Truckie & Don,
If the 1-ton came with a factory flatbed (112 3/16 inches, but same wheelbase as the 3804), then it was a 3808 (3809 if it also included the stake sides). If it came from the factory as a cab and chassis (no bed) for either the dealer or the buyer to mount an after-market body of some sort (i.e., a flatbed, service body, wrecker, etc) then it was a 3803. The 3804 was the model number for trucks leaving the factory with the 108 1/8 inch pickup bed. In my opinion, the 3808/3809 trucks that still retain their original factory beds are far rarer than our 3804 pickups. My guess is that a lot of the 3808/9 trucks were bought by folks who either couldn't afford a 4400 or 6400 series truck, or didn't think they needed one and so those 3800 flatbeds got rode hard, put away wet and died early deaths.
The 3104 (1/2-ton pickup) *only* came with the 6.5 ft bed. According to the GM Salesmens' guide (the "Chevrolet Truck Data Book"), there was no factory flatbed version offered in the 1/2-tons nor was there a "long" bed option. If you wanted a longer pickup bed, you went to a 3/4 or 1-ton. The whole "long bed" versus "short bed" distinction comes after the Advance Design series. It has no real meaning when discussing the ADs as the beds only came in one of three lengths, depending on the truck's rating -- 3104s had a 6 ft bed, 3604s had the 8 ft and 3804s had the 9 ft. Thus, they were neither long nor short -- they were the length specified for that trucks rating.
The chalk marks on the firewall were usually an inspector's initials applied during the final stages of its trip down the assembly line. Interesting that they marked yours as a 3804. To my limited knowledge, that info would have usually been on a line setting sheet or some other tag affixed to the truck. International sent their line set sheets with the completed vehicles. GM did not. But I guess different factories had different approaches to things like that. Which factory did yours come out of? Mine came From Norwood, OH and only had the inspector's initials on the firewall.
Cool story about the dents. My truck has a crease in the passenger side front fender that corresponds to the front bumper getting pushed back into it when one of Charlie's nephews was learning to drive in it. He had a whole wide open hayfield and he still managed to hit a fence post.... Tennessee drivers ...
The salesmens' guide has been my go to reference for years. Y'all might want to get a copy from Jim Carter's. That's where I got mine. It pretty much sits here on the desk or close by most of the time. Probably what Otto has, too ....
I've attached a photo that shows a 1/2-ton bed. Taller guys like Don and myself need a little more space which is why we chose 1-tons ...
