The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop 2nd data plate installed?

I have shared in a previous post that I have a few mystery holes in various places inside and outside of my '48 Chevy 1/2 ton p.u.

I am wondering what I am on seeing on the passenger side door post...

I have the original standard data plate on the driver's side door post fastened in place. In addition, on the passenger's side door post, I have 2 mystery holes that appear to be for another data plate. These holes would have gone in the opposite corners of those in the original data plate as it faced out. In other words,if you flip the data plate face down, the holes fit perfectly. Any idea what was going on here with those 2 holes? If these old trucks could just talk to us!!!

Right hand drive option?

Yes RH drive, I can't quote the page but it is mentioned in the 1954 Factory Assembly Manual.

There might be an ID plate on the right door pillar of the cab on RH drive cabs, but it is not shown in Section 1, Sheet 10.00 HINGE AND IDENTIFICATION PLATE INSTRUCTION in the Factory Assembly Manual. It might be shown elsewhere in the FAM.

A part number for a RD 6000 series ID plate is listed on the above page/sheet.

The right hand option makes sense. I wonder if anyone here on Stovebolt.com has one. It would be interesting to see one pictured, as well as the data plate installed there. I can not believe that many were equipped as a right hand drive.

Right Hand Drive.......you guys amaze me. Good thinking!

Maybe that truck came from Australia (or Japan)?

Or Oakland

...click...

My 50 has two holes on the passenger pillar
I thought all the AD's had them
Never really looked


...RHD pillar...
A RHD cab would have the cowl vent on that side also

My "standared" LH-drive truck was built in Oakland and has resided in the United States all of its life. As DAD stated, do all the A.D. trucks have the 2 holes on the RH door pillar?

There were three "standard" cab "styles" during A-D years:

47/48 (I think)
49-53
54/55

None of my 1954 cabs (pickup and suburban) has the holes on the hinge pillar on the passenger side.

Here is another wild guess


I don't know my trucks history
But it was a red truck. With red horn, red fender braces, red air cleaner.

I think it was ordered by a government agency like a city truck or maybe even a fire department.
It has a hole for a spot light on the drivers side.

I think fonzs truck was a highway county truck.

My jelly doughnut guess is that chevy trucks ordered by government agencies had the passenger side drilled for a second data plate for gov ID.

For the record, my '48 Chevy 1/2 ton truck begain its life as a member of the fleet for the Road Department in Mineral County, Nevada (county seat is Hawthorne).

Here you can see quite clearly the holes in my passenger side hinge pillar.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/8129099439/in/set-72157631867396207
Here is an Australian brochure (Maple Leaf) that shows the RH drive option. When I get done traveling I will cite the build sheet reference.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/9527752232/in/set-72157631872034068

Did some further research as promised in the 1954 Factory Assembly Manual. A few observations and questions. First there are as you know many references in the cab section to LD/RD and LH/RH instructions. As Tim stated there is no plate detail for 54' RH posts which leads to several questions. I know and others have stated we have the holes on the RH side of trucks from 1947-1950. Further these holes are exactly the same as the ID plate. So guys with 51-53 trucks do you have similar? Was a change made when the ID plate went from screws to rivets? In the Assembly Manual there are some interesting plates see pictures below.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/10713929785/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/10714019966/
LD cabs show the new updated wiper bracket while RD cabs show the previous 47-53 style why? This theme continues to the dash
http://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/10714004914/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/10714208693/
RD cabs are shown as the older style while LD cabs are shown as the new 54 style. The dates are from June of 1953 so they are not earlier versions. Again why? Was GM still constructing this style of truck for RD markets? So more questions than answers but it is interesting stuff.
I posted earlier on Australian market RH trucks here is a brochure for RH South African trucks.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/10252652294/

My '51 has no holes on the right hand pillar. The data plate is riveted.
My '50 COE has the holes on the right hand pillar and the data plate is held by two small sheet metal clutch head screws.

Kent

1950, 3604 unmolested - No holes in the right hand 'A' pillar.
Two small clutch head screws fastening plate to left pillar.

DG

So would it perhaps make sense that the assembly plant location may also play into the story? Certain plants produce both LD/RD trucks as we now have a 50' with no holes? Could this be due to proximity to port facilities?

my understanding is right drive vehicles for export were assembled in Canada, is there any indication they were produced anywhere in the US?

Bill

That is exactly what I was thinking.

Supporting evidence?

None. Just that I know Luke's truck was a gov't vehicle and that my '51, which does not have them, was not.

I think your info is heading down the correct path, Brad.

here is a pic of a RHD 50 firewall with two dataplates
...link...

I do not know how this plays into the conversation, but my truck was purchased by the Mineral County Road Department from the local dealership ("Nevada Garage") in Hawthorne, Nevada.