Monza's many other projects

[75Monza]

Figured I have so much stuff in the fire, just as well do a thread for them too, lol.
So, going to start this one out with my most recent tow home from yesterday. I had thought I knew everything about this truck since it hadn't changed since I first remember it when I was 5, but after much discussion with 2 of my uncles, nobody is really sure about what I'm dealing with. On the title it lists it as a 1963 Chevy pickup, no other info or weight data. The only emblem or scrip indication on it is the Chevrolet tailgate, chevy emblem tail light lenses ...fender badges are gone. The cab is a 63 for sure since 64 got rid of the wrap front windshield. The front suspension seems to be a 63 3/4 since it is coil spring and 8 lug not set out like a dually...62 used a torsion arm instead of coil spring. From appearances, looks like a 283, although it could be a 327 . 4 speed is a syncro 4 speed with the parking brake drum on the end, was in several years so not a good indicator.
Here is where things get weird...wheel base and rear axle. It has a wheel base of 133" and rear leaf with aux overloads. The 3/4 ton seems to have been coils in the rear, leaf was for 1 ton. There are 3 possibilities, they were offered as a 9' step side, a cab and chassis, and a stake bed in that wheel base. I could have swore that it was a flat bed originally but one of my uncles thought the flat bed was a GMC truck, not the Chevy while my other uncle thought it was never a flat bed and had the fleet side bed. Then, we found old pictures of grandma's that showed it as both, yet flat bed was green instead of white. Scratched front valance on the truck and sure enough, it's glenwood green under the white.
Not sure of the gears, but remember that they were really low, so most likely 5.14:1 since that was what the 1 tons had.
The box... after looking close at welds inside the bed that I thought were from damage from when he had the camper in it and plopped it on it's side, we figured out the bed is sectioned 7" so that it's 8'7" inside to match the wheelwells and cab gap...so much for my idea of buying new bed sides, lol. Have to resort to fixing ancient bondo work.

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[GXPWeasel]

That sounds like a cool truck with a great story, but I believe you have some work ahead of you no doubt.

 

[DoubleDingo]

I'll measure my bed on Crusty Biscuit, but they are bigger than square body beds. The camper shell I swap between the '81 and Crusty, it fits perfectly with small clamps on the '81. On Crusty the bed is three inches wider, so the camper shell only has about 1 inch resting on the actual bedsides, and I have to use giant clamps to be able reach. 133" I believe is normal long bed wheelbase back then. Rear leafs were an option, but most trucks got coils. When I got Mean Green from grandma, after grandpa passed away, it had rear coils with auxiliary half-leaf-springs. All of the '65 trucks I own are 3/4 ton, and have come with different options. '63 and '65 are pretty much the same as far running gear, the shop manual is all '63 except for the '65 supplement which is much thinner than the '63 manual. One of my '65 parts trucks has those auxiliary half-leafs. Pop threw away the auxiliary springs from Mean Green. I had taken them off, and they were in their backyard. I never thought twice about it, but he called me to tell me he tossed them. That was when the local dump implemented burying everything as soon as you dumped it, so there was no going out to find them.

I think your truck is spot on for what it could be optioned with or was available after it was purchased and needed replacement parts/panels. Of course these trucks can be frankensteined from many different years and models because the pieces fit between GMC and Chevy. I bet new bedsides can be bought for it if you need them new. Post up more pictures of that beast and let's figure this out.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Decode the vin, that will get you closer to knowing what it is. Does it have the plate riveted to the driver's side kick panel? If that is still there it'll tell you what it came with. I bet the gears are 4.57. But, please get more pics, I want to see this thing from all kinds of angles.

Edit: Re-reading your info, and looking at the GM Heritage PDF, it probably came to life as a long bed step side. Either way, you have a great truck that has stayed in the family and now you get to fix it up.

 

[DoubleDingo]

I stand corrected on the 133". That was for the long bed steps sides. https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/do...its/Chevrolet-Trucks/1963-Chevrolet-Truck.pdf

 

[75Monza]

More research last night brought me this much...it is a 1963 Chevy for sure, originally was Glenwood Green with the black grill and tan interior.

