Woo-hoo

[RANDY COX]

I'm stocked right now going on a road trip to pick up my first 60's era truck,it's a 1964 chevy K20 4x4 short-wide,man oh man prolly won't even sleep tonight,if you see me coming down 81, give me a holler oooooooooooh yaaaaaaaaaaa Baby..........I will take and post pics....: chevy::ch evy::chev y: :c hevy::che vy::chevy :did I say CHEVY...................

[suxtobu65]

I'm going out on a limb here and say your slightly excited? lol jk

Sounds good, hope to see pics soon.

[63burban4x4]

Pretty sure all the 20 series, both C & K, were long wheelbase trucks, so if it's a shortbed, either something was changed, or it's a 10 series. I'm sure you know the 20 series (AKA 3/4 ton) will have 8 lug wheels, 10 series (AKA 1/2 ton) will have 6 lug. Lots of ways it could have been changed, but the vin will tell you what it started out as. Check that the cab vin matches the frame vin, stamped into the top of the frame near the steering box. You can do a search here to find threads that talk about how to decode the vin#'s.

welcome to the club, and just know, there is no known treatment for this illness!

[Clyde65]

You may be 100% correct 63burb, I was always under the impression that back then, you basically had to order your trucks because the only trucks on the lot were stripped down cheaper models. I also think that GM would let you order whatever you wanted, even a short wheel base 4x4 3/4 ton.
Posted via Mobile Device

[RANDY COX]

Yea I do know that it's settin on a 1970 4x4 frame as for the 3/4 8 luggers was put on there by the previous owner,it's a frankenstein,the real deals are hard to find and very costly,I was planning on building a truck like this anyway.

[63burban4x4]

yeah, figured is was not a short weelbase 20 series from the factory. Everything I've ever read on this indicates you could not even order a 3/4 ton short, all had the long wheelbase. This has been brought up here a bunch of times, and on other forums as well, and I've yet to see anyone offer up a short 20 that was actually built by GM. Just sayin'.
Never say never, but nobody here's ever produced one that I know of.

[TBONE1964]

Why GM never offered the 3/4's on a short wheel base is beyond me. I cannot imagine there was not a demand for them.

Have fun with the new project.

[63burban4x4]

Originally Posted by Clyde65

You may be 100% correct 63burb, I was always under the impression that back then, you basically had to order your trucks because the only trucks on the lot were stripped down cheaper models. I also think that GM would let you order whatever you wanted, even a short wheel base 4x4 3/4 ton.
Posted via Mobile Device

Clyde, it's not really true that only stripped down trucks would be available to buyers without special ordering......I was actually working at a local Chevy dealer in 1966, my first real official job. It's probably true that more buyers DID special order in those days, but the dealers also needed to attract buyers into the showroom. The inventory on the sales lot was ordered by the staff, and I saw plenty of "decked out" trucks (and cars) come in as regular inventory. Probably depended on who on staff was ordering the vehicles, and what they thought would sell right off the lot.

(Today, it's a lot more common for a dealer to just access another dealer's inventory to find a vehicle that fits a cuustomers wants and needs)

For sure, though, fancy vehicles were around and ready to go back then. I remember we'd be excited every week or two, to see the new trucks and cars come in, to see what they'd be.......special order ones went for delivery immediately, and the regular inventory went on the showroom floor or lot. Super Sports, convertibles, Custom Cabs, "plain janes", we saw them all (one of my jobs was to prep them.....paper floormats, "dealer prep" including undercoating, etc, and keeping 'em clean until they sold!) For a 16 year old, it was a cool job, indeed!

The coolest time was the beginning of September....in those days they kept the new models under wraps, literally, until like Sept 15th or so, and made a BIG DEAL out of unveiling the new models to the public....big whoop-de-do and we got to bring up the new cars that had been actually coming in for a week or so, but hidden from the public.....we got to see them first!

[oem4me]

Originally Posted by 63burban4x4

Clyde, it's not really true that only stripped down trucks would be available to buyers without special ordering......I was actually working at a local Chevy dealer in 1966, my first real official job. It's probably true that more buyers DID special order in those days, but the dealers also needed to attract buyers into the showroom. The inventory on the sales lot was ordered by the staff, and I saw plenty of "decked out" trucks (and cars) come in as regular inventory. Probably depended on who on staff was ordering the vehicles, and what they thought would sell right off the lot.

