Question about two-tone paint on 1973 GMC

[billdozer]

First, let me thank you guys for having a great forum. I've only posted a couple times, but have spent plenty of hours scrolling through tech questions and answers for both my daughter's '72 C-20 and my '73 GMC. I'm not new to wrenching or this era of truck, but I've grown to find this forum nearly as useful as my stack of manuals. So far, every time I've been stumped on something, sure enough some other member has been too.

I picked this 73 up about a month ago and love the Old Man Special look. All I've done is wheels and hubcaps to replace the later model Chevy mags that were on it, ditched the camper shell, added the sport mirrors (from the classifieds on here) and am working my way through various small mechanical issues and chasing oil leaks. The interior will be next, probably towards the end of the year. No big plans to make it a show truck or anything wild.


IMG_5203


IMG_5200

Anyway, on to my questions:

1.My GMC has been repainted once as far as I can tell and is really close to the OG 594 Bronze w/ White insert that it came from the factory with. At least if 594 Bronze looks like this orange/red color. (I can see they didn't paint the dash and door jambs, etc and it's very close to that factory paint) What I wondered is if the roof would have been this color from the factory or if the previous owner who did a paint job 10-ish years ago decided to deviate from the factory white roof and paint it the body color instead. I've googled around and most show a white roof when in two-tone, but GMC's aren't as plentiful, and I know they deviated with trim and options a little compared to Chevys. So, should this roof be white or did it come this way? (I'm probably gonna paint it white anyway, but thought I'd ask...)

2. Does anyone know of an all in one speaker box/bluetooth amp that fits behind the seat in these rigs? I want to leave the junky stereo in place and use my iPhone instead. I don't need a radio, CD or any of that stuff. I'm sure I could build a custom box and assemble one, but I bet somebody makes one already, I just haven't been able to find it.

Thanks!

[MusicMan70]

Welcome Billdozer!

That is one nice GMC. My 73 has the white top on the two tone and it is a Sierra Grande as well. How about a photo of your SPID?
I don't know about question 2.

[SilverMiner]

Looking at the dealer brochures at http://brochures.slosh.com/index.shtml?1973, it appears GMC offered two style of two-tone paint, Deluxe and Special. The Deluxe used the center color for the roof and the Special used the same color on the cab as the primary body color.

The GM Heritage Center info unfortunately is specific only to Chevrolet, but it suggests that the highest trim levels should have had a white cab.

[cadillac_al]

Man, you Cali guys sure score some nice trucks. I don't think all 2 tones got the white roof but it seems 90% of them did get the white roof. I think the white roof would be a little cooler in the cab in hot climates.

[billdozer]

Thanks fellas. I'll snap a pic of that SPID a little later Music Man and see if that helps.

[Chevy3+3]

Don't know the answer to your question. My dads 75 Sierra Grande is 2 tone with a white roof.

I know you want it to be original but it looks great like it is. Very slick truck!

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by SilverMiner

Looking at the dealer brochures at http://brochures.slosh.com/index.shtml?1973, it appears GMC offered two style of two-tone paint, Deluxe and Special. The Deluxe used the center color for the roof and the Special used the same color on the cab as the primary body color.

This is correct. So - said differently, it depends on which paint scheme RPO the buyer ordered. It should say on your SPID.

http://www.gmheritagecenter.com/docs...olet-Truck.pdf

K

[f.monroe]

My old Cheyenne Supet was two toned the same way as yours. Color is close also but mine was burnt orange.
Frank

[f.monroe]

Anda brighter pic.

[nekkidhillbilly]

it has had the bed doors swapped 79 up bed so id say it has been repainted. it could have been a white roof or not came both ways. you can buy shaft style radios from retrosound and custom auto sound that would go in the opening or be hidden all together both have bluetooth units.

[MusicMan70]

Here's info from a GMC data book.

[billdozer]

Thanks. So it looks like this was probably the "Special" two-tone, not the "Deluxe". The bed sides are OG, it has a home made tank behind the drivers side and a repurposed door off a later truck (I believe). It's nice because the neck is at an angle that's not a pain in the butt to fill like the factory passenger side tank.

