I found this truck for sale, ad says it's a 1943 model. I didn't think 43 models were made. Is the seller confused?
Several possibilities...to be checked out via seial number: 1. A 1942 first registered in 1943...many states handled year this way 2. Last 1942's were removed from the market, doled out to critical civilian users by a governmental body throughout the war. 3. Built for mil contract...military used many normal vehicles on bases in USA not requiring mil spec tactical vehicles. 4. Some truck production allowed for industries 5. Later than 1943...but late in war, there were runs of trucks made fo farmers, etc. Find out serial number, doubtless Chevy restorers have published lists of the numbers by model year.
Definitely seen war year Chevy pickups before- they did not stop production completely so likely had some Government origins.
Yes, and made for the reasons and purposes already stated. However, most of the time people are going by ***le dates instead of production dates when they say they have a '43, '44, or '45 model. Most turn out to have been produced in '42. I've seen very few true '43 - '45 built civilian type vehicles of any make.
i have a 1945 GMC built here in Canada, it was #775 built in may of 45 so the war was still going on, the first thing you notice is the lack of chrome on my truck, no chrome, no nickel, even the door handles were painted, not sure how it was in the US. i have met an old guy who's job it was to put the floor boards in trucks all through the war, he was a merchant marine and had to work when he wasent out to sea and he says that all through the war trucks were being made, maybe a couple thousand a year, i called GM and gave them my serial # and they confermed it as a war time truck but they have no records of how many were made.
It is kind of wierd that the whole country in the 40's basically shut down and geared up for the War effort. Now people could give a ****, all they are worried about is gas prices and what all the washed up celebrities are doing on the idiot box. Damn shame.
Ain't that the truth. Then we new of things maybe what happen last month or at least a few weeks ago. Now we know what BAD happened 5 min. ago. Anyway, look for a dash plate (military) that would have been rivited onto the dash, normally the p***enger side.
With a few exceptions, civilian pick-up production ended Jan. 30th of 1942. And a true 1942 truck will have no chrome on it, because the chromium went to the war effort. I used to own a true 1942 Chevy 1/2 ton. Anything that would have been chrome, got painted gun-metal grey. Mine had a stainless center divider in the windshield, and door handles, other than that it was all painted. That being said, I would have to think that even a civilian truck built in 1943-1945 would have painted trim as well.
That's a really good point, in the photos this truck has chrome all over it. Must be a 41 or 46 or someone put the chrome on it later.
Without seeing the lock cylinder on the p***. side door, it's hard to tell, but that's a pure civilian '41 or '46 ... after years of reading factory literature & collector type magazines, the general opinion is : Many of the last few '42 vehicles were "frozen" in various storage facilities, and "priority" customers who needed a replacement to support the war effort were allowed to buy them. If sold in 1943, the state issuing the ***le might not show the year model & year sold as different. As far as a '41 being sold new in 1943, that's doubtful. Apparently some factories had enough parts on hand to ***emble a few vehicles during 1943-4, but only a handful. Chevrolet began very limited production of 1 1/2 & 2 T civilian trucks in 1944. Pickups were added in 1945. As wrenchbender points out, no bright metal trim is used from 1942 until 1946.
i know on my 45 gmc even the inside door handle and window crank is made out of some kind of brown plastic, i think the p***enger door has been changed at one time as it has a chrome handle outside and inside as well, it only has the one lock cylinder on the p***. door. the drivers side you have to turn a little plastic knob to lock it.
Most vehicles had outside locks only on the p***enger side doors until after WWII. The idea was that was safer to exit the vehicle on the curb side than the street(driver) side. So driver's doors locked from inside and p***enger doors locked from inside and outside. Complaints from customer surveys convinced the manufacturers to change their product to satify the customers.
Back in the 90's there was a guy running around either Los Banos, CA or Reno, NV in a 1942 Mercury 4 door sedan that was a military staff car that he street rodded. No chrome! But for a street rod that don't mean anything!
Could have to do with the fact that there was reason to go to war then. There was no doubt about that. Now? Well, it's definitely doubtful.
I have had a couple of goverment cars. all post WW11 and they had GI as the first letters in the vin#. One was a 55 sedan delivery and the other a 56 truck.
There were a limited run of 1 1/2 ton Chev trucks produced in 1943. 714 Short wheel base and 452 Long wheel base trucks. Google Brad's 41-46 Chevy's you can find a lot of info on them there. My ownership says mine is a 43, but the serial number shows it to be a 45, as far as the DOT goes, it's a 43. After all, the government is never wrong, and they'er our friend. (Choke, cough, gaff.)
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