No NAPCO's
 

For those of you who keep calling your truck a NAPCO please be advised that that term is used to identify pre 1960 trucks. Northwestern Auto Parts Company conversions were replaced by factory 4 wheel drive trucks using a specific chassis, suspension and driveline built by the factory starting in 1960. 60-66 4x4 trucks are not an official NAPCO. True NAPCO's have the word NAPCO on the front differential among other tell tale features.

Re: No NAPCO's
 

That's true to a certain extent. 1960-1966 some 1 ton panels were converted by NAPCO and the 40-60 series trucks were NAPCO conversions. Cant say Ive seen a GMC but plenty of Chevys.

Re: No NAPCO's
 

NAPCO did not convert trucks, just sold the kit. If C30's had torsion springs /independent front suspension, how did they convert them. Design a whole new NAPCO kit for the new chassis? Was there a K30? or just a C30. I know there were factory K10 K20 K25. So where did the K30 come from? (talking Chevy as you said). Originally I was talking GMC.

Re: No NAPCO's
 

Okay , just stating a fact that there were NAPCOS just not in the 10 and 20 or 1000-1500 series. No , I don't see that K30 was available nor did I say that. Maybe I should have said "converted WITH NAPCO" . There's two I know of and if I look on another disc I have pictures , its a 1 ton GMC long wheelbase panel now that I remember because I helped him with parts for it as he needed a nicer GMC grille, it has NAPCO axles. There's another one ton panel that was converted, pretty sure its a Chevy C30 panel. I also have several people in the Wi Ill region with NAPCO C40-C60 4x4 trucks.

Re: No NAPCO's
 

If you have seen them then they must exist. The literature and history does not support that. I guess I can see converting a panel if it came as 2WD with leaf front. Not if they came with Independent coil or torsion. (that would be a DIY style "conversion"). I will edit my comment to 1/2 and 3/4. According to 1961 brochures online, the big Chevy trucks came with independent front suspension and conversion would be doubtful. But if you have seen them and are sure they are NAPCO I will accept. Maybe the factory built NAPCO and GM 4x4's at the same time. Literature and NAPCO forums say all new GM 4x4 in 1960, no more NAPCO.

Re: No NAPCO's
 

Correct and I agree that way too many people call their half and three quarter ton 60-66 trucks NAPCO.

Here's a link, now the very first truck is a NAPCO but then a few people added stock 4x4s. Read the rest of the thread and you'll see quite a few . No such thing as a 1 ton panel with front leaf springs in the front of a 2 wheel drive Ken. Jon
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ighlight=napco

Re: No NAPCO's
 

So I guess someone ripped off all the front coil/torsion front suspension and added a leaf spring 4x4 front end?....and of course the rest of the setup after the truck was built as 2WD by the factory?

Re: No NAPCO's
 

Post 16 is one.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...ight=4x4+panel

No this one I cannot confirm even a NAPCO but ....

Re: No NAPCO's
 

I guess it's like someone building a "Monster Truck" now-a-days. The only thing available back then were Napco donors or new left overs otherwise they would have used an open knuckle. Not sure where or who these trucks we see, came from. The biggest factory 4X4 Chevy truck I see on GM heritage site is K25 for 60-61. What I meant by true Napco is one built by factory or a specific dealer kit. That stopped in 1959. If a later DIY/shop built truck used a Napco axle, that is not a NAPCO IMO. Barry would know all this.

Re: No NAPCO's
 

Very true Ken. However several of those larger trucks have the NAPCO tags in or on them. I will see if I can track down that panel and confirm the origin .

Re: No NAPCO's
 

From the "web"..."In 1960 NAPCO and GM parted ways when GM redesigned the front suspension on their 1960 pickup line so that it wasn't easily compatible with the existing Power-Pak kits."
And this:
The first "all GM" factory 4x4's were introduced in 1960 when both Chevy and GMC went to a totally new chassis. NAPCO and its Powr-Pak conversion were left out of the equation due to the introduction of GM's completely redesigned truck line featuring independent front suspension on the two wheel drive trucks and a 4-wheel drive specific chassis on the 4-wheel drive trucks. This was the beginning of the end for the 4x4 conversion element of NAPCO. Though they did produce conversion kits for a few more years, their main business shifted to the heavier trucks, 1-1/2 ton and larger. A few later model specially built custom vehicles featuring the NAPCO components are still out there, such as Mr. Packy Pickrell's 1970 Chevy 1 ton NAPCO.

After the huge loss of the contracts with GMC and Chevrolet to supply conversion packages, NAPCO sold the rights to the Powr-Pak package to the DANA Corporation. I haven't found the date yet when that actually occurred, but we can safely assume it was after 1960. All documentation, archives, information and parts were transferred to DANA at that time. During this evolution, the association of the NAPCO name with 4x4's ceased to exist. The NAPCO 4x4 had vanished, just as it's associated history, archives and NOS parts supplies were absorbed into DANA."

Looks like you are correct about the larger trucks. Thanks for the clarification and info. I would say post 1959 1 Ton and up NAPCO's are really rare and somewhat valuable, but they don't fit in my garage.

Re: No NAPCO's
 

I have a 58 and a 59 NAPCO here. Along with 9 other 60-66 Chevy and GMCs mostly low mile trucks. Here's some more NAPCO history:
http://www.napco4x4.org/history4.htm

Re: No NAPCO's
 

Yes , I already read all that. Thanks.

Re: No NAPCO's
 

Jon and Ken --

A good friend of mine here (a fellow member of our Southern Oregon Chevy/GMC Truck Club) has a 1971 one ton Chevy with NAPCO conversion and NAPCO badging on the fenders. Tom's very knowledgeable on all things NAPCO.