The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk What year is it?

I'm getting ready to install a new wiring harness in this Chevy 3600 truck. I purchased the 1950-52 harness because up until now I've been positive it's a 1950 model. Upon closer inspection I've noticed that the grommets on the firewall are dry rotted and should be replaced. I took a look in the Classic Parts catalog and noticed the grommet I have in this truck is for a 1947-49 model. With a metal plate that covers it. Now things are getting confusing. Is this truck a 1949 or 1950? Or some kind of hodgepodge...Here's a link to the photo:

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af352/vincentmilone/IMG_0080.jpg

The tapered type grommet is used.

The only thing I can think of is that it's an early 1950 truck that used late '49 parts that were left in stock?

Thanks in advance.

You got me on the grommet cover...
Does your truck have a fuse box on driver side of firewall with 5 fuses or a small box with only 2 fuses?
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1948_51truck/51ctsm1201.htm
Also, does your truck have modern telescopic-type shocks on front or "knee-action" type? For me thats the easiest way to tell a 49 from a 50. Of course those could have been changed...

I believe this truck has the small box with two fuses(?) Here's a picture of the fusebox:
http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af352/vincentmilone/IMG_0084.jpg

Here's a picture of the telescoping shock on the front:

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af352/vincentmilone/IMG_0083.jpg

and here's a picture of the model number on the drivers side door tag:

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af352/vincentmilone/IMG_0087.jpg

Any ideas now?

http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/vin/vinbuster.html

enter your door post S/N in the link above
Looks like a 50 3/4 ton

I agree, everything indicates a 50 3600 3/4-ton.
Is it a pickup or a stakebed/cab-chassis? Not that it matters...

How do we explain the metal plate covering the 47-49 tapered grommet then? Interesting. Do those shocks look original/correct?

It's a pickup. Here's a photo of it:

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af352/vincentmilone/DSC_0048-1.jpg

It's a solid truck. Needs some body work, but very little rust underneath. The colors a drag, but it won't be forever.

Thanks though guys! If anyone has anymore input on this subject please let me know. I'm assuming now the '50 harness I got is fine to use.
Should I get the 47-49 grommet or get the '50-52 grommet then?

do you have a pic of your firewall?
Here is my 50 cab
...pic...

notice the H pattern just above the toe board on the drivers side

is your smooth or have the H pattern

The firewall doesn't have the H pattern. It's smooth.........

Like this?

...pic...

The smooth firewall s typical of a 49
Your s/n comes back to a 50 manufactured in april of 50.
Assembly plant may of used the earlier cab.

Yes, here is a picture of the firewall: http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af352/vincentmilone/DSC_0049-2.jpg .

So a 1949 cab would account for the 47-49 tapered grommet.

Is this uncommon/original or not/something to be worried about?

So will the '50 harness be fine?

Do I technically have a 1950 truck, or a hodgepodge?

You have a great looking truck

Due to your tail stop fuse the 50 harness should work fine

Is it titled a 50?

How may rear cab mounts do you have 2 or one in the center?

Nothing at all to be worried about

Okay great. Thank you. I'll check under the truck for the cab mounts tomorrow. What's the diagnosis if there are two cab mounts in the center?
I've noticed driver side vent doors on the 47-49's have a knob. This truck's is flat. Distinct of the 50 trucks, right?
Here's my theory. This S/N date backs to April 1950. Still early in the year. There were some '49 cabs left. Chevy used the 49 cab for my truck, because the average consumer wouldn't know any better. But they HAD to change the vent door knob to the '50 design because leaving the knob would be too obvious of a 'dated' car. So they switched the vent door.

Plausible?

A 49 cab should have metal windlace retainers screwed to the cab door frame.

Looks like it is the 48 that used the single rear cab mount
...link...
There may have been some mid year changes in 49 also.

The vent handle in my 50 is just like yours
...pic...

Early '49 cabs has the screw windlace retainers and late '49 cabs (and later) had the channel windlace retainers

Early had screw headliner bow and late '49 (and later) had a ffloating headliner bow.

What does a floating headliner bow look like? Would you guys say the '49 cab in the '50 truck is factory or no?
Is it possible it was a surplus '49 cab or someone swapped a cab in at some point..

The late 1949 cab is very similar (if not the same) as the 1950 cab.

It looks like the width of the seat changed in 1950, compared to 1949.

The late 1949 cab is very similar (if not the same) as the 1950 cab.

This picture of the floating bow is not useful?

The bow is in the center, I'm not sure exactly if it's fixed or floating. The edges where it curves down, there is a gap between the liner and the roof.
Also, as far as the seat, with the door shut, there's about a 3" space between the seat and the door. Is that considered the '50 wide?

Here's a photo for whatever it is worth: http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af352/vincentmilone/IMG_0089.jpg .

I believe that the upper front shock mounts for telescopic shocks were factory installed with rivets, not bolted as these seem to be. Indicating a retrofit for later model shocks.

Anyone second the rivet info?
Are there any numbers I can pull off the bed/chassis/engine to further confirm what's going on here? Where are they, and where can I decode the numbers. I pulled off a number on the engine, it reads: AHCMI52639. Which comes up as a 1950 3600 235 engine. All good there. Only difference is the plate on the door says Tarrytown NY while the engine says Tonawanda NY. Why's that?
Anyone have a theory of what happened here? It's like a 1949 and 1/2
How does one go about determining what year the truck is, for buying parts, etc. when dealing with a situation like this?
I'm bummed that it's not 100% original, is this any reason to not continue with restoration?
Thanks for the input guys.

