine to fit.
“Everything was difficult,” said McNeal. “The engine is backwards and we converted it from a front wheel drive Caddy transmission to a rear wheel drive.”
Other obstacles included figuring out how to keep the heat produced by the engine at safe levels with a cooling system made for a much smaller car, since the custom project called for a car radiator.
If anyone wonders what the payoff is in all this, consider each custom piece as a work of art, painstakingly conceived to capture the builder’s own vision. There you have the justification behind car projects such as these. Self-expression demands the world stand up and take notice. And judging from the reception McNeal’s Chevy receives when he takes it to area car shows, he’s got that ground covered.
What do you drive? A 1942 Chevrolet COE truck.
Why do you drive it? Because it’s cool.
What makes this car so special? It’s a chopped top with a V-12 GMC truck motor, a Cadillac transmission, and a quick-change rear.
What is your most memorable driving experience with this vehicle? On my maiden trip to Latimore, heading to Florida, I had to take a hole saw to the freshly done hood to keep the engine cool.
What was the first vehicle you owned? A 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, which I still have.
What kind of music are you currently listening to in your vehicle? I don’t have a radio in the vehicle.
And your first ticket? What was it for? For squealing the tires.
