The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 38 Chevy - some questions on what I've got ??

Hello all, I just recently bought a 38 Chevy truck and need some info. The hood was just sitting on the truck when I bought it. The truck had no grill and was missing something else on top of the grill shell. I have been trying to find a pic or two that would show me what I am missing. It looks like there was a piece that ran across the top of the shell but it is missing.That must be where the prop rods and the front of the hood mounts but I am just guessing. I am looking for parts but don't know what I am looking for there. Anyone ? Thanks, Denny

Some of the suppliers have illustrations which may be helpful. I have a few related diagrams that I could scan. If you want to send me a PM with an Email address, I could send them over to you.

I don't know how close the 38 car and truck were in regards to the sheet metal but on the sedan there is a central chrome piece that slides over the two hood halves and attaches at the front and the back. This forms the hinge arrangement.

The piece on top of the grill shell (sometimes called a doghouse) would be the upper baffle. I see them fairly regularly on ebay. The upper baffle for a PU is different from that of a car. On a car the hood props are at the firewall end of the hood. I've not seen a truck set up but I always assumed they were similar.
This shows the upper baffle on my 38 coupe.

I don't have a good pic of just the hood props but the very upper right of this pic shows the prop mount location on my coupe.

Are you just missing the Grille or the entire front cowl and radiator core support? The rear end of the butterfly hood rod slides into a bracket mounted to the upper side of the front cab cowling. The forward end of the rod slides into the back of the hood ornament on the pickups. hope that helps.

I think I described my missing parts wrong. All I have is the grill shell minus the top baffle. When I said prop rods, I was wrong. What I should of said was I don't have nor know how the radiator support rods go. I assume they bolt to the upper baffle somehow and still not sure how the hood attaches up front. What I am calling a grill shell, I think you are calling a front cowl and radiator core support which I have.Thanks , Dennis

Yea, It's starting to make sense. What is the part description for the piece that the support rods hook to? Thanks again. Dennis

Core support/doghouse/grill shell....three names I've heard it called.

Well I got my missing parts problem solved.I bought a front clip from another 37 truck. I am picking it up tomorrow.Can't wait.

Well, you have me curious. You said you have a 38 truck, but you bought a front clip from a 37 truck. That's not going to work because the whole raditor cowl and upper baffle are different on a 37 than a 38. None of those parts are interchangable. Let me know what you are going to do. I might need a few of the 37 parts myself.
Thank you!

I am changing the whole frontend, radiator cowl or dog house, hood and fenders.. From the cab back is 38, everything foward of the cab is 37. Later, Dennis

The fenders are the same for both years. So your 38 will be a 37 when you finish.

Except for the title. There's a guy in Newkirk OK who put a 38 front clip on a 37 sedan because he couldn't find the necessary 38 sheet metal. Makes it a bit confusing at times.

Of course, there will be all of the other little things that will still make it a 38 instead of a 37.
It'll be a 37.5!

Yea, 37.5 it will be. I just like the grill on the 37 better than the 38. Either way it will be a pretty cool truck when finished.

.... Joe, make that a 38 1st series. Hehehe LOL

Very rare, rare truck! A 1938 1st Series! WOW!