The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks '61 1/2 factory options

Hello all, I have returned with some questions. Now to start off, I have been working on my medium duty project truck for the past few months and I am sad to say that it is a '56 F-word 600. Given it isn't going to make a good older daily driver, I remembered how much I loved the Apache trucks. I made a final decision on the year and parts of the drivetrain I would like in it, but do not know all of the equipment the trucks were made with. So after I am done with this project I am going after a '61 long bed fleetside 4x4 with the 4 on the floor. But before I go looking for this vehicle, can anybody fill me in on the engines available in these trucks and if they were made with my little list of "must haves"? ~Being a manual 4x4 longbed fleetside I noticed there were a few Inline 6s available and one or two V8s at the time. The main reason I want to find one with all of this is because I do not want to butcher a perfectly fine truck just to suit my needs, it just isn't in my nature. Thank you for any input, I may know a few things about mid 50's fords, but Chevy is a new ball game to learn.

You might want to look at the following links. The 2nd link is a GMC site, but provides a lot of details that are common to Chevies.

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/buyers_guide_60_66.htm
http://www.6066gmcguy.org/GMCvsChevy.htm

Thank you for the links, That answered my engine questions!

I remember seeing a truck on here called a "longhorn" which if memory serves me right, had a longer bed. Were any other options like this available?

i remember a ford kingbed late 70s it was a standard cab put on an extended frame thus a longer bed had trouble over loading and bending the frame

The longhorn did not come out till the late 60's with the new body style. Not sure if it was a first year 67 or next year 68 option. I have seen lots of 69s with it. So that would not be something you are looking for.

I have a 1962 K 20 fleetside long bed up. So yes what you are looking for does excest. It may be a bit hard to find.

Depending on how you plan to use it I would go with a 63. It still has the cool curved windshild plus you get the better engine 292. Yes the 235 and 261 were great but for real daily driving I would go with the latter.

63 would not have the pod turn signals. And single headlights.

But yes what you are looking for was a factory truck. Best kind to get is an old fire brush truck.

Good luck