The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk May the *Task* Force be with us ...

Just in time for the Empire's return! What better way to welcome Luke, Han, Leia and the rest of the far away gang back to the big screen than by brushing up on our knowledge of the Force! The Task Force, that is. Those big stars of the '50's...

Would you know one if it suddenly warped in from Tatooine and landed on your foot? When the Jawa parts boss jabbers at you, can you tell him/her/it which part you need?? When the Storm Trooper asks, just how *do* you describe the trucks we're looking for?

All lame movie rifs aside, we're planning on putting together a spotting guide for Task Force Trucks and we need your help, Obi Wan.

Just what are the visual cues to tell one year from another from '55 2nd series through the '59 model year?

If you need help understanding the mission, go to the Tech Tips Section article: Advance Design Spotting Guide to see what we're looking for.

Thanks in advance for your input here! And may the Task Force be with you ... Always ...

Seems we are having a problem (again) with UBB permissions to respond here. Workin' on the problem ... no hurry or worry.

Peg

Somebody try it now, please.

test test

I had a great response yesterday that was sure to goat the TF gents off their cozy porches, but that articulate, thoughtful, creative, and humorous thought was blocked.
Anyways, I like the idea of a Task Force ID playbook. Pretty trucks for sure.

+ 2 ...on the thoughtful, informative, blocked response.

Brad

Hy Guys, Merry Christmas, as has already been said, my response to request for info here was blocked, but I'll try again. I use the hood emblem to tell me if the truck left the factory with a V8 or not, from 56 on to 59 if there was a "V" under the Chevrolet insignia then the truck was originally equipped with a V8 engine. The fender identifications are also different in appearance or construction every year from 55B to 59. Single headlights 55B to 57, dual headlights 58 and 59, hope that helps a little.

Cool 3B. Can you send us a few pix of that/those. Send 'em to editor@stovebolt.com and we'll add them to the TF file we have started.

(I'm curious what caused the block but we have not heard back from Paul, yet.)

sent this to John via PM but i'll post it publically now that things work


first thing that would come to mind is the hood emblem differences, 55.2 has a very unique emblem not shared with any other years and has the eggcrate style grille with it consisting of three horizontal bars and 3 vertical bars, '56 is identical exept for the emblem is longer on the bottom and the fender emblems are two piece. '57 has the same hood emblem only the paint scheme is reversed (black bowtie red around bowtie) and has a new grille and oval fender emblems with red paint, series designations are 3,4,5,6 thousand with these being the most encountered but there also are 7,8,9 and 10 thousand series trucks, I'll let Grigg or somebody that has one of these go ahead and tell about them. also the bigger trucks have the ledgendary "Buckteeth" that inspired the character and my hero Tow Mater

I'll add:

'57 has the two bulges on top of the hood.

The Task Force trucks are my current favorites... seems to be a moving target though, and changes from one era Chevy truck to another era, about as often as the wind changes direction.
____
John

I'm not sure how this Tech Tip will actually be worked up, but there are several in the TT page for truck identification or buying guides:


The 1939-1940 Buyer's Guide
60-66 Buyers Guide
Advance Design Spotting Guide
Spotting an Art Deco Truck like an Expert

So if you see info that is similar to those pages, we'll get it all wrapped in there. I know Mike B has some important numbers for me.

Peg

start of something more organized:

The first year of the Task Force truck was the 1955 "Second Series". The hood emblem for this year resembles that of the 1954 and 1955 Advance Design hood emblems, but was an entirely new piece. [pic] The one-piece fender spears, which displayed the model number, were positioned on the front fender below the body feature line. Trucks equipped with the 265 V8 engine had a "V8" emblem near the rear of the front fenders. The grille is commonly referred to as the "egg crate" style.

In 1956, the hood emblem changed.[pic] Optionally equipped V8 trucks could be indentified not only by the same '55 V8 fender emblem but by a "V" positioned under the Bowtie in the hood emblem. Fender spears became two-piece and were positioned above the body side style line. The grille remained the same as that of 1955.

The hood emblem for 1957 remained the same as '56 [pic], the fender emblems changed dramatically; they became oval. The grille changed and so did the fenders, ever so slightly, to accommodate the grille change. The hood received two "wind splits" as styling. And the V8 fender designations lost the "8" of the previous two years and were moved from the fenders to the doors. For the V8 engine option, the 283 replaced the 265 mid year. Cameo beds received side trim. And for the first time, Chevrolet offered civilian trucks to the public with four wheel drive from the factory. This option arrived mid-year.

For 1958 the fenders widened to include two lights each to give the truck quad lamps. The grille became one-piece and included the previously fender-positioned parking lights. The hood became slightly larger and a different shape with a "depressed" center portion. The frame grew about two inches out front. The hood emblem, while similar to that of the '56/'57, changed.[pic] Fender spears changed, with the model number designation changed; the zeros were dropped (ex: 3100 became just 31) and the model name "Apache" was added [indicating light truck, 1/2T-1T]. The front license plate was moved to the center of the front bumper. The Cameo option ceased to be available early in the production year and the "Fleetside" bed was introduced.

In 1959 the hood emblem [pic] and fender spears changed. They are unique to this model year. In addition, '59 was the only year the Fleetside chrome trim was an option.

save the pics if ya want'em, will need to scare up fender spear and grill pics

Awesome! This is great. Keep on going!! We may drag you in here.

It would be a cool idea (but someone else needs to think of how this would work), if we could have an upload to a bunch of Task Force trucks just for a virtual cruise-in. No idea how it works; how to do it; just know you have some cool stuff in your links signature Bill.

