1966 GMC 4x4 Toolbox

[17again]

Hey guys, Im brand spankin' new to the forum, but I'm not so new to the 60-66 scene. This is my 4th 39-66 (my preferred year window) truck I've built. May seem like an amateur, right? Truth, Im 17 years old and a senior in high school. I buy and build all my OWN trucks, with no (financial) help from my parents. I picked up this 1966 3/4 ton 4x4 GMC from an auction when I was a sophomore, from the Union City Fire Department. Here's a little about the truck:
Factory 4x4//Dana 4:56 rear w/detroit locker//dana 4:54 open front
Factory 3/4 ton suspension//16.5 split rims
Factory transmission mounted PTO
Factory utility body "tool box"
Factory 305 "Big Block" v6//power brakes on a single master//4 speed//recirculating heater//dual exhaust

The truck has 1,281 miles on it, TOTAL. This is true, documented (literally) miles. Hearing that, you may be thinking this truck is in ACE shape? Wrong-o! The bottom front corner of the passenger door, and drivers rocker is very church-like (holy! ) Ive already done the passengers rocker, and the back corner of the passenger fender. The hood corners are good. The center of the hood has had body work done previously, and was done poorly, so that will need done. The front ring gear is completely worn out, as the fire co. kept the truck in 4x4 the entire time they owned it The bottom 4 rear leafs have worn and broke, on both sides, due to the 850 lb. pumper they kept in the bed. It has so far been an excellent project, and a great way for me to better myself with glazing on bodies. Im a welder and prep-ster in a local body shop, so all I ever get to play with is metal, almost never any mud. Also drive tow trucks for the body shop, and work as a part time mechanic in a local garage.) I have already bought for the truck a heavy front bumper with winch brackets, an 8,000 lb. Braden Winch, a brand new set of wheels and tires, and other odd's and ends (hooks, interior parts, spot lights, etc.) Ive already wasted enough of your time, now I'll let the pictures do the talking. I hope for some tips and advice here, and i also hope im welcome to stay

-17Again

[Captainfab]

Welcome to the forum

It's great to see another young member that is interested in old American iron.

Looks like a good project. I hope you realize that there has to be at least 101,281 miles on that truck. With the amount of dirt and grease under it , there is no way it has only 1281 miles. If someone told you that they are feeding you a line of BS. I'm guessing that at some point the cab has been changed, as it appears to me to have a Chevy cab. I'm not trying to pee in your Cheerios, just want to be sure you are aware of what I see.

[Walts_restoration]

Now thats a cool truck!

[Maxxd07]

Cant wait to see more!

[aerotruk63]

More urine in the breakfast cereal thing, the grille is 65 below. 1966 had the newer style font for it's grille bar lettering. Could we see more pictures, perhaps of the interior and engine compartment. I to have a Braden winch on my project truck. I'd be interested to see how they routed the P.T.O. driveshaft through the tranny support.

[duallyjams]

Its still a cool truck.

[17again]

Thanks for all the great comments guys
The whole truck is exceptionally confusing. I have 100% of the mileage documents, showing where the truck was driven under what circumstances...the truck was used as a Brush Fire unit #1147. The truck was used in dirt, mud, and anything it would go through. But what is most confusing to me, let alone angering, this truck was kept outside. The department showed serious neglect for it, which is why I got it for the price i did. I had an 84 year old man walk over to me after I made the purchase,look me right in the eye and as he was shaking my hand told me "There will be serious nay-sayers about this truck son. Anyone can tell you its something that it is not. But i can assure you, that odometer is correct. I can also assure you, we beat the HELL out of that truck. " I had neglect before the man looked me in the eye and shook my hand. A man's word means something to me.

Now, from the department I received the GMC dash board, the original grill, 2 NOS V6 emblems, and 3 demolished PTO's. Maybe someone could tell me why the firemen didnt like GMC dashboards and new grills? Because I'll never know. More pictures!

[17again]

And for the dirt, if anyone is familiar with the Pittsburgh area, you'll know a flood hit HARD in 2004. This truck was up to the frame in water. The rest is history.

[LostMy65]

Really, Really Cool!

Authentic and Cool.

[LostMy65]

EDIT:
Nevermind...
I see now the Chevy Cab, GMC truck confusion was answered.

Wait!

I'm a little confused....

The frontend & motor is GMC, but the Cab appears to be Chevy

[17again]

Originally Posted by LostMy65

EDIT:
Nevermind...
I see now the Chevy Cab, GMC truck confusion was answered.

Wait!

I'm a little confused....

The frontend & motor is GMC, but the Cab appears to be Chevy

I know the dashboard was switched from GMC to Chevy at some point, because I have the original GMC dash, and I know the CUSTOM CAB scrpits are chevy, but what else classifies the cab as a GMC? Thanks for the help!

[LostMy65]

Does the Title and VIN match as a Gmc or Chevy?

Also, check to see if the VIN on the frame near the driver's side motor mount match the cab's VIN.

As said above, It's Still a Really Cool Truck.
I'd love to have all the documentation of my Service Truck.
Posted via Mobile Device

[LostMy65]

Here's a thread on VIN's:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=463670
Posted via Mobile Device

[Captainfab]

That is strange that there is an early GMC ('60-'62?) gauge cluster behind the Chevy instrument bezel

To add to the confusion, the ID plate on the drivers side kick panel, is clearly a GMC

If I'm not mistaken, aren't those AC controls on the right side of the dash?

