Looking for info on my 1959 GMC "Fleet option"

[vwjohnny]

Hi Guys. I've got the fleet option GMC with the mix of Chevy parts. Title, name plate, and valve cover say GMC. Tailgate Is from a Chevrolet though. Was this the Norm? Love to go back to a GMC gate if that is what's supposed to be there. Anybody know?

[jocko]

I'm not a gmc expert (or even a novice) - but what is the "fleet" option? And what makes you think you have a fleet option? Just asking because I've never heard of it, that's all. Having said that, I can't imagine the it came that way originally - Since almost all parts are interchangeable, I would imagine some folks just swapped in chevy for gmc parts over the years when the originals were damaged. Any clues as to original paint color when grinding down the paint on the gate??

[dwcsr]

All markings would have been GMC. The Fleet cab however was actually a Chevy cab from the factory. The GMC was more costly to make and bare bones lowest cost was the reason for the Fleet option. That gate doesn't look original. It looks like a 67 - 72 gate

[Root2812]

I'd agree that the gate was swapped at some point. I knew the fleet GMC's had chevy dashes but its cool to know the whole cab was chevy.

[vwjohnny]

Thanks Dave. That's what I was thinking. Tells me that my Chevy steering wheel cap is also not the original. @ Jocko... The 1959 fleet option gmc has single headlights, a grille that looks to be homemade, no heat, no domelight. Chevy cab. That's how I know. Check my avatar pic and you can see what my frontend looks like. Thanks guys!
Posted via Mobile Device
Posted via Mobile Device

[meter swinger]

Ive only seen one up close and it was an odd match of parts. IIRC it was a chev cab, had the flat peice of metal in the grill opening, and the odd headlights. Seems like STOVEBOLT or the NAPCO site or maybe a GMC site had an article on the series.
Posted via Mobile Device

[mr48chev]

I think DW pretty well has it nailed. Fleet buyers usually wanted bare bones trucks with no extras on them. A lot of them still do in fact if you look at the batches of new white trucks sitting in the back lots of some of dealerships that specialize in fleet sales.

[OrrieG]

Also had a different bumper just a channel shape and no chrome trim. I also remember that colors were limited. I've seen one in person. I think it was discussed here a few years ago. Stovebolts.com might have more info too. I'd be interested in how many were made, they seem to be pretty rare and hard to justify the special construction to save the customer money.

[azsnow]

Don't forget one of the oddest parts. Instead of a Bowtie on the instrument panel, it said GMC. I have a friend in Ely, NV, that is an expert on the TF trucks. He got ahold of two of these trucks from an old shed that housed Kennecot machines and trucks after they finally cleared the land.

[vwjohnny]

Ya, I have that glass. Except its cracked.
Posted via Mobile Device
Posted via Mobile Device

[OrrieG]

Found this in my archives:

http://www.oldgmctrucks.com/page0380.html