69 chevy K10 trans cover hi-lo "cut out"

[CKfan]

Stripping down my K10 for mechanical restore and noticed the poorly cut shifter hole for the Hi-Lo. Saw the metal stamped "DEMCO" right next to the hole. Never noticed that name on any stamped metal before. Don't even know DEMCO means.

The truck was a one owner for 52 years until I bought it. From the looks of old original floor covering, original paint and the massive amount of dried grease and mud caked under the cover, I doubt it had ever been removed (or serviced) so I am guessing the trans cover is original.

Anyone every seen the DEMCO mark or the poorly cut shifter hole before?

Just curious

[pjmoreland]

I've got two high-hump trans covers. The blue one is from a '67 2WD, and it doesn't appear to have the Demco logo. The green one without any holes does have the logo. Not sure what year truck it came out of.

[special-K]

I've never noticed that DEMCO stamp. As far as the owner-made transfer case shifter hole goes, I think this is a 2wd 4spd transmission hump that was cut to fit the Rockwell transfer case shifter. Definitely not factory done. You truck is a factory 4wd? VIN starts with a K not a C?

[LNP]

Maybe the cab was swapped because of rust and they forgot to save the floor hump.

[CKfan]

Originally Posted by pjmoreland

I've got two high-hump trans covers. The blue one is from a '67 2WD, and it doesn't appear to have the Demco logo. The green one without any holes does have the logo. Not sure what year truck it came out of.

Interesting! The green one with the DEMCO stamp has the screw holes for the Rockwell Hi-Lo shifter but "no" cut out. Hmmmm, great clue.

Mine, being an early production 1969 K10 was fitted with the Rockwell (that they were fazing out). Perhaps that is why the hole is crudely cut. They had already tooled and preped for the NP205 trans covers.

Just a thought.
Thanks for the pic, it helps

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

My factory 68 I6/4 speed 2wd high hump cover does not have that Democo stamp on it, it also has zero dimples anywhere to for other items, even a spot for cutting the hole for a V8 truck.

[72 tigger]

I would guess it was done at the factory in a “gitter done” moment

[special-K]

Originally Posted by CKfan

... Having heard stories from an assembly worker at the Fremont plant, the line didn't stop just because they ran out of a part. The vehicle kept going then over to a "fix it" area and they "made things happen." Don't know for sure, wasn't there. But I am sure odd things happened.

Truck is an earlier production 1969. First registered 10-28-68. Date stamp on 4 spd is July 68. Has a Rockwell transfer case which I haven't scraped enough grease off to get a date.

Hopefully we can find another example like this one.

Originally Posted by 72 tigger

I would guess it was done at the factory in a “gitter done” moment

I'm inclined now to believe this is it.

As far as early-68/Rockwells being phased out I'd say too early for that. The NP205 phased-in during '69 but only for the brand new Blazer model, as far as I know. The Rockwell still had a full year of production ahead.

I guess my theory on the 2wd 4spd cover wouldn't work anyway. The shifter hole would be farther forward on a 2wd. Funny how the transmission shifter is right for the 4wd yet no cut-out for any transfer case shifter of any kind. I wonder how the brand stamped pieces tie in to all this. If it was late in the year I could see supply shortage playing a part. But the '69 floor hump is a continued parts since '67

[CKfan]

Thank you for the input. The DEMCO stamp has me stumped. I have lots of old GM literature (pretty much all available on line now) and haven't been able to find this name in their products. I have an e-mail in to DEMCO products which was founded in Chicago in 1950 and did machine and design work at the time this truck was built. Hopefully an answer soon as I hate being stumped.

[67swb72klb]

My guess would be that they were a supplier of parts often the General would have multiple suppliers for the same part....

[CKfan]

DEMCO.... found out there are at least 3 different DEMCO's. Two of them already emailed me saying they never built that type item and the other is a library supply. Go figure.

[special-K]

GM used/uses various jobbers but rarely do they bear markings of that company. The idea is to portray all parts are made by GM. Something exceptional going on for sure. Not so long ago I had a heap of parts. I bet I had a dozen loose transmission humps. I sand blasted all but the cleanest few and none were stamped DEMCO. These came from a variety of model years from a variety of locations. I've been on this website where we've been breaking things down for many years. we always say there is always something more to learn. But the fact that only you have brought this question to the table, and mostly due to the home shop looking yet factory done transfer case shifter hole, says to me there weren't many. Must have been an exceptional circumstance that brought these about. Since the humps were the same part as used in the previous two years, it must have been a supply flow glitch/oversight. It's a good mystery!

[pjmoreland]

Here's another cover stamped DEMCO

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...highlight=Hump

[CKfan]

Thanks for the photo.

[CKfan]

Here's another one with the DEMCO stamp.

Now that I have been looking for them, not rare at all. Saw 3 in person the last month and bought this one yesterday day out of a 72 C10 custom deluxe big block truck. The other two I saw were in 1970 C10 V8 trucks. Maybe it's mainly a CA thing and Fremont used this vendor as they were all Z code trucks I looked at.

Happy building
(For some reason I am drawn to the orange and red colored trucks)