trim

  During the late-1950's GM car and truck manufacturers begin to install optional V-8 engines in their vehicles. To set the vehicles apart from their six cylinders, V-8 emblems were designed to attract outsiders. This GMC front fender V-8 emblem above was used during 1955 through 1957. The GMC letters were on both six and V-8 trucks. The pictured Hydramatic...

  During the mid 1960's, most still considered pickups work vehicles. The manufacturer designed them as haulers and few people owned them as their only family vehicle. However, a slight change was beginning with truck buyers as Americans began to have more disposable income. GM and other truck producers were aware that extras on work vehicles were finding more buyers...

  With increased prosperity in the USA during the 1960's the demand for more extras on cars and trucks was high. Manufacturers followed this trend with additional features, at least on their top of the line models. GMC followed this movement even though their product was mostly for work related duties. While sharing much sheet metal with Chevrolet, they certainly...

  Though at first, a new person in the GM truck hobby might think all 1960-66 Chevrolet cab trim (only on the deluxe models) is the same. In reality no less than three changes occurred during this seven year body style. During 1960 (maybe into early 1961) the optional stainless cab side trim on the Chevrolet truck was designed to...

  During the early 1960's GM's majority of truck buyers chose the base truck with few dealer installed options. It was ending an era of very limited disposable income among the average US citizen. General Motors saw the trend toward more extras on trucks and began to offer visual extras such as two tone paint, side trim, and upgraded interiors...

  The bed side trim moldings were used on the second year Fleetside Chevrolet deluxe pickups for just one year, 1959. General Motors waited one year after the Fleetside introduction to give their dealers time to sell all their 1958 Cameos (The end of this model) so there was not two deluxe designs available at one time. The bed moldings...

With the new Fleetside bed design in 1958 the Chevrolets placed a chrome emblem on the bed side with the word "Fleetside". However, GMC referred to this new bed as a "Wideside" to not copy Chevrolet. A Wideside emblem was never created, thus the GMC bedsides are without letters. NOTE: The horizontal long bedside trim is a 1959 option only...

  One of the rarest emblems of the mid-1950's is the 1956 Chevrolet Hydramatic front fender trim. A small percentage of '56 Chevrolet pickups were equipped with the Hydramatic, so many enthusiasts have never seen this item. At a glance it looks like the one used with the non-automatic and thus it is often over-looked. This is a very in...

Early GMC trucks changed their hood side emblems about as much as Chevrolet, however there is no similarity in appearance. The following shows the GMC changes over 14 years. 1935-36   Anodized silver aluminum with a semi-flat black background. (In 1936, GMC entered the light truck market and carried the emblem from larger trucks of earlier year) Right and left are the same...

The 1939-1940 Chevrolet and GMC grilles may look the same when they are seen separately, however they are not! By sharing fenders, hood top, headlight stands, etc. , the grilles overall dimensions had to be the same. To keep each marquee individual, GM made the grilles different. When the two are compared side by side, what a difference! 1939-1940 GMC...

  It was during the 1967-72 years that General Motors began offering more style to their pickup truck line. Though most still considered a truck as a work vehicle, a growing segment of pickup buyers were being strongly influenced by trim and accessories that even rivaled many automobiles. For the first time on GM fleetside pickups, decorative trim became available...

  In recent years, the 1969-1970 Chevrolet non-metal grille insert has been sold as one item. This is not the way they came! Each of the two years used a grille insert of a different design. The 1970 style is now the one you receive when you order either year. Thus, a pure 1969 insert is becoming very difficult to...

  During the first year of this new body design GMC's top of the line was referred to as the "Super Custom". An unusual piece of chrome die cast trim was added to this model in the lower center of the front fender this one year. (Not on Chevrolet) It is identifiable in the GMC Master Parts Book as: Group#...