While I am waiting for my response questions on the ID number to post I have another question. Did the 1942 tailgate say chevrolet or was it blank? I have heard many versions and would like to know. thanks, Nils
From the information I have all 41 -46 left the factory with plain tailgates, no script. Over the years, people exchanged the tailgate to suit their own desires. Harold
Hi, So I looked over the ID plate(photo attached) and it is definitely 9BK56 1003 with a 46 in the middle. I know the 9 meant Norwood Ohio and the BK is 1942. Several people have said the 5 should be a letter but it is not? and what does the 1003 or the 46 mean? thanks, Nils
So all the men went off to war in 1942. The only ones left at the stamping station there 4-F'ers. The 46 is right exactly where the "MAX. GROSS WEIGHT" would be: "4600 LBS."
He lost the May "E" letter down a crack and used 5.... and he thought he was supposed to give the day "6". Wednesday...or that plant decided to use month year or year month numbers.....or month day/day month. Could also be the 56th day of the year which covers day and month. In 42 that is Feb 25th, Wednesday. Could explain low production number.
If that factory started truck production numbers at 1001, yours is the 2nd one built for civilians. Norwood built Army trucks from 42-45.
VIN 9MS37 1427 ........ This is a vin found on the web for a Chevy Truck back then, showing the same convention you have: a "5digit-4digit" alpha numeric numbering stamp. This comes back as 1942 also. 37 is Feb 6 Friday. Also Norwood, higher production number but built before yours. But this is a 1 1/2 T war size truck.
Yours does come back as also possibly built in 44-45. It's a Friday in 44 and Sunday in 45.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
1942 was the last year the month was a number (03, 04, 05 etc.)...1946 started the letter for the month (A, B, C etc.).
Since the first unit off the line was 1001, your truck would be the 3rd...
There's nothing I have ever found that would clear this up and make us change the VIN section. All of my literature and research has it shown the way we all think it should be. Also, an early serial number for 1942 would have been built in Sept/Oct of 1941...
I will throw this out there...could this truck have been a WWII Gov't issue and the 56 was their code??? Do you know the history of the truck?
Mike B
Mike Boteler
1956 Chevy 3100 Resto Rod 1952 Willys M38 Army Jeep 1983 Jeep CJ7 Laredo 1984 Jeep CJ7 +++++ Silver Spring, MD
I Guess a different interpretation of "they started with 1001", I thought that meant the first truck was 1002.
Here is a Guru on VCCA, Vintage Chevrolet Club of America. He is called a "ChatMaster" with 25,000 post, 18 year member. He took it the way I did.
"9 = assembled in Norwood, ohio CK = 1946 1st design. Basically a 1942 design and has no chrome trim. 2nd design had chrome bumpers and grille and some mechanical improvements. 1st design trunks made from Sept 1945 until Nov. 1945. Then GM had a strike and the 2nd design trucks came out after the strike in May of 1946. 11 = assembled in Nov. 1945 2707 = it was the 1706th 1/2 ton truck assembled at that plant (numbers began with 1001)"
The original poster, on that post above, had a "vin" of 9CK11 2707 and a "46" in the middle of his plate.
We now have two examples of a Non compliant Chassis No. The poster and the one I found. With a 56 and a 37. There are others. We can't say "all the research shows" anymore..............Something was going on back then at GM, in war time, that we may never understand. I don't propose changing the Stovebolt Tip. Just want this post to be a beacon.
My post with Military selective service designation 4-F, was a bit of tongue in cheek, fact and guesses about the Number.
In 1942 Chevrolet was using "calander day" dating on axles. So it's not unheard of at GM.
The GM Corporate wording for production numbers is " The end figures start at 1001 at each assembly plant and continue in numerical sequence".
If I "start at" $1001 in my savings account and "continue" to add a dollar a day in numerical sequence, after the first dollar I will have $1002. After the second truck dollar, I will have $1003. This is how us Chatmaster's think. Aye?
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
Hi, This is great info. So to recap my Id 9BK56......1003 is 1942 made in OH on May 6th and is the 3rd truck built. The 46 is just for 4600lbs. seems unlikely because the 2nd or 3rd truck built would have been in sept/oct 1941 and not May. Could it be that 56 is the code used for a military truck? Did I summarize all the posts correctly? Looking forward to more onion peeling, and the only history I know is it was bought in 1969 from a delivery company, used as a plow truck and I am the next owner in 2020. Hope to hear more info. thanks, nils
Some of the info, so far, is a guess. Speculation. Don't take it for gospel.
