The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Interesting 1955.1 3600 NAPCO

I picked up an interesting 55.1 a couple weeks ago. I got my first 55.1 3600 Chevy when I was 17 back in 1994. This is the second complete one I've had. This one is definitely a 55.1, per the serial number, and the correctly painted white grille with black inner bars, etc. However it has 53-54 style hood badges, and no evidence that anything else was ever there. Has anyone else ever seen this before with a 55.1? My other 55.1 had the "correct" 55.1 style 3600 badges, which I really like.

Someone very long ago switched out hoods.

Somebody refresh me -- who typically did the NAPCO upfits? The vehicle owner? the dealership? a third party?

Hmmm ... interesting. It might be difficult, but I wonder if there are any *other* 55.1 series trucks with NAPCO conversions that show a similar configuration?

Could be a number of reasons -- any evidence to suggest the hood had been repainted to match the rest of the truck?

Another possibility ... the 55.1 series hood badge is taller than the earlier ones. Perhaps it pushed the NAPCO badge too far up on the curve to where it wouldn't lay flat, so they (whoever did the mod) used the earlier/shorter one ?

Upfits could have been done by all of the above...they could have also been done years later on a 'used' truck.

Mike B

At that time, the upfits were generally done by the dealership the truck was purchased at, if it was done when the truck was new, or at an authorized equipment dealer. We purchased my first truck in 1994( which I still have but it's in pieces right now ) from the son of the original owner. He was a teenager when his dad bought the truck new. He went with him to buy the truck and also to have it upfitted. So I know when and where that work was done.
I think it would have been very very rare to have a consumer upfit their own truck at that time. The price of the upfit alone was equal in cost to buying the truck. So if you had one upfitted at the same time you bought a truck, it was like buying two trucks. It was around a 4-5 hour job to have the equipment dealer do it, with all the right tools. Doing it yourself is a much harder job. Considering these trucks were not hobby vehicles back then, I can't see how it would make monetary sense to try to do it yourself. These trucks needed to make money as quick as possible once they were financed or paid for.

This truck came from a collection of NAPCO trucks like I have never seen. I had no idea any one person had this many of the AD's in one place before, and he showed me pictures of more trucks of his on other properties that he's consolidating to this one property now that he's retired. The truck I brought home was one of seven Advance Design NAPCO trucks on the property and by my count, 15 that he has between three properties. There were at least that many 55.2-57 NAPCO trucks as well, and quite a few very interesting AD 1 ton two wheel drive trucks. I'll say this, if he ever decides to thin out his collection, a lot of really cool trucks will go back out in to the world.
If I hadn't have been running hard against the clock I'd have spent a lot of time documenting the trucks he had. As it was I only got to take a hand full of pictures.

The NAPCO part of the equation on this truck I posted is pretty standard. Like I've said this is my 2nd complete Advance Design NAPCO that I own. I've had hands on and inspected now around fifteen complete original AD upfit trucks since I became interested in them. I've found them in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. I've owned several partial and complete AD running gears, and several upfit and factory 55-57 complete NAPCO trucks over the years. Based on how this truck presents, I'd wager that it was upfitted very near to when it was new. The serial number of this upfit is pretty close to my first truck as well, but a little lower. Definitely later in the first generation trucks, which were first offered in 1953.

In my experience, which at this point is with trucks upfitted on the West Coast, and now in the Rocky Mountains regions, upfitters tended to do things the way they wanted, and pretty consistently. Hood badges will be in one spot pretty consistently, transfer case shift and warning plates will be pretty consistent in location and configuration of placement. The holes in the floor for transfer case shifters will be cut and finished very consistently in a 'style' that points to the same crew doing the work.

I just found the 54 badges on this truck to be a real head scratcher. The way it's weathered does not show any signs of an older paint color. It looks to have always been Ocean Green. It doesn't show any signs of ever having been repainted. All the paint that is remaining, as you can tell is very thin. The hood looks like it's always been attached to this truck. The only thing that tells me the hood may have ever been off is that the engine is a later model 235 or 261. I haven't taken the time to look for captain's bars or run the numbers yet. I think it's possible, if not probable, that it left the factory with these badges. I just find these quirks interesting, especially when there's no obvious or clear explanation for them. Also, as far as the relationship between the Chevrolet badge and the NAPCO badge,... My other truck had the NAPCO badge placed behind center of the 55.1 style 3600, which avoids hood brace, and therefore the need to drive screws into the badge, which has four studs cast in. I've seen the NAPCO badges on several different locations on the hood and the side of the cowl even, and in later trucks often on the front fenders. I don't think they'd have done anything special for that reason.

