The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks Stepside Styling...

I love the stepside style! Does anyone know the inside story of why GM put the '55-'59 stepside bed on the '60-'66 styling series known as the "Aircraft-Inspired" models? The beds look great in my opinion, but they surely don't match the truck. The fender bead on the front of the truck does not match the stepside at all. If GM were to do this today, they would be the laughing stock of the automobile world...I know it probably involved money...Does anyone really know the scoop? Thanks for your thoughts. Jim

I see many similarities in style between the TF series trucks and the 60-66 trucks. Especially 60-63 which retained the curved windshield and the dog leg. It isn't easy to match body lines with bubble fenders. They tend to sit lower and line up with the flat portion of the front fenders and door. Look at other makes and the step side fenders are pretty plain looking. GM did a great job on the fender styling between 55.2 & 66 and I think they look good on all those years.What doesn't look good to me is 67 and newer step beds on these trucks. That's my two pennies.

I've driven these trucks for decades and never noticed. I always thought that they look real good on there.

Miner, I agree. I never liked the '67 or any newer bed on the older trucks.

Bill

I agree with Chetman and kudos to him for bringing it up in this post. I did the same thing here: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=415655

The step side fender wheel well opening lip looks nothing like the front wheel well lip. Miserable, not even close.

Now, that being said, the step side beds are truly a great design.

I just don't understand why they didn't design the "new" 1960 fender wheel well lip to match the "old" 55-59 stepside design.

I have no inside GM information, but I’m sure it all had to do with production cost, and the perception that customers wouldn’t care what the step side fenders looked like. GM had done a great job designing the 55 rear fenders and if there was a perception new fenders would increase sales, there probably would have been a fresh design to compliment the 1960 cab.

But back in 1960 very few people bought these trucks for personal enjoyment. Since the overall truck styling was a complete departure from the previous series, it appears the entire styling budget was focused on the fleetside model. I read an article recently that claimed the 1955 rear fenders were originally intended to continue in production for the new 1967 series. A disapproving designer, without executive approval, created the new design we’re all familiar with now. Management saw the concept and ordered it into production. If this hadn’t happened, they may have continued using the old design throughout the 70’s. And this thinking is not without precedent. Consider that Ford stuck with the same stepside fender for 26 years and several cab designs from 1953-1979.

Personally I thought the 1960 step sides looked stupid when I first saw them. I was only 12 at the time, but was a car nut all my life and style was important. At the time I actually thought the factory must have run out of the new parts and just put old fenders on until the new version became available. Over the years I’ve grown to like the way they look, but still think they would have looked better had they at least widened the fenders and steps a couple of inches to line up with the sides of the cab, like they finally did on the 1973 models.

After studying on it some, and probably just sub-consciously noticing it before, I see that the indented body line of the door, does like up pretty good (if not exact) with the body line on the rear fender. I also never really compared front fender wells to rear wells but I don't mind that for some reason (and believe me, I'm real fussy with things. I have been called fanatical more than once, lol).

Bill

That’s why I always liked the 1973 beds on the 60-66 trucks. First off they were as wide as the cab, and second the angled flat on the “corner” of the fender was almost the same width and height at the indentation in the side of the door. Here’s a rather poor markup of what I mean:

[IMG]http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/7175/showtruck02.jpg[/IMG]

This is a very interesting discussion you guys have. Not ever owning that style, I would not have noticed the differences.Always learn on Stovebolt.