P.S. Checked under the cab, there are two mounts at the rear.

Yes, rivets were originally used for the shock mounting plates-to-frame.

Tarrytown is where truck were assembled
Tonawanda was where engines were made.

You say it is like a late 1949 truck. Is that not like a 1950 truck?

I got some numbers off the transmission. Not sure if I read them off right. They're in this format.

C cong (?)
5 C210
GM
591665

Although the brackets aren't riveted, they look like they were installed a while ago. Interesting....From that picture I posted, does it look like they're in the right spot for a 1950 truck?

Thank you for the help tclederman.

It is quite possible that the bolted-on brackets are replacements for worn out riveted-on brackets. If the rubber bushings on the top posts of shocks go bad, the top mounting plates could get worn so badly that they would have to be replaced (I had to do that on the 1954 1/2 ton I am restoring).

Here is information on the locations of transmission serial numbers.

C210 could be a date casting code:
C = March
21 = 21st
0 = 1950

591665 is a casting code for an SM420 4-speed (1947-1953) - is that what you have?

That's what I was thinking...If you don't mind me picking your brain a bit more...If it's a '49 truck, the telescopic shocks would be a conversion from the knee shocks. Right? How much work/different placement would be involved in the conversion. Because the telescopic shocks under there look pretty natural to me.
Also, what other "quirks" are there that are significant to a 1950 truck, not a 1949.

What are the odds of a surplus '49 cab being used on a '50 truck. has that been known to happen?

Definitely interesting. Within the next month we'll be installing the wiring harness, should be fun. Any tips for that? I think it would help to remove the bench seat.

There is evidence of blue paint on your firewall. Do you notice this on your front/rear fenders or bed?

It is possible your cab may have been replaced at some point, or as you suspect it could of come from the factory the way you have it.

Do you have any other pics you can share?

Here are some pictures:

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af352/vincentmilone/DSC_0010-5.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af352/vincentmilone/DSC_0027.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af352/vincentmilone/DSC_0052-1.jpg

http://i1023.photobucket.com/albums/af352/vincentmilone/DSC_0061-2.jpg

The blue paint that we found under that metal plate covering the grommet is the same blue that's shining through on the bed. Areas that are chipped off/worn you can see that same shade of blue under the red. I can't seem to find any blue on fenders. But is that blue a 1950 color? If we can assume that that tiny metal plate wasn't removed to paint on a new color in the past, then it may be safe to say that the cab and bed are original to the truck.......what do you think? Do you need any more specific pictures, I can take some. Notice there are 3 holes on the dash.
Thank you!

A good place to look for original color is under the hood

....pic....

Bed sides
...pic...
My truck was originally red

Here is a pic Of a 50 dash
...pic...
Your dash is modified for some reason

And yes blue was offered in 1950, someone else can advise on what color blues

Will check again tomorrow to see what's under the hood. Yes-- there was a spot light mounted on the outside near the roof, I'm assuming that was where the switch was. That hole will have to be filled. Overall would you say it's worth it to go ahead and restore it and call it a 1950 truck? Other than the cab, everything else screams 1950. It just bugs me when these things aren't original, I didn't see this curveball coming.

It’s difficult for me to give an opinion on whether something is worth restoring.

Personally I don’t see any issues at all. You have door post S/N, engine number, title all say 1950. I would not hesitate at all driving that truck as is or restoring it. (But that’s just me)

I often look at craigslist or eBay listings and see trucks with obvious misleading descriptions.ie and early AD truck with a 54 bed, or a 54, 55 1st with the early AD grill and front fenders, a 48 with winged windows and pull down handles.
My 50 has a 235 from a 54 car. I didn’t even realize that until I joined this forum.

what is your goal? daily driver, Show truck, VCCA judged and approved truck?

The goal is for it to be a daily driver, so I suppose it's not a big deal. More of a guilty conscious thing, LOL.

So we will carry on restoring it as a 1950 truck. Because that's what it is...now I'm getting the hang of it.

I've been wondering why the year was so important, did you do something shady?

Nothing shady, would just like to able to say it's a 1950 truck and have it not be a lie. I guess having mismatched stuff is more common than not, but I'm still thinking it came from the factory like this. If anyone has a truck with a scenario like this, chime in! In the meantime, thanks for your help guys. Will be back with questions I'm sure once we start installing the harness.

50chvytrk, I know your pain. My pickup was listed in the paper as a 53, licensed as a 53... but with the help of all the people on stovebolt and the numbers, etc. It turned out to be built in Oct 52 with all the 52 numbers. The side emblems said Chevrolet, no 3100. I was confident it was a 52, but I didn't want to cause problems with getting the title changed and so forth, so I put on a chrome grill, didn't paint it the stock color (although it is close) and found some hubcaps from some other year and drove it with a big grin . When people ask I tell them a 53, but deep down inside I think she is a half year older .

My 56 was made in late 55 and registered first in the following year. The information I recieved here was that happened back in the day, year of registration instead of build. The only thing that has come up for me is that when I get parts I have to remember to say "ok, well check for a 55 then"