It's OH, probably 42, may be 44-45, 1/2T, short bed. Some of the chassis number does not conform to how GM said they would ID. The 46 is most likely an artifact of 4600 LBS. That's it.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
The guy I bought the truck from did say it was originally registered as a 1943. Nothing is being considered gospel just enjoy hearing the different opinions. So would the 1003 be accurate as the 2/3rd truck built of the year? When did they stop using BK and switch to the 1946? Would a 43/44/45 be considered a BK? And if Norwood switched to exclusive Gov't vehicles in 1942 would that make this a military truck? And if the 5 does mean May is that an odd time to produce the 2/3rd truck of a model year? All these questions and more rattling around in my head. thanks, Nils
Nils, I realize you are excited and happy to have this wonderful truck. So far all of your post are obsessed with the exact lineage info. Your truck's exact born date and history will take a lot of research by you. Not us. We have already done a lot of research for you, cyphered your VIN, pointed you to the tip section and some very knowledgeable members have given their opinions. Much of what you are asking is simply unknowable because of the age, the war interruption era it's from and your Chassis No. not being kosher.
Do you ever plan on working on the truck to get it in shape? We will know everything about that phase. What condition is it in and what are your plans?
I hope all these born on/history questions are not just to be able to sell it as something special and use this site as support/proof. It's starting to feel like that. All of your 7 posts, in two threads, are about the same issues. I think you are at the end of this phase. Further discussion is blogging.
As a new guy, we have respected you and have given all we got. Our willingness to help has made us responsible for this long discussion. Not your fault. However: You are in the General Talk forum which is defined by the editor as "related to the care, restoration, preservation or use of old GM trucks! Off-Topic discussions go in the Greasy Spoon Forum!" You are mission creeping out of that definition. Your other thread was in the welcome center where you introduce yourself and your truck. You did that very well, but it turned into a VIN decode discussion also.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
Thank you so much for your kind words. I have completely disassembled the truck and done almost all the body work. THe previous owner bought almost every part necessary except new tires. My son and I are currently in the process of putting the new bed together, and no it is not for sale. I had previously done all the research I possibly could on the internet and discovered all that has been put into these posts. I was hoping someone else might have an answer. I will keep my posts to specific repair topics so as to not to upset any sensibilities. I do apologize. Sincerely, Nils
Nice that you already had all the answers. I would like to thank all who helped Nils and spent hours searching. Good work guys. Very proud to be a member of a group that has that knowledge.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
I Guess a different interpretation of "they started with 1001", I thought that meant the first truck was 1002.
Here is a Guru on VCCA, Vintage Chevrolet Club of America. He is called a "ChatMaster" with 25,000 post, 18 year member. He took it the way I did.
"9 = assembled in Norwood, ohio CK = 1946 1st design. Basically a 1942 design and has no chrome trim. 2nd design had chrome bumpers and grille and some mechanical improvements. 1st design trunks made from Sept 1945 until Nov. 1945. Then GM had a strike and the 2nd design trucks came out after the strike in May of 1946. 11 = assembled in Nov. 1945 2707 = it was the 1706th 1/2 ton truck assembled at that plant (numbers began with 1001)"
The original poster, on that post above, had a "vin" of 9CK11 2707 and a "46" in the middle of his plate.
We now have two examples of a Non compliant Chassis No. The poster and the one I found. With a 56 and a 37. There are others. We can't say "all the research shows" anymore..............Something was going on back then at GM, in war time, that we may never understand. I don't propose changing the Stovebolt Tip. Just want this post to be a beacon.
My post with Military selective service designation 4-F, was a bit of tongue in cheek, fact and guesses about the Number.
In 1942 Chevrolet was using "calander day" dating on axles. So it's not unheard of at GM.
The GM Corporate wording for production numbers is " The end figures start at 1001 at each assembly plant and continue in numerical sequence".
If I "start at" $1001 in my savings account and "continue" to add a dollar a day in numerical sequence, after the first dollar I will have $1002. After the second truck dollar, I will have $1003. This is how us Chatmaster's think. Aye?
Ken,
I'm not sure why any VCCA Guru's would question the 1001 as being the first serial number used...here's two examples taken from the first two Chevrolet books I grabbed.
