If you look in the Art Deco 1945 gallery, You'll see my 45 1.5 ton. Pretty much identical to yours. It has two of the three types of mirrors your truck likely came with. Usualy two of the same kind, but for some reason mine ended up with one of each!
Interesting. That indeed does NOT look like a 2 speed rear end, yet there does appear to be the extra shift knob and lever in the cab picture. Could the rear axle have been replaced with a single speed, but the shifter simply left in the cab? I have the mechanical shift 2 speed in mine, 5.64 high, 8.22 low. It changed the next model year (Yours) to 6.03 and 7.99, if I recall correctly? Mine will do 60 at 3100 rpm with that gearing and 7.50x20 tires. It has the then optional 235 in it, and seems comfortable at that RPM, but NO higher.
I also believe, that if that title number is indeed the engine number, and I believe it is, that the DEA engine was the 235 Loadmaster engine, NOT a 216.
The hole in the rear of the cab does look like a semaphore hole in others I've seen. I don't think the holes in the door posts were for mirrors, at least not original ones, as those either were mounted to the upper hinge, or to the door itself.
Last edited by Drydock; 06/15/2012 12:56 AM.
