Possibly one of the rarer 1960-62 GMC K1000 original parts?
 

I was prepping for paint the original engine spray pan (know the real name for it?) on my 1962 GMC K1000 Suburban, and was wondering if many original ones still exist. I don't know if Chevrolet K models had the same pan, its held on by four bolts that go into rivnuts in the frame. It goes from just behind the radiator to behind the tubular cross member, and it is bent out of sheet metal, and has two rubber bumpers so it doesn't rattle on the cross member.

I installed two new rivnuts that hold it to the frame yesterday, two were still good. I got it out today to see if it was worth using or to make a new one. It has a crack that I'll braze a plate on, but it cleaned up OK.

Don't know what the rarer 1960-66 rarer original parts are, not talking about rare options, but I suspect few K1000s or K10s have the original one.

Re: Possibly one of the rarer 1960-62 GMC K1000 original parts?
 

My '62 K1000 Suburban does not have a pan like that. I don't know if it ever did have one. I bought the truck from the second owner in 1997. This is a "before restoration" photo.

Re: Possibly one of the rarer 1960-62 GMC K1000 original parts?
 

In your picture, just above the front of the passenger side leaf spring there are two holes in the frame, a large one on the vertical part, and below it a smaller one on the lower horizontal part. The smaller one is where one of the rivnuts goes for mounting the pan.

Your truck appears pretty original, and I'm suprised if it had the pan that not one of the four rivnuts still exists. Maybe it was an option or they didn't install it on all of them for some reason. Mine is a pretty early 1962 so maybe they quit installing them after 1961 and inventory was used up.

Re: Possibly one of the rarer 1960-62 GMC K1000 original parts?
 

My original 1960 K1001 did not have. Also, actual rivnuts were not used back then. Weld nuts and cage nuts were or just screws. No small rivets would have been used. I don't think. Until you see another, I suggest it's a previous users addition for running in mud or water. You should be able to tell by the quality, shape and fit of the splash pan if it is built like 1960-1962 automotive factory sheet metal parts.
Give us a peek or two.

Re: Possibly one of the rarer 1960-62 GMC K1000 original parts?
 

I have a 65 K1000 that is pretty original. I will check this weekend when I get back home and I’ll report out. I know it doesn’t have a pan but I’ll look for the evidence of past install - rivnuts or welds

Re: Possibly one of the rarer 1960-62 GMC K1000 original parts?
 

My truck was purchased new for a university geology field camp, and I'm the second owner. I've seen no evidence for any modifications other than a spare tire mount. I've seen pictures and a thread of belly pans on 2WD early 1960s GMC on 67-72 Chevy truck forum. So belly pans appear to have come from the factory on 1960-62 GMC. My belly pan is for the K1000 chassis and is different from the 2WD pans. It looks completely factory and not do it yourself add on.

I must diagree that rivnuts were used on during manufacturing of my 1962 GMC. A quick search indicates rivnuts came out in the 1930s.

I'm in the process of transferring to a new phone so a picture isn't possible right now.

Re: Possibly one of the rarer 1960-62 GMC K1000 original parts?
 

Opinion: Using logic and the fact that no one has seen a pic of a pan or non wiki literature.
Don't think rivnuts were used back then on GMC trucks. Too bad about the phone. Probably a previous owner add on. Or some upfitter. Never seen mention of an option for that. No RPO.
Pan could interfere with designed airflow. No practical reason for it. No reason for a blind fastener application.
If it was an option, rivnuts would be seen on 4x4's trucks that didn't opt for a pan. Usually provisions for options were already on the piece part at subassembly level. Must be a radical shape pan to fit around the deep bend in the tubular cross member?
Installing rivnuts and a screw cost more than just a screw. Let us know when the new phone is worked out. Glad to see any actual link to a post anywhere. I will be the last to admit I'm wrong. :)

Re: Possibly one of the rarer 1960-62 GMC K1000 original parts?
 

Here's a link to the thread on 1962 belly pan: https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...ight=Belly+pan

I'm confident the rivnuts installed on my frame for mounting the belly pan are factory installed. The above photo posted by Ed Snyder shows one hole in the frame for them. I could give him the distance to the rear holes and he could see if they are there.

Re: Possibly one of the rarer 1960-62 GMC K1000 original parts?
 

OK, then pretty rare. Good deal. Is yours exactly like that with one odd ball direction slot? I guess we will see when your phone is up.

Re: Possibly one of the rarer 1960-62 GMC K1000 original parts?
 

The sheet metal itself is exactly like that, no hole in middle front on mine. The 4 slots have square ends instead of rounded ends, and I have a pair of rubber bumpers about 3/4" diameter on the rear end to ride on the tubular cross member on the 4WD frame.

A close look at the slots on the pan shown in the thread from another forum, they appear to be two N-S and two E-W in an X pattern. Mine has symmetrical slots.

Re: Possibly one of the rarer 1960-62 GMC K1000 original parts?
 

It may be an aftermarket Chevy/GMC accessory. Who knows. I don't get the feeling it is a piece off of a 100T GM factory stamping die. It has the look of a good sheet metal HVAC type guy. I think it was "sold" to owners, not that it had a need....nor designed by GM engineers. Good conversation piece as we have proven.

Re: Possibly one of the rarer 1960-62 GMC K1000 original parts?
 

In the thread I linked on page 1, the truck owners that had them were from California and Utah. Possibly the belly pans didn't survive in the rust belt, which would explain the lack of information or sightings of them.

My truck spent its early years mostly in Wyoming, and was likely stored inside except a couple of months in the summer. That could be why my truck still has a belly pan and it isn't rusted away or tossed when it was falling apart.

Also it appears whoever maintained my truck before I got it did no modifications as my truck was nearly completely as delivered when I bought it in 1978.

Re: Possibly one of the rarer 1960-62 GMC K1000 original parts?
 

Pondering the purpose of the belly pan, I think it is keep debris from coming into the engine bay mainly when off road. The path it is protecting is between the frame rails and mostly in front of the front tires, so it isn't to deflect debris thrown off the front wheels. I think it is mainly protecting from tall grass, brush, small trees or sticks or possibly if driving over crops.

If you drove over plants taller than the bumper, the bumper would knock them down but they would stand back up behind the radiator. This would put them in the area of the crank pulley and possibly the fan. It make also give some protection to the brake line crossing over on top of the tubular cross member on the K1000. The pan also protects the radiator from plants when in reverse.