GVW Body Tag info. & Question

[Richs'55]

I have been starting to tear apart my '55 3100 (or so I thought) the last couple of days. I bought the truck in July/ August and kind of just let it sit until this winter when I would have time to tear it down and start the rebuild (I will post pics of my rebuild in another thread in the next day or so.

But came across something that kind of peaked my interest today. I found the GVW Body tag (didn't really see it before because it was covered up by layers of paint. Don't know if previous owners/ cobblers were trying to cover it up or just didn't know any better.

Anyway, here is a picture of it after I tried to clean as much paint off of it as I could without ruining it completely.



What is this 19,500 #GVW mean? Is it not a 1/2 ton originally? Cab is the same as a 1/2 ton, isn't it?
Also, tell me what you get out of the trim and paint codes. Trim stamped STD and paint stamped 769.

Somebody previously put this cab on a 4 wheel drive chassis (I was told it was a '87 frame). I plan on gong back onto a 81'C-10 chassis that is 2 whell drive. More on my whole story with this truck later.

Thanks for the help.

[OrrieG]

Its a big truck cab, they are same as small trucks. Lots of time in better shape because the farmers kept them indoors. The big trucks had a different front clip. Can't help with the color, 769 does not show up on any of the charts I have.

[Richs'55]

Thanks Orrie. This is probably dumb to ask, but the 3100 fenders and hood will fit on this cab? I am guessing they will since it looked like a 3100 when I bought it but it was lifted and 4x4.

Here is what it looked like when I found it.


Now as far as better taken care of........Ummm, NO. But then it is 60 years old. But here is what I found today. Lots of rust in the door jamb around the bottom hinge area. Can the whole door jamb be replaced or can a guy weld in a patch panel of some kind?

Drivers side looking from inside toward front of door jamb.


Passenger side same.


Kinda need these area good for door hinge and fender mount.

[OrrieG]

Yes they fit. Patch panels are available for all the rusted areas, go to LMC and other vendors to see what is available. Use the search box at the top of the page checked to this site and look for "patch panels" etc. to see comments on who has the best. All will require some modifications. When doing the hinge pockets make sure you check the door gap fit as you go.

[Richs'55]

Thanks Orrie, you are a great help on this forum and a wealth of information.
I hope someday I can help pay it back to someone else the way that you do.

[Highsider]

Originally Posted by Richs'55

Thanks Orrie, you are a great help on this forum and a wealth of information.
I hope someday I can help pay it back to someone else the way that you do.

Welcome to the forum.
You are correct in that you are in very knowledgeable company, here.

When I brought my (all stock) bread truck back from California, the Treasurers Office sent a state DOT inspector 80-miles to check my numbers.

What a waste.

[_Ogre]

the truck looks like a 3100 on a swb 3100 frame, but may have had a cab swap
confirm that your title and vin tag are copacetic and title it in your name before pouring money in the truck
your vin tag should be on the door frame, there is a second partial vin stamp on the frame above the steering box
the frame stamp will have everything but the series number on it

[Richs'55]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

the truck looks like a 3100 on a swb 3100 frame, but may have had a cab swap
confirm that your title and vin tag are copacetic and title it in your name before pouring money in the truck
your vin tag should be on the door frame, there is a second partial vin stamp on the frame above the steering box
the frame stamp will have everything but the series number on it

Thanks for the info, but that's already been done. When I bought it back in August, I got a title that matched the VIN tag on the A pillar. Title states it's a 3104 but the original frame is long gone. That's what threw me now. There's no way this cab could be an original 3104 (which is 1/2 ton, correct?). If the GVW is almost 20,000 #'s, but the VIN tag states H 255A 00xxxx. I think some PO got creative with the title/VIN/body.

It is now on a 87 C-10 frame that is 4 wheel drive, soon to go back to 2 wheel drive and going on a '81 C-10 frame that I had around the shop.

