The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Need help identifying year of truck

Looking at a truck to purchase. He says it is a 47 Chevy 1/2 ton short bed. It had vent windows in the doors and the gas tank is in the cab with the filler on the passenger side...ther is no title. My 48 has no vent windows and the gas tank is under the bed.

From Chevy Down Under:

Late 1947 - In mid 1947, GM introduced this new design truck. Gas tank is mounted under the bed & fills through the hole in passenger bedside. Bed contains 9 boards. Truck name stamped in tailgate. Bed approximately 3" wider than prior style. Wiper motor mounts under the dash. Three-speed transmission uses floor shift. Windshield is 2 piece, non-movable type. Windlace around door opening is held in place with screw-on metal retainer. Headliner center bow is screwed to roof of cab. One piece door glass, not vent windows in door. Hood side emblem says CHEVROLET & THRIFTMASTER. Shock absorbers are lever-action type. Serial #'s, EP 1/2 ton, ER 3/4 ton, ES 1 ton, etc...

Check out this page on Stovebolt.

From your description, sounds like he's got an early '47. Check out the Stovebolt galleries. Compare members' trucks, particular '47 first series with '47 seconds.

Bill

Does it have the ID plate on the drivers side pillar? Try the VIN BUSTER If it has flip door handles and a vent window it is a 1951, if it has push button handles it is most likely a 1952 or 1953, does it have a 80 MPH speedometer or 90 MPH?

Something to keep in mind is if you can get the number off the cab plate you should be close. How/what is it titled as? One thing to keep in mind on the doors is after 60 years it could have had a complete retrofit early doors on a late cab and vice versa. Look at the paperwork and examine all the major differences to be sure.

Tank in cab started in '49. Check shocks, if lever is '49, if tube, might be '50 up. Doors with vents started in 51. About this I'm not 100% sure but cowl vent door disappeared around 52.
Close transmission I think ended also on 51. The arch on the frame at rear door is flatter from 54-55 1st.

Hope this helps

1947 and 1948 had gas tank under the bed. 1947 & 1948 were almost the same truck. However, there were significant internal-differences in the engines and in the transmissions.

Doors with no vent window and a turn-down door-handle in 1947-50.
Doors with vent window and turn-down door-handle in 1951.
Doors with vent window and push-button door-handle in 1952-55.
Doors from any year may have been later placed on any year cab.

Last year of driver's-side cowl-vent was 1950 (no need for it, supposedly, when vent windows came in 1951).

Enclosed driveshaft torque-tube rear-ends/transmissions were standard on 1/2 ton trucks through 1954.

does it have a big chrome grill? sounds like you have a 46 I have the same truck

kurt/ there were no 1946 chevy trucks with vent windows...

weltertm, the cab isn't '47, for sure. Like your '48, mine has the tank under the bed, and no vent windows. Either this truck is a later model, or it's been significantly altered.