We have something we worked on in 2014 with a Bolters help that we still haven't gotten "live" on the site yet. THIS year we should get there.

Back to TF: can this work?

Peg

also, if you guys are considering a 55-59 buyer's guide, a very common rust issue to look out for is the above the headlights and also above the windshield, inside and out.

1955

Single head light in each fender.

Light Duty trucks have an egg crate grille (painted or chrome)

Medium Duty trucks a have a grille bar with round knob on both ends with CHEVROLET stamped in the middle (painted Black). All grilles are painted.

Hood emblem looks like a small high winged airplane coming at you with a Bow Tie in the middle.

The light duty trucks have a one piece fender spear mounted below the body belt line (3100 Chevrolet, 3200 Chevrolet, 3600 Chevrolet and 3800 Chevrolet). The background behind "Chevrolet" is painted white.

Medium and Heavy duty truck have series numbers only (4100, 5400, 6400 etc.). The numbers are mounted above the belt line on the fender.

All V8 equipped trucks are designated by a "V8" fender emblem.

1956

Single head light in each fender.

Light Duty trucks have an egg crate grille (painted or chrome same as 1955).

Medium and Heavy Duty trucks a have a grille bar with round knob on both ends with CHEVROLET stamped in the middle (painted Black). All grilles are painted.

Hood emblem looks like a large low winged airplane coming at you with a Bow Tie in the middle. The Bow Tie is painted Red and the background is painted Black. All V8 trucks have a "V" cast in the emblem.

All truck series have a two piece fender spear mounted above the body belt line (3100 Chevrolet, 4400 Chevrolet, 5200 Chevrolet, 8400 Chevrolet, etc.). The background behind "Chevrolet" is painted Black. The 7000, 8000, 9000 and 10000 series 2-1/2 ton trucks were added this year.

All V8 equipped trucks are designated by a "V8" fender emblem (same as 1955).

1957

Single head light in each fender.

Light Duty trucks have the sharks mouth grille (painted or chrome).

Medium and Heavy Duty trucks a have a grille bar with round knob on both ends with CHEVROLET stamped in the middle (painted Black). All grilles are painted.

Hood emblem looks like a large low winged airplane coming at you with a Bow Tie in the middle. The Bow Tie is painted Black and the background is painted Red. All V8 trucks have a "V" cast in the hood emblem.

The fender spear is oval shaped with the series and CHEVROLET cast in the middle, The background behind "Chevrolet" is painted Red.

All V8 equipped trucks are designated by a "V" mounted on the door.

I'll work on the 1958/59 later...

Mike B

55.2 3speed column shift had the shift arms on the trans pointing opposite directions one up and one down. 56-59 the shift
levers were both pointing down.

1955 2nd series to 1959 Task Force 4x4's.

More than likely, they will be the NAPCO system. However the '55 2nd series, if original, will have the Rockwell transfer case. '56-'59 will be the Spicer transfer case.

The '55 with the Rockwell will also be a twin stick (One stick engages the 4x4 and the other stick is a gear reducer for a HIGH and LOW side, and will have a drivers side pumpkin front differential. '56-'59 Spicer units will be single stick (2WD, 4 HIGH, NEUTRAL, 4 LOW) and have a passenger side pumpkin front differential.

(HOWEVER.....There are, a very few, '56 with a Rockwell, twin stick, AND passenger side pumpkin front differential. These are extremely RARE !!! (The '55 and '56 Rockwell cases look identical but are mirror images of each other!) Possibly a transition case before the Spicer was decided on.)

The '55 used a 3/4 front axle housing with a 1/2 (3.90) running gear and front brake system was '55 3/4 ton single push wheel cylinder set up. '56-'59 was a new set up for the passeger front differential and used the duel push, step up, (one side of the bore larger than the other side of the bore) wheel cylinder.

As far as the Task Force trucks, how's that, for throwing a wrench at your WOOKIE !?!

Oh my ... after you all got your Christmas presents opened you must have had some free time! Great.

Peg

Strangely enough, I had actually wrote up just such a guide a few months ago for a model car forum I'm on.
Model Cars Magazine post.

I believe '59 was the last year for the foot stomp starter pedal when equipped with a manual transmission.

John

Great job Bill!

Looks like our work is done here other than one little error I saw.

In the 1955 info your last line said, "Also, the 5000 series trucks were the only trucks from '55-'59 with the V8 engine as standard equipment."

That's not 100% true. ALL Series 7, 8, 9 & 10 trucks from 56-59 were supplied with V8's only.

Again, GREAT job!!!

Mike B

I think it worth pointing out that the Canadian built GMC trucks in 1959 (and other years) ran with Chevy engines and not GMC power among other irregularities.
For instance, in 1959 only in Canada only did GMC offer the option to order the bedside stainless on the wideside (Chevy equivalent of fleetside).

GMC trucks were not called "Task Force Trucks", that's a Chevrolet only thing...GMC's of that era were called the "Blue Chip Series".

Mike B

Good point Mike! I got all caught up in the differences thing.

You got me on that one. I neglected to correct that when I did the parts for '56-'59.

Bill,

Just delete the "-59" from that sentence and it will be true!

The 5000 Series was the only trucks in 1955 to have a V8 engine as standard issue...

Mike B

Corrections made, Mike

I have a question about the 58-9 fleetside tailgates , are the same as the 60-66 fleetsides ??

My parts Book says they are all they same from 58-66.

Mike B

Thanks Mike , I saw pictures of a bed I am buying [ tailgate was roached ] and thought they looked the same ...while on the road will do a CL search for a good tail gate also
Dan