[OrrieG]

Make sure DMV is consulted on the future frame swap, sounds like you are on it, probably just documentation if you have the titles for the new donor frame.

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by Richs'55

There's no way this cab could be an original 3104 (which is 1/2 ton, correct?). If the GVW is almost 20,000 #'s, but the VIN tag states H 255A 00xxxx. I think some PO got creative with the title/VIN/body.

using the lmctruck.com vin decoder your vin is for a 3100 1955 second series 6 cyl truck made in atlanta
so unless the vin tag has been moved from one cab to another, the gvw tag may be a factory mistake

[mr48chev]

Unless the truck had to undergo a serious inspection the GVW tag probably wouldn't get noticed but It would be nice to have the proper weigh tag on it.

[mr48chev]

Take a look at TR258 I think that is the data plate you want.
http://www.americanclassic.com/asp/d...to&exyear=1959

[Richs'55]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

using the lmctruck.com vin decoder your vin is for a 3100 1955 second series 6 cyl truck made in atlanta
so unless the vin tag has been moved from one cab to another, the gvw tag may be a factory mistake

Hard to tell which tag was original. Obviously, both can't be correct, but the rivets on the tags looked to be original. I have a new GVW tag to match the 1/2 ton to put on when the truck gets finished.

[Keith Seymore]

19,500 GVW is HUGE!

The highest GVW I could find in the literature was 18,000 lbs for a grain body type truck.

By way of comparison, most of the one ton crew cab dually pickups during the squarebody era ('73 -87 ish) were 10,000 to 11,000 GVW.

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/doc...2nd-Series.pdf

K

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

19,500 GVW is HUGE!

The highest GVW I could find in the literature was 18,000 lbs for a grain body type truck.

By way of comparison, most of the one ton crew cab dually pickups during the squarebody era ('73 -87 ish) were 10,000 to 11,000 GVW.

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/doc...2nd-Series.pdf

K

That would be a six yard dump truck chassis. Or similar size farm truck.

[Old Crow]

Sometimes even the factory makes a mistake.
I've got a '61 F-100 1/2 ton who's VIN tag is stamped with a GVW of 14,000 lbs. VIN# stamped on the same tag matches the frame stamping, and the factory rivets are in place on the tag.

[Highsider]

Did I miss a mention of this style post-tag?
Mine is a '57.

[Richs'55]

Originally Posted by Highsider

Did I miss a mention of this style post-tag?
Mine is a '57.

Yeah, that's what I am calling the VIN tag. Mounted on the A pillar. It had blue paint underneath it.

[Richs'55]

Here's mine. As you can see it has blue paint on it, red paint on it, and there was blue paint underneath it after I removed it. After looking at the rivets, they don't look like original. Or were the VIN tags spot welded on like it looks like on yours?

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by Richs'55

Here's mine. after I removed it.

Big no no, around here if you need any kind of VIN inspection to get a title if it is not original it will be difficult or you need to get a bonded title because the assumption is that it may have been switched. Unless it matches the frame number.

[Richs'55]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Big no no, around here if you need any kind of VIN inspection to get a title if it is not original it will be difficult or you need to get a bonded title because the assumption is that it may have been switched. Unless it matches the frame number.

Not a problem here, Orrie. Already have it tilted as I received it from the previous owner in Indiana. I only removed the VIN tag for the restoration and it will go right back on when completed. I only wished it wasn't drilled and riveted by the last owner because I always like my restorations to look original. In this case, the cab is already not on the original frame and I don't plan to rebuild this one back to stock. Going back to 2 wheels drive and I think a nice lowered look would look great.

[1project2many]

The first picture is typical. The VIN tags were spot welded, not riveted. If I can remember when I get home I'll try to find the page in the assembly manual.

[OrrieG]

If you are looking for the original paint color, start with the firewall, under window rubber, under the door handle, cowl under the front fender, etc. Most repaints back in the day were masking of rubber, trim, handles, etc with very little pulled off except for letter script trim.