The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Information needed please

I'm in New Zealand and am trying to find information about my truck, I have the chassis number XHMS 34053 where can I go to find out more? thanks

Welcome Centre will not be able to help so I've moved it to General Truck Forum.

It'd help if you have a vin #, size of truck, and even the model of it. Is it left or right hand drive. Folks need more info.

it's a large flat bed truck, right hand drive, single axle dual wheel, I think is a 1941 it has what we call a Colonial Cab, that is a cab made in NZ, I have been told they imported the trucks to NZ cowl forward in 41 and made the cabs here then started to bring them in to NZ complete in 42, the doors on the NZ cabs are timber frame and have a tighter curve on the upper rear door corner, the chassis number on the original ownership papers are written as XHMS 34053, I assume the model is the XHMS and the chassis number is the 34053, I think it may have coame out of the Oshawa plant but would like confirmation. If I can work out how to post a photo I will try to add a photo so people can see it

Hy Osnabruck, as Achipmunk said a little more info might help, is your truck identified as a Chevrolet, or a GMC. It is my understanding that a lot of chassis/trucks that were manufactured in Oshawa Ontario, Canada made there way down to Australia and New Zealand. I did do a quick check on the numbers that you posted, but there was one too many letters to make sense of them, and the number code might be GMC rather than Chevrolet. Is there a Holden plate anywhere on your truck?

all right drive trucks were originally partly assembled in Canada for export - I believe yours would have gone to Holden in AU, then on to NZ, so the reg numbers you have are more likely Holden than GM Canada

Bill

try this link for a photo of the truck, hope to have the paint off the tag & have it cleaned up enough to be able to read it and get a photo soon.
http://s1308.beta.photobucket.com/user/osnabruck111/library/Truck

Hy Osnabruck, from your photo I would say your truck is a 1943 -45 two ton (non plated grill, and eight sided screw in cap in center of the front hub). The Canadian serial number would have been
3,4,or 5 year of production
15 series identification for a two ton
33 designates chassis with cab, with 134 1/2" wheelbase
43 designates chassis with cab, with 160" wheelbase
So the whole Canadian serial number would be something like 41543....., hope that helps.

My main question regarding that is that the truck has a Colonial Cab, they were imported into NZ with complete cabs post 42 so if this was post 42 it should have had a complete cab as many of the 42 - 46 trucks that are here have. this may indicate that it is a pre 42 body
I still dont understand the XHMS code that is on the original ownership papers and I can now confirm is on the steel body tag. Thanks

is there a manufacturer name on that tag?

Bill

Nothing that I can see the only thing I can make out is the stamping XHMS 34053 but the tag has been painted over, I'm going to need to spend some time very carefully taking the paint off one layer at a time to try and leave what was originally on the plate under the paint.

X=exported on HMS= Her Majesty's Ship

This is the best I can get as far as being able to read my Tag, it does appear to be a Chev badge not a GM it looks to be red (at least at the top) with Chevrolet in the Bow tie logo, the only other bits I can make out is the word Manufactured under the logo and then it looks to have had codes printed on the badge under this. The XHMS 34053 looks to be the only thing stamped into the badge it doesn't look as if there has ever been anything raised.
I am keen to see any tags that look like this style that are clear to read

I can make out the stamped number but still dont know which plant this came from or if it was American or Canadian produced. check out the link below to see the photo of ID Tag

http://s1308.photobucket.com/user/o...mp;_suid=1364532647022044328050869347113

I think all that can be said is being right drive, it's Canadian production

Bill

how does this sound?

XHMS 34053:

- XH - export code for Petone and Upper Hut, NZ.
- MS - Conventional Heavy Duty Truck - 160'' WB, 1 1/2 ton flatbed, stake/stock rack , single/dual wheels

- 34053 - serial number.

BDR 15592 + BFR 246846:

- BD - Flint Michigan - 216 CI - Light Delivery.
- BF - Flint Michigan -216 CI - Heavy Duty Clutch.
- R - Right Hand Drive.
- 15592 + 246846 - serial numbers.

MS, BD and BF are consistent with 1942 Chevrolet codes/specs. (US)

I have assumed the R was attached the the Flint codes to designate RHD. (Canadian engines used an entirely different system and would begin with CR or TR, the R depicting RHD).

For these faint reasons, I suspect the truck was built in Tarrytown, NY, USA.

Have you looked on the frame rails for any stamped numbers. My 58 Chevy Suburban has the VIN stamped into the top of the frame right over the drivers front wheel. Might be worth a little time crawling around the truck looking for number somewhere else. I have no idea when they started stamping the frames. Maybe someone can provide some insight.

Either way, its a great looking truck. Appears to be in really good shape for its age.

Larry, they started stamping the frame numbers on the 2nd series 55

Bill

Bill;

Hooah. So much for my bright idea! :-)