The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Decode a 1950 GMC 350 series S/N ...?

Hello All,

I recently purchased a 1950 GMC 350 series.

But when I went to register it found that the title and vehicle numbers do not match.

Info from door tag...
GMC
Year Model: 1950
Series: 350
Model Number: FC 354
Serial Number 22498
GVW: 13500


Info on title...
GMC
Year Model: 1950
Model Number: DRF64450
GVW: 09650

What does the code numbers mean...DRF64450, circa 1950 GMC.

I could not find these anywhere.

Oh yeah, it (the truck) is also registered as a Van..pardon me but did GMC build a Van in 1950?

And isn't 09650 weight closer to a 1 ton than a 2 ton?

Further info it has a 14 foot flatbed with dump hoist.
And was used by Southern Pacific Railroad for about 10 to 15 years out of Oroville CA. and Quincy CA.

Ant ideas or help is appreciated.

Thanx,

yes there were "vans" in 1950, called panel trucks back then, but most jurisdictions don't have that category anymore, or maybe the truck originally had some kind of 3rd party box body rather than a flat deck - or you may have a title that was not originally for that truck most areas in 1950 used the engine number to register vehicles rather than the mfgrs ID [vin], so the DRF may have been that - isn't there a "vin" line on the title?

Bill

That isn't a GMC engine serial number. It may be a Chevy number but I don't have access to my reference to look it up right now.

Sounds like you got a title for a 1-ton panel truck that had the engine changed and the title changed to match the replacement engine. The door jamb tag shows a 2-ton truck.

Hi,

The VIN on title is: DRF64450

I found a lot of the old CA registrations in the glove box.

They all show the same thing.

The person who had the truck before has since past-away so no going back to him.

I am thinking may be one of 2 possible scenarios, one he was using a bogus tile, or he lost the right tile and substituted this one. Either way I have an interesting situation.

The person I bought the truck from is going to apply for a lost tile.

more likely that number is the engine number, commonly used as the title vin back then, check for an engine number - if the engine has been changed the title should have been changed at the same time, although most folks didn't bother to do that

Bill

GMCs did not use letters in engine numbers back then, in fact the first 3 digits were the engine size.

I already checked the engine numbers: 248XXXXX

And some engine numbers were repeated each year.

Serial numbers were not much of an issue 65 years ago.

FYI....only the registered owner can apply for a lost title. If the guy you bought it from had his name on the title then it's pretty easy. If not, then it gets more difficult. And if the numbers on the title don't match the numbers on the truck, then that title is useless anyway.

Regarding use of letters in GMC engine serial "numbers" back then. GMC did often use a a one-letter prefix in the engine serial number (located in front of the engine size). The pre-fix was used to designate that the installed engine had non-standard-sized cylinder bore and/or crankshaft journals. The GMC documentation incorrectly stated that the letter was a suffix on the engine serial number - it was a prefix.

He is the registered owner of record.

Well I have 7 GMC engines from 228s to 302s none have Letters in the serial numbers.

If I understand correctly, if the engines was altered or factory repaired they added a letter preceding the engine numbers.

Question again, Did Canadian manufactured GMC trucks have a different type/style numbering system?

13500 lb. gvw doesn't sound right for a 350 seriesa 2 ton. Should be 16000lb. gvw for 350 series. Got any pictures you can post of it?