new project! 62 4X4

[sasquatch5308]

I just picked up a new project and have some questions. it's a 62 shortwide 4x4. first i heard that no such truck came from the factory. not sure if it's true or BS. also wondering when they started using the K designation for 4x4 trucks. this cab is a C. the way i understand it is that they were all C cabs when NAPCO was around. this truck has a Dana 44 with birfield knuckles, so i don't think it's a napco truck. not sure how i could tell for sure. i guess i'm just looking for any info i can find before i get started on this thing. iit's in decent shape with minimal rust and is set up for a 235. i am alos wondering what if any other engines would be bolt-in options. I will post pics when i get a chance but for now it's off to work! any info would be great. thanks.

[bubba327]

Welcome Ya know we gotta have pictures here so we can follow along here at home. Congrats on the score! What is the plan?

[1962k20]

I have a 62 K20 cab chassie and the vin has a k not a c, was built in the newyork plant. first 6 of the vin 2k253t followed by the truck # Im not to sure if napco still made conversions in 62.

[MacAttack]

Prior to Joe starting to sling his poop because there’s nothing to look at –
please consider posting some pics of this rig.

Mac.

[cliffy]

someone on here posted this before

should help you figure out what you got.

http://www.americanclassic.com/paint.htm

[sasquatch5308]

the plan is to get it back on the road with a mechanical overhaul and worry about the cosmetics later. it's a little beat up but i got a hell of a deal on it. also wondering what wheel/tire combo came stock on this truck. i want have a close to stock looking truck. not all stock but nothing too radical either. it's moving from the yard to the garage this weekend. in the meantime i will post pics as soon as it stops raining. gotta love washington! by the way how do i post pics?

[66Gilbert]

If it is short bed it is a 1/2 ton and not a Napco, they only converted 4x4 trucks that were 1 ton or bigger. Chevy produced their own 4x4's 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton starting in 1960 and designated them K series. If you have a "C" cab it was most likely swapped out at some point. Have you checked out my thread over in the 4x4 forum? It is titled (Let's see how many 60-66 4x4's are out there.) Check it out!!!

[sasquatch5308]

yes i see now it is a 2wd cab i didn't know napco only converted 1 ton trucks. that's good info. i will check out your 4x4 stuff. thanks.

[66Gilbert]

Sorry, I did not word that right. Napco only converted 1 ton and larger beginning in 1960. Everything before that was a Napco, 1/2 ton and on up.

[Captainfab]

Welcome to the board.

Since yours is a 4X4 it shouldn't be too difficult to swap in a V8 if you wanted to. You'll just need to locate a engine mount crossmember from another 4X4. One from a truck up thru '72 should be pretty much a bolt in. One from a '73-'87 would work with some modification.

[sasquatch5308]

i can't seem to get the pics to upload!!! need some help.

[Captainfab]

Are you getting any sort of error message? Could they possibly be too big?

Originally Posted by sasquatch5308

i can't seem to get the pics to upload!!! need some help.

[sasquatch5308]

i dont think they are too big but i am getting an error mgs. i will try again so i can tell you what error it is.

[sasquatch5308]

the pic is 1.3 MB and theres a 100KB limit i don't know a whole lot about this stuff but i think it should be working?

[jgarverick]

i think you have to be a site supporter to post pics. you can use something like photobucket and just paste the IMG code into the message. thats what i usually do.

[Martin64]

I'm not a supporter and I can post pics, It may have something with the way the admins set up the site. I mod on a motorcycle forum and new members can't post pics, send pm's or start a new thread until they have a few posts as an effort to trip up the spammers.

[Chevy Fleetside]

It has been a few days now. So here we go... Go to your start button and then to a program called "Paint". Open the pictures and then select "Image" from the tool bar on top. Then select Strech/Skew and reduce the picture. Say put 40% in each box and see if that works.

[jeffspower]

I went thru the same troubles when I first came on here. I use this:

http://www.shrinkpictures.com/#

You will have to play with the different options some until you find what works the best for you. Once you are satisfied with a pic, save it to your 'puter and post it before the pic hounds start foaming at the mouth

[justcuz]

Your 62 may have the drop out rear end also. It could be a 12 bolt 2, Chevy started putting 12 bolts into 4x4's in late 62 for the 63 production year. The engine mounts on a 62 are the one that went to the front of the block if I recall. A V8 would mount like a 57 Chevy, with the brackets on either side of the timing cover and the small stands for the front of the engine. A six would be OK in that truck though, especially if you could find a 261 or 292.

A short bed fleetside 1/2 ton was available from the factory as others have said, anybody who says different just does not know their Chevy trucks!

It should have a Dana 44 closed knuckle drum brake front end, an SM 420 4 spd truck transmission, or a column mounted 3 spd, a rockwell 221 t-case mid mounted in the frame and the aforementioned rear axle. Saginaw non-power steering mounted at the front of the frame with a drag link that goes back to the left front knuckle top. Push-pull type steering.

My 63 1/2 ton came with 15" split rims which I would not recommend using. There are tons of GM stock steel tubeless 6 lug 4x4 wheels you can run for a stock look. You should be able to run a 9.00 x 16 tire easy in stock fender openings. If you get the springs rebuilt 11.00 x 16's may be doable. Old factory tires where either a street tread truck tire or a mud and snow tire made by various manufacturers. They looked like a Co-Op Grip Spur tire does now. If you find some standard off set 16" tubless wheels you have a ton of possibilities for nice 16" tires for you truck. I would recommend radials for whatever you run on it.

[sasquatch5308]

here we go. thank you chevy fleetside. i shrank the pics and it let me load them. it's a 12 bolt rear dana 44 front. sm420 trans and 235 with a front mount. Like the wheels? me neither, they will be the first to go.

[Captainfab]

That looks like a pretty decent truck.

[Sicboy]

The previous owner musta been color blind.

[j.kirn]

Looks to be in pretty good shape for its age. What are your plans with it?

[justcuz]

Minus a few cosmetic issues it looks pretty complete. A later model 88 to 98 truck seat fits in those nicely. Find a front bumper and do some bodywork and paint and you'll have a nice truck.
I would be inclined to keep the six cylinder. If you go to Stovebolt.com or Inliners International, there is tons of info on mild to wild modifications of the 235 and 261 chevy sixes. They can be made to run pretty good.
I agree the wheels are not the best looking, but you should be able to clean them up and sell them for enough to get what you want.
Oh and since that is a six, you probably have 4.11 gears in it, 3.73's minimum.

[sasquatch5308]

it is in pretty decent shape. i might put the wheels on my 78 if i decide to sell it. around here we call this twelve-tone. I'm pulling it into the garage this weekend to pull the motor and clean up the truck. the original bed wood is still intact. It's probably pretty rotten underneath the steel treadplate. does anyone know if i can get those dana stickers? i would like to keep them after i paint. I would like to find some stock bumpers and custom trim, but the repop stuff is a little out of my price range right now. I thought about pulling the bench seat from my 78 and swapping it for the cheezy buckets in the 62, but I think it may be too wide.