The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 3100 chassis/frame

is there any differance between first series a second series 3100 chassis/frame

say between 1953 and 1957 .

this is a little bit ,,urgent,, as i have a quick decision to make

thanks

mike..

Like night and day.

hi , napco man what is the main differance?

only i,m in the process of buying a 55 2nd series

humber on the plate on the cab door pillar = M255KO38183 which the vin busters says is 1955 from kansas mo

the number on the chassis = 53L123942 which as far i can find out is 1953 from LA

I,M CONFUSED the chassis frame looks as if its the correct one i wonder if there,s some mistake in the chassis number but i cant get over to where the truck is at the moment

HELP please

There were no numbers on the chassis of a '53 3100. I'm not sure there should be any on a '55. The general consensus is the chassis numbering started with '56 models.

Where specifically is this number located?

I don't believe that GM started stamping their frames until ? I am not sure. Pretty sure it was not in 1955. What you have might be a frankentruck. Pontiac engine, Chevrolet and GMC fenders etc. This was put together from several trucks. The most important number is on the registration, what does it match?

thers no registration as yet only the import and customs paid paper work from it being imported to the uk.

and i beleive the seller has the original arizona title papers he says he has them but i havnt seen them for myself as yet
the frame number was found so i,m told on the drivers side(left)front leg just near the steering box when the previous owner cleaned the frame prior to painting .. when i looked i couldnt make it out as it wasnt in a well lit garage
so i,ve quoted it as he gave it to me

any more idea,s / info on this

i know the the seller sourced and fiited the pontiac v8 allthough he said it came from a 57 gmc truck

i need to make a decision wether to buy or not in the next 24hrs

thanks

It has been reported that some states put stamped codes on the chassis on trucks that pre-dated a national VIN code. California is one of those states. The indirect evidence points to this being done when a truck was registered in CA sometime after original titling (in another state).

Does the truck come with a proper title or registration? If it does, ask for a scan and/or photo of both sides of the document(s). Then show these to your vehicle registration people in the UK. If scans of both sides of one or of both documents a are not available, look for another vehicle.

It's a tough call without seeing the truck in person. You probably don't have many opportunities to find old trucks over there, but make sure the numbers match. I'm currently puting a '52 3100 on a '59 3100 4x4 frame and it's going to take some fabrication.

I can't make any recommendations without seeing/knowing more.

Good luck, George

thanks george.

i,ll see if the seller will ,,adjust,, the price a little to help my decision

i think it will work out ok
there,s ways of registering vehicle,s in the uk even without any original documents but it can get ,long winded ,, drawn out job

but its got import papers so should be ok

Good luck and post some pictures when you can.

The '55 2nds do have the serial number stamped on the frame. It's on top of the frame rail next to the steering box. On mine, it's also stamped under the cab, about 2 feet away from the number by the steering box.
Since you mention it having a Pontiac engine from a GMC, could it possibly have a GMC chassis as well. Might explain the serial number discrepancy.

...somewhere along between 53-57 I think the chassis kicks up more around the rear wheel area. I'm not positive on this but you ask the difference and I THINK it "kicked up" around '54.

....maybe I misunderstood your question?? Good luck on your decision making.

Re read your first post. According the serial number, it should be a 3200, which is a long bed 1/2 ton. It should have a 123.25" wheelbase and a 7 1/2 foot bed.

The frames are very different. The '55 2nd has straight rails, constant 34", no taper like the 1/2 ton ADs. The kickup at the rear axle is present, but not as pronounced as the '54s.

47-54 frames are narrow in the front, wide in the back.

55-59 are about the same width the whole length.