This is for those of you that know the early GMC and Chevy trucks well:

1. After looking at some pics it seems as if the front fenders on the 48 GMC and Chevy are the same. Is this so and can they be inter-changed?

2. I assume the doors are the same but are the doors on the pick-up truck the same as those on the panel truck?

It would be MUCH easier for me to source these parts from a Chevy than from a GMC. The Chevy was imported to South Africa in greater numbers than the GMC and was also more popular.

They will interchange.....................you may have to relocate some trim holes etc, but the sheet metal is the same.

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Home Handyman Forum I Shade Tree Mechanic Forum

That is absolutely cool. I know just the right guys who's arm I can go and bend for these parts. In fact, he's coming to fetch the two GMC engines and gearboxes I've got sometime this week. I must just say when I'll be home early enough from work. He's hired help knock off at 5pm. It will most probably today as I'm going to see the doctor this morning with my flu which is worse than last week when I was also booked off work. For some reason it got worse instead of better even with the medicines. I let you guys know how it goes with getting and fitting these parts. Take a look at what mine currently looks like and you'll see why it will save me a LOT of time:

This is not completely true. The front sheet metal is slightly different, especially the hood and if memory serves the front fenders are slightly different around the grill as well.

Take a look at the two pics below and compare them They are both 48s one GMC and one Chevy. The differences should be obvious. From the firewall back they are the same though.

Centerline

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Centerline
HotRodsAndHemis.com

"Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end."

Sorry...my mistake. You may end up having to put a whole Chevy front end on your GMC..............I like the looks of the Chevy better anyways...but, that's just me.


From the looks of your pictures, you are in for a bundle of work.

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Home Handyman Forum I Shade Tree Mechanic Forum

My possible source is coming today to collect the 2 GMC engines and gearboxes I've got. I'll go with him and take a fender and door with to compare. I'll much rather go through the pain and agony of fixing what I've got than change to a Chevy nose. That I will definitely NOT do. I haven't done much research locally yet but so far my GMC panel truck is the only one in South Africa I know about. The only other one my source knew about was apparently exported to Europe.

Doors on a panel truck are not exactly the same as those on a pickup. They will fit, though you will have to do a lot of tweaking to get them perfect. I have a set of 48 pickup doors on my 48 Suburban and it seems like the top front edge of the door is a little larger. This prevents the door from closing properly.

My source as quite few pickups but only three 48's. The only spare good doors he could offer are 53's but they are the same size as 48's after some measuring. The two problems with the 53's are that the window frame differ and the belt line stops just before the rear edge of the door. I will however take the doors and do a transplant of the necessary sheet metal onto my doors. Due to exchange rates and shipping costs patch panels will be too expensive, remember I'm getting these doors as part of a swop, so doesn't cost me anything.

The fenders however are the same, contrary to Centerline's earlier statement. The only difference is that the GMC fender has holes for the park lights and the Chevy not. The holes where the grill surround of the GMC bolts on might also differ but that's obviously not an issue. Yes Centerline, I was quite aware that the hoods differ and that's exactly why I didn't bother asking about it because I know what the answer to that question is. The fenders I found also has the same amount of surface rust as my old one BUT with one small, easily repairabledent and no rust perforation. I mean, anything to save some panelbeating work or what?