Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Here's the story...

About a year and a half ago, I started a restoration project for my dad's 1961 Chevy C/10 Apache.

Somewhere along the way, I heard about this stainless paint divider trim. Information was scarce.

I did see one come up on ebay for about $1000 with the side sails, but I didn't want the side sails just the wrap around trim.

Anyway, I dug up a forum from about 8 or 9 years ago, and there was a gentleman in Colorado who had a couple of different sets in stock...one was NOS! I emailed him on a lark and he happened to have a NOS set. Lucky me.

Anyway, We struck up a deal and now I am the proud owner of what appears to be a very rare part. I didn't realize these were that hard to find.

I thought I would post some pictures of this trim both from when I bought the pieces, and as soon as I get the truck back from paint and get them installed.

Can anyone tell me the history of these pieces as they originally came from the factory? It looks like they may have been for just the 1960 GMC? Does anyone know more about this? Was it a factory option or just an accessory you could buy from the dealer?

Thanks for the help gentleman...
Tom

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Wow, Never saw one of those. Sorry I'm no help.

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

My guess it would be GMC. Nice score!

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

I know on the Chevy Deluxe Cabs, with the chrome/stainless sail panels, the bottom of that sail panel wraps around the cab and ends.
On the '60-'61 Deluxe Cabs, there is a rare piece that goes between those, under the back window.
Basically, it serves the same function as that piece you have, but works with the Custom Cab side panel trim.

Very cool pieces you have!

-Brad

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Great score!!
sorry
i dont have any info

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

What you have is 1960-1961 GMC only. Chevy used a thin stainless molding on the back of the cab that was straight , the wrap around was the sail panel. Heres a Custom GMC.
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...rucks/_57c.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...rucks/_57b.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...trucks/_57.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...Picture014.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...Picture010.jpg

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

I was thinking it might be a GMC piece....now I know thanks to 60-66! LOL! Great find! Those are fairly rare!

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=571094&page=7
post 157 shows the chevy version

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Well TJ, I do my best to answer posts with usefull information .

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

60-66...

Very cool photos you got there...to further what you said, I did some research today and it appears that GMC offered these for only 1960 (and maybe early 61)...after that they disappeared as someone said the guys that bought them, we're banging them up when loading their trucks so GM discontinued making them...thanks for the info and the pics. Nice job and really cool photos...

For second, I thought they were only an option on the BBW, but it looks like they were available for the small window as well.

Great info...

Tom

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

That's interesting because these are both 1961s, heres the gray and white one http://www.ebay.com/itm/201027565469...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

The other is my 1961 3/4 ton,.

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Your 61 is a well kept beauty!!!

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Thank you Tom, That picture was taken the day it arrived years ago. Im changing the wheels back to original and getting it cleaned up. So what are your plans , are you going to put these on your Chevy truck ?

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Correct me if I'm mistaken, The Chevy long trim piece is one long piece & GMC is a two piece. I'm talking about the one that go's across the back of the cab.

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

I am going to put it back on the cab. There were some "challenges on this though...as you can see from the pic.

First, the radius in the corners on the GMC's may be different than the Chevy's. The pieces fit, but had gaps of about 3/8" around the corners. They just didn't fit all that great, especially on the drivers side.

In addition, the back of my cab had a bit of a sway inward and I didn't want stainless trim on a wavey panel.

So, I blocked off the cab, floated it with a straight edge and fabbed the corners just a bit to get a perfect fit.

The truck left yesterday for final spray and paint.

Oh...and regarding clips for these things, that's a whole other story.

When alls done...I like the trim as an accent piece and quiet frankly it's got a cool history to share with others thanks to you guys helping out.

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

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Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

For what it’s worth there is a GMC trim piece on Ebay right now for $375 (not mine):

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/910/6eaaaf.jpg

http://www.ebay.com/itm/351120957594...84.m1423.l2661

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

yes you are correct the chevy is one piece that connects to the sail panels,the sail panels them selves are also different from the regular 60-63 sail panels.

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Looks like the two verticle companion door pieces that complete the GMC cab trim for sale on ebay. $175

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1960-61-GMC-...item51c070b273

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

pm sent

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

:clap::clap::clap:

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Heres some pics of the 60-61 chevy trim when I was restoring it for my 63. That's got all the dimensions with it.

Taken form the build thread and copied:
Heres the pic of the custom cab back trim. I have taken numbers and measurements in case anyone else comes across one (how to identify it) or decided to make one. They are hard to find, and no one reproduces them. Anyway, they haven't been installed yet, so i figured id document them. The center piece is just shy of 63 1/4" long and 3/4" wide with a rolled back edge and a slight curve to the face. The clips place as follows...from left to right 1 1/2", 11 1/2", 21 1/2", 31 1/2", 41 1/2", 51 1/2", 61 1/2". The sail panels mount and look like the standard custom cab trim pieces but have a differnt rear cab mount. It is 3/4" long to accomodate the center piece covering the end. The center piece has the ends trimmed to cover the end piece of the sail panel. I have completed the work on the sail panels, i just did the paint a week or two ago. Went w/blue to match the body color when its painted. The center piece I still need to polish. All metal work was done by hand, then 220grit followed by 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200 and then onto my 7" polish wheel for some brown rouge followed by some grey. So far up to about 15 hours, but im pleased so far and although I bought the sail panels seperate from the center piece (which had been folded in half at some point in its life) im into the project about $200 for parts & shipping. The center piece has taken the longest due to the damage, but luckily I was able to salvage it. Lots of little taps. Stainless steel works slow when doing this kinda trim. The windshield trim gave me alot of practice (pics to follow). I also have 63 GMC side window trim to do next.

