The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs My 49 is a 51!

Ok, so this is really interesting and I had to share. My suburban project of three years (and I thought was a 49) is actually a 51. My California title read '49' but after decoding the untampered plate, it reads a 51. NC is going to title it as a 51, but this gets real interesting. I always never thought to check closely for various reasons - One being the turn down handles and no vent windows. I've come to find out that some 51's actually did have this. Also, the drivers vent cowl (which I am still researching). I never bothered running the VIN because I bought it from a friend who has owned it for over 20 years and he bought it from the original owner.

So what gives? How else can I confirm it's a 51 for grins? Was this just a suburban thing because of low production numbers, it doesn't seem to follow the convention of trucks!

Patrick,

Does your Suburban have the driver's side lower-cowl vent?
And, it has the doors with vent windows and turn-down outside handles?

Are your brakes Bendix or Huck?

Early 49's had the windlass reveal screwed in and the later versions are spot welded, the 1947/50 had the drivers side vent. I think the vin plate was screwed on in 1949 and riveted on in 1951.

Post your id tag number or attach a photo of it, that might help.

Looking at his album,the suburban does have the drivers side vent cowl,and one piece windows with no wing vents.


Tim

Where did you come to find this out? Is it documented?

I don,t want to rain on a parade,but did anybody happen to notice
in the tear down pics.that this truck,
HAD lever action shocks,
HAS a 6 circuit fuse block on the firewall,
AND hex sided clutch head screws holding on the I.D. plate.
ALL of which ended in 1950!
regards,
steve sr.

That is why I thought he should post the id plate, I think he has a pre-1949 and someone attached a 1951 id plate on it to have it registered. If he has an id plate attached with screws, it's a 1950 or earlier. The id plate will show the serial number which again will show when it was built, most likely ending the belief that it is an early 1951 (in my opinion, no ventless models were made in 1951) You will also notice that it does not have the provision for barn doors on it either. NOtice that it does not have the reinforcement indentations on the firewall. I could point out lot's of things that lead me to believe that this is a pre-1949, let's see the id tag so we can eliminate that it is not a 1951, if that matters at all!

OK, I was forced to look at these photo's again He did have the id plate posted, so I put the id number in the Vin buster (JAA115381) and it comes up unknown.That looks like a new Id plate too. One other difference that will help to determine the year is the drivers vent handle should be with a maroon knob, I believe that in 1949 and 50 they were missing the knob. I think this is a 1948, not a 1949 or 1951. It is not a 1947, because it has the three speed on the column.

JAA115381 sounds like an engine number.

cletis is correct,

JAA is a 1951 216 engine number preface.

J = 1951 year designation
A = passenger car
A = Flint, MI, regular engine

If that is on the door-post ID plate, it is not the original Vehicle Number. Looks like the a reproduction tag was stamped with the car engine number in order to be registered?

The differences between 1948 and early 1949 are very subtle. And, most of the differences are in parts that could have been swapped/changed over the years. Some 48-49 difference were grill emblem, direction of door-handle pull, and grill paint scheme.

Several changes took place in mid-1949; but, on a panel body vehicle the only significant difference was the hood side-emblems (one side-plate on each side in early 49 and two side-plates on each side in late 1949).

I'm curious if the engine has ever been changed out.Maybe they added the new engine number to the plate for the title Vin.

Just my thoughts.

Tim

Another way to check is if it still has the original Harrison radiator, it will b stamped 48 if it is indeed a 1948 suburban. What are the casting numbers on the head and block, these might offer clues too. However the engine may have been changed and this is why the discrepancies are there anyway. The other points I made are not part of Tim's information, but are definitely differences in the years. One other difference in the suburban is the hand hole on the rear side panel almost adjacent to the front doors is not present on Patricks suburban, I believe a hole was added in 1950, but I am still searching that one. Here's a picture of a 1951 suburban with hand hole.

Most of the heaters Ive seen are stamped with the H-02-47 number.I had a 53 unit with a tag # HD-206-50.My deluxe air flow recirculator heater is actually stamped Harrison 54.
This is interesting.



Tim

George,

The addition of the "hand hole" in 1950 is coincidental to the addition of a 3106 model in 1950 (3106 Suburban with rear doors - the 3116 was Suburban with end gate).

I would have thought the holes might have been useful for dealing with the end-gate cables; but, why did they not show up until 1950?

Tim,
The hand holes offer nothing that I can see, maybe an access point for body repair??? They are too far way for the cables and the access holes that are present on all of the suburbans that allow access to the cables already

Hey fella,s
on another note,
as george was saying about the stiffener stampings in the firewall,notice it DOES have the rain trough across it.
which eliminates it being a late 47
regards,
steve sr.

I hope pplummer comes back on here before North Carolina changes that title. It'll be hard to change it back.

The hand holes have the window drain tubes in them. access hole


Tim

Tim,

Were there drain tubes in earlier years?
Maybe this was added after trying to service those tubes in earlier years?
However, maybe someone just figured it would nice to have in future models in case someone ever needed to service those tubes.

No joke - this may be the answer?

Hey guys, sorry, I was in San Antonio on business this week, I just got in. And to boot, American Airlines lost my bag, I suspect they put it on the carousel in Dallas, anyway, Sorry it's taken me so long to get back with you, but I see you've already done some sleuthing.

I spoke at length with Bill (previous owner) about the tag. He's claiming that the riveted tags (later years) are bigger and you can't rivet in a tag if it's been screwed. I have had the tag off and there's no way the holes were modified. That's not to say that somebody has made up a new body tag for it, but who knows. My tag on my 49 pickup looked this good too when I bought it. Bill has owned this truck and the title for 20 years prior to me purchasing it, and also knew the previous owner. He said he would see if he still had his information to reach out to him, but you guys saw the picture of it sitting in the desert where he purchased it. That's not to say it hasn't been modified, but the entire thing has me perplexed.

To answer some of the previous questions, I took out the original engine and didn't make reference of the numbers, I knew the head had been changed, and didn't reference the block. (Too bad now). The radiator was gone when I bought it. It was a column shift, and I'm not certain of knob color.

It's going to be titled as a 51. I had no other option unless I wanted to contest it, which could have meant months or no title at all. Honestly, it doesn't really matter to me because I'll keep this truck forever and give it to my son (documented) but I wanted to know about the year

Interesting. A bit of searching says that in California, if you've lost your VIN, you can re-register by taking the serial from your engine. We all know they don't match...hmmm, are we onto something?