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Hi everyone, new to the forum but have wanted an old gmc for a long time. Just picked up a 1964 gmc 2500 with a dump bed on it. It runs and drives, needs some electrical work and could stand a new clutch, but overall pretty good for an all original work Truck from 1964. The best part is I got the truck for free. Looking forward to tearing into the truck and I'm sure I'll have more than a few questions.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...07e48923d5.jpg

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Welcome!! Looks like you got a solid truck. Can't beat the price either! You have come to the right place for GMC information.

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:welcome:

Great lookin truck! Looks like you're walkin around it sayin, "Hmm, I don't know if it's worth $Free. Them tires are gonna need some work. Would you pay me $50 to haul it off?"
:lolsmack2:

Can't wait to see where it goes. What are your plans?

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We're going to start by fixing all the little stuff and make it road worthy again, needs lights and a few other things. we'll check the health of the 305 and decide if I should start cleaning it up while we're at it. I want to make it usable for summer so I can haul landscape rock and manure, so that's the first step. ultimately the plan is to make a working resto rod, hopefully with a 401 in it and clean up the body and hit it with some flat black.
It really made my day when my wife told me it was a pretty cool truck when we were trailering it home today.

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oh and Pepsi, that's actually my father in law in the pic, he's actually the one that got the truck for me from one of his neighbors. I had been eyeballing this truck for the last 5 years going to visit them and just happened to mention to him one day I was interested and the truck and vuala it's mine.

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Welcome aboard! Looking forward to the build. Hope you end up with a 401.

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Get him in out of the cold LOL. Seriously, I miss the snow.

It looks like you got a ****** deal. Can't beat free!

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Welcome to the site.

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Real nice truck.

Great price to boot.

It's even nicer than the '64 C-30 I bought way back in '76. I reconditioned that truck and drove it for 9 years. Hauled everything in it. To date is was one of the best trucks I ever owned.

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Newbie myself. Welcome!

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Hello , Im an new member too :-)
Greetings ,
Heres an pic of my 66 GMC I've had for 37 years .
Happy new yr

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Hello Dazzoman: what color is the paint on your truck, and are the backup lights original. Love the back bumper!

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The color is called "GM Blue " and it is essentially an GM engine color of blue they came out with more recently .
I have not seen my own pictures as of yet and I don't know if I can have a pic of it everytime i post something or not , I mean like a tag next to my name like some of these guys get to have goin on when they post .
Dazz

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Thanks !
Yes backups are original and the color is called "GM Blue "
Your truck is nice .
Is that an v6 ?

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Yes, it is the 305 V6. May upgrade to one of the bigger V6 engines if I can find one at a reasonable price. Looking for a better hood for mine, and I think the original color of my truck was the GMC "Terrace Blue." It was two toned with the blue and white. Not sure if I should restore it to the original glory, or keep the "patina" and just fix the cancer. I would like to find a better rear bumper and replace the original damaged chrome on the front. I definitely need to add backup lights on this thing. Just got trapped in a fast food drive-through today. I stopped to look at the menu, and decided against it. Tried to back up and some idiot pulled up behind me as I was backing. Had to get OUT of the truck, tap his window (He did not want to roll it down) and yell through the glass, "I have NO back up lights! I am TRYING to back up! If YOU back up and let me out, you can get in line!" The idiot backed up about 4 feet and would go no farther. I ended up driving through the grass next to the drive through to get out. I HATE this time of year. The whole "Christmas Rush" and "AFTER Christmas Sales" seems to either bring out the stupid in drivers or it brings out stupid drivers, I am not sure which. All I know is that they don't seem to know where they are going, and have ALL DAY to get there.

