The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Anyone ever see this?

I removed the bed from my 55 2nd series 6100 and as I was cleaning the frame I from THESE NUMBERS stenciled on the frame. Apparently my truck was assemble on St. Patrick's Day 1955. Does anyone know what the other numbers mean? My truck was built @ the Oakland Ca. plant. SEE YA! Mark

At least the frame was assembeled that day. Paint the wrecker Kelly Green!

Be interesting to see date codes from trans, bell housing, radiator, rear axle and guage cluster and anything else that may be original to get an idea of build times.

I doubt that stenciling was done at the GM plant, more likely where ever the bed was added or maybe if the original purchaser was "corporate" it could be their inventory ID, a standard thing done with commercial buses and fleet trucks

Bill

og55,

Does your frame show signs of being shortened? In 1955 "X" was the series designation for the 6500 trucks...

What does it say below the date?

Mike B

Hey guys, Thanks for the replies.
Ricko, The frame and rear end are the only original parts on the truck.

red58, That makes sense I didn't consider that.

Mike B, The frame doesn't appear to be shortened. All the shackles and cross-members are still riveted and not bolted. There are no signs of cutting and welding either. Under the stenciled date it reads 2ND.

During the change from 1st series to 2nd series the assembly plant may have needed to ID the new frames to keep things straight on the assembly line...grabbing at straws here...lol!

Mike B

Hey Mike, That makes sense as well. That fact that it reads "2ND" makes me think it may have been done at the factory. If it was done where the bed was added as red58 suggested why would they care if it was a 1ST or 2ND series? Regardless I sandblasted the frame and repainted it. I made up new stencils and painted the date and numbers right back where they were. I just found them to be interesting. SEE YA! Mark

"2ND" meaning second series is an assumption, the 2nd series frame is very different than the 1st series frame, be pretty surprising if the factory had to label them to tell them apart

Bill

Hey red58, Thanks for the 1st & 2nd series frame diagrams. Yes thinking "2ND" means second series is an assumption, but a reasonable one considering it's on a "2ND" series truck frame. Why do you think the company that put the bed on would label it that way?

who knows? maybe they installed their "two-ND" bed on that date, with no idea that GM was calling the "new design 55" the second series ... if 2ND was put on by the factory, what does the X and the other numbers mean? do any of them match the vin? is the vin stamped on the frame member near the steering box? if so, the stenciling definitely wouldn't be factory, that apparently started with the 55 2nd's

Bill

I have seen parts with the shift designated in the part number, it could be the 2nd means the second shift of 3/17/55.

This may be a long shot but the frame could have been from a GM which had the S, T, X, and Y series rather than the Chevy with the J and N series.

I have a similar Stencil on my late design 63 k20 chassis, which till now was the only time that I had seen something like that. I traced and filled in the letters and numbers so that I could duplicate the stencil after I refinish the chassis.