Re: Tailgate Color?
 

It's possible a few white ones got out there if they ran out of silver paint but generally they were all silver. I talked to Lewis Matkin about that a couple of weeks ago and he doesn't recall white ever being used other than on repaints. It's just like GMC V6 engine were normally painted red, yet around 1965 some were painted blue very possible they ran out of red and borrowed some blue engine paint from their neighboring division Pontiac.

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

This is mine. Canyon blue (or as near as we can make it) with the PPG Silver

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Wow Jake, that looks like candy. Hurry up and get that thing together. I got a Two-Tones only thread going, and it needs a picture of your truck, GM

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Nicely done. I dig the color -- looks similar to the test color I sprayed on my vent cover.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Zi...M=w516-h387-no

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Thanks guys!, been a long road. The painter still has the bed, I'm getting the itch real bad to finish it. I put the mast of the brake parts of yesterday, (master cylinder, and short lines to m/c to frame lines.). I made up several grounding straps.

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

It's coming together real soon. I'm waiting on the bed to be painted. I don't have a factory correct two-tone. I did not bring the color down the sail panels, because I did not have the correct parts to make a true custom cab. Below is a picture the day we mounted the doors and hood I'm the sunlight.

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Hey Jake, Would you mind if I post this picture on the two-tones page in the paint section of the forum? I would also like a picture when you get the bed on too. Thanks for the picture update,GM

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Nope, I would be honored, I have more if you want them. I post them shortly.

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Here are some other shots

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Next

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Having problems getting more than one pic in post.

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Had to get my buddy in the shot. One evening he's in the garage with me and ask for a screwdriver, I figured the truck done been through a Hurricane what could he do it?' I gave him the biggest one I could find and he crawled under the front end pretending to be a mechanic.......

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Under the front end

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Thanks Jake. I found a little free program called Pixresizer. You put these big pictures in and it reduces them for posting online. Someone on here told me about it. I now have an album of pictures on here. I strongly suggest you go online and download Pixresizer, or some other similar program. It really makes uploading picture less of a chore. GM

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Wow - Jake, this truck looks great. I've never seen anyone repaint a 60-61 truck in the Varsity Blue and white combination I don't think - I noticed you called it Canyon Blue? Varsity was the color name in 60-61 and other years so wondering if you used a Chevy code? seems like Chevrolet may have used a color called Canyon Blue

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Canyon was a '61 color.

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Hmmm....well now you've got me wondering - I was going by the codes & names on www.paintref.com which is where I get PPG codes to mix from - now I have to go look at my original GMC color sheets and see if I see the Canyon name replacing Varsity anywhere....never noticed that before but interesting to know

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

The kid will treasure this picture when he is older. Nice.

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Hey GMCNut, I found a chip set for GMC that has Canyon Blue. It is 1959 GMC Canyon Blue(#U2407). On this chip sheet it is Number 5 on the 1959 GMC Colors List. Jake, is this your color? It is a nice looking color. I really like it on Jakes Two-Tone truck. It just looks like the early sixties. With the white on top, it reminds me of new blue jeans and a clean white T-shirt, the official uniform of the early 1960's,for many of us. Gm

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Just found the 1959 GMC Color Chips. This shows what 1959 Canyon Blue looks like. GM

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That's it, I did not realize is was a 1959 color though, no biggie I'm in love with my truck so I'm happy !

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Hey Jake, no doubt. And you are taking your time and doing it the way you want it to be. I am the same way about my truck. I like learning the minutia of corporate standards and practices concerning these old trucks, but I do not feel obligated to replicate there trucks. Even GMC made running changes during model years in an attempt to make there trucks better. And who knows what makes a truck better than the trucks end user. Its my truck now. I do what I like on my dime. While I am glad to see rare low mile survivors protected in there native state, I am also glad to see people save these old trucks from the scrap heap by doing them up any way they like. Heck, my truck has a 396 and auto tranny, radial tires and cypress wood in the bed. Not exactly stock choices. As Frankie sang, "I did it my way". GM

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Steve , did you ever get this gate ? Curious on the color ?

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

I did get the gate but it does have the silver paint like Pete said they all came with, so I am siding with Pete that this is correct unless someone can de-bunk this as a hard fact. I challenged this as being a hard fact only because the seller said this gate was NOS / pull off w/ white lettering but he was wrong so at this point I have no evidence to suggest that White lettering was ever used except in re-painted gates just like Pete said in the beginning. I was contacted by several members of this group all saying they had seen multiple gates painted with white lettering over the years, as had I, but none of us could produce a guaranteed not-repainted / pull off or original factory photo of one, so until someone does I believe Silver was indeed the only color used. I do still wonder if 58-59 widesides or even 60-61 trucks could have had white lettering on standard models maybe, but there is too little information or stock photos out there on these years and the 1958 and 1960 GMC's wideside bed trucks I own both have been repainted so I can't tell from either of them.

