GMC front end details

[factorystock]

The standard factory paint treatment on '62 thru '66 GMC hoods was to paint the center section between scoop openings black. This would give the effect of one long continuios hood scoop, as this '63 photo shows.Most all repainted GMC's lose this detail. Like they say "the devil is in the details".This '63 also has black paint behind the grill, similar to the way Chevy blacked out this area. I believe the blacked out grill area was an "East Coast" assembly plant detail on '60 thru '63 GMC's.

[KIC]

Thanks for posting. Just painted my front end area and now I am comfortable with the all black in the background decision. I also printed out your post/picture...just in case I have to support that decision with a detail nut down the road...

[jonzcustomshop]

thanks, I had been wondering about the grille area as well...
so to clarify 60-66 you could have either an all body color behind the grille, or from an east coast plant it might have been painted black?

and also did gmcs ever paint the white stripe around the grille surround like the chevy?

[factorystock]

Color is always better. This is the way '60 to '63 GMC's were painted if they were built at the Pontiac Michigan assembly plant. Don't have any evidence of the '64 thru '66 years being black behind the grill, but it sure does look better. The center section on '62 thru '66 GMC hoods was always black at all assembly plants. U.S. built GMC's never had the off white stripe around the grill surround. Other East Coast oddities was the engine firewall and door jambs being painted interior color and rear fender (Fleetsides-Widesides) tubs were painted black, not body color.

[factorystock]

A '60 suburban for KIC

[KIC]

Originally Posted by factorystock

A '60 suburban for KIC

Cool picture. Thanks! I was just polishing my original hubcaps yesterday. Haven't seen too many of those hubcaps around. Love the trailer behind it. If you look through my build thread you can see a picture of the old Shasta travel trailer we used to tow behind the Burb when I was a kid.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by jonzcustomshop

thanks, I had been wondering about the grille area as well...
so to clarify 60-66 you could have either an all body color behind the grille, or from an east coast plant it might have been painted black?

and also did gmcs ever paint the white stripe around the grille surround like the chevy?

It appears to be a '60-'63 East Coast (Pontiac Mich) GMC that blacked out the area behind grill,West Coast left them body color, but all blacked out the center hood scoop. Never seen a American built GMC with the white surround trim. Some Canadian GMC literature shows a white stripe, but they were not real photographs and may have been doctored Chevy photos.

[Dustin07]

cool thread, thanks for sharing the pics guys.

[jonzcustomshop]

my old 61 gmc 4000 was a northern pacific railroad truck, it was originally red, when I got it it was blue with a white grille and surround.
when I pulled it apart it showed that behind the grille was red (correct for a west coast gmc) but the grille itself was also red under the white paint, from scratching through the paint, it did not appear to have ever been white under the red...
any pics or ideas?

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by jonzcustomshop

my old 61 gmc 4000 was a northern pacific railroad truck, it was originally red, when I got it it was blue with a white grille and surround.
when I pulled it apart it showed that behind the grille was red (correct for a west coast gmc) but the grille itself was also red under the white paint, from scratching through the paint, it did not appear to have ever been white under the red...
any pics or ideas?

It appears yours was a factory special order fleet paint job.West Coast assemby where grill, bumper and behind grill area were all painted body color. The photo below shows an East Coast assembly special order factory paint where grill and bumper are body color, but area behind grill is black. For some strange reason it was not standardized across the country, but I think the contrasting colors make the grill pop and should have been done through out the whole 60 thru 66 era like on Chevrolets.

[jonzcustomshop]

that looks right , forgot to mention that the bumper showed red under the white as well... the blue and white was a later incorrect repaint, the 61 hood also showed red behind the parking lights, so the entire hood was body color as well.