The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk fleetside vs. stepside

Whats more popular stepside or fleetside and long or short bed. what do most people want for a 1963.

depends who you ask...the trend seems to be shortbed stepside. Though I'll keep my longbed fleetside 59, thank you!

I really like the short wide fleetside the best.
Both are nice and I would say it is personal preference.

Hobert

depends on what they want it for - at the local shows you'll see short steps the most, short fleets next most, long fleets ocassionally, long steps almost never - on the street w/ a load in the back ya mostly see long fleets, my preference

Bill

I like a short stepside in all Chevy trucks up to the end of the Advance Design trucks.. which I think was pretty much all that was available.

I never cared for the 'boxy' fenders on the Task Force and up beds, and prefer to see 'fleet' side beds on those.

I like the overall look of a shortbed.. but when it comes to real working, you cant beat a longbed truck.

My '63 is a fleetside long box. There is a guy in town with a '63 short-box stepside. I like the look of his better. On the other hand, I bet he can't haul full sheets of plywood in the back. It is really a matter of personal preference.

I wanted a work truck so mine's a fleet longbed. It clears the garage door by 1.5" to boot.

Add another vote for the big slab sides.. Gotta be fleetside long box for the 60-66 trucks. Maybe I'm partial 'cause I have a '63 fleetside longbox. And like Kimberly says..you can fit a full size sheet of plywood in there.
What I want Santa to bring me is a 58 or 59 GMC Fleetside...

Absolutely a matter of personal taste with consensus on only two things: long wheelbase stepsides are ugly and 71 or 72 short wide Cheyannes bring a rediculous amount of money.

My choices in order are lwb fleetside, followed by swb fleetside, then swb stepside and lastly lwb stepside. I have several '64-'66 lwb fleetside trucks. With the availability of aftermarket swb stepside bed parts and the number of years they are interchangeable, the swb stepside beds are becoming more prevalent. I like the functionality of the lwb fleetside bed, as well.

Variety is the spice of life and everyone has their own preferences. I have always felt trucks were made for haulin', so I always go for the longbed on my trucks. My truck also has a dealer optioned Bardon rear bumper that I think gives my truck a real work truck look.

http://community.webshots.com/photo/109000222/1109004051052948230DoOMlv

Jim

Its a matter of personal preference. My truck is a swb stepside. A friend of mine has a '61 with a lwb stepside. He likes the fact that he can get full 8-foot sheets of plywood or steel in the back and close the tailgate. It also depends on what you are going to use your truck for the most.

Drew

--------------------
'66 C-10 stepside

I like the early long and short (I prefer long)Fleetsides (58-59) because of the two year look. I like short more than long Stepsides (my preference)on all of the 50-60's trucks. I like long Fleetsides for my work trucks for the hauling capability. I almost bought a '72 long Stepside 4 x 4 once, but, it was butt ugly to me.

I like the nastagia of the stepside. The Old Car value guide gives more value to the fleetsides though.

Back in the mid sixties, the longbed fleetsides were the best selling pick-ups. However, today the shortbed trucks seem to be more popular.

I favor the long bed, because they have a longer wheelbase. Not only do they hold more cargo, they ride better too.

My 61 is a fletside shortbed and I love the look of it. I lose a little bit of workability due to the shorter bed, but I think it looks great. I am going to keep the six in mine, but I am gonna drop the back about 2 inches, the front is already dropped. I think that they look really cool with a slight drop and nice rims. I am going for a slightly custom but still origional look. Kind of like it might have looked when it was a young truck. Anyway...short/fleet is my preference. But if I had to do a lot of work with the truck I would want a long/fleet.

I think they all look good. I can look at any model and something sticks out and catches my eye. I have a 66 swb stepside that I am currently restoring and just inherited my dads 66 lwb stepside. I am in the process of negotiating with a friend over a 65 lwb fleetside. Hey, I beleive I like em all from 60-66.

I agree with you CRIBB5170 I like them all.

In my dream world I have one of every kind!

I would have one of every kind in both nameplates! From '36-'79. I like the long bed stepside 55-66 trucks. On the fleetside trucks the short beds look very nice to me. I too, loved the fact that I could put a whole sheet of plywood in the back of my '59 and close the tailgate and did so on a few occasions back in "the old days". Now, I don't think that will happen too much. Also, I still like the look of the last bit of overhang from the rear fenders of the box on my long bed stepside truck. It makes it look even more antique then it really is. :p

I have a '70 lwb stepside and I like the look but I think the swb stepsides look the best.

Everyone has his/her personal preference when it comes to such matters and in that respect, everyone is right.

i like the stepside, but then again, i might be slightly biased....

T-Rav - you ordering a new one?

most folks like the shortbed fleetside.

I think they made more shortbed fleets than anything else... or maybe it was like that toward the end of the 60-66 run...

-W

Regarding the shortbeds, I think the factory did it right. The stepside looks good through '57 with the single headlights. Starting in '58 with the dual headlights I think the cab/front end looks too big for the stepside. The Fleetside looks better on these. For the long bed trucks, definitely the Fleetside.

I like 'em all myself. But for some reason, it seems that when I get another old truck, it's always a long bed.