The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Big Bolt history

Does anybody have assembly line photos of big bolts? Where were our big bolts built? How were they transported from factory to dealer?

I had a great uncle who in his 20's would drive the large trucks from the Janesville factory to the dealer and get a train ticket back home. I believe this was right after WWII. I'd imagine the more remote areas were by train. Back then there were many assembly plants all over the US building any size truck right down the line. Not like it is now where there are only one or two plants producing all the trucks.

all sizes of trucks were built at all the plants that built trucks, which was most all the plants - your vin/ID number has a code indicating which plant, maybe an L for LosAngeles if you have an original CA truck ... they might have been moved by car-carrier trucks, "3-up" on 5th wheel trucks, or by train

Bill

interesting. i'll have to check the vin on my '59 c60

I found this picture on a random google search

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k231/vwluver74/old%20trucks/198cd8da.jpg

There are a few on the GM Heritage site thru the links page. You can see all types of trucks going through.

oldtek - you don't have a "C60", the "C" designations didn't start until later, the 'Viking' name was on medium duty trucks, and yours is a 6000 series, the first 2 digits of the vin will indicate that, and wheelbase:
6A = 6100 132.5 WB
6B = 6400 156.5 WB
6C = 6500 174.5 WB
next will be "59" [year], then one letter to indicate the plant of assembly, maybe an L or an O for Oakland, then the assembly sequence or ID number

Bill

I know my 1940 WB 1-1/2 Ton was made in the Kansas City plant and delivered to Davis-Child Motors in Great Bend, Kansas. That is where my grandfather purchased the truck new. 72 years later and it is still in the family and only has 21,000 original miles!

red58, thank you for setting me straight and thank you for posting up how to decode my vin. I did not know that GM had a plant in Oakland and it would make sense my truck came from there as I'm only an hour north.

alkay: My grandfather bought my truck new as well. He ordered it through Pellini Chevrolet in Sebastopol, Ca.

found a good one. Big Bolt production line

oldtek88,

That's a neat picture of a 1956 2-1/2 ton front clip! Where did you find that one...are there more?

Mike B

I wish there was. A friend of mine sent that to me. I have people always on the lookout for old big truck assembly photos. As I get them I'll post them here.

I'm in the process of buying a 1951 3 ton GMC big bolt thats been left all alone on an old farm. I grew up in the Detroit area and my dad and granddad both worked for the GMC truck and coach plant in Pontiac, Mi. That old plant as I remember ran a many a truck down those assembly lines. The truck I'm in the process of buying was built in the exact same factory as my family worked in, only now all four of us, dad, grandfather, myself and the old truck now all call Alabama our home The id tag on the old army 3 ton takes it right back to where i grew up at, now only decades later we are 750 miles away. Pretty neat, huh ? Small world this is

Thanks for that little bit of family history Red! That's what this thread is all about!