The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1957 3200 Firewall Plate #

Can anybody tell me what this number means? It’s stamped on a plate in the center of the drip edge (that’s what I call it) on the firewall.

Anybody out there? You guys are giving me a “being ignored complex”.
I haven’t gotten any replies to this message, nor in the ‘55-‘59 photo gallery.

Posting the same question in two separate forums is considered poor Stovebolt etiquette. You are not being ignored, possibly no one knows. BTW the Gallery is not the proper place for questions (note the Gallery rules). If someone knows the answer to DES57’s riddle, please post before his head explodes!

Maybe a military or fleet ID??

I didn’t post the question twice! Only on this General<Truck Talk. I was just feeling left out on the Photo Gallery because nobody commented on my post of my truck and write-up.

Good thought 68Ironhead. If true, not every truck would have one. I’ll have to do some “under the hood” checks at the next car/truck show I attend.

DES57, sorry about that. Your post made it sound like you had asked in both places. I see what you are saying now. Not everyone gets responses right away on their Gallery posts. Nice looking truck for sure.

I've never seen that tag before...none of my trucks have it.

The factory could have added it to a Fleet contract to keep track of the number of truck made against the total number owed (just a guess).

Do you see any signs that your truck was fleet owned?

Mike B

Need to see a wider shot of firewall. My guess is that was stamped as part of the stamping tool for that piece and has nothing to do with the trucks "usage" or customer or military. Any tracking of the truck could be done by VIN/Serno. or other riv on plate.

I’ve not seen anything indicating fleet owned, but I’m fairly knew at this stuff. I just find it strange to be a plate attached versus just a number stamped into existing sheet metal.

Here’s a wider shot of firewall on my 57 3200.

Could it be a part/inventory number from the assembly plant?

I see now you say "stamped on a plate" and "a plate attached". Didn't realize that and I can't see that it is a separate plate. So you are saying there is a plate that is riveted, welded, screwed, glued or tattooed to the "so called "drip edge"??????? Not stamped into the drip edge/lip/firewall rib????????

I was thinking that the tool/die that stamped out the edge/rib......also at the same time, in the same stroke, stamped a flat spot and numbers.

Yes, it’s a separate plate that appears to be spot welded on the left end. I can’t get my old face close enough to see the weld on the other end.

Here’s the wider firewall picture.

I just looked at my 56 3200, and no numbers stamped or otherwise added on the drip edge. I think that is a good name for the metal piece as it seems its purpose is to keep water that runs down the firewall from possibly getting to the numerous holes and then running into the cab.

Thank you LeeD! I’m guessing it could be a tag for the cab number while being built in a specific factory, and prior to being installed on a vehicle with a serial number.

I wonder if it was a special order Fleet Color paint code...any signs of the original factory color?

Mike B

A little remnant of a blue seatbelt and the paint code on the door pillar plate says blue.

You have Stock 1957 seat belts?

What's the paint code number?

Mike B

I attached a picture of the door frame plate with 764 paint code.

1957 Chevrolet Paint Code 764 = Brewster Green, which is very close in color to Forest Green which was VERY popular truck color in the early/mid 50's.

So, that blows a hole in thinking it was a special fleet paint code...

Mike B

Forester Green was the DEFAULT color for most of the AD series trucks (47-52). If you didn't ask for something else, you got a Forester Green truck.

But yes, that Brewster Green was a standard available color, nothing special about it. IIRC, Brewster Green was a standard color for the earlier trucks and resurrected for the late 50's.
Per Page 75 on this document it may even have been the default color (being at the top of the list of solid colors available).