I've noticed a peculiar trait that GMC trucks from the classic years possess. It seems like they either left the factory as plain as a pair of orthopedic shoes, or they came dressed to the nines with every factory option imaginable-even more than Chevrolet made available. In the case of my '68 GMC 1500, she's just about as plain as they come except for a few extras that make it more of a heavy-duty truck. Under the hood, instead of the base-model 230-inch six-cylinder, there is a 307-inch V-8, and in place of a three-speed column-shift transmission, there is a compound four-speed. In the looks department, with a painted grille and front bumper on my Jimmy, using an orthopedic shoe for a hood ornament might add a little pizzazz, but it wouldn't be a very honorable way to reward the old girl for its many years of dependable service. In my eyes, the only way befitting the truck is chrome, and a lot of it.
In years past, trying to find a'67-'70 GMC grille that was in cherry enough condition to use wasn't an easy task, let alone finding a good candidate to have chromed. Add to the mix, the '67 model with the GMC logo stamped in the center is a one-year-only design, and one is looking for something that is as rare as hen's teeth. Because of their rarity, it has never been easy for GMC owners, but that's all about to change thanks to the folks at LMC Truck, in Lenexa, Kansas, who are coming up with a new example to fit any '67-'72 GMC in a pinch.
As a heads-up to anyone that's never replaced the front bumper on a '67-'72 Chevy or GMC truck, unbolting one from behind is a lot more hassle than '66-and-earlier, or '73-'87. Trying to take one off almost gives you the impression GM pulled an employee off a forklift and told him to guess at engineering some mounting brackets. If one doesn't care about having to reuse any of the hardware or the hardware are just too rusty to be saved, the fast road is to cut the heads off the bumper (carriage) bolts from the front side.
For my '68 I was looking to shave the GMC letters off the hood to clean up the looks, but I wanted to retain a GMC logo to identify the truck's brand, so I ordered a '67 grille. The front bumper on '67-'72 GMC and Chevy trucks are pretty much identical, but I wanted the deep luster of triple-plated chrome, so I went with LMC Truck's Premium bumper. In addition to upgrading the '68's looks, I brought the lighting up to snuff with new headlights, park light lenses, and side markers. The very first step if you want to stand a good chance of getting things off in one piece is to presoak every nut, bolt, and screw with a heavy dose of penetrating oil and allow it enough time to wick its way in. That said, it is time to start removing the old and installing the new.