The Napco emblem shown is now sold as 57-59. Those were the "factory years". This indicates that the Napco kit may not have come with an emblem in pre 57 kits or that it was only on factory units. I Don't think the name "Powr Pack" was used until TF trucks. The 3600 emblem is 53-54 as said. The first J in the serial is from a different stamp set. The reason the installs were all the same is they followed the instructions.
Plenty of units could have been self installed to save money. Many in those days were purchased by utility companies, government, oil, gas exploration, miners, loggers. They would have had their own maintenance shops.

Other buyers were farmers and ranchers. They were better equipped and they were better mechanics than anyone else. Part of the advertising was "Easy to Install and can be transferred from truck to truck" 4 holes to drill.

Very few were bought by a hunter or a city slicker. You had to have a real need to spend the money....or be wealthy. I have never owned one that the original color was not what I call "Forest Service/AG Dept Green".

Josh, an outside chance but is there anything written in grease pencil on the underside of the hood? Mine says "transport" for transport blue lower body color.

One thing I can tell you for sure is that the vendors do not all know what it is they are selling. One person reproduces an item and then sells it to other vendors. Does not mean they all label the applications correctly. I remember when the reproduction badges were first being tooled up and as I recall it was Jim Carter that had it done. NAPCO POWR-PAK badges came with all upfit truck kits from 1953, when it was introduced, clear into the late 1970's when they stopped doing upfits on larger trucks of many different makes. They are literally the exact same badge for all those years. Conversely, from June of 1956, when the front driving axle RPO became available from GMC 100, 150, and 250 series trucks, through the end of the 1959 model year, factory installed 4WD never included a NAPCO fender badge. GM was not in the business of marketing NAPCO, they marketed their RPO when it came to factory jobs. They are not unique to 1957-59. That is not an accurate application listing. You'll also see transfer case shift pattern plates and warning tags that are specifically for twin-stick Timken T-32 transfer cases, which were used in upfits only, from 1953 to late 1955 and very very frew 1956's, being sold as correct for all NAPCO trucks. I see 'restored' 57-59 trucks with both the Spicer 23 shift pattern sticker, and the Timken T-32 dash plate installed in the same truck. One pattern for a single stick t-case, and the other for a twin stick t-case, because vendors have them marked for the wrong years, and mention nothing about which transfer case they pertain to.
The first J indicates that it's a 3600, and is consistent with the GVW. I have seen plenty of door post tags where the first letter is not from the same stamp set. Not that uncommon. This is my first truck out of Janesville, though, so I'm not sure if it's common from that line or not.

Yes I see that J. Carter has this note: Chrome with red paint. Show quality. Limited production. When an authorized NAPCO dealer installed this front wheel drive system, he also received a pair of chrome and red painted emblems in this kit. These were to be placed on the right and left side of the hood or fender. NOTE: These emblems were not on the GM factory 4 x 4 between 1957-1959 even though they actually used this system purchased from the non-GM company, NAPCO. Sold each.

He pretty much always knows what is he talking about. He is selling them as 57-59, which were the factory years, but says this emblem was not on a factory truck. SOooooooooo.........we have to interpolate that they only came in 57-59 kits.

PowrPack: The advertisements for 55.2 say the "NEW" Powr Pack 4x4. J. Carter does not say in his emblem note about pre 57. If it was used, being a great marketeer, he would include all potential customers.

Whatever the case, it's plain to see that the badges on this particular truck were added on. Not sure if they came with a hood donor. Anyway just commenting on possible issues. I thought you were asking for comment. I see you are way to passionate and defensive for me.

Greg, I know what you mean. I've had several trucks with instructions like that marked in grease pencil. The super deluxe Commercial Red 54 I had was marked " 3104 DEL" in white grease pencil across the firewall, for instance.
I just checked and there is no sign of any grease pencil markings that I can see on the firewall or under the hood. Though it is definitely Ocean Green both under the hood and the firewall, so I'm confident the hood has never been another color.



