The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks What is it?

I inherited this old Chevy truck from my father-in-law when he passed a few years ago and am just now getting it home to start working on it. Trying to figure out exactly what it is. I am pretty sure it's mix of Chevy and GMC. Hoping you all can help. I found the VIN plate inside the drivers door which looks pretty new and says it's a 1961 Chevy, but the plate inside the on the drivers side below the dash says it's a GMC. I believe the hood is off a 1963 or so GMC due to the turn signals that are angled on the inside and it's definitely not a 1961 Chevy hood. There were 3 books in it that my Father-in-Law ordered that are all for a 1963 Chevy. I have attached some pictures for you all to hopefully help me figure out what I have here.
[img]https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/download/Number/22675/filename/IMG_0675.jpg[/img]

The VIn tag is not factory , grill is from a 1960 chevy, hood is a 62-66 GMC

any pics of dash,i believe chevys and gmc were different

So after some research it does appear that at least the cab is a 1961 GMC per the S/N plate found on the drivers side kick panel. Apparently the aftermarket VIN plat on the A pillar is not 100% correct. Maybe I have a GMC cab and hood with a Chevrolet grill and tailgate (Tailgate says CHEVROLET across it).
http://6066gmcguy.com/VinNumber.html

Here is a pic of the dash as requested which has a bowtie on it and the tailgate.

it's definitely been modified from its factory days. The dash cluster appears to be more chevy style from 60-63. It's hard to say so far from the pictures you have, as some of the tell tale signs of GMC are gone if it is indeed one. Tailgates are interchangeable, but GMC's would say that, on it as well as the rest of the dash would be different. I'm guessing since the trim tag says GMC, that's what you got. It doesn't appear to be swapped, unless the cab was.

Looks like a very nice truck. You are just down 61-67 from me.

What is the id number stamped on the frame adjacent to steering box?

The cab is GMC because the Kick panel Data plate/Vin plate is legit and original. The A pillar Plate is a home made sketchy plate used by people who have a title and want to match the number with the title. If it was not done thru DMV, the truck is illegally titled and registered.
The style, location and Vin on the kick panel plate indicate 1960 GMC cab. I agree, a Chevy cluster and dash. (Bow Tie on cluster.)

Big window cab is money.

What motor is in it?
Torsion bar front suspension or coil? 1963 last year for wrap around windshield and first year for coil front.

A Chevy frame will have a partial VIN stamped on it, a GMC will have no stamp.

Good lookin pickup either way.

Now for the important question- - - - -whose name is on the title? If you have taken possession of the truck by a will, or some other legal document and you're not planning on selling it anytime soon, the fewer waves you make at the DMV to get a title in your name, the better. Since the VIN numbers match between the "Chevrolet" tag that's an obvious new addition and the "GMC" tag that appears to be original to the cab, it might be to your advantage to go with whichever way the current title describes the truck when you do an official transfer of ownership. If an inspection by a DMV official is required, I can forsee some interesting conversations in your future! You've obviously got a hybrid of several years' parts, and quite possibly a Chevy/GMC hybrid as well.
Jerry

Both VINs do indicate shortbed. The A pillar could be legit, as I said, If it was supervised by the DMV. Check your documentation to see if it indicates a rebuilt, salvage, bonded or any other "special" designation. It seems like a person wanting to be sketchy would have for sure removed the other plate. It may be that DMV wanted it to stay in order to document the was/is. Some GMC cabs had the holes on the A pillar because parts were interchangeable and possibly made by same vendor or factory early on.
As Jerry says, this only matters if you ever sell or your DMV requires inspection during transfer. Where I live, they never see the truck when title is transferred.
I don't know what Jerry means when he says the Chevy and GMC "VIN numbers match"

NICE LOOKING TRUCK!

VERY hard to figure out how a GMC cab got a seemingly complete Chevy Dash. Could be "The Canadian factor".

What is it? A cool truck, that's what it is. But, as others have pointed out, getting the title transferred over may or may not be an issue. Buying parts will be fun until you know exactly what you have.

My '65 is like that, someone put in a 350 from a '70-ish Camaro, so when I buy engine parts I have to get them for that, but everything else '65 Chevy C20. I like your truck, even with the mix of GMC and Chevrolet parts on it.

Lots of good advice given thus far.
Here’s my only addition.
A GMC dash has one hump, on the driver side, over the instrument cluster. The Chevy dash for 60-63 has two humps.
Changing the dash in a cab is a huge ordeal, so I vote for a GMC cab if the dash and ID plate both agree.
I’ve attached a pic of a GMC dash.

CHEVY DASH REMOVAL VIDEO

60,61 chevy had dual headlights for the grill, but the hood is not double hump. jimmy grill has single main bar encircles the dual headlights differently. 62 chevy, single with oval rings, 63 had circles, 64 goes rectangular. 64 was the big cab change as well. dash with double humps is definitely chevy with idiot lights, my 63 had a tach and full gauges. jimmy had single hump dash and afterthought looking gauge cluster. the knobs with chrome rings (rather than solid black plastic) say custom cab, but the pillar chrome and side chrome are missing but with new paint...who knows. backup lights were also more common on custom cabs. My windshield had chrome...but again things get changed.

looks like you got a 61 Chevy that had the cab and hood replaced with the GMC parts not sure if it's just ascetics or if the previous hood/cab were damaged in some way. Either way it's a pretty truck and there was a lot of work put into it to make the dash Chevy.

Have you looked at the title (or registration) to see which Vin number it’s has? Maybe it was cobbed together by a PO and legitimately registered as salvage.