C60 nose job on a square body?

[Number21]

I'm building a shop truck with a flat bed. Probably a big block, geared to tow a house. I want a big 4WD truck but it's also 99% a street truck. I'd like large tires and wheels, like from a semi and a body lift to make them fit. I also want to build a big custom push bumper.

I believe I have just described a C60. So why not get one I started thinking? Well, I want a '73/74 pickup cab anyway, so I don't have to deal with the emissions nazis. But, I'm also starting to think insurance and registration on a "C10" cost a lot less than a "C60".

Somewhere I read about putting a C60 front clip onto a "light duty" truck. Does anybody know anymore info about this? I understand the light duty/heavy duty cabs are not exactly the same even though the dash and doors are. Did they all come with the flip open nose or was that just an option?

Also, I'm just curious, did Chevy ever produce the C60 (or others in the size range) in 4WD in the 70s/80s? (K60?)

[87 V20 Scottsdale]

I've seen them with 4x4 front ends. They're usually off road utility trucks or fire engines. I don't think that they were actually considered K60 or K65 though. The fiberglass tilt hood was an option beginning in the mid-70s, but were more common in the 80's. Registration and insurance would depend partly on what kind of plates you would be running.

Putting a C60 doghouse onto a light duty pickup would be quite a chore. First off the front axle on a pickup is narrower than on medium duty trucks, so your wheel openings would look strange with the tires way back inside them. Then you'd have to address the fact that the medium duty trucks have a shorter hood than pickup trucks do.

[RuralRoute C-30]

This one was on craigs list not too long ago. Don't know if he ever sold it but it's a C-60 on a C-30 basically. He did use a newer C-60 bed if I recall.


It can be done.
Mark

[87 V20 Scottsdale]

I'm glad you posted that pic, I was wondering how low that would put the fenders and steps.

[Number21]

Originally Posted by RuralRoute C-30

It can be done.

Rather than trying an entire front end swap, does anybody sell larger fenders/flares for our trucks that would sort of blend in with a relatively low bumper and big step on a tall cab...kinda like this pic. Only I want big honkin' semi tires and a giant gas tank on each side for a step like on the big trucks.

[Number21]

I've been looking hard at these old military pull trucks...see what I mean about the fenders blending with the low bumper and step? (this one doesn't)

[RuralRoute C-30]

Years ago I had a 58 retired grain truck, 1.5 ton GMC. While this one here is advertised as a 2-ton, back then the style was without fender flares but filled in the space appropriately. The step was located inside the door.



Just another example to think about along body lines. I like your ideas but you are correct in thinking a regular light duty cab probably won't look proportionate to what you're considering.

Good Luck!
Mark

[Pop's C-10]

Originally Posted by Number21

I've been looking hard at these old military pull trucks...see what I mean about the fenders blending with the low bumper and step? (this one doesn't)

That would make a killer DD...who's going to cut you off in traffic with a bumper like that...add a train horn & it's a winner..lol

[Number21]

Originally Posted by 87 V20 Scottsdale

First off the front axle on a pickup is narrower than on medium duty trucks, so your wheel openings would look strange with the tires way back inside them.

That's good to know. I want to run really wide tires, sort of a compromise between dually and SRW.

So if I'm able to locate a 70s C60 front end it would probably be steel, and not fiberglass?

[RuralRoute C-30]

Steel;American made.
Mark

[KQQL IT]

Originally Posted by Number21

That's good to know. I want to run really wide tires, sort of a compromise between dually and SRW.

So if I'm able to locate a 70s C60 front end it would probably be steel, and not fiberglass?

From what ive seen the tilt hoods are glass, the alligator hood/frontend is steel

[87 V20 Scottsdale]

Originally Posted by Number21

That's good to know. I want to run really wide tires, sort of a compromise between dually and SRW.

So if I'm able to locate a 70s C60 front end it would probably be steel, and not fiberglass?

If you find a 70's model medium duty with a steel hood, it will likely be fairly rusty. This body style of truck is getting pretty scarce in rust free condition, at least around here. The fenders seemed to rust out really bad, as well as along the bottom of the hood. To put on adapters and 22.5 or 24 inch rims like you're talking about, would probably require a fair amount of modifications to bring the wheels out to the edge of the fenderwell opening. Otherwise I'm thinking that the tires would hit the inner fenders and greatly diminish its ability to turn sharp, and it would look strange too.

