Sounds like a nice mystery!
Stainless parts are all stainless...it is NOT a plating. So, if a part
is all rusty, it's not stainless! Usually chrome plating will still be
there on part of it, although there is a lot of rust, you should still
see some shiny spots if it's been chromed. I expect that any 41-46
truck will have been built with whatever parts they could get at the
time...the metal shortages hit about 1941 (for the war goods effort to
support Britain), and lasted after the war as it took awhile to catch
up, and demand for cars/trucks was incredibly strong thru the late 40s.
So, don't put all your faith in a certain year having or not having
stainless or chrome trim, or certain parts...because no one really knows
what they actually did on the assembly lines back then, they were too
busy building trucks (with whatever was available) to take good notes.
I would think that a truck made for the Army would be hard to figure
out...I would expect the VIN to be wierd. There may also be other tags
riveted to the body, dash, or elsewhere...I have a 59 cab that has a
place on the dash where there was obviously a big Army tag riveted on,
and I've seen these in other old military trucks.
The casting dates may help you figure it out, if you can find them, and
if the parts have not been replaced. The casting dates will look like B
10 6, which translates to B=2nd month=February, 10=10th day of the
month, 6=1946 (last digit of year, could also be 1956 or 1936 or 1986).
You should be able to find the engine casting date hiding behind the
starter on the block, and the head date on top (under the valve cover?
I forget), the rearend "pumpkin" casting should have a date, as well as
the tranny case, cover and bellhousing, even the steering box and brake
master cylinder might. Also, pull out the gage cluster, it may have a
date stamped on it, like FEB 10 1946, in ink, like the due date in a
library book in the old days. Also, the generator, start, and
distributor (if they have not been changed) may have a date stamped on
the riveted metal Delco tag, like 6B10, which is year/month/date.
I also found the month/day/year stamped on the frame rails of my 39
Chevy sedan....but they may not be on trucks.
Good luck!
Jim
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
|