Some stainless still has a good deal of iron in it and will rust. It's
still stainless just not a very high grade. This type of "low grade"
stainless is also magnetic.
On Tue, 4 Apr 2000, J Forbes wrote:
> 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
>
Thanks,
-JLS
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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