[87 V20 Scottsdale]

Major outer differences in firberglass tilt hoods vs. conventional. The orange C70 has the tilt hood, and has a small fender that fills the space between the edge of the hood and the door. The green C60 has the conventional steel hood which consists of the hood, a small lower fender on each side that stop just below the arch of the fender, and the fenderwell radiator support assembly. The fenders have seams in the front, but I think that the fenders, lower panel, and radiator support are considered to be one-piece. You might be able to dissassemble those parts I don't know. BTW that is factory paint on the orange truck.

[D13]

C60's are quite different. The cab sits higher on the frame, if you have the fiberglass (actually SMC) tilt nose the cowl is different (for the lower fender quarters) and the firewall recessed more. They sit on C channel frames with no kick up.

The basic cab pieces interchange (doors, rockers, etc).

Someone here, stump maybe? grafted a Burb body onto a C60/65, if I remember right there was like a 4" height difference in the floor at the joint. Mihgt search on c65 crew and see if you can find it.

[Pop's C-10]

Tha door line matchs up ...

[Number21]

What if I took the section outlined here in black, and applied it to a 73-80 fender? It would probably be easier to find the fiberglass C60 fender section rust free than the steel version. Maybe they would be easier to blend if I started with a standard 73-80 fiberglass fender? I would probably need a custom tilt nose just to work on the thing...

How much longer is the fender on the little truck vs the big truck?

[Number21]

By the way - can I get wheels like on that orange C60 for an 8 lug axle?

[87 V20 Scottsdale]

Originally Posted by Number21

By the way - can I get wheels like on that orange C60 for an 8 lug axle?

Wheels like that? Not that I'm aware of.

[87 V20 Scottsdale]

Originally Posted by Number21

What if I took the section outlined here in black, and applied it to a 73-80 fender? It would probably be easier to find the fiberglass C60 fender section rust free than the steel version. Maybe they would be easier to blend if I started with a standard 73-80 fiberglass fender? I would probably need a custom tilt nose just to work on the thing...

How much longer is the fender on the little truck vs the big truck?

I guess that would work if you worked with it long enough, I'm not sure how much longer a pickup hood is. A lot of times when you open the hood on a medium duty truck, the air cleaner assembly is tucked up against the firewall, so maybe three or four inches shorter? They shortened the hoods on these trucks to give them a shorter BBC length, and make them a little shorter overall.

[chevyman95]

don't do it man! it looks nice enough as is.....

[Number21]

Originally Posted by chevyman95

don't do it man! it looks nice enough as is.....

Not that truck...my C30 is just rusting out in my parking spot.

What about aftermarket fenders designed specifically for big tires, does anybody make 'em? I know they make them for smaller trucks...not sure if there would be much of a market for that on square bodies though.

Body work isn't really my thing.

[C-10 simplex]

i've been thinking about putting a medium duty front clip on for a long time because i wanted easy access to the engine. But i probably won't do it because i've got my engine tuned pretty dependable now and if i need close access/attention to it i can just take it out in probably under 4 hours.

Anyways, i stumbled upon this video yesterday while looking for something completely unrelated:

YouTube - Nightmare alley this time I make...

So this proves it can be done.

However, i still feel, for what you are wanting to do, that simply getting a nice 6500/7500 would be less hassle. Register in another state if Or regulations are too stringent?

[C-10 simplex]

P.S. i dig the idea of sectioning out part of the medium duty's fender and grafting it onto the pickups. Except why not remove the pickup's fenders completely and cut a little higher on the med duty's so as to match the contour and shape of the pickup fenders?

[Number21]

Originally Posted by C-10 simplex

However, i still feel, for what you are wanting to do, that simply getting a nice 6500/7500 would be less hassle. Register in another state if Or regulations are too stringent?

I agree, and I've always wanted a 'real' one, but "truck" registration starts at 10,000 GVW here. I'm not 100% sure what that all includes, but I know it means a big registration fee and a big up charge on the insurance. I just don't need the truck enough to justify those charges on a continuous basis. My '73 3/4 ton already cost more to insure than an '01 BMW 720i. Isn't that ridiculous?

Did they ever make one of those trucks less than 10k GVW factory?

There's a big warehouse building around the corner from my shop that always has '70s medium duty Chevys torn up and peiced together sitting around, I think I'm going to go ask them what they do there? They seem to have front clips laying around on a regular basis. I'm not sure if that's just personal stuff or they work on 'em...they don't have a sign or anything.

[87 V20 Scottsdale]

It's unlikely you'll find one that has a GVW rating of anything less than 26k. In KY you have to have a CDL to operate a straight truck if it has either A: a GVW of 26,001 or more, or B: air brakes. As far as registration, we run the same plates on grain trucks that we do on pickups (farm plates).