Factory Galvanized Body Panels for Our Trucks?!

[Irish_Alley]

might have been, its been years since i saw it (on here i think).

[Engineer]

I have seen '82 model trucks with the cab floor galvanized.

I know for sure starting in 1988 the doors, hoods, fenders, and cowl grille were galvanized. There is a picture in my build thread that documents this. I haven't seen too many 1988 R/V series trucks up close to know exactly what all is galvanized. I worked for a place 20 years ago that had a 1988 R30 Dooley but when it came time to paint it they just wanted it to change color as fast as possible so there was no paint strip to see just how much of it was galvanized.

If the 1988~1991 R/V series truck beds were galvanized they would be worth a small fortune due to their scarcity.

[Engineer]

Adder, (important, please read):

When I stripped my M-1008 bed (circa 1986 MY) to paint for my monster truck (pics coming to my build thread soon) I noticed that there were a couple of the small panels on the front of the bed which were in fact galvanized. The big panel in front is not, nor are the bed sides. The two panels on the front that are galvanized, strangely, are welded to the bedside which, as mentioned before is not galvanized.

However, the large, single sheet that makes the bed floor, and the wheel wells are galvanized. Oddly, the cross members that are welded under the bed floor are not galvanized.

[big_al273]

quarter panels, tail gate and tail gate support rods and latches are galvanized on my 88 crew cab so i would say it's a good bet all 88-91 r/v series body panels were, oh and based on what i saw under the flaking paint on the upper cab between the doors on my parts truck (http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=33645.msg286382#msg286382) i would say the main cab bodies were galvanized as well. Unfortunately i didn't get photos of said exposed galvanization and i no longer have the truck to go and take photos.

[ehjorten]

I got a used 88-91 Big Block Radiator Support the other day to replace mine that is broken in spots.  The top panel of the rad support is definitely galvanized and the lower panel as well!

[Stewart G Griffin]

i have a hunch (but no actual evidence) that the 88-91 blazers/suburbans etc. even if they didn't have galvanized panels had at least improved primering and paint technology than say the 73-81 models.

Can't really explain it well in words but i seen too many 90's era gm cars vs. older ones and there's just something different about the paint etc.   The paint and shine just lasts longer.