Monday Time Killer: The Mother Load of Info on 1960-1966 Chevy and GMC Trucks

[cjforumadmin]

http://www.bangshift.com/blog/Monday-Time-Killer-The-Mother-Load-of-Info-on-1960-1966-Chevy-and-GMC-Trucks.html

[Loren]

Re: Monday Time Killer: The Mother Load of Info on 1960-1966 Chevy and GMC Trucks

Nice read, I really enjoyed the V-12 info.

My older brother had a series of those trucks in half-ton size when I was a kid, that was the first real vehicle I ever worked on when I helped change a blown piston in sixth grade.

Recently the neighbor had an original 4x4 '65 Suburban he got for free...it was repairable but needed some work. He turned around and sold it for $500 or so. It was pretty cool with a 283/Powerglide, D44 closed-knuckle front and orig. cast-iron 4" lift blocks on leaf springs out back...I kinda wanted it but I have too much stuff already. It seemed pretty cheap for a gennie, I had helped a bud buy a '65 4x4 conversion (done in the eighties) for $4200 but I'd have rather had the original one. The conversion in any event has carried a lot of beer, and a lot of .22-and-up ammunition...a fun truck although it drove like crap. He still has it and has put 3/4-ton axles in it now.

Most people from Los Angeles prior to '69 remember the yellow Helms Bakery trucks, that peddled fresh bread and donuts from wood-and-glass drawers out the back. They'd drive around neighborhoods like ice-cream vendors, and had a funky little horn they'd toot twice to call out the kids and parents. The Petersen museum has one from the thirties, and while they used Divcos and '58 Chevys the ones I remember were the '62 Chevy Panels which they bought like 500 of and ran until the business shut down. All those trucks would come in to the bakery at night and be stocked with fresh goods in the early morning hours, that must have been a sight to see. Our grade-school class even took a field trip there as many did. Once-in-awhile an old Helms truck will still show up in the classifieds.

Rear view of a Helms bakery Panel...those drawers were about 4' deep (it seemed) and held lots of good stuff.

Pic from http://thenostalgialeague.yuku.com/t...ery-truck.html

[oldrustycars]

Re: Monday Time Killer: The Mother Load of Info on 1960-1966 Chevy and GMC Trucks

Look at the compression ratio of the V6...7.5:1! Look where the spark plugs are...between the valve covers and the intake. You had to use a blow gun and clean all around the plugs before removing them. Even then, you might as well have used a funnel to drop crud into the cylinders trying to change the plugs on those.

[Schtauffer]

Re: Monday Time Killer: The Mother Load of Info on 1960-1966 Chevy and GMC Trucks

In 1995 I was 14 and working on my mom's cousin's farm. One of the farm trucks was a '65 fleetside with the 305 v6 that ran like a champ and a three-speed on the column. I had an agreement to buy it, and even had given some money down, but made the mistake of telling my dad. I figgered he would think its cool. He didn't. My mom put a stop to it.

Still wish that hadn't gotten away.