Upper Molding Only

[paps69]

I have a 69 C10 that my grandpa bought new. It's a 307,3spd and fairly plain except it has just the upper molding. There is one other 69 around here equipped about the same w/ just the upper molding. They came from the same dealer. I don't see very many trucks on here like this. Is it special,does it have to do with how that dealer ordered them. I am starting to restore it and I think that I want to leave the molding. Does anyone have pics of a restored longbed w/ just the upper molding. I plan on painting it the original solid light olive.

[sameyrasmea72]

Any fleet side truck could have been ordered with the upper molding. Only Cheyenne supers and 4-way painted trucks came with the upper molding standard.

It could have been that dealers own way of spiffing up some of the "unordered" trucks for the lot.

[ChevLoRay]

Somebody at every dealership is in charge of ordering the vehicles that they intend to sell, unless a customer special orders one, even today.

I'm sure the dealership owner trusts whoever that person is, to be up-to-speed on what people in the area are interested in. Every item added to a base vehicle has some markup as part of the pricing, so adding items to a vehicle is theoretically going to add to their profit. Some areas, like farming communities, would be better off ordering plain-jane trucks, with torquey sixes/eights, 4-speed (granny low) transmissions, lower-geared rear axles, no airconditioning, no power brakes, maybe a radio (certainly not an AM/FM), no clock, heater, no tinted glass, no upper/lower side trim, heavy-duty step bumper, painted hubcaps/bumpers, etc.

On the flip side, when these trucks were new to the marketplace, they were just beginning to become more car-like, and creature comforts were being hawked to the buyers.

As for me, if I had been in the market for a new truck for '69, I would have probably gone with the 350 engine, 3-speed transmission w/overdrive, a posi-traction rear axle, long wheel base, and an AM radio. Heaters were standard, as was power steering. I would probably have added the Custom package. But, this is all hindsight based on my 21-year old thinking, back in '68.

Tastes and times change.

[Longhorn Man]

the dealer woulda told you that you couldn't have the 3 speed with overdrive with the 350, and the power steering wasn't standard on any package.

[paps69]

Thats right, My grandpa had huge arms and he said it was from cranking the steering wheel on that truck all those years. When I get done it will have p/s, p/d/b, and air.