Hello to all. I am finally starting to clean up and restore my 63 k20 dually and can really use some advice from time to time. As far as I know it is a factory 4x4, 3/4 ton with I believe a 283 but I could be wrong on that. It’s a 3 speed with granny floor shift. I have owned this truck for about 5 years and have been using it to plow a few driveways in my neighborhood every winter and haul stuff to the local dump. It kills me to still plow with it and it’s time to just make it a driver and not a worker. To my knowledge it has always been a work horse. According to the Vin number it was sold as a cab and chassis, so I would assume the dump bed was put on it from the very start. I was curious if they came factory with the dually setup, I don’t think I can tell that from the vin number? I hope the pics below are able to work. Just like my truck I am a little old school and fairly new to Technology. Thanks a bunch.
Welcome to the site. Nice set up. Did you find the frame number and door tag and cross check with the vin checker? We might be able to narrow down some if we can confirm DANA 44 up front and T221 transfer case. Nothing wrong with working these trucks.
~ HB 1966 Chevrolet K-10 | Ghost: formerly Flappy Fenders | In the Stovebolt Gallery 1962 Chevrolet C10 1962 Suburban
Thanks a bunch. I can’t find anything on the doors but didn’t know about the frame number, I just went off the tag on the cab. Probably a dumb question but are all the cabs exactly the same on a 63? 2 wheel or 4 wheel, 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton? Thanks
Cabs are the same 60-63. C/K 1/2 ton to even the big trucks C/K 10 - C 60. You also have a tag on the driver side kick panel that will have RPO numbers that might have clues specific to the options your truck left the factory with. Find the GM manuals pages on www or on the tech pages this site. You will find lots of info on your truck.
~ HB 1966 Chevrolet K-10 | Ghost: formerly Flappy Fenders | In the Stovebolt Gallery 1962 Chevrolet C10 1962 Suburban
As far as the motor. There is a serial number on it. In front of passenger head, on a shelf. Probably have to use gas or carb cleaner and a soft brush to reveal it. It is stamped. It is alphanumeric. Let us know what it is.
Correct, Vin # tag is on the driver's door pillar. Data plate is on the drivers side kick panel (if not rusted off) and it will give you some information on options, color of truck and 2 or 4 wheel drive Vin is also stamped on the frame horn on the drivers side where it begins to flatten out on the top part of the frame (where the inner fender meets the frame.
Engine numbers are described in a previous post.
Good luck and nice truck.... i'd leave it as a work horse, as they are meant to work.
Thanks a bunch!! We’re supposed to have perfect weather this weekend and I’m going to dig into it all and look for all the proper tags and numbers. I had to replace the front spider gears a few years back and remember it being geared very low. The rear axel gears looked to be in great shape but I have never seen an axel that big in any normal pickup truck. Looks like a military axel. Haha. I’ll try to get some pictures of it and maybe somebody on here could help identify it. I’ll also look for a tag. Thanks again.
