frame numbers

[bdshumaker]

Hey all, I finally got a truck to play with! It's not a GMC per se, but then again, it is. I bought, on Ebay, what I thought was a 1964 C10 SWB from Reno, NV. I flew out with the intention of driving it 1700 miles back to Iowa. Anyway, I get there at 9pm and look over the truck to find it has leaf springs! At that point I thought about walking away but I had no way home so sucked it up and bought it. I'm home now and trying to sort it all out. From the listing I knew it had a cab from a long bed but I was shocked to find the GMC chassis. It is titled as a model 1534 Chevy, which matches the original documents but now I'm trying to find the GMC VIN on the frame. I can find no number on the top of the frame in the engine bay and all I could find was 2443630 8 17 77 76 stamped into the side of the frame below the drivers door. What is this number?
I can still be a member, can't I?:imsorry:

Brian

[FetchMeAPepsi]

Welcome to the obsession! GMC didn't stamp the frames, only the cabs. If you see a number on the frame and it is really a GMC frame then that's a usually a part number.

Where's the pics? gotta feed the addicts you know!

[bdshumaker]

Really!, no numbers? That seems odd. Chevy has them in two spots, on the top of the drivers side frame, 23" form the front and again, just under the cab.
Well this frame has nothing on top so it must be a GMC, so I have half a GMC at least. Hmmm, should I make it a full GMC or a full Chevy, or when asked by passerby's "Is that a GMC or a Chevy?", I'll say "yup". Here's a pic from frigid Iowa upon delivery.

[FetchMeAPepsi]

Yup, chivveee was the only one to stamp the frame. GMC only did the door posts. As for what you should make it, well you can probably guess my vote :D

http://holocron.swcombine.com/images/3/3c/HH_GMC_logo_large.png




It looks like someone shrunk her down a little though. If you don't know for sure how it was done it might be worth a look for safety's sake. Lots of kids go after them with a torch and welder and they'll fall apart on you at 65mph. If its done well then at least you'll know. That's a good lookin truck! :thumbsup:

[Funky61]

Welcome Brian! Nice shortbed you have; more photos when you are able.

[bigblockv6]

Looks more like a Chivy with the hood, grille and Custom cab emblems. What about the dash and powerplant?

[GMCDAC]

Really!, no numbers? That seems odd. Chevy has them in two spots, on the top of the drivers side frame, 23" form the front and again, just under the cab.
Well this frame has nothing on top so it must be a GMC, so I have half a GMC at least. Hmmm, should I make it a full GMC or a full Chevy, or when asked by passerby's "Is that a GMC or a Chevy?", I'll say "yup". Here's a pic from frigid Iowa upon delivery.

Nice looking shortbox! More pics would be cool. This is just a WAY out there guess, but I wonder since Chevy's were standard with coils, and GMC's standard with leafs, that they just used a GMC frame and suspension when someone would special order a Chevy with leaf springs?? Would have saved a lot of work at the assembly plant.

It's ok with me if you can still be a member!

DAC

[WDShaffer]

Standard? I've seen both. My '61 is stock coils.

[David R Leifheit]

Standard? I've seen both. My '61 is stock coils.

That would be correct for a '61

However, according to the information Jolly had put together, in '63 GMC went to leaf springs on the rear.

http://6066gmcguy.com/GMCID2.html

I don't recall the year of Chevrolet that was here briefly, but it had coils on the rear but as I recall it was a later than '62 chassis.

[David R Leifheit]

Nice looking shortbox! More pics would be cool. This is just a WAY out there guess, but I wonder since Chevy's were standard with coils, and GMC's standard with leafs, that they just used a GMC frame and suspension when someone would special order a Chevy with leaf springs?? Would have saved a lot of work at the assembly plant.

It's ok with me if you can still be a member!

DAC

I've also seen GMCs which had parts replaced with Chevrolet due to accident or owner preference.

[David R Leifheit]

I bought, on Ebay, what I thought was a 1964 C10 SWB from Reno, NV.
...
From the listing I knew it had a cab from a long bed but I was shocked to find the GMC chassis. It is titled as a model 1534 Chevy, which matches the original documents but now I'm trying to find the GMC VIN on the frame.
Brian

C10 SWB will always be a Chevrolet. The GMCs are -not- mentioned as a "C" anything.

Cab is the same, long bed or short bed.

Now here is my problem.
1534 is -not- a normal designation for a Chevrolet.
First off, 10, 20, 30 are the numbers for Chevrolet trucks while 10, 15, 25 are the equivalent GMC numbers. -Except for Canada-
-edit-
In the US apparently 144 is the designation for a 1/2 ton short bed. 154 is the designation for a 1/2ton long bed.
US 1964 VIN should look something like 4C144F100001 for a 1/2ton shortbed.
Canada 1964 VIN should look something like 4C1434600001A for a 1/2 ton shortbed.
-end edit-

A Chevrolet 1534 truck *could* be from Canada... but that would be a longbed truck.

