The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Time to don your thinkin caps - GMC Quiz

What are the correct years or series that these two similar but different gauge clusters were used?

Answering this correctly will guarantee you a reserved place in the anals of (retentive minutia) Stovebolt lore.

Tom,


Are these part of your Freebies .... parts, parts, parts post in the Swap Meet?

That I can’t answer, Peggy. Once I know the year of the truck this change was made I can then include the other in the Freebie list. Last I heard these were exceptionally highly valued and I would hope that the person who may get one of these as a free part, will contribute at least several grand to this site. It’s only fair.

Hint: these were used prior to 1950.

Could it be that gasoline is American and fuel is Canadian?

Did gmc ever produce a diesel for trucks in that era? Possibly fuel part is for diesel???? Shot in the dark!!

3-71 Detroit ?

Not quite the answer you are looking for Tom, but:

part number 1565634 was used on series 100 through 370 from 1939 through 1946
part number 1500997 was used on series 100 through 370 from 1947 through 1950
part number 1581636 (which replaced 1581063) was used on series 100 through 350 from 1951 through 1953
Any numbers on the back side?


Which of these were marked "fuel" and which are "gasoline" I have no idea. I think all the diesel models had totally different dashes.

Getting closer!

part number 1500997 was used on series 100 through 370 from 1947 through 1950 is the one marked gasoline

Very good. This is helpful. I recall from a dark place somewhere recessed in my mind though, that there was a change from the word Gasoline to Fuel. What year that happened is eluding me. Otto poses an interesting thought however, about Canadian GMC’s. But I sort of recall a word change in the lower 48 too.

We’ll keep this thread going. To be in the running for the enshrinement into the Stovebolt Hall of Infamous Lore (SHOIL) is something that a person can certainly perspire to.

For "weekend chatter with a purpose" ... I think this has been enlightening. Even *I* have been reading it. And I did my best not to interrupt. Until now. Didn't want Gdads51 to move the thread!!

Not moving this - no way - no how!

It is right were it belongs.

Keep going folks, inquiring minds want to know!!!

Dan

PS - May not be for much longer.

From all the info I can find the word gasoline was changed to fuel in the 1950 model year on the smaller GMC trucks. I do not know about the larger series. That would make the gauge cluster for 1950 a 1 year only. The housings for the gauges in 47 2nd series are 1 year only also.

I believe yiu are correct, TwinJimmys. That affirms my vague recollection. Thanks for your diligence. I may have to come up with a Free Part as your reward. I don’t think you qualify as a SHOIL inductee though. I believe this puts you in the Famous Lore category (minus the Infamous title).


Thanks again. Nice work.

Tom

Pulled this from the internet on a 1948 GMC (L). 1950 (R)

While at it - I like the mustard beige color of the 47-50 GMC gauges.

I made ann attempt to reproduce that color but it’s difficult to do when the NAPA guy has full control of the colors and he’s watching the clock and customers going in and out of the door. I know I could do it if given the opportunity.

I don’t believe a vendor sells the gauge color for those wanting to restore these gauges.

Decals are available - but the color match is not very close. I was fortunate to find complete NOS gauge clusters and speedos for the collection… but they came at a price. Paint would have been much cheaper.

Well ... having worked in Government acquisition for a few years ... Allow me to chime in with an idea ... The word "Fuel" has half as many letters than the word "Gasoline" to print on the gauge face. printing fewer letters would use half as much paint -- which may seem insignificant for an individual gauge, but over the entire production run may add up to something perhaps a little less insignificant. Couple that with other ways to economize production costs and you could realize some good cost reductions. It probably got somebody an "attaboy" for saying something in a paint cost meeting .. "Hey ... what if we put "Fuel" instead of "Gasoline" on the gauge face??" I could see silence descend around the table as a lot of raised eyebrows, index fingers to chins and looking at each other with intent looks went on until the head of the paint cost reduction committee said "Brilliant!" and they moved on.

Silly? May be, but I've seen major aircraft manufacturers and government acquisition reps wrestle over sillier things than that.

I wonder if in the mind of the designer was the thought that a gauge face with the word fuel could also be utilized in the manufacture of the gauge package for trucks that utilized Diesel as the fuel. Kind of falls in line with John's view on cost saving ideas. Being a 1950 Truck, would it be possible that the Korean War, and potential shortages of materials could have impacted a design decision? Obviously we may never know but its been a very interesting post.

Outside of North America, gasoline is called petrol. One gauge for both domestic and export markets?

Kudos to the brilliant guy that got moved up another floor in the Gauge Department. That is a moment in corporate history. So many unsung hero’s in this business.

As an aside, the Uncle of a woman I married back in the day - worked for GM in the late 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. So the story goes… he came up with the concept and designed the first intermittent and delay wiper switch.

Judging by his retirement, house on the lake, and well … his hubris… i never questioned it. I would have to think that idea may have germinated in other places as a result of Defense research, and air and space technology that was outpacing, more than likely the automobile industry then.

I have yet to see a gauge with the words “recycled cooking oil”on it though.

I'm with John. Seems that the bean counters tend to win, even when it doesn't make good engineering sense.

The Korean war trucks got painted bumpers, hubcaps, etc, to save chrome for the war effort, and they needed that paint from those 4 extra letters for the previously chromed but now painted parts.

I'm in the one gauge fits all camp...gasoline, diesel or propane all can use the same gauge making the bean counter happy!

Mike B