What year tailgate is this??

OldBlueDually · Oct 24, 2024

Gents, I picked up a tailgate and hood, near the same blue as my dually, tonight I'd planned on putting on the gate, however I soon noticed my parts from my green tailgate won't work on the blue one.

The blue one doesn't have those upper alignment fingers, and it looks like it had the release latches and tailgate arm pin all in one bracket...??

So what year is this gate I've got? The green one is a 76, same year as my truck.

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bucket · Oct 24, 2024

OldBlueDually said:
Gents, I picked up a tailgate and hood, near the same blue as my dually, tonight I'd planned on putting on the gate, however I soon noticed my parts from my green tailgate won't work on the blue one.

The blue one doesn't have those upper alignment fingers, and it looks like it had the release latches and tailgate arm pin all in one bracket...??

So what year is this gate I've got? The green one is a 76, same year as my truck.

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I always thought the one with the pegs was '73-'74.

OldBlueDually · Oct 25, 2024

bucket said:
I always thought the one with the pegs was '73-'74.

When you say pegs are you talking those finger gizmos at the top of the green tailgate that align it to the top rear of the fender? Or the peg that holds the pivoting bracket? I honestly don't know what either are technically called, so I am making up my own words here

That green gate came off my all original parts truck, my green 76 GMC 1/2 ton, 2wd, long box. My dually box has those openings to accept those alignment fingers at the top of the green gate too....

Tonimus · Oct 25, 2024

'73-'76 had the stud for the link arms on the tailgate and these also had the fingers. I believe '76 was a crossover year and could have either style. The '77-'87 had the stud on the latch without fingers. I think all the link arms had the space for the alignment fingers, no matter the year. FWIW, LMC lists the later style tailgates with the GMC in the middle as '76-'80.

legopnuematic · Oct 25, 2024

76 was a changeover year I guess. There is a first and second design tailgate, per the repro catalogs.

My 76, built in April of 1976, has those alignment tabs welded to the gate. However, it's a Chevy, not a GMC, I have found, especially from 1973-1976, GMC vs Chevy there's lots of subtle differences on things that got updated or changed sooner one one or the other.

If you notice, it has the tabs, but also has the support rib at the top of the gate, whereas your green gate lacks that, looking on BaT, it seems that even (most, some?)1976 GMC gates did not have that rib.

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I'm sure what plant the truck was built at too factors in too.

Bennyt · Oct 25, 2024

If I recall, there is 4 or 5 different variations of the tailgate hinge/ latches from 73-87(91). I collected about 10 tailgates a few years back for a man cave/ bench product I was going to do and was surprised to see all the variations in that functional area plus the different GMC/ Chevrolet cosmetic changes means GM probably had 30+ different stampings

While technically they all interchange, there is a lip on the sheet metal on the bedside mounting bolts that may interfere with the hinge bolts that you may have to cut/ grind.

TotalyHucked · Oct 25, 2024

Your green one is the first design, '73-76. Blue one is a '76-87 second design. I'm pretty sure you can use the blue 'gate, you'll just have to get all the associated hardware, it just won't have the finger going in the bedside

OldBlueDually · Oct 28, 2024

Well....dam. The person I got the blue one from used the hardware, hence why it's not on there. I like the patina on the blue one, it matches the rest of my truck so maybe I'll look for that hardware.

Here is the hood I got, very nice one too. I'm unsure of year, looks like an early one without that other boss across the front of hood??

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bucket · Oct 28, 2024

OldBlueDually said:
Well....dam. The person I got the blue one from used the hardware, hence why it's not on there. I like the patina on the blue one, it matches the rest of my truck so maybe I'll look for that hardware.

Here is the hood I got, very nice one too. I'm unsure of year, looks like an early one without that other boss across the front of hood??

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That hood is nice! Got a picture of the underside? That can help determine the year.

HotWheelsBurban · Oct 28, 2024

bucket said:
That hood is nice! Got a picture of the underside? That can help determine the year.

I know the raised area on the front of the hood wasn't till 1979 models.... two '79s we had, had it, and the 75 and 78 did not. I know there are differences in the underside structure too but not sure what they are.
So that is a '73-'78 hood by my understanding....
I've read the reason for the different stamping was to alleviate the moisture collection and rust issues the hoods had. One of the things I had to do, while washing the Burbs with bug deflectors on their hoods, was to blow out the leaves and stuff that collects between the hood and the plastic. Between washings I'd use the blow gun nozzle on the air hose....

bucket · Oct 28, 2024

HotWheelsBurban said:
I know the raised area on the front of the hood wasn't till 1979 models.... two '79s we had, had it, and the 75 and 78 did not. I know there are differences in the underside structure too but not sure what they are.
So that is a '73-'78 hood by my understanding....
I've read the reason for the different stamping was to alleviate the moisture collection and rust issues the hoods had. One of the things I had to do, while washing the Burbs with bug deflectors on their hoods, was to blow out the leaves and stuff that collects between the hood and the plastic. Between washings I'd use the blow gun nozzle on the air hose....

Yeah there were differences in the underside too, the biggest being the new for '77 inside hood release option that needed a different underside stamping.

HotWheelsBurban · Oct 28, 2024

bucket said:
Yeah there were differences in the underside too, the biggest being the new for '77 inside hood release option that needed a different underside stamping.

Yup I remember that inside hood release, when that was a new thing. Got retro fitted to the '78, and I think the Burbs had them stock. The ones we used most were the '79, '84 and the '90.

bucket · Oct 28, 2024

HotWheelsBurban said:
Yup I remember that inside hood release, when that was a new thing. Got retro fitted to the '78, and I think the Burbs had them stock. The ones we used most were the '79, '84 and the '90.

It was still an option on the Burbs too.

I cannot currently remember if there was a difference between the '77 and '78 hoods, I need to go look at my hoods and refresh my memory, lol.

HotWheelsBurban · Oct 28, 2024

bucket said:
It was still an option on the Burbs too.

I cannot currently remember if there was a difference between the '77 and '78 hoods, I need to go look at my hoods and refresh my memory, lol.

The '79 and '84 were Silverado's, and the '90 was a GMC SLE . So, nicely equipped.... though the '79 had crank windows. Dad made a stick to get the lock buttons up or down, with a beveled slot cut in one end. It had power tailgate window though.
We got doors to do power locks and windows but they never got on the truck.... somebody stole em outta the side yard.

TotalyHucked · Oct 29, 2024

I know the style line on the front edge was '79/80, the inside hood release came in '77, I wanna say it was 76? Maybe '75? when they added the little reliefs/indentions for crumple zone safety

What year tailgate is this??

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