a 983 GMC used to be a tandem axel

heddrik

Well Known Member
No air conditioning necessary! Nice truck. Never seen the High Torque on valve covers like that, neat.
 

409 wagon

Active Member
Canadian truck I guess , and yes it will be getting ac , weve hit 55 below C up here in the winter, but also 42c in the summer , its a dry cold and heat though.
 

Mearl

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 6
Truck 409's have those decals on the valve covers but the block and heads were painted gray-green from the factory.
 

409 wagon

Active Member
definitely not this one, no green on the block heads or intake or oil pan, was that a GMC or Chevy thing, or could it be a Canadian thing. That's why these forums help with info, im to young to remember all the details of this stuff, only fifty.
 

Don Jacks

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 3
Most likely Canadain thing as the US versions used GMC engines at that time in history.
 

Mearl

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 6
Don's right, that being a 64,5 or 6, it should have a 305 or 351. I don't remember if the Toro-flow was still available then or not. I don't know if I have any sales brochures on GMC's, just Chevy's like mine. I'm pretty sure whoever put the 409 in it probably painted it orange
 

Mearl

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 6
If you by chance have the owners manual, it lists the paint colors for each available engine. That's how I knew the gray- green was correct for mine. Since you still have the kick panel tag and the numbers match, it must be original. It has to be a Canadian thing.
Out of curiosity, what does the horsepower read for the 409, mine shows 252.
 

MRHP

 
Supporting Member 1
I did not know they stamped truck blocks with the vin, thought it was a high performance thing?
 

Pats 409

Well Known Member
I have a 1964 C-80 Chevy that I will be pulling the 09 out of in the near future, all truck engines that I know of had the high torque decals I will check to see if the vin is stamped and I think mine is a 252 HP.
 

427John

Well Known Member
Don's right, that being a 64,5 or 6, it should have a 305 or 351. I don't remember if the Toro-flow was still available then or not. I don't know if I have any sales brochures on GMC's, just Chevy's like mine. I'm pretty sure whoever put the 409 in it probably painted it orange
My father in laws hay truck was a GMC 6500 had the funny stubby nose on it and was a 64 or 65 it had the 478 toro flow diesel in it.I mainly remember that it was equally slow whether it was empty or with its 20 foot flat bed stacked high enough with hay to make it tip over on uneven ground.
 

Mearl

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 6
My father in laws hay truck was a GMC 6500 had the funny stubby nose on it and was a 64 or 65 it had the 478 toro flow diesel in it.I mainly remember that it was equally slow whether it was empty or with its 20 foot flat bed stacked high enough with hay to make it tip over on uneven ground.

The old Toro-flo was pretty much unloved. They made a V-8 with the same bore and stroke, it displaced 637 cubic inches. I don't know why nobody hot rods them!
 

Don Jacks

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 3
If one wants a real challenge,try a 702 cu.inch GMC V-12.We did one for a friend who was building a copy of an old Duesenberg.It was fun,all 1450 lbs.of it.The guys at Thunder V-12 supplied the parts and tech.advise.It went from 250 horses to about 500 and we didn't have to turn it past 5,000.I felt that there was more available,but Thunder didn't have their aftermarket heads and intakes ready yet.
 
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