N.O.S. gate verification...

[too much stuff]

Picked this up on CL yesterday and want to make sure it is GM. I think it is but want a few more opinions. Has ugly spotwelds on the edges which could easily be GM and it weighs 50 pounds. I have never owned an aftermarket gate so i don't know the weight of those. Any thoughts or ways to verify? It looks fairly old also...
Thanks.

[71blksuper4x4]

Eric...looks like gm to me. Repops don't have those ugly spot welds

[haminator]

The repop gate I have is way lighter and super thin. I'm afraid to use it, the wind might bent it.

[too much stuff]

Originally Posted by 71blksuper4x4

Eric...looks like gm to me. Repops don't have those ugly spot welds

Trevor, that was what i was thinking also. Thanks.

Originally Posted by haminator

The repop gate I have is way lighter and super thin. I'm afraid to use it, the wind might bent it.

Can you weigh it for me for reference?
Thanks.

[special-K]

Are those just a couple dings in the recessed area? The earlier Repros weren't spot welded across there,so if you don't see them across there it's not GM or an improved repro. The later repros should weigh about the same as GM,too. I've never personally seen GM spot welds look that bad and to my eye that finish looks like the repro coating. Can't say yay or nay,but I'm not too sure that's GM

[too much stuff]

Tim, it is spot welded across the recessed area.

[cheyenne shortstep]

I'm with Tim on this one, although very hard to tell from pics I suspect repop. I can weigh an OG gate when I get home if no one does sooner, but I think they weigh more than 50 lbs [maybe I'm getting weak with age].

[Joesjunk]

I believe the top is not rolled as sharp on a repo gate VS a gm one. I have always seen the part # sticker inside where the handle would go, you might see if there is any evidence of a sticker being there.

[Classic Heartbeat]

It is a little suspect to me. The spot welds look like the ones that I see on reproductions. The reproductions that we sell are just as heavy as GM but the steel is a little softer. The little ding is what gives it away for me. WES

[DeadheadNM]

Not sure this will help but here's a pic of the backside of a NOS I used for my K20 build for comparison with spot welds, etc.

[too much stuff]

Originally Posted by Joesjunk

I believe the top is not rolled as sharp on a repo gate VS a gm one. I have always seen the part # sticker inside where the handle would go, you might see if there is any evidence of a sticker being there.

Hard to tell if a sticker was there. Maybe... (pic attached)The top roll appears the same as my take off gate.

Originally Posted by Classic Heartbeat

It is a little suspect to me. The spot welds look like the ones that I see on reproductions. The reproductions that we sell are just as heavy as GM but the steel is a little softer. The little ding is what gives it away for me. WES

The spot welds aren't as bad on the other end. The little ding looks worse with the camera flash. It had to take a decent hit to get the dent in it. Feels like heavy steel.

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

Not sure this will help but here's a pic of the backside of a NOS I used for my K20 build for comparison with spot welds, etc.

Thanks for the pic. Pic enclosed of mine of the spotwelds. looks similar to yours.

Looks to be within a few pounds of a cheyenne gate i dug out here. (Cheyenne gate has trim band, handle and latches in it.) Green gate is a take off that has similar spot welds. Everything i see tends to make me think it is gm, but have been wrong before...
Anything else to look for?
Thanks for everything so far.

[Joesjunk]

I was also thinking a Gm handle doesn't quite fit right on a repo gate, close but not correct? Do you have a handle you can bolt up and see?

[70LonghornCST]

Originally Posted by Joesjunk

I was also thinking a Gm handle doesn't quite fit right on a repo gate, close but not correct? Do you have a handle you can bolt up and see?

Better yet, hang the gate itself. That is a sure give away in my opinion. I worked for hours to get an aftermarket to hang almost correctly. An OEM/NOS will seem effortless in comparison.

[chuckmc8]

Best thing to do is put it on and if it fits to suit you, be happy and move on to something else :-)

[litew8]

A true NOS gate (from the 70's) will have a set of numbers stamped on it.

[too much stuff]

Originally Posted by Joesjunk

I was also thinking a Gm handle doesn't quite fit right on a repo gate, close but not correct? Do you have a handle you can bolt up and see?

I will have to see if i can pull a handle from another gate.

Originally Posted by 70LonghornCST

Better yet, hang the gate itself. That is a sure give away in my opinion. I worked for hours to get an aftermarket to hang almost correctly. An OEM/NOS will seem effortless in comparison.

Good advice!

Originally Posted by chuckmc8

Best thing to do is put it on and if it fits to suit you, be happy and move on to something else :-)

I think that is what i will do.

Originally Posted by litew8

A true NOS gate (from the 70's) will have a set of numbers stamped on it.

Where about? I have never seen numbers on a gate before...

[litew8]

I shouldn't have mentioned a year in my post above.
After cleaning up many parts - I noticed, it seems, all peices were factory stamped with numbers.

My 69' barn find gate had numbers stamped on the inside, lower passenger side.


Back, bottom of cab -




Driver's side door -




Pass side -


Rear cross sill -


Front panel -

[70LonghornCST]

Originally Posted by litew8

I shouldn't have mentioned a year in my post above.
After cleaning up many parts - I noticed, it seems, all peices were factory stamped with numbers.

My 69' barn find gate had numbers stamped on the inside, lower passenger side.

Good information.

[Hart_Rod]

I have one that is is supposed to be NOS also. I'll try to post pics and maybe we can compare, .

[litew8]

Look for the stamp.

[Hart_Rod]

I couldn't find a stamp, but it does have the remnants of the sticker inside the tailgate handle. Here are some pics.

[special-K]

I've never seen those numbers stamped. Not sure what's going on with those.

Rob,from what I see yours appears to be GM. Eric,I hope yours is but to me that coating just doesn't look right. Looks like what I see on repro. I don't recall GM's finish looking like that even straight from the parts department. Compare to Pete and Rob's.

[71 super]

The stampings are on gm sheet metal , but no sure on gates. The other locations to see stamps are on the cowl area under the cover and on the bed floor under the wheel tub lip.

[litew8]

Not sure what to tell you, the numbers are stamped. Maybe they are hard to see after the gate is painted? I know I only noticed them after removing the paint (though, not as if I was looking beforehand either). I'm not saying that the gate(s) you have questions about aren't NOS if they don't have stamps - but it could be, maybe the gate is a GM repro from the 80's etc... and they didn't stamp sheet metal like they originally did in 67-72. idk Depends on what you really mean by NOS I suppose.

All my pictures of stamping above are from an all original truck. An identifier of 67-72 OEM originality for certain. Believe it or not.

[Lee H]

Number on my 72 gate. As mentioned above most of my sheet metal is stamped. And a stamp on an inner fender as an example.