Hoping some of the seasoned experts can shed some light on my latest find , I purchased what I'm told is a 1946 PU. It has a replacement vin tag (original removed) from California as title could not be found prior to estate sale where it was purchased.
We were told truck was in same family its entire life in southern California orchard, its virtually rust free and appears completely intact with no modifications.
I have the following info from research so far.
1. Bed is 7 boards 2. Rear fenders have 3 bolts showing above 3. 1 windshield wiper 4. Engine casting 839132 Serial #2876030 5. Leather gas tank grommet 6. Valve cover held by 2 bolts 7. Passenger door has lock in door
Welcome to Stovebolt! I see you are up near the MD / PA border. Got a few Bolters up in PA.
We have a Marylander (Mike B) who's real good at helping ID trucks. Others are, too. I'm sure someone will be popping in here soon.
~ Peggy M 1949 Chevrolet 3804 "Charlie" - The Stovebolt Flagship In the Gallery "We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." -- Winston Churchill
A quick check of the engine casting number in your 1st pic (839132) indicates the engine is actually a 216 from a 1940 year truck. Can't clearly read the stamped serial number in the 2nd pic, but if the number "2876030" doesn't have any prefix letter, that would indicate it was probably original to a 1940 "Light Commercial" 1/2 ton truck.
For help on some of the other clues to define what year truck you may have, check out this Art Deco ID Tech Tip.
Come back with more details that you find so we can continue to try and help figure out what you have.
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
I would 2nd Mike B's suggestion about reconnecting with the original family.
From your description and comparing to some info listed in the Art Deco ID Tech Tip, your rear fender "3 bolts showing above" the bed indicates a 1941, while the "Bed is 7 boards" indicates that matches with 1942-47 early series bed design.
As with many of these older trucks, they were kept running and working by using available items along it's long life. Or in some cases brought back to life doing the same thing with whatever was available.
Whatever the case may be, you have a pretty nice looking truck that you can make/remake however you desire.
Enjoy your truck and come back and ask more questions in case something else needs identifying.
Note: Best to ask further detailed questions in the particular Shop Area forum that is most on-topic to your need.
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
Hoping some of the seasoned experts can shed some light on my latest find , I purchased what I'm told is a 1946 PU. It has a replacement vin tag (original removed) from California as title could not be found prior to estate sale where it was purchased.
We were told truck was in same family its entire life in southern California orchard, its virtually rust free and appears completely intact with no modifications.
I have the following info from research so far.
1. Bed is 7 boards 2. Rear fenders have 3 bolts showing above 3. 1 windshield wiper 4. Engine casting 839132 Serial #2876030 5. Leather gas tank grommet 6. Valve cover held by 2 bolts 7. Passenger door has lock in door
On the fender bolts look at the picture, you could have missed the two on the board rails. Dual windshield wipers were an option in 46. The engine with no prefix would indicate a passenger or commercial car. Leather gas tank grommet ? Valve cover held by 2 bolts 40 Door has lock in door. 46 but not on the CK
You could check the rear axle and transmission for the prefix/numbers. Below are the 1942 and 1946 data page. 42 just in case it’s a 46 Ck truck. The CK rear axle would start with BKxxxxxxx and the transmission would just be a number.
The GM Heritage Center will have more info. GM Heritage Center GM Heritage Archive, Vehicle Information Kits.
A few comments based on my 10+ year learning and work journey restoring Sparky, a ‘46 Chevy 1/2 ton.
If the subject truck is a ‘46, there are clues that it is, but it appears to have had at least one modification. The bed boards would have been painted black and bed wood was yellow pine, instead of what appears to be oak. The gas filler grommet being leather would likely be correct for an early post WW2 model. Rubber was still in short supply because of the war effort. That the truck has an engine apparently cast in 1940 and a maybe a few parts from other earlier model year(s) parts would not necessarily be a problem. The first months after consumer vehicle manufacturing restarted, demand was high and parts were in short supply, so manufacturers used what was available. Using a car engine in the truck would seem to be unusual, but not necessarily an impossibility under the circumstances. As suggested by Jim, checking numbers on other parts would be helpful.
Sparky was born in June 1946 and has “DP” as a prefix to its serial number. It came with the leather gas tank grommet. There are seven bed boards and fenders are bolted as shown in the OP photos and as Jim reported. Its other parts casting numbers match ‘46 production parts.
