Tailgate Color?

[bigblockv6]

From 1955 -69 argent silver or aluminum as it may also be called was used on tailgates letters or backgrounds(67-69) on GMC Trucks..

[GMCNUT]

Originally Posted by bigblockv6

Definitely better than painting them white, I see some paint them white because Chevrolet did theirs that way. By 1980 GMC no longer painted the letters or background in aluminum, they just used black, white or one of the two tone body colors like Chevrolet did, obviously it was an assembly line procedure, a sign that GMC trucks were assembled together with Chevrolet Trucks.

If I remember right, the plain-jane non-custom cab trucks did get White paint instead of the Silver on Customs - I just bought a NOS / pull off tailgate that has 100% of its original paint and the raised lettering and surround is white instead of Silver from the factory.....

[bigblockv6]

That must of been an oddity. My fathers 62 K1000 did not have the custom cab nor two tone or chrome, just white hubcaps and grille painted solid in Delta Green, Tailgate letters were silver. The vast majority of trucks regardless of color combination had the silver letters, that didn't start to change till 1968 when white painted GMC pickups came with black backgrounds a few were still silver though.

[1960HDGMC]

Originally Posted by GMCNUT

If I remember right, the plain-jane non-custom cab trucks did get White paint instead of the Silver on Customs - I just bought a NOS / pull off tailgate that has 100% of its original paint and the raised lettering and surround is white instead of Silver from the factory.....

Hey GMCNut, Is there anything in the paint regs addressing the color for the GMC and surround? I think I have seen a few original stepsides with White lettering, but I can not say if I ever saw white on a Wideside tailgate. Maybe they sprayed what they had on hand. Or they ran out of silver. Might even have been sprayed where wheels were also getting White paint. For safety's sake, I would opt for the Silver. I have seen the difference it makes on my truck. It is like adding LEDs to the back of your truck at night. A huge safety upgrade for any truck, and it looks great to boot. GM

[Texas63GMC]

Id like to know what color the fenderside tailgate letters were painted on a plain Jane truck. Did they change colors between the script and block lettering, which I think was in '62?

[bigblockv6]

They were painted argent silver PPG # 8568 period. For the skeptics out there I will post a pic of my father 62 K1000 fenderside that he bought brand new in one solid color Delta Green with white hub caps, wheels and grille. From 1955-69 the argent silver was used. In 1970 silver was replaced with white. Trucks are old and even repainted but after many years of weathering it can be hard to distinguish if it's original paint or not. If the letters are white then 99.9% chance it was repainted the wrong color. What I see is a lot of little details in paint background behind the grille and upper hood grille completely lost. Years ago on Jolly's site all these details were brought up to attention and now it's all forgotten.

[bigblockv6]

Here is a pic of my father's 62 K-1000 taken sometime in late summer to early fall of 1964. The truck had no chrome, the grille, front bumper, hubcaps & wheels were all white, standard cab and one solid color. As you can see the tailgate letters are the correct silver, this should clarify what color was used back then on the tailgate letters.

[1960HDGMC]

Great picture BigBlock. Thanks for sharing it. You have a great early era color picture of a Fenderside Tailgate that is certainly factory Argent Silver. Great evidence to support the fact that this color was indeed used on at least some trucks. However, this great picture alone does not prove that Argent Silver was the ONLY color prescribed or used on the letters. It only proves that it was on this truck. I believe it was prescribed and indeed used on almost all the trucks from this era. I believe you gave me the factory paint code for this color when I did my tailgate. Do you know of any sources that specifically prescribe this color for certain year models? I have read the 1960 GMC Paint Regulations over and over. I can not find where the factory prescribed ANY paint for the lettering and surround, in writing. The picture on the regs of the Fenderside truck, shows no Argent Silver or White. The tailgate is a solid color. In fact, The 1960 GMC Master Parts Book lists every color used for all models, and there is no Argent Silver listed. I checked my Owners Guides, paint charts, etc., looking for Argent Silver ,and did not find it. Can you or someone else please show me, in writing, where in 1960 GMC ordered the tailgate letters painted? The dealer approved Accessories Catalog lists all colors, even engine colors, but no Argent Silver is listed. I went with Argent Silver because in the vast majority of trucks of this era that I have seen, it was on them. Subjectively, it just looks right on there. Also, it is just more reflective than any other color, for safety sake. But I am yet to be shown any reference material from GMC in 1960 that says it is the prescribed color or the only color for the tailgate letters and surround. Perhaps such information exists, but I have not seen it. I have the 1965 GMC Paint Regs. They clearly call for "Aluminum" as the color for the letters, but no mention of the surround. The picture on the 1965 Paint Regs shows the Two-Tone Custom Packaged Wideside, with the Letters and the surround in this "Aluminum" color. I think the "Argent Silver" name is what "Aluminum" came to be know as, but it was called "Aluminum" in 1965, and probably as early as they started painting the letters and surround. Does anyone have the paint regulations for 1961,62,63 and 64? They will probably help shed a clarifying light on this fascinating discussion. Factory correct or not, I could not see the back of my truck at night until I added the Argent Silver. Most important paint on the whole truck. GM

[bigblockv6]

The silver was also used on tailgate letters from 1955-59 including the newer 58-59 widesides that shared the tailgate with 60-66 widesides. I grew up with two brand new 60's GMC's with V6's and never saw white lettering used on tailgate until 1970!!!!!!!!!!!

[bigblockv6]

As far as color sources go, I have seen Dupont and PPG both have listings for the Argent Silver in some of their color chip pages, may have been listed as a trim color, I'll look into it.