(Today, it's a lot more common for a dealer to just access another dealer's inventory to find a vehicle that fits a cuustomers wants and needs)

For sure, though, fancy vehicles were around and ready to go back then. I remember we'd be excited every week or two, to see the new trucks and cars come in, to see what they'd be.......special order ones went for delivery immediately, and the regular inventory went on the showroom floor or lot. Super Sports, convertibles, Custom Cabs, "plain janes", we saw them all (one of my jobs was to prep them.....paper floormats, "dealer prep" including undercoating, etc, and keeping 'em clean until they sold!) For a 16 year old, it was a cool job, indeed!

The coolest time was the beginning of September....in those days they kept the new models under wraps, literally, until like Sept 15th or so, and made a BIG DEAL out of unveiling the new models to the public....big whoop-de-do and we got to bring up the new cars that had been actually coming in for a week or so, but hidden from the public.....we got to see them first!

Love the first hand account of what went on back then at the dealer. 63burban, guys like you are an invaluable resource to our community here.
I'm gonna have to come up with some question for ya.

[MikeS.]

Randy where are you getting it from?
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[RANDY COX]

it came from VA,here's a couple of pics will do more tomorrow... http://s1168.beta.photobucket.com/us...ox1/library/?# javascript:void(0);

[RANDY COX]

<a href="http://s1168.beta.photobucket.com/user/randycox1/media/RANDYS644X4_zpsa0bfc288.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r491/randycox1/RANDYS644X4_zpsa0bfc288.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"/></a> http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2fa80983.jpg

[62 short step]

Cool!

[63burban4x4]

that's a good looking rig. I almost put 3/4 ton axles under my suburban, but decided against it at the end, and just updated to late 70's 1/2 tonners with front discs. Still kind of wish I'd done the heavys.

good thing that's a shorty, you'da needed a longer trailer!

[RANDY COX]

yea not too crazy with 456's,as I want to make this somewhat of a daily driver,my dad has some 1/2 ton diff's,he's gonna check to see what gear's they are,so we will prolly do some trading.That will give me more wheel options also,I can go with factory 8" steelies,or 7" skinny's,8" rally's,Or I could put the 6 lug car rally's on it,off of my fleetline,

[63burban4x4]

yeah, the wheel option was one of my deciding factors....I have always loved the rallye wheels (especially the car style, like on your 48)

That 48 you got is a really nice piece.........many years ago, (50+ ) I had a 48 2 door town sedan I bought from an old guy down the street, for $25......using my paper route money I didn't even have a licence yet....drove it around my mother's yard, driving the neighbors crazy! I don't even remember what happened to that thing.......
somewhere in heaven there's a junkyard with all the cars I had but let go.......55 convert, 57 convert, bunch of 56 sedans, 64 Impala SS convert, 64 Chevelle SS, 63 Nova convert, 65 GTO, 68 Vette, 67 CST short fleet, 72 GMC Sierra Grande............... I could go on, but I'm tearing up!

[RANDY COX]

yea I know what your saying about the cars/trucks you used to have,can't keepem all,If your like me you trade one for another,I wouldn't mind the 3/4 diff's if it wasn't geared so low,funny it's like I want that vehicle man it looks good but as soon as you get it you start changing everything,but if you got it and didn't change anything,that would just take the fun out of it...you know,we got to personalize them,BTW I love your burb,I had to get rid of my 70 burb 4x4 a few yrs ago,still miss it....as long as I have something to work and tinker on I'll be happy.....

[63burban4x4]

rght, the grass is always greener, right? Actually, with luck it's not a junkyard, but a used car lot....they're all cherry, and I've got a pocketfull of $$$!!

did you say those rallyes are 6 lug? off what? I love that style...had 'em on my Vette.......

[RANDY COX]

Originally Posted by MikeS.

Randy where are you getting it from?
Posted via Mobile Device

got it from craigslist in Lexington,VA

[RANDY COX]

Originally Posted by 63burban4x4

rght, the grass is always greener, right? Actually, with luck it's not a junkyard, but a used car lot....they're all cherry, and I've got a pocketfull of $$$!!

did you say those rallyes are 6 lug? off what? I love that style...had 'em on my Vette.......

there aftermarket you can get them pretty much with any bolt pattern,I even saw a (_ord Ranger) with corvette rally's

[63burban4x4]

I did not know that!