Anyone have a K5 with tow hooks listed on SPID? CST?

[Erik V]

Not on my SPID, but when my Dad special ordered my 71 Jimmy on Dec 30, 1970 he ordered the extreme hooks with it. After ordering the dealer called him and said the hooks would not fit the frame on a 71. He would have to wait for a 72 truck. So he told them to put the hooks in a box and bring them with the truck. He got the call on March 31, 1971 that the truck hauling his Jimmy in was due later that day. Sure enough, both hooks in a box, but bent the same direction. He heated one of them up, and bent it the other way. This thread makes me think the bean counters really messed up not making symmetrical hooks available. FWIW, the extreme hooks bolted right into the 71 frame, and have been on there ever since.

Erik



I'm sad to report that my best picture in the last 3 years of the front end is when it was on the trailer coming to my house after 14 years in a barn.



And for good measure, this shot shows how they're not quite symmetrical due to his heat & bend method:

[ls1nova71]

The left and right bend hooks are odd, but what makes you think the original owner didn't have them chromed? If he had the glove box door chromed, it would have been real easy to do the tow hooks too......
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[MrGraySay]

Originally Posted by my90k5

I'll look tomorrow with some side by side shot's. I'll have to check out the fire engine thought.

Those things are badass, I hope you figure out where they're from for all our sake. Thanks for sharing, great looking K5!
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[my90k5]

Originally Posted by ls1nova71

The left and right bend hooks are odd, but what makes you think the original owner didn't have them chromed? If he had the glove box door chromed, it would have been real easy to do the tow hooks too......
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He didn't have the glove box chromed, he purchased the chrome door and ash tray from a supplier. I was just saying that without the glove box door (SPID) I cannot be sure if they were ordered with the truck or purchased afterwards.

[71swb4x4]

Are the chrome tow hooks as nice as they look? They sure seem awfully nice for being 41 year old chrome. Regardless of them being chromed in the factory, or LH/RH from the factory, they are very cool and if they were on my truck I wouldn't be complaining. There are certainly some things that don't quite make sense, and to know the whole story would be cool whether they came from the GM factory or not.

[DeadheadNM]

Originally Posted by Erik V

Not on my SPID, but when my Dad special ordered my 71 Jimmy on Dec 30, 1970 he ordered the extreme hooks with it. After ordering the dealer called him and said the hooks would not fit the frame on a 71. He would have to wait for a 72 truck. So he told them to put the hooks in a box and bring them with the truck. He got the call on March 31, 1971 that the truck hauling his Jimmy in was due later that day. Sure enough, both hooks in a box, but bent the same direction. He heated one of them up, and bent it the other way. This thread makes me think the bean counters really messed up not making symmetrical hooks available. FWIW, the extreme hooks bolted right into the 71 frame, and have been on there ever since.

Erik

That is one cool story both for the hooks and the fact you have your Dad's K5. He really heated those up to the point where he could bend that forged steel - I can see the result. Wow.

[Dirt's72]

Erik,
Do you know any info on the winch on your gmc? Reason I ask is I'm getting a blazer that has a cut in the front bumper shaped like yours. Like it had a winch previously.

Sorry to hijack Pete.
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[Erik V]

Originally Posted by Dirt's72

Erik,
Do you know any info on the winch on your gmc? Reason I ask is I'm getting a blazer that has a cut in the front bumper shaped like yours. Like it had a winch previously.

Sorry to hijack Pete.
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Dad still has it in the loft of his barn. Its a PTO unit, I'd have to crawl under there and read the ID tag on the PTO module on the Tcase to know the brand (though he might). So when the truck was about a year old he cut that section of the bumper out and welded in the box for the winch. He carefully painted the new section black so it looked right. That box is also part of 1/2" plate that runs outer edge to outer edge the entire width of the bumper (didnt want to bend up his pretty chrome bumper). Then in early '73 he slid through a stop sign on ice, and got Tboned. The driver corner got mangled a bit, so after straightening he had the whole thing rechromed, thus making the tucked away PTO winch and rollers very factory looking. Fast forward 40 years and the winch is stored on a shelf, 2 of the rollers have rusted in place. He does have stories about winching himself backwards with the cable under the truck and out the back while also in gear to keep the tires moving. Craaaazy times the 70's must have been. He joked about between the winch, locked front/12bolt posi rear/those frame hooks there really wasnt much out there than he couldnt either pull, push, or drag. I hope to straighten the bumper out a bit rebuild the center section, and put it all back in as it was. Plus now that I see hooks in chrome, I kinda want those to stand out more too.

[Dirt's72]

Pretty cool man. I wish I knew the history on mine but don't have a clue. Good stories to go with your truck means a lot. Here's mine. Nice cut up front bumper with nothing there and no tow hooks.