Hey all! Im looking for a 64-66 chevy/GMC truck to drive as my daily. I just test drove two trucks yesterday for the first time, a 65 and a 66. The 66 was a 1 ton and the 65 was a 3/4 ton if that makes any difference in answering my question. Im in love with the trucks except for one thing. My right foot is required to bend backwards, pointing my foot up towards my shin as high as possible due to the gas pedal angle and location. If I relax my ankle, Ill be flooring the gas. So this position needs to be held the whole time, which in turn plays major fatigue on my shin and it started aching with sharp pain in just a 15 minute test drive! However, the second one I drove had no foam on the seat, just springs, so I was a bit lower to the floor. My foot didnt seem to be bent back as much, but was still noticeable. My daily driver for the past 11 years has been a 79 full size chevy pu. Its gas pedal location and distance from the seat is sooo comfortable, no stress on the ankle or weird bent back ankle positions. Im about 6'1", just an average guy with average proportions. My question to you all is, do you have the same discomfort? If so, did you just over come it, or did you do some adjustments? Im interested in any modifications or adjustments that you may have done to make it more comfortable. One other question.... how many lugs does a 1/2 ton C10 have? 5 or 6? If Im correct, the 3/4 ton C20 has 6 lugs and the 1 ton C30 has 8 lugs. Is this correct? Thanks!
My daily is a '61 Suburban... you're right, the angle of the gas pedal DID cause some discomfort. It's like any other situation involving your body: when you start using previously-unused muscles, or using them in a different way, the muscles ache for a while. Change the height on your office chair for a day and you'll see what I mean. You'll be used to it in a week or less. Repairing the seat will also be a help. (I'm also 6'1") As for your other question, the C-10 is 6 lug. Don't know about the 3/4-ton, but the 1-ton should be 8-lug. -Brad
I daily drive my '64 panel truck and to tell you the truth I didn't really notice it. C10 is 6 lug (until '71), I believe 3/4 and 1 ton are 8 lug.
half tons were 6 lug thru 70, 5 lug 71-up except 4x4s which were 6 lug. C-10 3/4 and one tons were 8 lug. C-20 and C-30 If the linkage is adjusted wrong it could cause problems, you should be able to get the top of the pedal down further, or if you want you could cut the pedal arm off a 73-87 and weld it on the 64-66 arm. The later ones were floating pedals, they didn't pivot on the floor.
The 3/4 ton is 8 lug just like the ton. Stock the 1/2 ton was 6 lug. But many of them have been changed by now. They are not comfortable if you are used to driving a toyota but you get used to it. I always thought the seat sat up too straight but it never has kept me from putting long miles on one.
Yup as the others state, C20 & C30 were both 8-lug. The C30 usually had the big 4-speed. As far as the gas pedals went, most of mine were broken off at the floor and I just used the spoon portion and could drive it barefoot with my big toe. Bob
Years ago I had a '65 C10, drove it all of time. Never noticed, or realized the angle of the gas pedal being uncomfortable (may have just gotten used to it), I'm 6' 6" by the way.
My last C-10 was a '65. It was the only one I ever owned that still had the rubber/plastic part of the gas peddle intact. I have been owning and driving them since the '60s. Anyway long story short the paddle part of the peddle is on my desk right now. It broke loose from the floor board at MOKAN in '05. I drove that truck until '09. I do have a '62 ton now, bud wheels and all. I haven't done much with it as I haven't decided what to do with it yet. I'm thinking ramp truck for hauling a little draster. Whatever happens with it it will get long miles and probably have a stock gas peddle for all of them. I turned 80K on my last C-10 as it pulled into the driveway of its new home. Once you decide you like 'em they become a habit, there is no getting away from them. Give the one you are looking at a chance it won't feel awkward after the first few hundred miles.
Try a 60/40 seat from a 88-mid 90's Chevy/GMC truck. It makes a huge difference. It will also lower your seating position, thus making your foot's angle to the pedal a little more comfortable. Even still, the floor mounted pedals don't have a comfortable angle. Maybe one of us on the site can come up with a cheap, effective fix? Very true. The 60-66 Chevy/GMC trucks have a charm all their own, and are my favorites.
I had '57, '60, '62, and '64 Suburbans. Don't remember them giving me extreme discomfort, but they were odd feeling. On the '60 I went to bucket seats and that improved the seating situation a lot. I have a '69 Burb now, and it's day and night difference in the interior room and seating arrangement. Much better gas pedal angle.
