47-59 Truck Purchase Guidance Sought

[Father&son56project]

I’m looking for a little guidance and advice here (and yes, I’ve done my searches!). Here’s the story:

My son owns a heritage masonry company (think old stone structures), and he would like to get an old pickup truck for advertising purposes, as well as being able to occasionally drop stuff off at his job sites. He has a late model truck for heavy work, he just wants an old truck for himself that can do the occasional drop off, a little advertising, and can also be used for cruise nights and fun. A dump box would be super useful for him, and the added benefit of this is that demand here in Ontario is very low for those things, and the price certainly reflects this. Most of the ones we have seen appear to be 1 tons, with a 9 foot bed and there are some real bargains to be had, particularly GMC’s in the AD series.

I’ve done original restorations as well as restomods, so bodywork and mechanical work is within my abilities, but my concern is more focussed on parts (mechanical, not body parts). I checked some supplier catalogues, and while ½ and ¾ ton parts seem fairly plentiful, there is often no mention of 1 ton trucks.

So the guidance I’m after from my fellow members on this site is focussed on parts availability (GMC vs Chevrolet), as well as unique features that 1 ton trucks have that may be a problem if they are not working properly. I’ve had a previous build where many of the parts were not available, and it was frustrating to endlessly search for stuff that just can’t be found. Also, we are in Canada where prices are at a minimum double those of the States.

Any general observations or words of wisdom for us?