54 one piece windshield

[aussie 48 chevy]

Hi all, like allot of other people i have been lurking around here for a while, i have a 48 pickup and am thinking about fitting a 54 one piece windscreen . will it fit in my 48 ?

cheers Matt

[47 Fasttoys]

No, the one piece windshield only fits '54 and 1st series '55 for the AD series on trucks.

[MARTINSR]

Yes, the whole front of the cab is different, dash board and all.

They do make a one piece bent glass windshield for the 47-53. I am not fond of it at all but to each his own.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/231294180732?lpid=82



Brian

[aussie 48 chevy]

thanks 47 Fasttoys and MARTINSR , my Australian cab uses a completely different windshield to both of these again , so im thinking about getting a cut section from a USA built cab so that i can use a off the shelf windshield, mouldings and rubber

cheers

[MARTINSR]

WHOA there, post photos, I don't think they were different. A '48 here used a split windshield and I believe it was the only one an AD had no matter where it was made.



This image is deceving in that it says "'54-59" and those were two VERY different windshields 54-59, VERY different.



Here's a 54-first series '55.



And here is a second series '55-59


If you're windshield doesn't look like this PLEASE post a photo of yours.



I am very interested! I am a big fan of these trucks and their designs that were tried and not used and of GM Motorama and all that so I would love to see your truck if it used something different there, that would be very cool to see.

GM Motorama http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_Motorama

Brian

[47 Fasttoys]

Well that's interesting, I was not aware there was a different cab for down under. Is it based on the car front end? Got any pictures to share?
Rob

[MARTINSR]

Maybe it's a "Ute" he has?



Brian

[aussie 48 chevy]

ok so the Australian and American trucks look the same, the front sheet metal is the same and the cab body is the same up to the bottom of the windows, and even though they look the same :

none of the glass is interchangeable

the door frames are different

our cabs have a flap on both sides of the front pillar not a flap on one and lovers on the other

none of the door hardware including hinges are interchangeable

Aussie cabs don't have a vent in the cowl panel and have a recessed area for the wiper arms to fit

and im sure there is more that i am forgetting .

[MARTINSR]

Can you post some photos I really would like to see it.

Brian

[47 Fasttoys]

So, is the glass for the windshield flat? Could it be yours is a custom rebuild? Have you seen any others with your same configuration? Inquiring minds want to know.
Rob

[MARTINSR]

Oh my God I want to know! I don't believe it could "Look the same" and have different hinges and hardware. I mean it COULD of course but why would they do that?

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by aussie 48 chevy

ok so the Australian and American trucks look the same, the front sheet metal is the same and the cab body is the same up to the bottom of the windows, and even though they look the same :

none of the glass is interchangeable

the door frames are different

our cabs have a flap on both sides of the front pillar not a flap on one and lovers on the other

none of the door hardware including hinges are interchangeable

Aussie cabs don't have a vent in the cowl panel and have a recessed area for the wiper arms to fit

and im sure there is more that i am forgetting .

What do you mean by "Flap"? The side cowl vent like this truck has?



Not all US trucks have them either, I am not even sure, I forget then they do and don't, after '50 they don't have them anymore as I remember.

And are you talking about a louvered hole like this truck has? ALL US trucks have these from '47- first series '55.

Or are you talking about the "flap" window (called a Vent window here) and are the Latch differences you are talking about the swing handle in the previous photo to the push buttons in this photo, YES from 50-52 this changed here in the US too. The truck pictured is a first series '55 I believe and has the one piece windshield but the '51ish through '53 would have the split windshield AND the push button handles AND the vent windows just like this, doors interchange from year to year.



What exactly are you talking about? We want photos, we want photos!

Brian

[OrrieG]

I would be curious to see it too. A few years ago someone from Brazil posted pics of his truck and it was different too. GM exported or built trucks around the world, somewhere I have a list of the countries but cannot put my hands on it.

[aussie 48 chevy]

im talking about he flap inline with the hood side badge .

here is one on Australian ebay

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Factory-R...item27e9a824f3

[47 Fasttoys]

Well that's a new one on me. It does appear the doors are different around the windows. It also seems to have 2 factory side vents and no top vent (this could have been filled). For the windshield it appears to be a normal 2 piece, but the center divider has been removed or is not used on the Aussie versions. I would say either go with the 2 piece or an aftermarket bent glass one piece. The '54/55 is not gonna be close as it has a steady ark and slight bulge across it's mid section.
Rob

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by aussie 48 chevy

im talking about he flap inline with the hood side badge .

here is one on Australian ebay

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Factory-R...item27e9a824f3

That is wild! Now it's hard to know what is stock and what isn't being it's been "smoothed" all over, who knows. The rear window is larger too I think isn't it? But the windows on the doors, that would be pretty hard to modify but not out of the question at all. It looks like the window mouldings aren't used. I have seen this done many times on chop shops where they just weld in the moulding and mold it in making it look a lot like that one, but without the squared off lower corners, though, that is very odd.

Brian

[67GMCkid]

Here is a 52 on ebay Australia it also looks to have vents on both sides and funky door glass shape..

Called a Maple Leaf, looks like they were built in Canada..

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Truck-195...item2a41f85611

[MARTINSR]

I am blown away like watching someone bend metal with their mind!

I thought I knew these trucks pretty well, I never knew this, WILD!

I also notice a recesed area for the door lock, and there's a door lock on the left door which makes sense being it's the "passenger" door. But the window shape, absolutely wild! And it has no window frames, more wild.

This all being said, there is no way we can say ANY part interchanges without more knowledge than we have, or at least I have. I couldn't tell you if a fender was the same or anything else including the windshield!

WILD!

Brian

[67GMCkid]

Well MartinSr, Here ya go,, buy these and study up!

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/VINTAGE-P...item3ce6ae4ded




http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Chevrolet...item233f3ee482

[MARTINSR]

I have enough stuff to study that actually pertains to me so thanks but I'll pass. But I am damn interested, not so much for what parts interchange but just the styling difference for the most part, that just blows me away. I probably have seen one of these and thought they molding the door moulding in!

The side cowl vent on the other side makes perfect sense being the driver is on that side and the heater would have been on the passenger side. Now, why they didn't put the louvers on the left side I don't know. I guess you could open that and the heater would work the same.

I have always wanted to see more on the right hand drive simply because I have stared at the little bump on the firewall where a right hand steering column would go since I first owned mine at 15 in 1974. It's always intrigued me. I think over the years I had seen the dash board but never anything on design differences like I have learned now, wild, frigging wild.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Notice also that there is no speaker grille! I saw that on the lowered truck there wasn't a hole there, but they could have filled it. Going to the big truck you can see clearly that the is no grille there!

WILD I say!

Brian

[67GMCkid]

I don't see a hole for the radio, no foot starter and no heater on the 52.. Notice the Hand cut out hanging on the outside mirror? Must be used as an extension of the drivers arm for hand signals... I also has the pilot guide for the hand crank, on it.