The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk fully stock split window with 54 grill???

I've searched and can't find the things I'm looking for. I'm waiting for the title on a truck I'm buying from a neighbor that's been hidden in the woods out back since '74.
It's a 53 or 54 according to title (he can't remember) and so untill he digs out the papers i have done lots of research and am confused. This truck is a 3100 with a grill from 54 the 3 main crossbars and one center upright bar. But it's a five window. As far as owner and I can tell it came from factory like this. Is it possibly a very late 53's truck with grill from new production line or did they use up last of split windows on first bunch of 54's haha.

Thank you for any help. I'm excited to get this truck cleaned up. It has about 50k miles on it. Stick shift. No accidents. Straight six with an oil bath air filter. Under hood airhorns, and large side mirrors with dual door mounts like a semi truck has. Also has a stock spare tire mounted on side.

Me thinks you are confused between five windows and split windshields. One piece windshield is a 54 or 55, split windshield is 53 or earlier. Five window indicates the corner glass in the back of the cap and was available on all 47-55 model trucks.

Sorry for the caused confusion.. its a five window, and it also is split window. The reason im confused about the year is because the truck is supposedly all stock and was parked in 74 by the gentleman i am buying it from. The grill is a 54 grill and came with the truck from the factory but its a split window which causes conflict because 53 is suppose to be the last year there were split window. i am just hoping that someone can say 'not possible' or its a very very late 53 or a very very early 54... i hopefully will have a pic posted in a few minutes so everyone can see for themselves.

Here are some pictures of my newly acquired truck!!!

I'm posting 5 pictures. I will provide links of the same 5 pics as larger high quality pictures,and links to smaller pictures,easy to view quickly on slow speed internet.. enjoy!


high quality photos

front picture
front side
rear side view
engine bay
interior/dash

small clips

front
front side
rear side view
engine bay
interior/dash

My guess is that it is a 54. The engine looks like a pressure oiled 235 and the dash looks like a 54. The windshield is curved while the 53's were flat. I am wondering if someone replaced the glass and made it a two piece windshield for some reason.
It is unusual.
Just my thoughts.
Jim

That is a 54 or 55 1st, grille, bed and dash is correct. It looks to me like somone added the center strips on the orginial one piece curved windshield.

Great observation on the window. I'll have to go take a peek again. This shall be fun to know complete history of the truck

Regardlessly of being Frankensteined, it's a pretty good-

looking old truck, loveoldpaint! Good pics!

Good luck on getting it "cleaned up". Keep us posted.

1954 or 1955-1st series with an odd windshield (with an added divider, perhaps on both sides of the glass - it appears to be curved glass).

Several years ago, someone posted information on a 1954 truck in South Africa that had all 1954 parts/interior, except for a real split windshield.

If there is an ID plate on the cab between the hinges on the driver's side, please post the ID.

The emblems on the side of the hood could have also been changed but it would be interesting to see what one looks like.

Things in the engine compartment seem to indicate that it might have a later engine (and it has been changed to 12v). Codes on the engine will help ID it.

Is that a '58/'59 parked behind it???

looks like a car. pontiac or olds maybe?

This might be a long shot,but a lot can happen to a truck nearly 60 years.
It's entirely possible at some time in the trucks life a resourceful P.O has added a centre bar.

When I first saw the pics I thought someone had simply stuck a bar on the outside,then realised it also had an inner bar.
(I assume it's actually screwed in place?)

Could it be the P.O. had access to two windshields in which one was cracked on the left side and one on the right.
By cutting the two in half and adding a centre bar this would eliminate the need to replace the whole glass with a new (expensive)one piece?

Just a thought......

Tim, I'm not familiar with S.A. Chevys production differences,but I do know that VWs built in S.A. had some real oddball mixtures of crossover parts.
So your theory of a South African built Chevy might well fit,although I imagine it should be right hand drive?
Like you say the I.D. plate should clarify this.

Agreed with the rest. I really think it to be a 54 with an add on strip. The 53 cab has sort of a "widow's peak" that matches the divider. That cab looks to be missing the peak and matches the curved windshield. Maybe they just glued the strips on, maybe they figured out a different way to mount them. My vote is 54 with add on trim.

If it were mine, I think I'd leave it on there. It's a good conversation piece and would drive the correct police crazy! Plus, it looks kind of cool!

I've always liked the later AD grill and the earlier split window ... best of both worlds!

Thanks everyone for their input. I'm pulling it out of the weeds this Saturday and will have plenty of pics for everyone to flip through!! Excited.