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

1st pic shows the difference in the back of cab trim and standard sail panels.

2nd pic is the completed custom sail panels for the back of cab trim.

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Lakeroadster did a pretty nice job with the smaller aluminum side moulding;

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

And here is that trim in all its glory;
http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/...ortbedrear.jpg
.
and here is an article about the truck;
. http://www.customclassictrucks.com/f...ckup_shortbed/

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Here's an update on my truck with the trim...I kinda like the concept now that I've seen it in its more completed state. It gives the truck just a bit of "pop" without going overboard!

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

That's GMC trim.

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Beautiful paint. And that is definitely GMC trim from what little I know. I have a 61 deluxe with it.

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Thank you Ford...

I found out in starting this thread it was a GMC part...it was a bit of a challenge to mount and form to the cab but in the end I hope it was worth it...

Best,
Tom

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

chevy cab is basically the same as a gmc so why would one have to form it to the cab?
ron

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Can you help me with the issue you had with the clips and mounting? You mentioned earlier that that was a whole story in itself. I have purchased some from LMC that are not going to work, totally the wrong size. Do they even offer the right ones? They do not list it in any of their catalogs or online.

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Ford,
Give me a couple of days. I'll take some photos and show you why these were a complete pain to install...but...it can definately be done!

And Ron, the radius of the curve in the stainless didn't fit the radius of my cab. If you go back and read my earlier comments, there was a pretty size able gap between the cab and the trim. To get it to fit, took some time and patience with Rage Gold filler mixed with Duraglass.

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Here is my follow up to the challenges I faced on putting this trim onto a truck that didn't have this trim before. As I mentioned, the shape of the cab did not match the shape of the trim. Therefore, I had to form out the corners and flatten the back of the cab to get the trim to lay flat.

Photo 1 - Finished Cab with trim installed

Photo 2 - Cab Corner Passenger Side. Before starting, I had about a 3/8" gap around both the driver and passenger side corners

Photo 3 - Cab Corner Driver Side

Photo 4 - Metal Clip I used to hold the trim down. I tried the plastic push in types but they would not lay the trim as flat as these.

Photo 5 - As you can see, this clip requires a nut to hold it to the sheet metal. In my next post, I'll show you what I had to do inside the cab to get this to fasten...

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

(Continued)

Photo 6 - Here is the inside of the cab. I drilled about an 1/8 hole for the clips from the outside of the cab after laying out the lines where I wanted the trim to go, and then while drilling this same 1/8 hole from the outside, I drilled through the second layer of metal to create a pilot hole with which to attach the nuts that hold on the clips.

From the inside, I drilled a hole just big enough to get a nut-driver wrench through the opening. I'll cover these holes up with trim panels once I get the outside of the truck done and get started on the inside.

To save from drilling extra holes inside the cab, I was able to attach the clips in the corners of the cab, reaching behind the sheet metal and threading on the nuts without drilling more holes. But across the back of the cab, I needed to space the clips out and couldn't reach the studs to thread on the nuts.

One thing to notice, is the two holes in the middle that are closer together, each one has a clip that holds that piece of stainless firmly to the back of the cab right at the edge of the trim.

I did it this way as I plan to build a fully custom stereo system in this truck, and the subwoofers would have rattled the trim. With the steel clips and all the attachments, the trim won't rattle now.

Photo 7 - Just another photo of the trim.

Photo 8 - Shows the two pieces where they overlap in the back of the cab.

Photo 9 - This is just a before picture as I was trying to fit the trim to a cab that quite frankly, was not very straight! I don't think GM cared much about these things back in 1961!!


Tom

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

I see why you call this truck the money pit. With the attention to detail you are using you are doing a beautiful job. This trim was originally installed with spring steel clips that snap in. I am having trouble finding the right ones. LMC truck does not even list them in any catalog and the Car and Truck Shop say they are our of manufacture from the makers.

I am thinking of buying the smaller side trim for a 66 Chevy and see if that will fit, it is the same style. LMC told me it will take 2 to 3 days for them to measure it. Customer service is not a concern when they know you have limited options.

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Thank you Ford. I don't want to discourage anyone from trying this, but it does have its challenges. I looked for those factory clips everywhere and I could not find the right ones to lay the trim flat anywhere. The lmc ones didn't fit...

I should get the bed back from paint in about a month, I hope this trim offers a subtle accent. 99.9% of people will never notice it...sigh!!!

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

it looks like a pretty good fit.
have you checked out these fellows cataloque?
https://www.auveco.com/
ron

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Thank you for that info Padre...I had never heard of the place you mentioned! Wish I had....
Tom

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

I know I am bringing up an old thread,but considering there is not much info out there on this trim, figured I would post. I have this trim on a 1961 GMC 1/2 ton long stepside. I can post pics of the clips here for reference if needed...they are push in style from factory, so you don't need to drill holes inside the cab. Will try to get good pics of clips and hopefully someone can find a match.

Re: Rare 60-61 GM Stainless Paint Divider Trim History Wanted
 

Here are the pics of the trim clips from factory...they had a little rubber gasket to seal the hole as well.