[17again]

The truck is a GMC, with chevy components. It's a hybrid Everything checks out with GMC, when it comes to VIN, title, etc. Dash, cab scripts,are chevy, motor, grill, gauges and hood are GMC. And those are the Recirculating heater controls, they were relocated to the right side so a switch panel for the sirens could be put in place on the drivers side.

UPDATE: Got the bed off today, and the flat bed off the donor F O R D and onto the GMC, ran a new choke cable since mine was garbage, started tracing all the mystery wires, and wired the hood and headlights. Pretty good day for working in 50 degree weather outside, in a 5 hour window.

[Walts_restoration]

wait, are you getting rid of the tool box bed?

[17again]

Originally Posted by Walts_restoration

wait, are you getting rid of the tool box bed?

My dad bought the bed from me, for the cost of the flatbed, he's putting it on his 59 big back window GMC. It's still in close quarters, though.

[KroAutomotiveInc]

that thing would be my dream so amazing love the utility bed

[Walts_restoration]

Originally Posted by 17again

My dad bought the bed from me, for the cost of the flatbed, he's putting it on his 59 big back window GMC. It's still in close quarters, though.

First time i saw this bed was on a 59 chevy, didnt get a chance at buying the truck, or I would have been hard to resist, glad to hear its staying close.

[17again]

Here's some pictures of the flatbed on the truck, the whole bed will be getting sand blasted and re-painted. The Fuel can is just there to see how I would like it.

[KroAutomotiveInc]

sick man im in love with your truck its so bad ass i wish mine was a 4x4

[KroAutomotiveInc]

what kind of exhaust you planning?

[onebad65c10]

To help sop up some of the piss in the breakfast cereal. If the plates say GMC and the dash is a Chevy. Did anyone take the idea that maybe the GMC cab was damaged and the Chevy was a replacement. We have a volunteer fire department in the county and the have a Jeep Scrambler that has been rolled several times on brush fires and park trails.

Just my $0.02

[63 & 64 Bowties]

And, I'll give you a fresh bowl of Cherrios with milk in it. I have NEVER seen a fire truck with 100,000+ miles on it unless it's gone through several owners since being a fire truck. I'd say the mileage is correct.
I like the flatbed. Nice choice.
Oh, and....
&

[17again]

Originally Posted by KroAutomotiveInc

sick man im in love with your truck its so bad ass i wish mine was a 4x4

Thanks man, the 4x4's are still out there. Just gotta look!

Originally Posted by KroAutomotiveInc

what kind of exhaust you planning?

The truck right now has the factory pipes with an A/M muffler, im gonna completely drop the factory cross-over pipe and run true duals to the back of the cab, 2-1/4 inch stainless with a set of 40 Series.

Originally Posted by onebad65c10

To help sop up some of the piss in the breakfast cereal. If the plates say GMC and the dash is a Chevy. Did anyone take the idea that maybe the GMC cab was damaged and the Chevy was a replacement. We have a volunteer fire department in the county and the have a Jeep Scrambler that has been rolled several times on brush fires and park trails.
Just my $0.02

Your 2 cents was worth more than that to me

Originally Posted by 63 & 64 Bowties

And, I'll give you a fresh bowl of Cherrios with milk in it. I have NEVER seen a fire truck with 100,000+ miles on it unless it's gone through several owners since being a fire truck. I'd say the mileage is correct.
I like the flatbed. Nice choice.
Oh, and....
&

That is the exact reason I jumped all over this truck at the auction. Thanks for the warm welcome!

UPDATE: I know I havent updated this thread in awhile, but ive been banging work out on my truck. Ive stripped the truck of small odds and ends, (mirrors, brackets, cab badges, etc.) got the rear-end completely redone with all new bearings, seals and completely pumped through with parts washer. I had to build the pump, so i could get it low enough and long enough to run through the tubes. After that was all said and done, i took it for the given test ride and pulled it right back in the garage because of a small discovery; the fuel pump had developed a hair-line crack and was spraying fuel on the passenger side cylinder head. Luckily I scored 2 305E engines for next to nothing, one was in a show truck and is in EXCELLENT shape, the other came wrapped in tarps and well, looks like something that should have been wrapped in tarps The biggest surprise of the tarp engine, it's a factory A/C engine and still has the compressor bolted on. I pulled the fuel pump off the show engine, dressed the end in anti-seize and tossed it on. Thank god these are about the easiest fuel pumps to change in the history of stupid-positioning. With a little coaxing she fired up and ran like new again. Started under the dash pulling the now useless wires, and tracked wires that I will still use. I scored a vintage Beacon for the top bar of the bed, and the best part is the wires were already run to the top of the cab from when the fire department had lights run up. All it took to discover them was to pull the dome light off I started replacing the wheel cylinders (dont mind the pictures of obvious things, this truck is my senior project so i have to play stupid for those less-informative). I scored a drivers rocker panel, which will go on after the winter. (No sense in putting it on then letting the salt eat the hell out of it) I threw in pictures of the Braden 8,000 lb. PTO drive winch I have for the truck, and pictures of some basic run-down updates. Enjoy!