1960 Pick up VIN location

[GMCNUT]

Unless a member currently owns a 1961 up year model truck they can positively prove as having a VIN plate on the kick panel and not on the door frame, I believe it to be correct to say all 1960 year model trucks have the VIN stamped on the wide aluminum kick panel tag and all 1961 up trucks have a separate VIN in the door frame or as you showed in your pics - on the forward door pillar. So an "N" series truck with a forward mounted VIN plate and higher production # is likely a 61 (regardless of what the title says) and a "N" series truck with lower production number and kick panel mounted VIN would be indicative of a 1960 year model. Anyone experienced enough with 60-61 GMCs willing to concur?

[David R Leifheit]

One thing I have found out about these trucks over the years. Just as soon as you are certain that things were made a specific way a specific year... you will find at least one exception. Original exception...

This appears especially true when the vehicles share a year code. Take a look at the VINs reported by members in the past, is there a rhyme or reason to the numbering?

http://6066gmcguy.com/GMC-vin-list-60.html
http://6066gmcguy.com/GMC-vin-list-61.html

There doesn't even seem to be a correlation between the engine number and the year, let alone between the serial number and the year.

And this is just for 1960-61.
With some similarity compare 64-66 which used both a single year code and separate year codes, depending on plant(?)

[GMCNUT]

So in 1958 GMC decided to make all 58 and 59 year model trucks a single "S" series; all 58's have a shorter production number and all 59's have a longer one because 59 VIN's started in the middle of the run. Same with 60-61 N series trucks - one of the 1960's was #1 off the line and one of the 1961's was 100,000 + or wherever they ended the run. So yes - there is a definite correlation between 60-61's production # wise.

You guys have my curiosity up now and I'm going to have to ride 18 miles out to my farm and see if that alledged "1960" GMC spare parts truck has a VIN tag on the kick panel or door jamb....I'll take pics when I get there

[AZKen]

The manual I have, and was quoted by David, says Kick Panel or pillar. It is a X-6023 printed in 1961 I believe. You could deduce if they said that, they were going to put them either/or. It says it replaces a X-6003. Wonder what it says? If X-6003 is the first manual for 1960, and it says either/or, and I have an original 1960 with holes in the pillar, it may mean they were giving themselves options for different factories/tag suppliers or cabs were punched with those holes for 1960 Chevy. It seems that on the WIKIweb, all Chevy's had pillar. Depends on what X-6003 say somewhat. Interesting, at any rate. I think 55-59 GMC was a wide tag and the hinge pillar was wide so they mounted them there. I think I've learned what David said, there always seems to be an original exception. Quality control, specific procedures were a little lax back then. Maybe X-6003 says kick panel only. It has a print date of 1959.
Don't know if poster serial is high or not, our data says 95,000 V6's in 1960. Also Jmclendon shows chart with 15 as 1/2T is that not 3/4T? His "B" rating is 6000-10,000. Decoder hiccup?

[David R Leifheit]

Originally Posted by AZKen

The manual I have, and was quoted by David, says Kick Panel or pillar. It is a X-6023 printed in 1961 I believe. You could deduce if they said that, they were going to put them either/or. It says it replaces a X-6003. Wonder what it says?

Good luck finding a X-6003. I have been looking and haven't found one yet. I do have a X-6004B which is Preliminary Instructions Models 5500-9000. Inside it is copyrighted 1960 (6M 11-60)

My X-6023 is Copyright 1960. (12M X-6023 6-60) and Reprints (5M 5-61) (1M 11-63) (5C 6-65) (1m 3-72) so I would assume mine is from the 3-72 Reprint. Even though it's condition suggests it has been abused for much longer.

For reference my X-6034 Models 5500-9000 replaces X-6004A, X-6004B, and X-6031 and is copyright 1961 (85C X-6034 2-61) and reprint (5M 9-61) and is almost pristine.

Just for confusions sake, I have the X-5918 Diesel Engine Maintenance Manual Model 6V-71. It should be for the 1959 models with that manual number, but the copyright date is 1960 (12M-Mar. 1960) which suggests I have an original printing from March 1960 for the 1959 6V-71. Manual came out after the beginning of the '59 model year (and probably the end of that model year as well)

NOW, the X-6034 manual states, regarding the Chassis Serial Number, "The chassis serial number is stamped on an identification plate, shown above. Plate is mounted on the cab left door hinge pillar or on inside of left door."

The plate pictured is identical to the plate in the picture of my 1961 1500.

Maybe the holes weren't for the Chevy models, but for the bigger truck models? The W5500 model for 1960 looks like the same cab but with much larger fender flares. Kind of like the 1963 4000 I have.

To further muddy the waters, the X-6223 manual I have indicates the plate for the cowl left side panel (pictured) is for the "L" & "S" models and the pillar plate (also pictured) is for all except the "L" & "S" models according to the captions under the pictures. The volume I have is copyright 1962 (12M X-6223 2-62). It covers, and I quote, "MODELS 1000 THRU 5000 "J" SERIES AND "N" SERIES BUILT AFTER AUGUST 14, 1961"
So it appears we could have "N" series trucks as 1962 trucks as well.

The pictures show the "L" & "S" model as the large plate, the other as the same plate as in the picture of my 1961 1500.

[AZKen]

My X-6023 says "Printed in U.S.A. 12M X-6023 6-60 Reprint 5M 5-61.

Regarding X-6003: I don't know how many reprints there are but I have seen one that says: ©1959 General Motors Corporation, GMC Truck and Coach Division, 10M X-6003 9-59. Would be interesting to read the Serial plate info.
As our own data says (Jolly), it is almost impossible to know a 1960 from a 1961 without documentation. The "N" series is the most difficult. A title would not even be proof positive but close enough for Government work.

[AngryPirate]

Well, I will say I'm glad this thread has opened up some quality discussions around this.

I'm a sponge over here, soaking up all of this good information and discussion.

[AngryPirate]

I just grabbed one of these on ebay. Not sure if original or reprint.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/182346385693...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[bobdylan]

Great price.

[AZKen]

The X-6003 manual I referenced says the same thing as X-6023.