Dang! Guess I'll be testing out the JB Weld fix... The plate just fell right off when I took the second screw out. I was able to hang onto it without it falling into the cab corner which would not have been fun. It had a lot of surface rust where it's supposed to attach to the cowl and one small metal bump which I'm guessing was the spot weld you were talking about.
The bonus is that last week while I was cleaning up the front cab corners I found the hole at the bottom that's supposed to let out any dirt (or whatever falls in there) and when I jammed my finger inside to see what might be hiding, I found a few things,
1. A horse shoe shaped thing that I later found out is a broken door hold open spring
2. A flat head screw with a star lock washer
3. About 1 pound of dirt
Found out today that the screw I found was the innermost screw for the vent handle as seen in Brad's picks. Also found out why that screw was inside the cab corner.... It is a real booger to get back in and is easy to drop in there because of the close quarters. The previous owner must have tried messing withe the vent, dropped that screw, cussed a few times and left it in there for good.
Based on your pictures, my truck is a early to mid year '49 since it has a lever with a handle and spring hinges. I'm also closer to getting the vent sorted out now, so thanks!
