picked up a 63 gmc long bed

[63gmc]

Hey guys I'm new here first of all so take it easy on me haha. I just picked up a 63 gmc long bed 8lug truck on saturday for 400 bucks. From what I found from the numbers on the block it has a 230-250 inline 6 in it. Not sure exactly. Any tips on figuring that out so I can order an engine rebuild kit? Also do any of you guys have an idea how much it will cost to go through the engine and clean it up and rebuild it back to stock? It has a 4 speed manual in it as well. Which transmission is that? It seems to go through the gears easy just sitting there. Any tips on how to tell if the tranny is fine?
pics of it at the guys house that I got it from



plans for it are to get it running and bag it and flat black it and drive it everyday so i dont have to drive my new truck.

thanks

[Stepside65]

Trans is most likely a SM420 Muncie 4 speed. First gear is granny low. And if it has 8 lugs it is a 3/4 ton. Welcome to the board from SE New Mexico

[aerotruk63]

63 Chevy cab with a GMC front clip? Your dash has the double hump on it, does it not? Inline 6's in GMC were installed factory from Canada. Does your VIN start with 3C2534?

[63gmc]

vin is 1502CG11268. Only hump on the dash is 1 and its over the gauge cluster. Im new to this old truck scene so take it easy on me hahaha. How can I tell its a chevy cab? Will this mean the body parts wont line up?

[aerotruk63]

Thought I could see a hump over the glove box, sorry I'm getting by with reader's till the new glasses come in. Chevy cab had two humps. Your VIN indicates that it's a 3/4 ton GMC so all is well. The inline is a mystery though, should have a V6 should it not? Not to up to par with US built GMC's sorry. Get a picture from under the hood when you get a chance.

[63gmc]

numbers on the block are 3921968. The guy I bought it from got this motor out of a 62 and put it in but did have the original motor torn apart outside and it was an inline 6 as well. He said it was "rebuilt" when he got the motor 2 years ago and put it in but when I pulled the valve cover it told another story. Has sludge in the top which would mean he didn't have it rebuilt. Anyways no biggie, just trying to figure out if it would be worth having this motor rebuilt or find a 327 or 350. But then I would have to change the transmission im pretty sure. I would love to keep the 4 speed tranny though so rebuilding the engine would be first option unless it's going to cost an arm and a leg haha

[aerotruk63]

63 was the last year for a 235 which came only in the 4wd. The new 230 I6 in 1963 preceded the 250 I6 in the C series, there was also a 194 I6 in 63 in the passenger cars. Don't worry to much about being new, we learn something new here everyday.

[creep]

Good to see another old GMC rescued from neglect. I saw some headlight bezles on ebay a couple of days ago if you need some.

[63gmc]

how can I tell by looking at the motor if its a 194, 230, 235 or what?

[Stepside65]

I believe as long as the input shaft is the same you can bolt your trans up to a chevy 350. I have the same trans mounted to a 350 in my truck. Both came out of a 74 gmc
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[63gmc]

that would be great if rebuilding the motor was out of the question!

[63gmc]

here's a few more pics of the inside and motor to help with maybe figuring something out. Does the motor look god awful bad? Had an old 76 blazer before and the motor looked alot worse than that up top. Took it apart and did a cam swap and cleaned everything up really good and it ran fine. Think that may be the same here? lol






I plan on maybe getting out there later today and getting everything out of the inside that is still in there from hauling it home and getting the shop vac out and cleaning the interior up and getting all the nasty dust and dirt out of it lol. A friend of the family owns an upholstery shop so the seat getting redone is no big deal. I have some work cut out for me I know

[Stepside65]

At the risk of sounding like a complete idiot I have to ask. What is that lever to the right of the shifter? I've never seen one before.

[63gmc]

parking brake.....

[Stepside65]

hmm. that's different. My parking brake is mounted up under the steering column.

[jonzcustomshop]

Originally Posted by Stepside65

hmm. that's different. My parking brake is mounted up under the steering column.

you could get them both ways, lots of the 3/4 and up had the transmission brake.

on gmc if it came with an inline 6 in the us there would be an "I" before the vin #

[63gmc]

Originally Posted by jonzcustomshop

you could get them both ways, lots of the 3/4 and up had the transmission brake.

on gmc if it came with an inline 6 in the us there would be an "I" before the vin #

man I don't know. Im just going by what the guy told me. of course he also said the motor was rebuilt 2 years ago and he never drove it...... I knew that was a lie just by looking at it lol and come to find out it was. My main concern right now is to get this darn motor figured out and get it going so i can move it. Then Ill go to town on the body and suspension work.....

[63gmc]

im assuming thats what it is...... as soon as my dad came over to look at it he said that's what it was... lol

[creep]

Yeah, its a handbrake. Mine had one too. It tightens a band that goes around a drum mounted to the back of the tranny.

[twisted gear tim]

regarding your plans for that truck... due to the gears in the 3/4 ton rear end, that truck is gonna have a max speed of around 50 to 55 mph. it's fine around town with the 35mph speed limits, but i'd stay away from the highways til after you update that rear end...

[63gmc]

yeah. speed limits on the roads to work or at the most 55 since I go back roads so that's basically my only plans for driving it. that or just to take to the store or a buddys house

[63gmc]

will the Muncie 4 speed hold up to a 350? Will it bolt up or what is needed to bolt it up?

[awbrown]

I would try to fire that baby up !! I just cant condemn an engine with out hearing it run .. it has hei so just throw some juice at the red wire hanging off it and short the starter fill the carb bowl up with some fuel and have at it ....

[blackedoutharley]

Originally Posted by 63gmc

will the Muncie 4 speed hold up to a 350? Will it bolt up or what is needed to bolt it up?

The SM420 trans will hold up to a pretty healthy small block but the driveline (at least in a 1/2ton) is the weak link.

Once you get it running I highly recommend you drive it to get the trans up to tempature and promptly drain it then refill with fresh oil.

You can use either normal gear oil or I used Redline MTL which helped to improve the smoothness of shifting.

What I want to know is why the turn signal arm is on the right side of the column? Is that some sort of thing to help the Canadian drivers? LOL

I like the idea of the floor mounted handbrake... wonder how hard it is to convert over from the "normal" set up?

From the looks of those rocker arms I would say that if the previous owner wasn't into changing the engine oil very often he most certainly didn't mess with the trans or rearend oil.

[63sbssbbw]

QUOTE What I want to know is why the turn signal arm is on the right side of the column? Is that some sort of thing to help the Canadian drivers? LOL

Good eye Harley
With the floor mounted park brake,maybe the guy only had a right arm lol
I also noticed the later style instument panel.
And heater delete, but had to have a radio.
T