47-55.1 Looking for cowl measurement

[caseyjones]

Hey everybody,

I'm replacing the inner, outer, and inner-to-outer cowls on my 54 truck and was hoping to get a reference measurement for the gap shown below (not my truck):


I plan to put the hood on the truck before final welding to do a fit check, but a reference measurement will help me know if I'm in the ballpark. Didn't think to try to take one before, and honestly the flange was pretty much missing anyway.

Thanks!

[nvrdone]

My '49 looks to be 2.75". Hope that helps.

[mr48chev]

I didn't take the splash cover off but I get right at 1-3/4.

[nvrdone]

Hey Rob: I was measuring on the left fender. It looks like you were measuring the right side and got about 2 5/8". Do I need to bring you my glasses??? LOL !

[caseyjones]

Actually, it's helpful to have both, since both sides of my truck are getting the treatment! I suspect no two trucks are the same, either. We'll see how many different answers we can get

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by nvrdone

Hey Rob: I was measuring on the left fender. It looks like you were measuring the right side and got about 2 5/8". Do I need to bring you my glasses??? LOL !

I'll go out and take the screws out and take the covers off.

[nvrdone]

rob: don't forget your glasses !!

[mr48chev]

My glasses go on before I get off the bed in the morning and stay on all the time I am awake. Not one of those old toots like my grandfather was that thought that wearing glasses made you look old while squinting to see.

I started at 2 inches and the measurement varies from which spot you measure from = red and orange arrows. I'll go see if I can get a more accurate shot off the 51 cab behind that one on the trailer.

[leegreen]

I got 1 5/8" passenger, 2" driver. But all those pieces as well as floor and kick panel were replaced by me decades before patch panels were made. My truck may not be the best source of truth.

Maintain the position and alignment of the outer cowl so the fender lines up with hood. The inner just needs to close the gap between outer and floor, make it fit.

[caseyjones]

thanks for the measurements! I will say, as many others have said, do not trust any of the patch panels. The stamped versions of the inner-to-outer cowls are much more accurate than the fabricated versions, but they are wider at the firewall than most of the measurements that have been posted. Do what I say, not what I do...take lots of measurements before you start cutting

[nvrdone]

Ok, Ok. I was wrong. My left side is right at 2", the right side is 1 1/2". The only thing I can blame it on is the chemo I'm on right now. Sorry.

[mr48chev]

Well that didn't work, the 51 cab has hex head screws that are very low profile on the splash covers and I didn't have the right tools.

Great sunset tonight though.

[leegreen]

glad to hear mine is not the only cab this measurement is different side to side, makes me feel better about my workmanship 40 odd years ago

[caseyjones]

I was able to get the hood on the truck last night - seems like mine is happiest at 1-3/4" on both sides. The formed inner-to-outer cowl panels that I bought from Key Parts need to be narrowed about a quarter inch at the firewall end to fit.

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by leegreen

glad to hear mine is not the only cab this measurement is different side to side, makes me feel better about my workmanship 40 odd years ago

I've got 4 cabs that I could measure and three of them are 51 cabs and am willing to bet that if you used a precise measuring tool none are exactly the same. Plus when you add in that Chevrolet had 10 plants around the country building 51 Chevy trucks by now all three of those plus the complete 51 1-1/2 ton might have rolled out of different factories.