47-55.1 No ribs on my firewall?

[Northern 52]

I am currently working on a potential firewall brake installation option on my 1952. Upon doing some research (the good old internet) I notice that my firewall that is stock 1952, has no ribs. I believe they are just strengthening ribs on both the driver and passenger sides above the foot wells. I don't think it will have any negative affects but am just curious as to why they are not there.

Was it a particular year or production batch? Does anyone know why this might be?

By the way, my Canadian 52 has features of an earlier model (cab side vents and no door vent windows) but is tagged with what looks like an original 1952 serial number plate in the door jamb.

[MARTINSR]

I forget the differences, hopefully we will get some photos. I bought my cab not knowing the exact year, it would be nice to nail it down if there is a way.

Brian

[mr48chev]

Quite honestly you have a 50 or earlier cab and not a 52 cab. Someone probably replaced the cab with an earlier cab years ago or used a 52 title on an earlier truck.

If it is a stock truck does it have lever or tube shocks? 49 and earlier had lever, 50 and later had tube Does it have huck or Bendix brakes? 50 and earlier had huck while 51 and later have Bendix.

One of the better guides on the differences here. https://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/i...tting%20Guide/

[MARTINSR]

There's nothing on the firewall in that link. Anyone got a photo of the different firewalls?

Brian

[Volfandt]

Heres a couple pics of a barn find stock 49 3100. These are some pics I took when I 1st looked at it. I ended up buying the truck. The pics aren't great but perhaps they'll help you out.

[mr48chev]

Some more and maybe more detailed info here. http://www.1954advance-design.com/Ad...ignTrucks.html

Link to my firewall difference page https://s173.photobucket.com/user/mr...library?page=1

Early 49 with flat firewall Note the fuse block over on the drivers side that was 47, 48 and early 49.


Fuse block and voltage regulator on 49.


51 firewall from a 1-1/2 ton. It has the ribs.


Left side of the other 51 firewall in the green 1-1/2 ton


Bare 53 firewall back in the shed.

[Northern 52]

Mystery solved, and interesting. Mine is exactly like the green one above, chrome window divider and all.

I bought all of the sheet metal and no chassis so the suspension description unfortunately won't help with the identification.

The title is 52 as the second digit in the serial number is 2 so I will just stay with that officially.

Really no point in trying to change it now but I will call it a 50 if anyone asks, just to prevent questions over the cab side vents and door windows.

Thanks guys for the help.

[mr48chev]

Back in the 50's and 60's when these trucks were out working every day guys didn't much care what exact year model they were getting if they went out and bought a replacement cab in a wrecking yard for their truck as long as it bolted on. Outside of truck guys or knowledgable car folks no one knows the year to year differences anyhow so it isn't a big issue. If you have the title and door plate life is good and for all practical purposes you have a 52. If you filled the side vent you would have a 52 with 1 piece door glass.

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Back in the 50's and 60's when these trucks were out working every day guys didn't much care what exact year model they were getting if they went out and bought a replacement cab in a wrecking yard for their truck as long as it bolted on. Outside of truck guys or knowledgable car folks no one knows the year to year differences anyhow so it isn't a big issue. If you have the title and door plate life is good and for all practical purposes you have a 52. If you filled the side vent you would have a 52 with 1 piece door glass.

Agree. My panel is a "Franken-truck" assembled with pieces from multiple years - 49 cab, 52 doors, 51 frame. Only purists and restorers care about those insignificant details. I'm waiting for some nerd to approach me at a show pontificating about how my truck isn't a 51 because it has push-button door handles...

[MARTINSR]

Interesting! I have the 49 Fuse block to put in mine, memories of my original that I pinstriped, got to have that.

Brian

[MARTINSR]

Originally Posted by MiraclePieCo

Agree. My panel is a "Franken-truck" assembled with pieces from multiple years - 49 cab, 52 doors, 51 frame. Only purists and restorers care about those insignificant details. I'm waiting for some nerd to approach me at a show pontificating about how my truck isn't a 51 because it has push-button door handles...

Omg my brother and I still laugh about a guy looking at his 39 Ford Standard. He told my brother it was a 1938. My brother explained to him the differences and the guy walked off saying to his friend "It's still a 38." LOLOL

This is a '39 Ford Standard.



This is a 38 Deluxe.



You can see that the body is different, the gutter can be seen here it is totally a different body. The back half of the 39 Standard is exactly the same as a Deluxe or a 40 Ford couple, Standard or Deluxe.

I had guys so ticked that my 48 Chevy truck was in a show for 48 and earlier cars back in the 70-80's. I had guys ask "What year is your truck?" I told them "48" and he said with a heck of a "tone," "It sure looks a lot like my uncles '53!" LOL Yep dude, it sure does. Geeez.

Brian

[mr48chev]

I think that the left front fender is the only original to the 48 truck I bought part left of the original truck. That and the door post plate.

I changed the grill, running boards and rear fenders when I built it the first time in 1973, the right front fender got destroyed in a wreck in 1976 and got changed and I changed the hood when I had it louvered. The cab got changed when I chopped it along with the bed sides as the old ones were pretty rough.

[MARTINSR]

I believe the only thing that is to my pick slip is the speedometer! No kidding, the only thing that I bought that day in 1973 when I drove it home are the front fenders, period, that is all that is left. But to me it's the same truck, you know what I mean, I don't see it as different, it's that truck I bought in '73.

Brian

[MiraclePieCo]

There is a whole philosophical hypothesis dedicated to this principal called Theseus's Paradox, or The Ship Of Theseus. It poses the question, How many parts of a ship (or car) can be replaced and have it still be the original ship (or car)?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus

[mr48chev]

Our trucks are about like the story of Abe Lincoln's axe that he split rails with. This is Abe Lincoln's personal axe, the handle has been changed three times and they changed the head twice but it is still Abe Lincoln's old axe.

[MARTINSR]

Yep, and I didn't explain that the fenders on mine are what I drove home with that first day too, but they weren't the original fenders from the truck, my brothers friend whom I bought it from had already changed them. The funny thing is, when I bought it in 73 the cab had already been changed too! I believe only the drivers door was from the original truck! He had rolled it on the way to high school one day!

I look at it as the same truck, just like I look at my grandmothers dishes that I have. When I got them from my dad there were a number of them missing, and there were no bowls (or something, I forget) in the set. I bought a new set on eBay and put took the ones I needed out of it and put it in my grandmothers set. I even changed a few out of my grand mothers that were in bad shape. I recently gave the rest of them to my sister and now she looks at those as our grand mothers too. But when I grab a plate out of that set in the cupboard I am grabbing my grand mothers dish! There is nothing to think about, those ARE my grand mothers dishes.

My truck is the same way, especially now that the six is going back in it, it WILL be that truck I bought in Dec 1973 and drove home with my mom in the passenger seat because I didn't even have my drivers license and only a permit.

Brian