Thanks for all the input on this! One other question: Is there any disadvantages in using a 3/4 ton for a daily driver? Are the brakes and drivetrain components more expensive or harder to come by for a 3/4 ton? I have two trucks Im considering and the only major difference is 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton. Is the drivetrain radically different other than 6 or 8 lug? Is the rearend and coil springs physically larger in a 3/4? Thanks!
3/4 ton is just sprung stiffer. Stiff tires and stiff springs will make for a rough ride, unless you toss half a ton of scrap iron in the box! The rear axle will have full floating axles, and leaf springs. You probably won't be able to wear one out, so I wouldnt' worry about availabilty of drivetrain parts. GMC's had the super tough V6's in the 3/4 ton versions, low revving torque monsters.
Thats interesting, because the 3/4 ton I looked at had 8 lug wheels and had coils on all corners, no leaf springs. Were there different options?
I have owned several over the years and vaguely remember being uncomfortable initially. Couple things i've done... usually play around with spring tension on my throttle return.. too soft and it requires "holding off" with ankle/shin muscles. I prefer a stiffer spring, it resists lurching or un-intentional accelerating when the road is bumpy or my foot is relaxed. I also tend to rest thr outside or "little toe" of my right foot on the tranny hump... Either truck sounds cool tho. For daily driving I'd pick a C20 (if it's relatively stock) for better brakes and handling. Gearing might be an issue as they tended to come with a deeper ratio for towing/hauling and that effects economy. I drive my C10 on an '80 K20 frame daily. Q-jet on a 350 with a 4-speed, manual 'case and hubs. It's bomb-proof, inexpensive to maintain, and I never lose it in a parking lot! As for the economy? 10 in town and 12/13 hi-way. 4:10 gears and no overdrive, but I have friends with fuel injection and OD in WAY newer fullsize trucks that can barely manage 12 in town and 15/16 on the hi-way. So they buy almost as much gas, have a payment, and about the time the "cool" new truck is paid off it's worthless. Think I'll keep my '64. Hope you drive the wheels off whatever you get and enjoy it as much as I do mine!
i think the 3/4 ton brakes would be a little more money, but mostly it would be gas mileage. the 3/4 ton is heavier and has a big gear so freeway would suck. my 1/2 has a 230 6cyl and a 3.73 or 4.11 and it sucked on the freeway before i put in the 3spd o/d trans in it. also i've put a 390/C6 in the back and it hauled it just fine, unless your hauling BIG stuff a 1/2 ton should be good.
Thanks to all that have responded! ONE more question! haha! I understand the C20 is a heavier truck. Are the coil springs physically larger or thicker? If I were to get a C20 and install C10 lowering springs, do you see any problems? Are the coil spring cups larger on a C20 to craddle larger coils or are the cups the same size as a C10? LMC doesnt offer stock or lowered coils for a C20. Thanks again
chevy 3/4's were coil, gmc's were leaf. I am thinking you can just install the 1/2 ton lowering springs, you just won't have the 3/4 ton capacity anymore. they made an aftermarket helper 1/2 leaf for the coil spring trucks, you could find a set of those , and maybe get your load capacity back up if you need it for big loads.... speedway sells a set of brand new spring retainers (AND LOWERING SPRINGS -1/2 TON)-stupid caps lock button....-that might be what you could do.
No pain here. We have a '62 and a '65 and gas pedal position has never crossed my mind in neither one.
I put many miles on a '60 Chevy Apache 1/2 ton. As with many others I never noticed it was uncomfortable to drive. I also drove an OT mini SUV. It took a month or more to get used to the driving position.
I put a set of shocks with progressive-rate coil springs on them when I lowered my '61 Suburban. I haven't pulled a trailer yet, but I have hauled a bunch of stuff, and it doesn't bottom out. It doesn't ride real bad either. At least I don't think it does! After almost six years, I'm not real sure anymore... I'm just used to it. -Brad
The 1/2 ton c-10 64-66 has 6 lug the 3/4 ton c-20 have 8. GMC 64-66 are k's. Yes you get use to it. I put 47,000 miles on mine in the 4 years I have owned it 12-16 mpg at a time. I have had 3860 lbs in the back and it drove pretty much like normal. Word of advice get a 64 big window short bed half ton worth them most.
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