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Don't feel bad, all we Have is stupid drivers where I live. haha

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Oh yes holiday traffic is horrible !
Hot tip for you - contact Tom at Tom myers truck wreckers in Miami Oklahoma and he will send you an original 60s bumper . I got mine from him ( not shown in my pic because I still had the OEM white bumper that I sold this week for $75 on the truck ) but now I have an OEM chrome bumper I got from him for 150$ he shipped it to me . So i pulled out the 305E V6 this truck had in it originally because it wouldn't miss an gas station , the 305E is an bigger one that most so you might not wanna do that unless gas isnt an issue .
Funny , in 60-62 , GM painted plaid shirt pattern on the valve covers of the light trucks and nick named it "The Scotsman" engine until they found out the Scots , known for their frugility would not ever endorse such an engine so they pulled that idea away ha ha ha !
In 1987 I put an 292 straight 6 in it and have drove it like that since and yes an big increase in mileage was the first notable thing (w/ that original Muncie 4 spd I left in there ) .
Well that muncie finally died this yr and I researched and found I could probably put in an NP440 4 speed ( with overdrive on 4th ) and the gas mileage was increased like crazy .
I have decided to put in an 350 v8 this month and its going to be perfect for that NP440 MY6 tranny .
All that to say you should get away from the v6 because of the gas .
**** , Chevy put 283s in your truck with the same Muncie tranny with no problems .
Today you could put an modern 350 in there w/ all the trimmings :-)

Re: New Member
 

Oh, I could put in a small block 400, but I like the oddball stuff. The whole reason I got this truck was that my buddy who had it before me kept saying he was going to turn it into a 4 wheel drive with a 350 and I begged him not to. He lusted for my El Camino, and one day decided to trade. He is much happier with the Camino. He can smoke the back tires on it all day. I had de-tuned the car because it was so squirrelly with the 4-11s and the race built 350. Installed a 95 truck motor and an open diff instead of the limited slip with 4-11s in the Camino just so I could drive it to work without wrecking the car. I have no idea what the gear ratio on the open diff was, but it came from a V6 Cutlass, so it was highway gears. My buddy put the 4-11s back in and even with the truck motor, the car burns rubber in all 3 gears (TH350 trans). I just like the arguments I get into with people when they ask what engine I have in the truck. "So, what you got in it?" "You would not believe me if I told you." Raised eybrow, "So, what DO you have in it?" "305 V6." "You sure that it is not a v8?" "Nope, it is a V6." "Never made such a thing." Then, I open the hood and point. At that point I get, "That ain't no V6, that's a BIG block!" "Count the wires." I watch their mouths as they count, "One, two, three, four, five, six...." A puzzled look, a shake of the head and they usually walk away. Those that stay get an education on the old GMC medium duty truck motors. What I would really like to do is to get one of the 478 engines and drop it in just to mess with people. I love to point out that GMC made bigger V6s than Chevy made V8s at the time.

Now, don't take that wrong. I am a Chevy man. I currently own TWO '72 Chevy pickups and I LOVE them, but both are ODD. My two wheel drive has a 350 with a TH 375 transmission. My four wheel drive has all the options except AC. It has the full gauge cluster, Auto trans (TH 350), Power steering and brakes. Not to mention 3/4 ton four wheel drive. I have a small block 400 that I plan on building for one of the trucks (not sure yet which one but I am leaning toward the 2 wheel drive). I tend to mix and match. I drive what could be described as "rat rods" in the truest sense of the words.
Each of my vehicles is put together from what others have cast off.

Thanks for the lead on the bumper. Welcome to the group.

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Haa you got me there man ! Good one .
Yah that Toms yard is a find for sure . In Nov he just "downsized" and sold 180 pre 72 GM trucks for cheap !! He has a mess load of parts . Better call him before he sells the place . Doesnt have an son or some body to keep it going . I think hes been there 50 yrs .
Ya your better off with that Municie 465 with that big dumper come to think about it . Those 305s were darn good engines , industrial !

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Interesting idea. But not correct.
In 1963 only, GMC put an overlay (kind of a "decal" if you will) on some valve covers. Never heard anything about Scots having anything to say about "endorsing" it.

I don't think GMC put 283s in any of their trucks.
And I would guess it would make a difference as to what you want to do with the truck as to what engine to put in there. If you want it to pull or haul (ie. work) then the 305/351 are good choices. A lot of low end torque. If you are using it like a car, then maybe the 350. But why? Put a Chev. drivetrain in it and it isn't really a GMC anymore.
Unless you have a Canadian truck. GMCs built in Canada were, essentially, Chevrolets with GMC badging.