Burnt Orange sounds like a much better description of this color than "Bronze" but I can't find evidence of it ever being another color anywhere, so I think that's what they must have called it that year.

Here's the SPID for reference.


IMG_5208

[f.monroe]

I noticed you stated it is a 73 but that tag and the fact that it has factory drip rail moldings make it a 1974. What is the number code to the left of the paint description? It will tell us as much as the wording.
Frank

[billdozer]

Originally Posted by f.monroe

I noticed you stated it is a 73 but that tag and the fact that it has factory drip rail moldings make it a 1974. What is the number code to the left of the paint description? It will tell us as much as the wording.
Frank

594 is the paint code on SPID (didn't realize I cut that off in the photo until I uploaded it). It's registered as a '73, but maybe it was a late one, or the PO added the drip rails when it got repainted in the past. f.monroe, what on the tag leads you to think it's a '74? Not a big deal to me either way, but now you got me curious.

[Keith Seymore]

I don't see a "594" in the '73 info packet.

I see a 593 Special Two tone.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Heh heh -

Going from F.Monroe's clue I looked in the '74 info packet:

594 = Special Two tone

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by billdozer

what on the tag leads you to think it's a '74? Not a big deal to me either way, but now you got me curious.

The VIN decodes as a '74.

The "4" in front of the Z = '74 model year.

Z= Fremont California assembly

500098 = sequential portion of the VIN

Not to add any more speculation but for some model years the GMC VIN sequence started at 500,001. If that was the case in '74 then this would be a very early build (the 98th 1974 GMC produced at Fremont).

K

[f.monroe]

The drip rail moldings weren't available until 74 and the vin shows a 74. I did see this truck this morning and took a pic. It has the paint scheme you are asking about and it is a Cheyenne super.
Frank

[billdozer]

Well detectives, it appears I must have a '74 registered as a '73. Thanks for all the help figuring this one out!

[MusicMan70]

f.monroe Re: Question about two-tone paint on 1973 GMC
The drip rail moldings weren't available until 74 and the vin shows a 74.

I have a 73 that has the drip rail moldings but not listed on the SPID. Only had 63k miles on it from the 2nd owner when I got it. Perhaps a dealer add on later I guess.

[f.monroe]

I think once the owners started noticing that the guys that owned some '74-75 trucks were staying dry in the rain they ordered some and added them. Does your title match that vin number? If so it was probably some clerical error along the way that changed the year on the title. The owner probably never even noticed it.
Frank

[SilverMiner]

Originally Posted by f.monroe

I think once the owners started noticing that the guys that owned some '74-75 trucks were staying dry in the rain they ordered some and added them. Does your title match that vin number? If so it was probably some clerical error along the way that changed the year on the title. The owner probably never even noticed it.
Frank

I don't want to hijack this thread and turn it into a drip-rail discussion, but just as a point of info one of Vic Hickey's big money-makers back in 1973 was selling aftermarket drip rails for all the 73 GM early-adopters. I have a number of magazines from that era, all filled with ads offering drip rails to those who wanted them right from the get-go. I would love to hear stories from the square-body designers and engineers from back then to hear what their reasons were for not originally including them. As an engineer myself, I know there was a reason - either ahead of time or certainly after the fact. Probably a lot of good stories to be told from that time frame. Any of those guys write a memoir?

[esbstuff]

On the drip rail moldings here is the differance...

Factory installed = 9/32 headed screws

Dealer installed / aftermarket = Phillps headed screws


FYI on the paint... GM Painted the center color (and roof color if ordered) first as a base. They then covered up the center and roof and painted the other color.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by esbstuff

FYI on the paint... GM Painted the center color (and roof color if ordered) first as a base. They then covered up the center and roof and painted the other color.

This is correct.

Said differently, the secondary color was laid down first.

The inset (and roof) were then masked in the desired pattern and the primary color was sprayed over the top of that.

In the later years ('81 and above) the multicolored pinstripe was installed first. It had a clear mask on it that aided in the taping/masking process.

K

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by SilverMiner

Probably a lot of good stories to be told from that time frame. Any of those guys write a memoir?

Not that I know of.

Some of those guys are still around (although they are dropping like flies). I'll ask one of them if I see him today.

In the meantime, this is probably your best shot:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=342926

K