The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk differences between 40 to 46 cabs

is there any differences between 40 to 46 GM cabs. i'm thinking of doing a project and i have a few cabs to pick from and they are all between 40 to 46

yup!

The 1940 cab will be about 1 1/2 to 2 inches shorter than the 41-46 cabs. The 1940 cab is easily identified by a "smooth" firewall. 1941-1946 cabs have some x reinforcements on both the driver and passenger sides of the firewall. All the cabs 1940- 1946 will share the same dash, guages, doors, and windshield. 1940 and 1941 cabs mount the rear window differently than 1942-1946 cabs

I bought a '46 in August. Nice truck, no apparent rust...BUT...from research here I have found my cab is a '41! How do I know? It had no rear window but the previous owner had bought a new one from Jim Carter's and gave it to me with new rubber, but it wouldn't fit. It was "missing something". I was lucky to find the pot metal interior frame for it but have not yet installed it.

I suspect my rust free truck is only rust free because it is actually an assemblage of parts from other trucks. When I get it back from rewiring, one of the first things I have to do is check the VIN to see what it says I've got? Did someone transfer the VIN tag from the '46 to the '41 cab? Isn't that illegal? Yeah, I know, "...besides us on this site, who would ever know?". Still, is it really any more a '46 than it is a '41? Is there a VIN stamped someplace on the frame?

thanxs guys. i'm thinking of going with a 46 chev cab and a 40 gmc grill.

Dan, these trucks didn't have VIN numbers. You may very well have a 41 cab. Your truck may have been built in 46 with left over 41 parts. Fairly common back then.

George

My truck has an identification plate of some type on the cowl. That's what I meant when I said I want to "check the VIN".

I kinda doubt my truck was made of left over '41 parts all the way in '46. I know those things happened, but I'm assuming with '42 - '45 production years, not to mention military vehicles, they would have used most of the cabs up.

I think its more likely someone in the more recent past, found my truck with too much rust in the cab and swapped in an earlier cab they came upon. Which (to me) begs the question, what makes my truck a 46? The frame? Is there an I.D. number of some kind stamped on it? If not, then what do I have?

Yeah, I know it kinda doesn't matter as long as my DMV accepts what I've got. I'm just interested in determining exactly how bastardized my truck is. I still think its cool looking and am happy to own it.

The 41-46 cab is 1 1/2 “ longer as mentioned earlier, the firewall has the extra ledge supposedly for leg room. The cab is moved back on the frame 1 ½ “. The indentation on the firewall for the valve cover is the same 39-46. The hoods are different because they moved the cab. If you move the cab forward for the 40 you will have a firewall problem.