Mike B
Mike Boteler
1956 Chevy 3100 Resto Rod 1952 Willys M38 Army Jeep 1983 Jeep CJ7 Laredo 1984 Jeep CJ7 +++++ Silver Spring, MD
OK Mike, I should have said they "subtracted" 100000. 100083-100000=83. Another "typo", right. Like the typo in our Tip Section for 1956-1959 that says 001001. The sequence started at 10001 in 58. It happens to all of us and in your posted "Official Documents". If it helps the post, I agree with starting at 0 units, instead of my idea of x...xx2 is the first unit. I didn't want to be a Chatmaster anyway. I do thing the bank analogy was quite good, Aye?
One of the documents you posted is dated 1958 but uses a 1952 example. I did not know which official specification to use since the 1952 and the 1958 vehicle identification section is different, as you will see below. Another goofy part of the document you posted. Some of my comments were trying to factor 1952 and 1958.
Chevy kept changing the number of zeros and the inclusion of all series, or each series, to be in the sequence. As per below. They started selling so many they must have run out of numbers.
There are typos, misinformation on Documents, opinions, meanings,Tips and theories on this most interesting post.
Here are some actual facts from the only known "Official Documents", The GM Heritage Center Collection of Chevrolet Corporate Office year specific Specifications. I'm glad to see any other official Specification. Not a catalog, salesman's memo or any of the one million blogs repeating each other.
1. 1952 unit number" "Each series separately numbered in sequence starting with 1001 at each plant."
2. 1958 unit number: "Begin with 10001 at each plant regardless of series"
3. 1964 sequence: 100001 "Starting unit number at each assembly plate regardless of series."
4. 1965 unit number: not found
5. 1966 unit number: not found
You mention 1966 is 100001. Since I do not find info for 1966, we must extrapolate from 1964. All is good, just trying to get it all correct. thanks for your expertise. Feel free to correct the above. I am starting to get data overload. (that's what we older guys like to call senile). Doesn't take much now-a-days.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
OK Mike, I should have said they "subtracted" 100000. 100083-100000=83. Another "typo", right. Like the typo in our Tip Section for 1956-1959 that says 001001. I agree, that section needs tweaking. The sequence started at 10001 in 58. It happens to all of us and in your posted "Official Documents". If it helps the post, I agree with starting at 0 units, instead of my idea of x...xx2 is the first unit. I didn't want to be a Chatmaster anyway. I do thing the bank analogy was quite good, Aye?
One of the documents you posted is dated 1958 but uses a 1952 example. That typo started in the 1957 Data Book...the '56 Book has it correct. I did not know which official specification to use since the 1952 and the 1958 vehicle identification section is different, as you will see below. Another goofy part of the document you posted. Some of my comments were trying to factor 1952 and 1958.
Chevy kept changing the number of zeros and the inclusion of all series, or each series, to be in the sequence. As per below. They started selling so many they must have run out of numbers.
There are typos, misinformation on Documents, opinions, meanings,Tips and theories on this most interesting post.
Here are some actual facts from the only known "Official Documents", The GM Heritage Center Collection of Chevrolet Corporate Office year specific Specifications. I'm glad to see any other official Specification. Not a catalog, salesman's memo or any of the one million blogs repeating each other. I'm happy to see GM Heritage Center allows us to see this little snap shot of info about our cars and trucks, but there is a ton of "official Info" out there that was sent to dealers that overrides/supersedes what they have shared. Any mid year changes won't be included in that info pack.
1. 1952 unit number" "Each series separately numbered in sequence starting with 1001 at each plant."
...1955.1 unit number: "Begin with 1001 at each plant regardless of series"
...1955.2 unit number: "Begin with 001001 at each plant regardless of series"
...1956 unit number: "Begin with 001001 at each plant regardless of series"
...1957 unit number: "Begin with 100001 at each plant regardless of series"
2. 1958 unit number: "Begin with 10001 at each plant regardless of series"
...1959 unit number: "Begin with 100001 at each plant regardless of series"
3. 1964 sequence: 100001 "Starting unit number at each assembly plate regardless of series."
4. 1965 unit number: not found
5. 1966 unit number: not found See picture in above post showing 1966 starting with 100001
You mention 1966 is 100001. Since I do not find info for 1966, we must extrapolate from 1964. All is good, just trying to get it all correct. thanks for your expertise. Feel free to correct the above. I am starting to get data overload. (that's what we older guys like to call senile). Doesn't take much now-a-days.
Mike B
Mike Boteler
1956 Chevy 3100 Resto Rod 1952 Willys M38 Army Jeep 1983 Jeep CJ7 Laredo 1984 Jeep CJ7 +++++ Silver Spring, MD
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
The 46 is right exactly where the "MAX. GROSS WEIGHT" would be: "4600 LBS."