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It seems to be a 1 ton, rear axle is a dually axle and after looking at the front, not sure it is possible to put a dually offset rim on the front...still debating that possibility. So that makes it either a cab and chassis truck or a stakeside truck since the 9' step side did not come dually.

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The interior is fully intact, no holes in the seat at all, could use new floor rubber though since passenger side missing a chunk.

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[75Monza]

The engine is looks like a 283, not totally sure yet. I can fit a 7/16" drill bit into the gap on the web above timing cover on passenger side of block, can't remember exactly but I thought the wide gap was 283, narrow gap was 327 (unless nova, they were their own critters). Since it has a small harmonic balancer with the rubber isolator, thought that meant that it was a cast crank 283 or 327 (small journal), but 1963 283 should have been a steel crank with the hub balancer so I need to look at casting numbers.
More research, now believe from what I remember of truck originally that this was an actual Chinook conversion camper onto a cab and chassis. Photo of one matches what I remember of the truck, has the camper mirror mounts on the door, duals in the rear with aux overloads and non-dual rim in the front.
This is a GMC I found online, other than cab lights, I'll bet that this was the original configuration. That would jive with what our spotty info combines to be...Raphael did indeed have a green and a white truck and did have two campers...the original was a chinook camper truck painted green with black grill. After he dropped it onto the passenger side destroying the camper, he rebuilt it and made a custom fleet side to fit it and grandpa built a custom camper to fit into the rails in the bed, then they painted it white.

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[DoubleDingo]

It being a C30, it is most likely the HO72 with 5.14 gears. The axle looks just like the two HO52's that I have and they are not dually axles. Not saying it's not possible, it just doesn't look like a dually axle to me. Being a 9 foot bed, you'll have room for a couple overdrives...lol...

 

[75Monza]

Here is why I think it's a dually axle...notice the amount of space from the spring pack to the back of the drum and notice how far out on the axle the non-dually rim sits? Without the bed, duals fit easy. That GMC chinook looks like the same rim set up as mine would have been, duals in the rear and non-dual spindle and rim in the front. I need to look at the code stamp on the 3rd member, but I'll bet it's an Eaton H072, since that was what the OE book lists for a C3603 (1 ton cab and chassis, also only 133" wheelbase in cab and chassis). The H052 was in the c20 dually option offered in cab and chassis and stake side.

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[75Monza]

Need to get the wheels off the front to inspect the spindles, they don't look like a 1 ton to me, but it makes no sense that they would have sold a truck that needed 2 different spares.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Here is why I think it's a dually axle...notice the amount of space from the spring pack to the back of the drum and notice how far out on the axle the non-dually rim sits? Without the bed, duals fit easy. That GMC chinook looks like the same rim set up as mine would have been, duals in the rear and non-dual spindle and rim in the front. I need to look at the code stamp on the 3rd member, but I'll bet it's an Eaton H072, since that was what the OE book lists for a C3603 (1 ton cab and chassis, also only 133" wheelbase in cab and chassis). The H052 was in the c20 dually option offered in cab and chassis and stake side.

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I'll look at mine at lunch, but if I remember correctly the wheel sits out like that. The only difference between the 52 and 72, besides gearing, is the size of the brake shoes. If you can find a 52 you may be able to swap a 4.57 third member in there and get a little lower rpms. Unless you go with a Dana 70 and then you can do whatever gear you choose.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Need to get the wheels off the front to inspect the spindles, they don't look like a 1 ton to me, but it makes no sense that they would have sold a truck that needed 2 different spares.

I think it is correct as it is. The C30 step sides didn't have the wider front. It may have come as a cab chassis C30, but even then I believe they weren't dually.

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[DoubleDingo]

I found a pic of the rear end, but with the rims being wider it's hard to tell. I definitely need get a flash photo to get a better look. I'll add it to this post in about an hour or two.

This is the one I was referring to. I'll get fresh ones at lunch.

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@75Monza Here's the fresh pics.

From Crusty Biscuit...

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Parts Truck...

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[75Monza]

Thanks for the pic...tonight will get my lazy ass under there and clean off the code pad since I need to get the one off the block too, lol.

 

[DoubleDingo]

Inside bed dimension 5'-8 5/8" inside top rail, inside top rail. Inside bottom across the boards is just shade over 6 feet.