POWR-PAK was used from the beginning. I don't have a copy of the 53 medium duty advertisement, showing the earlier grille and split windshield, but I'll look for it. If you look very closely, you can see on the "You Asked For It" advertisement, the badge on the side of the hood. I used to have the original print of that ad that I lost in the fire two years ago. It's very apparent. I also had a version where the front hubcap, which is painted on, was not present.

I just happened to have spent a very long time studying first generation NAPCO trucks, Bart. I know what I'm talking about. I came here for comment on the 3600 badges because those are really weird. Of course the NAPCO badges were added on. They were all added on when trucks were upfitted.
The difference between you and me, I fear, is that I am fine with admitting when I'm wrong. Your theory, while maybe logical to you, is wrong. Those badges were not 1957-59 exclusive, and Carter's catalog does not contain the accurate info. Any serious NAPCO buff would agree with me. I'm done arguing about that particular thing though. The badges are in the parts list. Furthermore, NAPCO advertised the "NEW" Powr-Pak for task force series trucks because they re engineered it to fit those trucks. It is not really possible to put an early NAPCO running ear under a later model truck because of the geometry and the track widths, among other things.

This indicates that the Napco kit may not have come with an emblem in pre 57 kits or that it was only on factory units.

May not always includes "may have". May have always includes "may not".

I Don't think the name "Powr Pack" was used until TF trucks.

Some of my assumptions seem to be mistaken. I guess I'm in the group with Jim Carter.

I haven't found any AD brochures with the NAPCO emblem shown on the truck? That's odd.

Don't know of any legit Chevy pre 55 truck brochures with actual photographs. Didn't think that technology was available or used.

The reason you've never seen "NAPCO" shown in a Chevrolet AD Truck brochures is because Chevrolet didn't make, sell or market NAPCO prior to 1957. ALL pre-1957 NAPCO's were assembled outside of Chevrolet's control as "aftermarket" third party accessories. The only place you'll see a Chevrolet AD truck with a NAPCO front end is in a NAPCO ad or brochure.

So, the 3600 badge would have been changed after the truck left the factory. There's no way the factory would know what trucks if any would be destine to get the NAPCO upgrade.

Mike B

One thing I can tell you for sure is that the vendors do not all know what it is they are selling. One person reproduces an item and then sells it to other vendors. Does not mean they all label the applications correctly. I remember when the reproduction badges were first being tooled up and as I recall it was Jim Carter that had it done. NAPCO POWR-PAK badges came with all upfit truck kits from 1953, when it was introduced, clear into the late 1970's when they stopped doing upfits on larger trucks of many different makes. They are literally the exact same badge for all those years. Conversely, from June of 1956, when the front driving axle RPO became available from GMC 100, 150, and 250 series trucks, through the end of the 1959 model year, factory installed 4WD never included a NAPCO fender badge. GM was not in the business of marketing NAPCO, they marketed their RPO when it came to factory jobs. They are not unique to 1957-59. That is not an accurate application listing. You'll also see transfer case shift pattern plates and warning tags that are specifically for twin-stick Timken T-32 transfer cases, which were used in upfits only, from 1953 to late 1955 and very very frew 1956's, being sold as correct for all NAPCO trucks. I see 'restored' 57-59 trucks with both the Spicer 23 shift pattern sticker, and the Timken T-32 dash plate installed in the same truck. One pattern for a single stick t-case, and the other for a twin stick t-case, because vendors have them marked for the wrong years, and mention nothing about which transfer case they pertain to.
The first J indicates that it's a 3600, and is consistent with the GVW. I have seen plenty of door post tags where the first letter is not from the same stamp set. Not that uncommon. This is my first truck out of Janesville, though, so I'm not sure if it's common from that line or not.[/quote]


I have two thoughts that run different directions. First was you mentioned "Janesville". I think it was normal procedure if a plant did not have a correct "cosmetic item" in stock at the time, (the 3600 55 1st style badge) rather than delaying delivery, they went to the parts bins and improvised this time with the earlier badging. One possibility but will probably never know. I mentioned posting on VCCA forum. They seem to draw more of a crowd that worked the line or the dealerships when these trucks were new.

My second thought is studying the patina ahead of the 54 style 3600 badge in the picture you posted and trying to decide if that black area on the lead edge could have been in the shape to indicate at one time it had the 55 1st style badge.

I don't know for sure and like others, can only speculate but it sure is a neat piece no matter what the back story is.