Could you post the VIN? I have spent a bit of time working with the VINs.

[bdshumaker]

Thanks for all the replies. When I pointed out the incorrect(for Chevy) leaf springs and informed the seller it must be a GMC frame he responded with, "Oh, that might be why it had a GMC tailgate" So, I'm assuming that for whatever reason, the original Chevy longbox cab, 283 V8 and SM420 were transplanted into a 1963-66 GMC short box chassis with GMC box and now has a Chevy tailgate. It is quite a quilt as it also has 'custom' emblems on the cab but nothing custom inside. As to a full conversion, it will be infinitely easier and cheaper to find a correct Chevy chassis and custom trimmings rather than finding a rust free GMC cab, hood and 305 V6. So, unless someone wants to do a free 'organ donation' I'm afraid it might eventually be 100% Chevy. When the swirling vortex of terror outside subsides I'll get some pics posted. BTW, that's me on the right and my brother on the left.
Brian

[bdshumaker]

David, I see you posted while I was typing. The VIN checks out perfectly as a Chevy 1/2 ton, 127" wb IE:

4C154H164906

4=1964
C=Conventional Cab
1=1/2 ton
5=127" wb
4=pickup
H=Fremont, Cal.
164906=64906th production (#'s start at 100,001 each year at each plant)

The VIN does not indicate the style of bed as stepside or fleetside. Don't confuse VIN # with model #, they don't correlate.

The 1964 brochure shows the four C10 Model's as:
Model C1404 is the 1/2 ton short bed, stepside.
Model C1434 is the 1/2 ton short bed, fleetside.
Model C1504 is the 1/2 ton long bed, stepside.
Model C1534 is the 1/2 ton long bed, fleetside.

Brian

[GMCDAC]

Standard? I've seen both. My '61 is stock coils.

Sorry Mr. Shaffer, my statement should have been more year specific.

Thanks for all the replies. When I pointed out the incorrect(for Chevy) leaf springs and informed the seller it must be a GMC frame he responded with, "Oh, that might be why it had a GMC tailgate" So, I'm assuming that for whatever reason, the original Chevy longbox cab, 283 V8 and SM420 were transplanted into a 1963-66 GMC short box chassis with GMC box and now has a Chevy tailgate. It is quite a quilt as it also has 'custom' emblems on the cab but nothing custom inside. As to a full conversion, it will be infinitely easier and cheaper to find a correct Chevy chassis and custom trimmings rather than finding a rust free GMC cab, hood and 305 V6. So, unless someone wants to do a free 'organ donation' I'm afraid it might eventually be 100% Chevy. When the swirling vortex of terror outside subsides I'll get some pics posted. BTW, that's me on the right and my brother on the left.
Brian

Build it the way that is most affordable and suits you! I bought a '64 in the fall of 2012 that was supposed to be a GMC and ended up being a Chevy. Was cheap enough where I got a lot of good parts and was still able to sell what was left and break even. Your truck looks like a good driver as-is!

The "swirling vortex of terror" subsided here last night and it is supposed to be above freezing tomorrow so that warmer weather should be coming your way too!

DAC

[David R Leifheit]

David, I see you posted while I was typing. The VIN checks out perfectly as a Chevy 1/2 ton, 127" wb IE:

4C154H164906

4=1964
C=Conventional Cab
1=1/2 ton
5=127" wb
4=pickup
H=Fremont, Cal.
164906=64906th production (#'s start at 100,001 each year at each plant)

The VIN does not indicate the style of bed as stepside or fleetside. Don't confuse VIN # with model #, they don't correlate.

The 1964 brochure shows the four C10 Model's as:
Model C1404 is the 1/2 ton short bed, stepside.
Model C1434 is the 1/2 ton short bed, fleetside.
Model C1504 is the 1/2 ton long bed, stepside.
Model C1534 is the 1/2 ton long bed, fleetside.

Brian

I don't confuse the VIN with model number...

But, you mentioned it being a C1534, which is the designation for the fleetside longbed in Canada. Haven't seen that designation for the American trucks (because those numbers -are- in the Canadian VIN and do designate the fleetside/stepside.)

You have mentioned, again, the longbed cab (implying there is also a shortbed cab) but there is only one cab. Same on the 1/2-3/4-1 tons and appearances indicate even the bigger trucks the basic cab is the same (with fender extensions, running boards, etc). I say appearances since I haven't really taken the time to measure the 4000 I have versus the 2500... but the doors are interchangeable between them, the seat is interchangeable, the dash is interchangeable... so the cab is also likely interchangeable (meaning it is the same cab).

[bdshumaker]

David,
I only use the term "longbed cab" simply to denote the fact it is from a 15 series 127" truck originally.
I don't know what else I can say about the model numbers. My U.S. sales brochures from 1960-1966 all use the same #'s and the original dealer documents show it as a Model C1534.