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Good point ! I used mine with an camper on it for years so I didn't need the torque even tho I put in a 292 that has an long stroke ....
For your truck it is essential that you (lucky dog) get to justify an 305 . But I keep forgetting that GMC was the ones that "put the bolts on " whereas Chevy just made em. GMC was the industrial division until they were bought out by Chevy or something in 1967 they became one deal .I should be more into the real GMC concept but oh well .
I would get the 305-E which is a tad bigger .
Toms will probably have a core since they have the big 60 series stuff there or an old Cocacola truck or something with that motor in it :0)
Oh and yes I have seen the Scotts valve covers just once back in the 70s and it was very rare .... I am in my 50s now so young man you'll have to believe us old folk when we say we saw it ha ha ha !

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In what way do you think the 305-E is "bigger"?

305A-305E are all the same displacement and use relatively the same parts.

The 351 is bigger, and oddly enough was stock in many 1966 GMC 1000 series trucks (1/2 tons). While the 305 was still put in bigger trucks, I had a '68 GMC 5500 with a 305E in it for a while.

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Right again . Its been a while since I touched a 305 .

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And GMC was never bought out by Chevy:pullinghairout:, that's impossible when both are General Motors products to begin with. This was all about cutting production costs and interchangeability between both divisions.:lolsmack

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Oredigger, I have a 478magnum with a allison auto with everything need to install it-- has 8696 miles-- also have a 5peed main and 4speed brownlite with od a 305e also-- like to sell any of it

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BlueStreak: How much for the 478? I might be interested if I can come up with the money.

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GMC actually Bought Chevy back in 1917 give or take a couple years. I don't remember the exact. GMC was known as General Motors Truck and Chevrolet was an entirely different corporation for a short time. Then GM bought Chevy and all the others through the years and became GMC.

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You couldn't be further from the truth. The 305 v6 gets decent mileage when the proper tuning is done. And putting a taller rear gear in helps a ton as well. These engines like operating at 2000 rpm. People have gotten 16 MPG with these with some tuning and a taller gear.
The 305E is no bigger than the 305A-D. Only difference is that in 1966 they had 10 more horse power. Cam profile changed I think.

Pushing the idea of throwing v6's away isn't the idea of this forum.....as you may have noticed this forum was built ABOUT v6's. So, if you are going to try and tell people to scrap perfectly good engines then I suggest subscribing to a Chevy forum. Just my two cents.

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"The 305E is no bigger than the 305A-D. Only difference is that in 1968 they had 10 more horse power. Cam profile changed I think."

Not an expert, so I could be wrong on this, but my research seems to show that the difference between the A-D engines and the E series was better flowing heads and intake manifold, bigger two barrel carb, and bigger valves. There may have also been a change in the exhaust castings making them flow better too. Not sure about the cam... Maybe a change there too.

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Yep you are correct, my meaning was that the engine is not any Bigger.

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:what:

Not quite so:ahhhh: General motors had already existed before GMC Truck was born. General Motors bought up several truck companies like Rapid, Reliance and Grabowsky which dated to 1902. In 1912 GMC took these truck companies and renamed it GMC Truck:thumbsup: General Motors formed the Chevrolet division there was no involvement with GMC Truck back then.:lolsmack2:

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Guess my books were that detailed. lol GM had been around, but my point was along with yours....Chevy never Bought GM...it was the other way around.

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The biggest difference is the 305A & B engines were 1 bbl carbureted while the 305C,D & E were the same basic Bendix/Stromberg ww 2bbl. Heads were all the same on these engines, yes valves did get bigger in later years with the 305E and C engines. Horsepower went up with cam profile changes in 1966 with both 305E & C engines, they gained a total of 15 net horsepower, the only changes to these engines 1968 was a new breather cap mounted on the valve cover with a hose that ran to the air cleaner which eliminated the breather assembly and tube from the back of the engine.

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Pete, what exactly were the cam changes? More lift? If so, you know what they were and what they went to? I was guessing around .380

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I've never seen the specs on the cams but I'm sure there was a slight difference in more lift and duration on the newer cams