Hello Mike,
Yes I am aware they were not factory built until then. I was looking at the literature posted "Napco/4x4 brochures/ads/instruction manual, where Chevy AD trucks are shown. Just thought an upfitter ad would show a Napco badge on the actual upfitted truck shown. Didn't think they were Corporate ads. The graphic artist or photo chosen didn't attempt to show a NAPCO type badge as is being sold today. That seems like a must have in an ad. Maybe it's there and I don't see it. Could it be there were no NAPCO badges until 55.2 or later. People just slapping them on because they look good. I would think the installation instruction manual would show the badge and where to mount it with dimensions, if badges came in the kit. Maybe someone has a legit installation manual for AD era Napco kit.
Why do you say the 3600 badge would be changed after it left the factory. That one went over my head.

One of those AD Napco ads shown says: "See your local Chevrolet dealer" (Chevrolet didn't make, sell or market). I still think those brochures are sketchy.

The NAPCO 4-wheel-drive product/conversion is not shown in the 1953 (or earlier) Chevrolet Truck Silver Book.

NAPCO (Northwestern Auto Parts Company) is listed/shown in the 1954 Chevrolet Truck Silver Book. There is no NAPCO emblem/badge on the hood (in the illustration/advertisement in that year's Silver Book).
[The conversion was done by NAPCO.]

The 1955-2nd Chevrolet Truck Silver Book shows a badge/emblem on the hood of the NAPCO conversion photo/illustration - that emblem is located above the Chevrolet hood-side emblem.
[The conversion was done by NAPCO.]

If I remember, I will see what is in the 1955st Silver Book.
[I cannot find my 1955-1st Truck Silver Book - MT's photos show a 1955-1st truck hood side emblem - it is different from the 1954 truck hood side emblem.]

These Napco emblems sure look like they have been on there a long time & it does not appear that they had any specific location to mount them, nor do they appear to have any evidence of ever being painted red.

Tim, I'm assuming that the Silver Books are printed earlier than the model year starts so that they are available to dealers ahead of time. The conversions began being offered by NAPCO during the 1953 model year, not before, and as I understand it were first targeted at the heavier duty truck market. They were first offered for 1.5 and 2 ton Chevrolet trucks, and the light duty kits followed. I do not believe that they would have been in time for the Silver Book printing from the history that I've gathered, and so I believe that is why the vast majority of the marketing literature shows the 1954 models. I only recall ever seeing one pre-1954 model shown on a NAPCO ad, and it is a 1.5 or 2 ton dump truck. If you look closely at the attached photo of an original installation manual, the one the reprints are derived from, you'll see that there is clearly a NAPCO badge centered above the Chevrolet badge, the same the photo of my truck shows. I used to have the original full page print of an ad that uses this same illustration which I've also attached, and it clearly shows the badge. I'm still trying to locate a high res copy in my digital files. Anyway, it is very very visible when you see it in person or scanned at high resolution. Of all the original, unmolested Advance and New Design NAPCO trucks I have had hands on, and seen pictures of, I have never seen one that did not have the badges, or the holes where they were mounted, and I know of one truck in particular that is owned by a good friend that has been in the same town since new, and was upfitted by the previous owner, and all the history on that truck is known. It's a 1951 model that was upfitted in the fall of 1953 so that it could be taken into the back country to go deer hunting with the owner's son who was home on leave from his deployment to Korea during the war.

That is another good point, Joe. I have never EVER seen evidence of red paint or any paint for that matter in any original NAPCO badge from the 50's 60's or 70's, and they upfitted a LOT of trucks.

TIm, all due respect, this horse has been beaten to death for decades now by those of us who have been dedicated to uncovering the truth of this matter. A huge part of that has been actually locating the people involved in the company. There are soo many of these fragmented and suppositional histories floating around the net and it makes keeping fact and fiction separated a nightmare.
One contact I have that reached out to the NAPCO Owners Group about 16 years ago is a man named Howard Klevann. He was the National Parts Manager for NAPCO at the time that DANA bought the Front Driving Axle Division from NAPCO. He started as a machinist with the company in the early 1960's. He was retained by DANA and retired from Dana-Spicer. He gave us a copy of a memorandum from, if I recall, the president of the Front Driving Axle Division of NAPCO that gave a brief history of the upfits, and it stated that they started in 1953. Unfortunately, I lost my copies in the wildfire that destroyed my home and shop two years ago. I'm trying to get other members that may have copies to produce them.

