New to me 1961 GMC

[gcwhite]

Just picked this up today. 90000 miles and was running 6 moths ago before he wrecked it.

[MusicMan70]

Love it! Looks pretty complete; hopefully no frame damage. Oh Yeah, V-6, Big window too and power steering! Congrats

[markeb01]

Oh man what a great find. Too bad he wrecked it, but if he hadn’t it probably would never have been sold. Amazing to see another piece of that rare rear cab trim, and I would imagine it’s probably in great shape having that camper shell to protect it. It even has the early wide windshield trim, and the chrome vent window trim. I wouldn’t be surprised to find it also has the chrome frames around the side windows.

Very cool indeed. What are your plans for it?

I just noticed, it also appears to have a pair of the early cast driver side door mirror brackets as well, one on each side. Those are very hard to come by.

[mud.man.rj]

Congrats, you have a bit of work ahead of you , I especially like the box, must have had the shell on for a while, good thing for you. Man everytime I see the V6 I think wow 348/409 cool, but then look better and laugh and think why did they do that to us Big block guy's. Don't know much about the V6's are they worth keeping and are they a good engine.

[rideblue00]

I see it has the trim around the back of the cab also. Hard to find and expensive if you really want it.

[k1rodeoboater]

I can tell you for certain the big mirrors on there are from autozone/advance auto parts and vibrate like hell when driving.

[gcwhite]

Well i dont really have any plans yet. There is a few parts I can use on my 65 shop truck. I really like the bed floor and will salvage that for mine if I part it out. The factory door mirror stems I will also use. Did they never use a right side like this? The stems are different lengths.

I did put a battery in it yesterday and she runs pretty good. The rear cab molding looks to be very nice but i really dont have any use for it.

I guess I'll just keep staring at it untill I decide my plans.

[Corts60]

Wow, chrome hubcaps, custom trim, pwr steering, looks like a nice optioned truck. Really sad it is wrecked. If your not keeping those hubcaps, I'd like to call dibs.

[markeb01]

Originally Posted by gcwhite

Did they never use a right side like this? The stems are different lengths.

Yes they did offer left and right mounting arms. The early versions were cast, and the stem or arm comes off the rear of the mounting pad like yours:



On the later style, the arm is made of tubing, and is attached well forward on the mounting pad like this example:



On 1960-63 trucks the bottom of the mounting pad is parallel to the body line, and the passenger side is normally mounted in the same spot on the passenger door. Since the passenger side mirror on your truck is mounted on the fender extension, and at an odd angle, it appears to be another driver side part, but could indeed be the super rare cast passenger side mount, especially if the arm is a different length. The picture isn’t clear enough to determine for sure. Just like the rear cab trim these mirror arms are very desirable to the right restorer.

[gcwhite]

It sure appears to be a left and right. The placement of the right is odd but makes sense so you can look threw windshield and see it. They are the same style but different lengths. I will snap a better picture of the right one today. I'm thinking of becoming a supporting member so I can part this and a few others I have out.

[markeb01]

I believe up until 1954 the optional truck passenger side mirror actually did bolt onto the cowl for viewing through the windshield, so for an old timer that might not have seemed all that strange.

To compare a relative value - a site subscription is about the same price as 2-3 car magazines, and provides a great deal more entertainment, information, and benefits.

[gcwhite]

Here are a few. And some guides i found in glove box too.

[A.T. RockDriller]

Originally Posted by gcwhite

Here are a few. And some guides i found in glove box too.

Wow....
Great find.
Nice score on the literature, too.

What condition are the floor-boards....an' the rest of that cab...?

[A.T. RockDriller]

mud.man....

If you're the type of guy to say " Wow....Cool....A big block.. " or you're a fan of the 348/409....then you'd flat love one of these BB Vee-Sixes.

It's not the type of motor you would put in a T-Bucket or swap out your SBC with....
However....If you bought a GMC and it already had one.....well....you would begin to like it..a lot.
They have their pro's & cons....But sure do develope some torque...

They are quite unique....and make no mistake...they have all the traits of a big block.
The factory specs are interesting to read....one of the more interesting is the idle spec's:

Curb idle, warm.....Manual: 400 to 450 rpms
Automatic 450 rpms

Also, the cooling system pumps 135 gallons per minute at rated rpm.
My K1000 series pick-up holds 8 gallons of coolant, the 4000 series holds 40 quarts.
The oil pump moves 14 gallons per minute....
Just to mention a few "fun-facts"...

[gcwhite]

There is some frame damage right at the end where the bumper mounts. the rust isnt to bad but it is there. This is the only picture of the floor boards i have. I would really like to get that molding off but i'm afraid of damaging it. Sure could use the money from that and other parts of this truck to buy some parts for my 65.

[gcwhite]

Anyone have any idea how to remove this rear cab moldings?

[jocko]

Originally Posted by gcwhite

Anyone have any idea how to remove this rear cab moldings?

VERY carefully!! You might be able to pay for your whole truck with that thing - they go for a fortune on ebay (and here)!

Wish I could help - like Mark said, hopefully someone on here has done it and can.

[BLK65K10]

They are relatively easy to remove. The two pieces across the back are held on with simple grass hopper clips. They are spring steel wire bent in a diamond shape. Start in the middle with the side that is overlaping the other half and take a thin putty knife blade and gently pry out. Slide your putty knife along until you bump into the next clip and pry out there. Hold the molding out just enough that the clips cant pop back in but not any more or you will bend the molding. Work your way across and around the corner. At the corner you will have to slide the last clip on the back toward the center of the truck as you pop the clip on the end by the door. Always pry close to the clips. The verticals are simply held on by the three screws in the door jamb. Good Luck

[markeb01]

Those are without a doubt early left and right cast mirror arms. Thanks for posting the photos. Pictures of these are almost as hard to find as the actual brackets. Hopefully someone that has removed the rear cab trim piece will chime in with details. When you know how to remove it take your time and use caution. Any damage and the potential value plummets.

I just noticed you also have the original 1960 vintage outside mirror screws on both sides of the truck. Those are the same ones that were used on my driver side mirror. I don't know if they have any commercial value, but they are extremely hard to find for someone that wants a set. Most oem screws for the 60-66 trucks have heads that are much smaller. Here's what yours look like off the truck:



Removing them without damage may be a challenging task. Even with a lot of PB Blaster it may still be difficult to remove them without injury (should you even have interest in trying).

[gcwhite]

Thank you for the info. I will try to save these screws too. My 65 has the holes for the left mirror but it is long gone. What can you tell me about the power steering box on this? Appears to be a newer model one on there.

[1963c-10]

Great find. Lots of great options on that truck. Hopefully no frame damage