Ok, this is probably not possible but, I wonder if there is any way a curved split window from a ‘52 Chevy CAR would fit the cab of a ‘54 Chevy TRUCK. If you look at pictures, they look like the same thing. I’m probably way off.

Another possibility (that makes more sense) is that a P.O. added the center piece in order to run a sun visor from an earlier truck or better yet , a visor from a ‘49 to ‘52 car.

Whada ya think?

I will be posting door jam numbers today. Who ever wanted them can feast on them soon! And with consideration of the rain coming today, I'm going to pull out the truck today also. Soooo excited. Let the games begin!

Yep I would say a 1954 that someone has modified the windshield. Everything else on the truck is 1954 material. Good luck with the clean up, should be fun & exciding to get on the road. Laters....

Here is the door jam as far as I can see. I'll post pics soo. When I'm not using my phone.

H5yk 911080
Now the y is Probly a 4 but it honestly looks a Y.
Through research though I have seen that it should be a letter for series, then 2 numbers for a year then a letter for plant location, then 6 numbers for production sequence. That means the y should be a number and it's hard to see. I will once again post pics in a few hours. Truck is by the road now ready to be loaded on a trailer.

loveoldpaint

Plug your Vin # in the link below...

H54k 911080

The VIN Buster

I love this thing..... I checked all of my 8 trucks on it. Nice!!

twotone, that was my first thought, as a guy down the road has a '52 coupe with that curved split windshield! But, what are the odds it would fit the trucks??? This is an interesting thread.

*

Editor note: This board is for discussion of a specific era of old GM trucks. You are welcome to ask off topic questions in the Greasy Spoon.

Good point. This is starting to turn into a build thread. Im going to end this thread and start a build somewhere proper. I'll post a link in my signature within the week. Pics and videos have been taken.

I was just informed that the back window out of a 1950 (xxxx)
Could fit into the front of a 54. Can't remember if he said coupe or just car. Anyone heard of this?
And can someone tell me the best place to start a posting for my build. I want to put all the pics of removal and restoring but want it properly located on this website. Thank you to everyone

There is a DITY (do it yourself)gallery forum on this site. It's the place to post links to pictures of your progress. All truck pics are welcome there whether in progress or finished.

Thanks. And to continue the topic of this thread, I took a somewhat closer look at the piece on the window. After review I could not say for sure what it is and how it is attached. Its fairly good quality and blends with the window and surrounding moldings fairly well but does have an aftermarket look to it rather than factory fit. I will take some really close pics and let y'all peek at em and tell me what you think. I believe there is something going through the window attaching both trims together but I don't see screws or rivetts so the outer chrome piece must be clicked or snapped onto the inner piece that is screwed on or what ever it is. Pics by Monday for sure!!

Ilook forward to seeing them,i'm curious!

Tim
What makes you think it's a later 235? No vent slots in valve cover? I can't see the water pump to tell if it's high or low. What about 12 volts? I think I can see a black, greasy generator. Is that a balast resistor on the firewall?

I agree with the others that it's a 54 - with a 2-piece windshield - for some unknown reason. Cool old truck! Congrats. I hope you can get it running and back on the road. Good luck.

"Things in the engine compartment seem to indicate that it might have a later engine (and it has been changed to 12v). Codes on the engine will help ID it."

It looks like there is a 12v system ignition-resistor on the firewall. If that is a ballast resistor, this was just an observation that the electrical system has been changed.

The valve cover does not help to ID the year of a block. They were bolt-on interchangeable from 54-63 and there were at least 4 styles of 4-screw 235/261 valve covers.

If the casted-body of the water pump is entirely below the head, it is a 1955-2nd or later 235/261.

As others posted above (I think), the door-post code (if it is the original plate and the original code) indicates the cab was assembled in 1954. I have not carefully studied all entries above, but I do not think that an engine ID has been posted in this thread?

In case you have not seen it, here is an active discussion on 54/55 trucks in which there are a few posts with photos of Australian 54/55 trucks with split windshields (with curved glass).

It's a 54 by all including grill painted to match body color. Custom Work with the 47-53 center stainless is mor likely than a factory experiment. Alow serial number coud support a factory experiment

Tim, I was going to cross refer this thread too,but you beat me to it!

Ok. Link to my 54 Chevy album in my signature. Thanks for all the help on the window and I'll be sure to keep you posted on this topic page what I find about the trim as I inspect it more. I'll try to get detailed pics of it and let everyone have a go at it.