The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network - View Single Post

Dan Bowles · 02-23-2010, 11:18 PM

They didn't care about interchangeability back then. They weren't going to get a fender from Janesville and put it on the line in Oakland. I don't know how they handled service parts. I would agree they had templates but the dies were not necessarily made at the same place. Also a busier plant would have more wear and each had their own tool room to repair them.

I was a supplier to Honda for a few years. They had a set of dies to stamp the right and left side of the Civic but the Canada plant stamped one side while the Ohio plant stamped the other. A truck always ran back and forth full of one side or the other. Took too long for the dies to be changed but they had a back up if the truck went down (like 9/11 closing the border). THOSE parts HAD to fit for both plants. The '50s didn't do that. That is why you get guys who say such and such replacement parts are junk where another guy says I barely modified them.

I saw a buddy's late 60s Buick wagon a few days ago. Under the trim it has holes for both the Skylark trim and the wagon trim. But ONLY on one side. Factory punched holes!

We'll figure it out, if I'm wrong, I ain't scared to say it. I keep saying what I feel, MEASURE to be sure! I'd be REALLY pissed if I had spent a bunch of dough on the wrong one. On the other hand, if I'm wrong and they all have the same cut out, you aren't out anything for checking! Like Steve pointed out, he's got GMC and I've got Chevy and maybe THERE is a difference. We've all noted the marker light hole...maybe there are more. Not "sticker engineering" like we have today, they were DIFFERENT makes.

02-23-2010, 11:18 PM	#18
Dan Bowles AD Addict Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Blissfield, MI Posts: 822	Re: Brought this home..1954 1 ton They didn't care about interchangeability back then. They weren't going to get a fender from Janesville and put it on the line in Oakland. I don't know how they handled service parts. I would agree they had templates but the dies were not necessarily made at the same place. Also a busier plant would have more wear and each had their own tool room to repair them. I was a supplier to Honda for a few years. They had a set of dies to stamp the right and left side of the Civic but the Canada plant stamped one side while the Ohio plant stamped the other. A truck always ran back and forth full of one side or the other. Took too long for the dies to be changed but they had a back up if the truck went down (like 9/11 closing the border). THOSE parts HAD to fit for both plants. The '50s didn't do that. That is why you get guys who say such and such replacement parts are junk where another guy says I barely modified them. I saw a buddy's late 60s Buick wagon a few days ago. Under the trim it has holes for both the Skylark trim and the wagon trim. But ONLY on one side. Factory punched holes! We'll figure it out, if I'm wrong, I ain't scared to say it. I keep saying what I feel, MEASURE to be sure! I'd be REALLY pissed if I had spent a bunch of dough on the wrong one. On the other hand, if I'm wrong and they all have the same cut out, you aren't out anything for checking! Like Steve pointed out, he's got GMC and I've got Chevy and maybe THERE is a difference. We've all noted the marker light hole...maybe there are more. Not "sticker engineering" like we have today, they were DIFFERENT makes.