I have a tag on the driver side kick panel, I thought it was originally for just the paint and trim but it looks like there’s a few other things on there that may help me out. I’ve included a picture below along with a few pictures of stickers that are on the cabs that look like they have been there for a very long time, maybe since it was new. I also included a photo of the rear axle. Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again
Jared, you can post photos directly to your threads by following the instructions posted in the left margin of every page.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
Thank you. I thought I read somewhere that they only want links to photos but maybe that was just in the DIY forum? Either way I’ll try to look for those instructions I looked quickly and didn’t see them but I’ll investigate further. Thanks again
Hello Bartamos, I found the serial number on the block that you were talking about but I’m having a hard time looking it up would you be able to tell me what site would be best for that? This is the number I found in the same spot you told me. F0325M. Thanks a bunch
Sorry for the bother but I’m trying to figure out how to post pictures directly and not a link. I don’t see any instructions on the left side of the page or anywhere else. I’m sure I’m just missing something though? Any help Is greatly appreciated!!! Thanks
Sorry for the bother but I’m trying to figure out how to post pictures directly and not a link. I don’t see any instructions on the left side of the page or anywhere else. I’m sure I’m just missing something though? Any help Is greatly appreciated!!! Thanks
Are you on a phone? If so the instructions may not show up. On a computer, it should show up. Here's what it looks like.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Hello again. I just recently came across a goldmine of 63 parts that happened to be local to me. I picked up almost everything I will need to completely rebuild the body of my 63. Clean cab, clean doors, OEM fenders still in the GM boxes, Clean inner fenders, hood, front panel, grill guard and more. All Factory original parts. I Wanted to share some great news / pics and have a question about clean bed sides and a mint tail gate that I didn’t buy yet. Hope all the pics go through ok. I was told that the bed sides are for a short bed, although I forgot to measure them when I was there. My truck has a 127” wheelbase so I’m certain it’s a long bed and those short bed sides are never going to do me any good. Does anybody know the length of the short bed sides? Or can possibly tell from the picture but it definitely won’t fit in my truck. I’m tempted just to pick them up because the price is right and everything is so clean especially the tailgate. Thanks a bunch.
Happy you found that honey hole. Not many of thos holes left on the east coast. Is there any leftovers i need to be made aware of? I agree buy the sides. You will be able to trade or sell to find the sides you need.
~ HB 1966 Chevrolet K-10 | Ghost: formerly Flappy Fenders | In the Stovebolt Gallery 1962 Chevrolet C10 1962 Suburban
I was also thinking about that shortbed frame. I’m not sure how much work it would be to put my front axle and convert everything over so then I could use that short bed that he has?? Obviously different driveshaft and what not I’m just not sure how complicated it could be. 2 Wheel frame verse the four-wheel-drive frame that I have. My frame is really clean, so I didn’t wanna get into all that but I’m just not sure yet.
The 2wd frames are much thinner and shorter than the 4wd frames unless it's a c30 frame. I would stay away from it and stick with your 4x4 frame. Swapping suspension between the two would not be fun. None of it would be bolt on
Liquidated my projects Now looking for a decent '47-'55.1 3100, 3600, or 3800
1. A short bed truck is WAY more valuable than long bed. Any part of it. A shortbed bed is gold. 2.The C10 and K10 chassis/frames are the same length and width. The C channel is taller and the legs are wider on K10, but the thickness is less. Swapping would not be a problem. 3. Long bed frames can, and have been, shortened. 4. Short beds are so hard to find, that many long bed sides are shortened. Just takes medium skill. 5. Quick ID: Short beds have 4 stake pockets and Long beds have 6.
Thanks a bunch!!! I always liked the short beds better but had no idea how rare they were. I got some thinking to do. Going to start tearing mine apart in the next few days.
Hi, Awesome truck. Looks a lot like mine!! Although, i've restored mine to this condition with as much original parts as possible, minus the tailgate as i wanted to find a pretty rust free, straight and usable one. Plus, it's an easy fix if i do find a good original one.
The short bed bedsides are 80" long. Your truck is definitely a long bed with the data plate on the kick panel, it tells you that information as well as the paint code/trim codes.
If you had a 4x4 shortbed fleetside, that's the money, although what you have is awesome indeed and what a great find with the parts too!! If you have any interest in selling the short bed parts, let me know as i have a place/home for them!
Thank you so much. Your truck looks awesome!! Great patina look to it!! Looks like the same paint as the clean cab I Just picked up. I was about to start cutting and welding panels and for some reason I checked my local craigslist and somehow came across the nice honey hole, which was only an hour from my house. I still have to go back and talk about the bedsides but unfortunately the owner sold the mint tailgate and a bunch of other parts, the weekend after I was there. He told me he got an offer for the gate that he couldn’t refuse. $130.00. And I was thinking it was worth at least triple that because it was so clean.
