I want some input from the Stovebolt community on this one...
I have an art deco Chevy with a cowl tag that reads 3CK09-1779. I know that this translates to the 779th truck off the line in St. Louis built in September 1945. This truck has been in the family since new and the title reads 1945.
So, I have restored the truck and have taken it to a few car shows over the past year. Without fail, at least once per show, I get some guy who wants to argue with me that "there's no such thing as a '45!" I explain when it was built and what the title says, but that doesn't make them any happier.
I have done a lot of research on this topic. I have the book" Chevrolet Pickup Color History" which states, "Chevrolet resumed full-scale civilian truck production on August 20th, 1945, just six days after the surrender of Japan."
I have seen some places consider these "interum '46" trucks. I understand the theory behind this, but they still call early '47's '47's even though they have the '46 body style. How is this any different?
I call it a '45 and get nothing but greif at car shows. Sometime I think it is because I'm relatively young (33 yrs old) and these old-timers don't think I know what I'm talking about.
So what do you guys think. Am I wrong for calling it a '45?
