looking for a new steering column for a 71 gmc

[gmc1971harwich]

hey maybe you can help me. my dads pickup his 71 GMC 3/4 ton needs a replacement column. He told me he put in one from a later model pickup but he has no idea where it came from. It is a tlit column with no ignition switch on the column. Does anybody know which steering columns from later model chevy or gmc's will fiit these older 68-72 trucks? how do i ID the steering column in order to try and find parts for it. There is a ton of play in the steering wheel i mean left to right and up and down and the backup lights dont work. He said it is something in the column that broke a switch or something any help would be appreciated. Il try and get some pictures of it tomorrow. thanks for the help

[JimKshortstep4x4]

It sounds like the column may have been out of a mid 70's to early 80's van. They can be installed with minor modifications.

Check the length of the shaft sticking out of the bottom of the column or post some pictures. The van tilt when installed will look a lot like the original columns.

Jim

[Longhorn Man]

it can't be from a later model pickup... in 73, they went to ignition switch in the column, and has been that way since then.
If you can post some photos, we will be able to take a guess. As mentioned before, odds are it is a van column.

[aesj2]

Try one from ididit.

[gmc1971harwich]

il try to post some pics tomorrow. im on a 6 day work schedule so im trying to fix the GMC in my spare time, since i got married in august, most of my spare time is with the wife lol, but il get some pics up on here soon. the other day i stripped the old stake body bed and im in the process of cleaning the frame and getting it ready for paint. I found a 8' bed off of a 70 chevy c10 a couple weeks ago. with tailgate for cheap money. there are a few spots in the back of the cab mounts on the frame that have to be welded first. doooh. o well il get it done sometime. i think this is going to be a winter project as i have a jeep to drive around in also. Im trying to use parts from newer pickups wherever i can to cut down on the cost of fixing the GMC, and parts for newer trucks are much easier to find in junkyards. do u guys have any suggestions? This is going strictly a daily driver. i already have a rebuilt 327 and rebuilt 700r4 in it. I bought a used holley 2D pro-jection unit from ebay, il be putting that on soon as well. im planning on replacing the bench seat in favor of a newer split bench with armrest found on the newer trucks next is going to be a new column i think.

hey is there ID numbers on the column anywhere that i can identify where it came from? i looked but didnt see any yesterday.

il keep u guys posted on the progress

[gmc1971harwich]

the pictures i took with my camera came out as too big of a file to download does anyone know how to resize and image to make it 100kb so i can upload right now file size is 2.5mb

[gmc1971harwich]

ok i couldnt fi all my pictures on here so il give you guys the link. theres pics of the steering column and truck pics as of yesterday with the stake body bed off heres the link http://www.flickr.com/photos/12389798@N05/

[fine69]

Most probably a van column.

Take a pic of it where it comes through the firewall to the steering box.

This will tell us what YOU need to know.