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Wondering when the Harley logo and lettering is going back on it :) I still think using modern vinyl wrap that is removable would be a great choice

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

55-59 fenderside tailgates had silver letters as well as 58-59 and 60-61 widesides. The white didn't come into use till 1970 because that's what Chevrolet used, GMC trucks lost their identity and were considered at that point as re-badged trucks.

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Hey Bigblock, I was wondering what year GMC ceased to be a Division of GM, and if that was the year they became a "brand"o f GM products. I was thinking it was 1967, the first year after the 6066 run. Was 1970 actually the year of there transition to brand status? I wonder who has the very last true GMC and what it looks like. Thanks,GM

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Hey GMCNut, I am struggling with two choices. paining them on "Ghost Flame"style, or full on original sign painter style,as appears on the original picture. I just do not know about the vinyl. I am still researching that stuff. I may try that to see if I want to leave it on long term,or go ahead and paint it back on. Truck looks pretty good clean too. I have definitely decided that I don't know what to do. haha. GM

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

GMC never ceased to be a division of GM, what you're saying makes no sense at all. Despite the talk of 67 being the same as Chevrolet that is not true either. 1967-68 even though were a new body style were still being produced in the same manor 66 and earlier trucks were other than Suburbans. Light duty trucks were still manufactured in GMC's Pontiac Michigan plant and at other GM assembly lines on separate assembly lines from Chevrolet. GMC's exclusive colors like Terrace Blue and Palomino tan also carried over and so did rear leaf spring rear suspension. Now 1969 became a transitional year, no more GMC exclusive exterior colors, Dana 44 axles were dropped in favor of Corporate 12 bolt axles, coil spring rear suspension became available, the availability of the V6 was down to just the 305E and that lasted till March of 1969. 1970 came no light duty pickups were manufactured at GMC's Pontiac Michigan plant, just at GM assembly plants, the V6 was gone but continued on in medium and heavy duty trucks and of course silver was no longer used on tailgate letters. It may have not been official but by then GMC light duty trucks were looked at as being rebadged Chevrolet trucks though they still had some considerable differences over Chevrolet. Now 1973 GMC were nothing but Chevrolet trucks, they came off the same assembly lines and all that was different were emblems that fit in the same holes a different grille insert that screwed into the same holes, only the tailgate was different because it had "GMC" stamped on it. It wasn't unusual for a GMC truck to be delivered to a dealer with a Chevrolet tailgate at that point.

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Thanks for the clarification. And sorry it did not make any sense. I read someone's synopsis recently, and it explored how GMC trucks went from being independently produced by a GM Division(GMC Truck and Coach DIV.), to being not much more than rebadged Chevy trucks produced on the same line(GMC Brand). Not unlike the 6066 Canada trucks were considered to be Chevy trucks with GMC badging. From your synopsis, I take it that GMC trucks were more or less "true" GMC's until 1973. At this time there production was a plurality of Chevy trucks, so to speak. I thought the modern GMC trucks were just rebadged Chevy trucks. Are there any substantial, mechanical differences in the two makes from 1973 on? Or from that year forward, were they just more or less the same, minus badging? I know the two truck lines used a lot of the same metal in 6066, but I always thought that the rest of there differences were enough to consider them "different" from each other. It looks like GM sort of phased out independent GMC light truck production over a several year period, until by 1973 they were Twins from the same line. Thanks again for the help, GM

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Hey Greg, I've got two long-time family member GMC's, a '70 K5 Mom bought in 1971 and a '72 C2500 my wife and I bought in 1979. I love these trucks dearly but they are the "red headed stepchildren" of the GMC world. The grill, headlight arrangement, front bumper and badging are pretty much the only differences between them and Chevy trucks. There was still roughly one GMC to every 4 or 5 Chevy's produced though.

DAC

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

Hey Doug, That ratio explains why I rarely see a 6066 GMC in my area. They were kinda rare in there day I guess. Growing up, I had a neighbor with a 1969 GMC. He flipped it once, with help from grandpas cough syrup. Slightly dented the roof corner. He drove it home and used it for years. We hauled peaches in it and it would really handle the load. It was a tough looking ole truck before he flipped it. But jeez, that thing was tough as nails. I think it was sorta yellow orange with a white roof. I will see if I can find a picture of the truck. Good to hear from you, GM

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

I think its worth having a conversation with someone local to Macon who does the vinyl wraps on modern cars to just see what's involved and how removable it really is, and what cost it would have vs permanent choices. Not even sure I would add it back at all since the truck looks great as is too....would be cool at shows and cruise ins either way.

Re: Tailgate Color?
 

The shame is that the badging was all there along with the original patina paint until just before I got the truck. I would have saved a ton of money and time, and left it as is, if they had not sprayed pink primer all over it. I remember how cool this truck looked when it was still badged. I thought it showed real character, but most folks thought it was ugly, back then. Nowadays they pay extra to make one appear to have this much earned battle scars. "Its a big ole goofy world"---John Prine

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The fenders were actually different on GMC's from 1969-72 than Chevrolet trucks.:my2cents:

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Thanks, yeah I know, 67 and 68 Chevy used the fenders GMC used 67-72 I just felt that was enough talk of the years not pertaining to this forum.

DAC