68 Small Window??

[Possmguts]

Originally Posted by special-K

TTT, because curious minds await

Heading up there now... Dude still isnt back in town but Ill get a look at the vin and the dash and snap a few pics anyway. Stay tuned......

[gottrucks]

Just my .02, but at the end of the day, a truck is whatever model that GM said it was when they manufactured it, regardless of what features that it may or may not have. I don't haven any info on the rear window specifically, but I do know from rebuilding wrecks that GM, especially in the '80s constantly changed parts and features within a model year and just used the old stuff until it ran out, then switched to the new. Now, we all know how much our toys have been tampered with since they left the factory, too. I only have experience with the registrations in OK, but I can tell you that my '66 Mustang title says that it is a '65 because when it was given to the po, he thought it was a '65, and got the tag agent to file an amendment when he registered it. Now the title says '65, even though the Vin designates it as a '66. So, to me, assuming that the Vin hasn't been tampered with, that would dictate what year the vehicle is, regardless of features or title. I do love these mysteries, and believe that there are a great many vehicles out there that were built in configurations not officially offered.

[Possmguts]

Well the vin tag was missing and the ignition switch hole looks to be the same as my 67 so... I guess that was a fluke from the get go. Oh well

[special-K]

Yeah, I believe it's just a '67 and if the title says '68 that's just incorrect paperwork from the DMV.

I have a thread on an early '68 that has the '67-only features and it has a large window. Different plants did some different things, but I would have to see a bonafide '68 small window before I'll believe they existed. Threads like this are interesting no matter how they turn out

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=640586

[Bladeboy1998]

I also have a question: my neighbor has a short steper that doesn't have the front side markers(like a 67) but it has a big non sliding back window(68) . Is this a Franken truck or is this possibly original.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Andy and I found one in a Junkyard in SC. It appeared to us to be a bonafide 1967 left over cab with a 1968 dash, VIN, fenders, etc. We tried to read the glovebox SPID but it was so sun-bleached it wasn't readable.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=329829

Andy (Andy4639) and I went to a yard a couple years ago and found a 68 Chevrolet Wrecker truck with a small window cab.

Ignore the blue exterior and red interior, the pics are of the same truck, the outside was repainted.

You can see the interior is red in this pic:


You can see the blue paint haze on the edge of the cab. The rivets appear original and untouched. Also, the government mandated new safety standards in 1968 so you wouldn't see that safety standards plaque on a 1967 cab.



You can see the "blue" on the hood and the side of the cab.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Here's the biggie... take a look at the dash. Particularly the ignition switch bezel and cigarette lighter. A true 1967 only cab would have a small ignition bezel and small cigarette lighter surround... it looks to me like this was a left over cab that got the "new" 68 dash welded in.



For those that have no clue what I'm talking about, compare the parts to the ones on my 67. 67's have a "unique" dash with smaller ignition and lighter holes.

[Possmguts]

Heres the dash from the truck in question.

[67ChevyRedneck]

That's a "1967" dash.

[1968_long_bed]

they did sell some small windows in 68 to use up the rest of the shells they had from the they were early in the year but mostly big windows. because the DOT had made the change that year (and also started up that year) that all trucks had to have the big windows for visibility reasons. talked to one of my older friends that used to work at the gm plant back in the day.

[67ChevyRedneck]

That's been posted before, but I can't find any proof of it.

Attached is every federal safety standard since they started in 1968. The only one I can find that pertains to windows and glass is what they can be made of.

http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/FMVSS/#SN101

The small windows were still used on the larger (C-40+ trucks after 1967).

It's been discussed on here before and it's believed it was a cost cutting measure. Why have two cabs when you only need one. The original designer of the truck did an article years ago where he stated he had to "fight" to get GM to do the small window.

[special-K]

Thanks Jesse, that's the one I was thinking of that I mentioned earlier in this thread. It's a rumor about the Fed mandating large windows and about cabs being used up. If they did do that it was only a handful because this one shown is the only one I've seen and I've been looking since they were new. All windows were small at first. Then, with the Advance Design trucks came a rear window option which continued through '67. It could have been a cost cutting measure that came about based on the panoramic glass being more desired, and/or GM was in high competition (and won) for top sales, so made all their trucks be more upscale with all having the big glass. GM was the only one doing the window option. Ford had been only offering one window for a while and dodge for even longer.

[67ChevyRedneck]

The one I posted is the only one I've ever seen. I've seen other trucks that were 67's but "titled" as a 68, but the VIN and everything else on the trucks indicated 1967, which to me means it didn't get sold until jan/feb 1968 and the dealer and/or DMV mistakenly titled it as a 1968. Seen it on a few mustangs too, 1965's where all the numbers matched and VIN indicated 65, but was titled as a 66.

The OP still hasn't posted the VIN, but that's what I think may have happened here (especially with the dash pic). It's an actual 1967 that was originally titled wrong. Would be neat if it really is another 68 with a 67 cab...

[special-K]

Another piece of proof that large rear windows weren't mandated. 2nd gen Vans came out in '71 and throughout the decade were available with no back windows at all. A truck can have it's back window totally blacked out solid and a car can't. Figure it's no different than hauling a refrigerator or mounting a bed like a U-Haul has.

[67sss]

To add to the 1967 saga. I have a 1967 Chev shortbed fleetside that has the dimple in the frame for p/s. My 3/4t 1967 chevy longbed fleetside doesn't have the dimple, however it does have ram assist power steering. Both of them are 2wd. Just adding my 2 cents worth.
This is a awesome thread!

[RedRoad]

In CA drivers and passenger side mirrors are required if the rear window is obscured or a "privacy" option is used.

[special-K]

^^^ Makes sense. Something I would do without being told, even with a big clear back window. I was going to say the right side mirror was required, but didn't know the law for a fact. I will venture to say that the rh mirror may have been what was mandated in '68, even with back windows, because wasn't '67 the last year for rh mirror as an option?
Trucks need good mirrors. The previous owner of the tow truck I had was obviously not a true truck guy. He took the West Coast mirrors off because they were ugly and put el cheapo Kmart mirrors (look like Fords) that you see stuck on our trucks. After all, when do you ever need to see that well backing a tow truck up? Well, guess what? Before long the truck had a driver's door that got kinked forward and creased from the idiot holding it open to hang half his body out to see and snagged it on something! Too much to have to watch for...duh? The worst part is this guy had bought my old '70 C/30 that I had the west coasts that I had chromed. They would have mounted right to the same holes and made that truck look damn sharp! He did put the chrome Budds on. He parted that '70 CST/30 Custom Camper 402 because the cab was rusty. It had no prior rust repair and the outer rockers had just gotten their first holes

[rollinpjm]

Thanks Bowtie, I just joined last week and I appreciate the mention. Just hope I have what you guys and girls need to finish a project and get rollin down the road.

[71gmcC15]

I found a what appears to be a 68 small window.

[toms68cst]

Interesting discussion about small window '68's.

Back in the 70's, it was not uncommon for vehicles that had gone through some extensive body damage, to end up getting repaired. Piecing together a new roof on top of another body or the front of one car on to the back of another was not too uncommon.

Perhaps the front of one cab got pieced with the back/roof of another or something along that line.

Back in the days before damage disclosure laws, cars were commonly rebuilt after sustaining major damage. One had to be really careful about buying used vehicles back then.

I remember reading a body shop trade magazine many years ago. They had an article about how they pieced the front end of one car to the back end of another. It was split right along the roof or A pillars.

I think to know conclusively if the small window '68's really exists, one would have to strip one down to the metal and see if it's had any major repairs done.