The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1952 Chevy truck -- what do I have? -- CA

Got a new project about a week ago. Not too sure about all of its history, but here are a few pictures.

Anything anyone can tell me about what I've got here would be appreciated.

Welcome to Stovebolt.com, Cardriver333

If you want to ID the engine, find and post the following codes :

1. Engine Serial Number (pressed/stamped into the ledge at the rear of where the distributor goes into the block.

2. Block Casting Code
3. Block Date Casting Code

4. Head Casting Code
5. Head date casting Code

A second WELCOME to you in here to add to my original one in your 1st post in The Engine Shop!

Am sure that many here can help tell some of the story about your truck.

Probably the best place to start though is by telling us more about what you already know. Any information you were told be the seller, if it has a cargo bed, flat bed (or no bed at all) and similar info.

As there are a great number of specific Tech forums in our site, it is best to ask questions, one specific topic or category at a time - in those respective forums.

This is just the place to do introductions.

Another good suggestion is to use our Search the Site tool to take a look and see what may have already been discussed.

As also mentioned in my other Welcome post, it's highly recommended that you get a copy of a "Shop Manual" for your '52. It is great reading to help you learn more about your truck.

Catch you in the forums!

Dan

Doors have vent windows and pushbutton handles. Makes it 52 thru 55.1, or at least the doors are. Passenger cowl vents go up to 55.1?

How many lugs do the wheels have. They should have 6 but your wheels look like 1992-1996 Ford F series rims which would have 5.

Just wondering if the rear end was swapped, disc brakes installed, etc.

I counted 8 lugs and drum brakes

It’s a 3/4 ton
That’s why it has 3/4 ton suspension and brakes and 8 lug wheels
It’s not a 1 ton because the frame has a rear axle bump
-s

OK. It was referred to as a '52 3100 in the fuel thread so figured it must have been modified or something.

Cardriver333,

Curious, did you ever figure out exactly what your truck is? You have a lot of input here and in the Engine Shop.

'welcome to the 'bolt. That looks like a nice start

Gonna move this to GTT. I know Cardriver also posted in Engines for info on his engine.

May get more input from GTT .... if he comes back in at some point. All good. May just be here for some tech help. Looks like he's got a bunch of those kind of questions.

All good.

Split windshield, so before 54. And as another member stated, it has vent windows, so if the doors are original, that would make it after 51 or so. I m going to guesstimate that it is indeed a 52. I m accustomed to seeing the fuel tank in the cab, but it’s not surprising to see an external one added either. I ve found that suburban and blazer tanks work well at the back of the frame.

What does the serial number plate on the driver's door hinge pillar look like? Unless it's been swapped out (cab swap?) that would help with ID'ing the year.
It's either a '52 or '53, as was noted by the wing windows and door handles and split windshield. The chrome grille is not original, as 52 and 53 were Korean war era when chrome use was restricted. Looks like the rear axle and driveline were changed out to an open driveline.

Good eyes there. It appears to be converted from the torque tube design (which I would consider a good thing). The spring perches appear to be riveted onto the frame, and include grease fittings, so I assume that the springs are of original type, though I don t recognize those overload springs and brackets. I had a 1-1/2 ton with the trans mounted park brake that was open driveline, but don t know if they did it on any smaller of a truck, such as a 3600. It s definitely an original type frame, as there is no denying that park brake cross lever behind the cab. Sure looks to be a 1/2 ton frame to me. Why do I remember spring wrap being an issue with original springs and torque tube conversions? Whatever the case, he's got a truck that someone has done most of the hard work on already.

I don't think it's a 1/2 ton frame, unless it's from a flat top rail bed ('54-55.1) which had a much lower rear hump than a '47-5'2 1/2 ton. Also clues to it being a 3600 (3/4 ton) frame are the shock mounts mounted inboard of the rails. 1/2 ton would have shock mounts outside the frame rails. Also, a 1/2 ton frame has a fairly pronounced increase in width till just after the rearmost crossmember. A 3600 frame has parallel rails from just behind the cab which is what his pic looks like.

Another good eye there. Also, why do I seem to remember the 1/2 tons using friction shocks? It seems that my 1950 had them. That thing bucked like a donkey looking for a date. That is, until I modified the truck to the point that all of the original charm that I loved about it was gone, and it ended up being just another pickup. Sigh, the young...

What is distance between the front and rear axle?

It has the 47-49 3600 under frame gas tank. Open rear half driveshaft like my 47 3600. 8 lug wheels. Newer shocks than the lever shocks I have in my 47 3600. Frame looks right for a 3600, not a 3100 1/2 ton frame. It has the bed mounting holes like my 3600. Doors would not match the gas tank year, by the time the vent windows came in to play the tank should be behind the seat. Curious as what the vin tag says. My overload spring brackets are different than this truck brackets. Mine are level with the top of the frame.

It's also got a horn relay AND the inside gas tank. The horn relay didn't show up till after 1951 (I have a 1954 wiring diagram that shows it.) It's a Frankentruck as far as year. It's got pushbutton door handles, so it's at least a '52 cab.
@gmcreo, Lever shocks were phased out in 1949 or 50.