'59 Chevy 3600 4x4 w/Flatbed - Pickup or Cab/Chassis?

[Clanky]

Hey guys,
I'm looking at an original '59 Chevy 3600 w/NAPCO 4WD. This truck has a flatbed. How can I tell if this was originally a pickup or a cab/chassis? My concern is, and I may be wrong, that a pickup bed won't fit on a cab/chassis frame. Anyway, how can I tell which this is?
Thanks much,
Karl

[jrdecat]

Funny you bring this up...I just picked up a '58 long bed NAPCO with no bed and a '59 short bed step side truck and I'm trying to decide what to do with them. I'm considering selling the NAPCO stuff and buying a 4wd S10 to drop a cab on. I want to have a flat bed with removable wood sides. Can't decide whether to use the old well built manual stuff or to go with the push button 4wd option.

I wish I had an answer for you, but I've got no clue.

[special-K]

The truck's model # determines what configuration it was,doesn't it? And,I'm not sure if the 3/4t cab & chassis wheelbase varied from the pickup in this design.

[OrrieG]

The link in my signature will get you to site with design manuals. It will land on a TF page. At the bottom click year index, then look for the year truck you have. In the book is a table that lists the frame differences for different models, depth, with and thickness of the metal. There are other tables that list the type of wheels and axles that came with each model. Other info includes wheel bases which will tell you which beds fit which trucks.

[_Ogre]

from what i could glean from the factory assembly manual, they only had one frame for the 3600 trucks
dimensional it is the same frame as the 3200 and looks to be the same frame (sect 2, sheet 25)
overall frame dimensions for the 3100 are 178'' and had a 6 foot bed
for the 3200 and 3600 the frame is 190'' so i assume the bed would be a 7 foot bed
also only one bed shown for the 3200 and 3600 trucks, though they do show a factory 3600 flatbed it is on the same frame
that said, you should be able to make a pickup out of a flatbed

the 3800 frame is 208'' long and flat on top over the rear axle
they also have a 12'' frame extension out back for the 3105 and 3805 trucks
i've seen a 59 3200 with an 8' bed so chevy must have added the frame extensions to the later model 3200s

[OrrieG]

According to the spec manual the 3600 has a 123.25" wheelbase and came with a 8' bed (if it had a bed). http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com...to/59tld01.htm

8' stake bed was an option. http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com...to/59tld06.htm
Here are the frame dimensions. http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com...to/59tcc06.htm
And info on the NAPCO setup, I think 59 was the first year you could get them directly from the factory. http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com...to/59tcc26.htm