The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk interior sun visors

Would anyone know if the passenger side sun visor on a 1953 GMC pickup was optional equipment. Reason I'm asking is the auto shop doing a provincial inspection required for a vehicle imported from the USA says I need one for a pass and I thought it was an optional thing and not required. If that's the case, is there some proof I can show them? Not really a big deal but it's the principle. Thanx.

Yes, the passenger side visor was an accessory and the truck did not come from the factory with one. They did not come with an inside rear view mirror either - only the cowl mounted one. I wonder what the inspector would say about that Also no heater or rear bumper.
Here is a link to the 1951 GMC accessories catalog. 1951 GMC accessories
Mike

My 52 chevrolet, 98% orginal, came from the factory with driver side only interior visor, no interior rear view mirror, one tail light; drivers side. In addition: the orginal owners son said it came with no rear bumper, just a 2x4 board attached to the supports. Bumper installedby dealer as was the heater.

Thanks guys. I was pretty sure about the visor but surprised that a rear bumper was optional. The 2X4 was probably as good as some of todays bumpers. Now I just need a way to prove it to the inspector. Thanks again, this place is a must for restoring these trucks.

GMC Accessory Order Sheet (1951 - but same through 1953):
(from Rob English's website)

rear bumper
inside rear view (RV) mirror
direction signal

I'd like to see some documentation on that.

Nothing to document it, just the statement of a then 66 year old man. Being a Korean War era truck i suppose it to be true.

I suggest that the Inspector is not well informed on older vehicles. I would think it would be his responsibility to research options on old cars and trucks. In British Columbia,heaters were an option in the 50's. In 1972 I bought a 56 Chev 110 model that did not have a right side sun visor.

You could also point out the lack of mounting holes in the metal above the windshield. If the optional visor was installed three holes were needed to be drilled. Good luck.

Actually there are mounting holes on the passengers side. I guess the holes were standard equipment and the screws and visor were optional. Anyway I picked up a visor, mounting bracket and some other parts today to make them happy since I would have eventually added one anyway. I'll see if I can print out this thread just to update his knowledge base.

No holes for the rear view mirror in 54/55 (at least, in Chevrolets).

Hey Cletis, not sure if this belongs here or not but pertaining to the rear bumper; The rear bumper brackets are welded to the bumper and then bolts onto the frame therefore i suspect it would be difficult to attached a 2x4 to the rear of the truck, however there is more. I purchased my truck from the original owners son in 1996. I will state partial names since living kin still reside in Cullman. The truck was sold new in Cullman, Al. at Leigebers Motors Works to E. Warnke. Several months after I obtained the truck I was passing the Burger King in Cullman and spotted a black AD truck parked in the parking lot so I went inside and met an older gentleman (retired farmer) named H. Bolte who was in his late seventies. Asking him if it was his truck I was invited to sit down. Talking about his truck i told him i had just bought my truck from Mr. Warnke's son. Knowing the Warnke family and truck he proceeded to tell me about both trucks. He had also purchased his 1952 truck at the same dealer ship in Cullman and both trucks where picked up at the dealership on the same day. Mr. Bolte's truck was a black 5 window and Mr. Warnke's was a green 3 window. When Mr. Bolte picked his truck up at the dealership it was $35 dollers higher due to the 5 window model which the higher price for his made him mad since $35 in 1952 was a lot for a farmer. It was Mr. Bolte who told me it was his truck that was delivered with no rear bumper but only a 2x4 board attached to it. Mr. Bolte served in the Army in France and Italy during WWII as a vehicle mechanic. He used his truck daily on the farm while mine was a secondary truck on a small farm and saw mill and was kept in a garage a lot. Mr. Bolte continued to drive his 1952 truck to town on a near daily basis especially to Burger King for breakfast. Both men are long gone so only the repeated stories remain along with the trucks: Mr. Bolte's grandson inherited the black truck and last account remains stored in a barn in Cullman. Mine is garaged in Tuscumbia, Al. where we now live. Much more to my purchase story but maybe on a later date. Hope this clarifies some on the bumper. Thanks.

nice story

some of the trucks had aftermarket bumpers installed later,
one brand on the west coast was Barden.
they had the brackets welded to the bumper.
It was a wrap around bumper usually with a hitch ball attached.
Mainly to be used on farms and ranches.




I've seen a pic of a new truck with no rear bumper but I don't recall where. I believe it was a sales brochure demonstrating how the tail gate could hang vertically to back up to loading dock. But most pics show the standard bumper on the rear.


enjoy your truck

A "standard" bumper is referred-to in some posts above.

There was no standard equipment bumper (or bumper brackets) on GMC light trucks, at least through the Z-series (54-55 New Design trucks).

An "dealer accessory" bumper (and bumper brackets) was available for GMC light trucks.

I have to agree with Tim. I'm not saying certain dealers didn't install 2X4 bumpers but they certainly were neither 'factory' or 'standard'.

I installed 2x6 or 2x8 pressure treated front/rear bumpers on my 48 and 54 panel-body Chevy trucks in the late-60s/early-seventies (to replace dented or missing stock/standard bumpers).

Hey papas52

That's a cool story. Thanks for the share.

Just what I was thinking and the fact one of the owners was called Mr Bolte is even better.