My son and I explore around the Ruins of the Wonderland Ranch and identify this abandoned late 1920's truck.
Several things make this truck special, it's nearly 100 years old and still fairly complete after decades of exposure in the desert, and there is enough present to identify it. As we studied it and filmed and took pictures. Many other hikers would pass and take pictures, saying "Cool truck" and continue on. Most would assume somehow by default that it must be an old Ford, but we knew otherwise. I believe the truck is either a 1927 or 1928 GMC T-19 model. Please feel free to share thoughts and knowledge in the comments.
0:00 Hiking to the abandoned 1920’s GMC truck
0:44 1927 or 1928 GMC truck identified
0:50 Reviewing features that identify the truck
2:00 Split-head Six Engine
3:29 Studying the 6-Spoke Cast Iron Wheels
4:48 Misc. pieces in the bed
5:11 Door blowing in the wind
5:20 Approaching Wonderland Ranch Ruins
5:54 Exploring what is left of the house
7:35 Finding a date in the foundation
8:25 Exploring behind the house
8:50 A small cave, and signs of a Native American shelter
9:39 Faded pictographs
Identifying Features:
• The passenger side door sheetmetal was the first clue that we're looking at a late 1920's GMC.
• The 6 spoke cast iron wheels are also consistent with GMC and might point to the medium duty T-19 model.
• The Dash and placement of the missing dash plaque (which would have provided model and serial) again are a match.
• The engine is the final clue. It's a unique engine only used for only 2 years by GMC (1927 & 1928) in their light and middle duty trucks (T-10, T-11 & T-19 models). Also used in some late 1920's to early 1930's Pontiac models.
This truck is a couple hundred yards East of the Wonderland Ranch Ruins, which may have been built by Worth Bagley. We found a date in the foundation of November 26, 1939. Could this truck have belonged to Worth Bagley before his fatal dispute with neighbor Bill Keys? Or maybe it belonged to Keys? There are other old cars that were left behind near the Wall Street Mill (operated by Keys) nearby. Wonderland Ranch was later occupied by the Ohlson family.
Getting to this old GMC truck and the Wonderland Ranch are an easy hike from the Wall Street Mill trailhead dirt parking lot. (Coordinates: 34.028075, -116.138648)
Reference links:
Pontiac straight 6 Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac...
Another video of a 1928 GMC truck: • Andres driving the 192...
www.desertsun.com/story/news/...
OLIGHT Flashlight: amzn.to/3ZBjKNn
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