Thanks for the "due respect", BlueChipper

But, that "History" link that I gave came from this website. (I should have referenced them earlier). Maybe you are working with that group?

Tim, your first link has a link that originates in I'm guessing Russia? offroadvehicle.ru so I did not open it. As I said there is a lot of garbage 'history' and suppositional information floating around the net.

I'm familiar with the history you linked from napco4x4.org, and while probably most of it in my opinion is accurate, some is not. As you are well aware there is always a bone of contention here and there amongst those in enthusiast groups.

As far as the badge part of this goes, there is universal agreement among the NAPCO guys that the badges were always included in every upfit kit that was shipped and that probably 95% of customers chose to add the badge to their trucks. Were you able to see the badges in the pictures of the printed manual and advertisement I posted above?

Ken, I was trying to say that Chevrolet didn't install the earlier badge on the later truck in anticipation of the NAPCO badge being installed. If as the OP said the later badge was to big and it required a smaller badge like the 53/54 badge than it was done outside of Chevrolet by the upfitter or new owner...

Mike B

Mike just to be clear, I, the OP never suggested that. This whole thing started, because I just thought it was really strange that my 55.1 has 54 badges and the truck really looks like it was born that way. The NAPCO badge works just fine with 55.1 badges as the above post by Joe clearly shows. This thread has gotten really confusing.

BlueChipper, It's not a spam site. It links to a PDF document by Kevin P. who I'm assuming is Kevin Pennell as referenced in the napco4x4.org link. It's an interesting read, and not necessarily "garbage history". Without first hand evidence, it's all suppositional information.
You seem to be a bit confrontational, and it might help if you toned that down a bit.

The Silver Book is Chevrolets "Yellow Page" book and it cost vendors a lot of money to advertise in it. NAPCO may not have had it in the budget until after they went public???

Mike B

That is a very nice find, and you must be thrilled to own it!
I hope the price wasn’t too steep. I’m sure all will love to see what you do with it!
Charley

Thanks for keeping me straight...I re-read the first few posts and see now where I went astray...lol.

Carry on!

Mike B

Thanks, Charley. I was extremely fortunate, and the gentleman who sold it to me, knowing full well what he had ( this was part of a large collection ) made me an exceptional deal on it. I am indeed thrilled to have it. It was originally out of Kalispell, MT.

I don't open links with .ru extensions as a rule. I don't trust them. I have no problem opening links from napco4x4.org, as I'm very familiar with the site. I know the history that was written by Kevin Pennell, and I'm quite familiar with his contribution to the NAPCO world. I'm also quite familiar with a lot of the developments and information that has come to light since that history was written.

I do tend to get passionate about these things. Confrontational? Maybe. But only if someone is trying to BS me. I'm sorry but Bart's assertions and assumptions were flat out wrong and I'm not going to let that become part of a searchable internet record without challenging it and correcting it as best I can. The internet is forever and once something is posted it is in a way legitimized. Example: We've all heard the guy at the car show swear by God in Heaven that his uncle Leeroy worked the line and was able to order his 1954 Chevy truck with a 283 brand spankin' new, or some other variation of that and I see it online as well. We all know how many holes there are in that statement, but people with less experience will believe it because they don't know any better. Then they'll repeat it. Repeating false claims has a way of legitimizing them. To suggest the because Jim Carter's catalog says the badges are unique to 1957-59 makes it gospel truth, purely for that reason is crazy. There is far too much actual evidence to the contrary out in the world.
Bottom line, I have been actively involved in the NAPCO world for a long time. I know what I'm talking about because I've hunted down the proof and had the parts in hand and crawled all over the trucks and owned several of them. I've never been satisfied with hearsay.
My first love was 1954 Chevy trucks, and I've always admired Tim Lederman's deep knowledge of them, which is based on a LOT of documentation, and a lot of first hand observation. Getting to ride in his 1954 Carryall at Macungie, Pennsylvania in 2007 is still one of my favorite memories. I've followed his lead of looking for the evidence in my 1954-55 Chevy research and my NAPCO research, both in the field and in the books.

In my experience on this site, there are a number of people that enjoy picking fights, and I'm not one to back down from them. So maybe it's not just me that can be confrontational and needs to tone it down.

I believe this thread has reached a logical conclusion. Should someone have valuable information regarding this subject contact me by PM and I will unlock the thread. Taking verbal swings at each other accomplishes nothing.