Pilot House Cab Differernces

[ggdad1951]

When Merle and Joe were in town for the WPC I got to check out Merle's truck up close and personal.  We dicussed the drip rail detail a bit as it was different than FEF's and Joe's.   Well, now that I have a cab from both designs of the Pilot House trucks, I can say there are the following differences between then cab designs (please feel free to add if I miss anything).

 

1. drip rail:  48-50 it is more open almost "U" shaped, 51-53 it's curled back towatds the cab

2. wiper locations are different

3. dashes: with a note the 53' has a different dash badge than the 51-52 but the rest is the same

Edited August 19, 2013 by ggdad1951

[Merle Coggins]

One other difference is with the parking brake. B1 cabs used a parking brake lever up through the floor. The B2's started the under dash pull handle. That's also when they started using column shift for the 3 speeds. So, a '48-'49 cab wouldn't have the firewall port for the brake mechanism.

 

Merle

[Scruffy49]

Standard cabs are quieter and more rain tight than Custom and Deluxe fish bowl cabs. Have driven both, prefer the standard cabs. The early wipers are awful, even with an electric conversion.

[Dodgeb4ya]

Very early 1948 model trucks had no  drip rail on engine side of upper cowl-just a flat seam.

[ggdad1951]

Also the headliner mounting is different I believe (w/o directly looking right now) the 48-50 had two mounts and the 51-53 had a single

[Merle Coggins]

Also the headliner mounting is different I believe (w/o directly looking right now) the 48-50 had two mounts and the 51-53 had a single

 

My '50 has only one in the center.

[wallytoo]

my '48 has two headliner mounts (no headliner).

how are the wipers awful? mine are the optional electric wipers, and they work fine.

[Dodgeb4ya]

My 48 2-1/2 ton had electric 2 speed wipers and they worked very well.

[Ram Man 02]

my 49 has 2 headliner mounts

 

what are these wiper things you speak of?

[52b3b Joe]

When Merle and Joe were in town for the WPC I got to check out Merle's truck up close and personal.  We dicussed the drip rail detail a bit as it was different than FEF's and Joe's.   Well, now that I have a cab from both designs of the Pilot House trucks, I can say there are the following differences between then cab designs (please feel free to add if I miss anything).

 

1. drip rail:  48-50 it is more open almost "U" shaped, 51-53 it's curled back towatds the cab

2. wiper locations are different

3. dashes: with a note the 53' has a different dash badge than the 51-52 but the rest is the same

 

Well now we know!!! I was thinking about that conversation a couple days ago when I looking at the rubbing compound still in mine.

 

Don't the 48-50 have the extra bracket on the firewall for the radiator braces that also have the hood props on them too? 

 

On a side note, a little OT...I got my grill back from that messed up place in MA. My brother went to MA on vacation an stopped in and got it for me! He and my sister-in-law received a nice dinner! I'm just happy to have it home again. 

[48Dodger]

Yep.....The firewall of a 48-50 will have a srewhole for the single srew that holds down the hood strap.

 

48D

 

1948-50 canvas hood straps

[Scruffy49]

Fragile wiper arms,  I may have one left in the cab. Took the remaining one it had off years ago, had the acorn nut style covers for hiding the pivots. Can't find them, need to order a new set.

 

The factory ones on my Sweptline fell apart as well, nightime downpour in the Cascades. Replaced them with much stronger 67-86 F series arms.

[Bradley S.]

My 48 has one headliner mount.  Deluxe cab.

[1952B3b23]

Well now we know!!! I was thinking about that conversation a couple days ago when I looking at the rubbing compound still in mine.

 

Don't the 48-50 have the extra bracket on the firewall for the radiator braces that also have the hood props on them too? 

 

On a side note, a little OT...I got my grill back from that messed up place in MA. My brother went to MA on vacation an stopped in and got it for me! He and my sister-in-law received a nice dinner! I'm just happy to have it home again. 

 

Where did you drop the grill off in MA? Im from western MA near Springfield.

[52b3b Joe]

Where did you drop the grill off in MA? Im from western MA near Springfield.

 

Nu Chrome....In Seekonk....STAY AWAY!!!!

[Don Coatney]

Nu Chrome....In Seekonk....STAY AWAY!!!!

Splain?

[wallytoo]

My 48 has one headliner mount. Deluxe cab.

my '48 is a deluxe cab, too.

[Plymouthy Adams]

Splain?

 

 

am assuming this place ....   http://www.nu-chrome.com/contact.htm

[John-T-53]

I was checking out drip rail differences when I went our local Bay Area mopar yard a couple summers ago. For any of you with the later style (curled back to the cab), do you have any seam sealer in there from the factory? My 53 never did, and that's the reason they're rotted out along with the adjoining section of the cab.

When I eventually replace them, they might have to be fabricated without the curl, so seam sealer can be applied after installation, then the rails bent inwards after that.

BTW I've been a little MIA on here this summer, so howdy to all again! Been spending quality time with my gal and doing lots of traveling...

[Jeff Balazs]

Hi John;

Don't the 53 cabs have a reinforcment under the floor running between the door pillars that the rest of the cabs lack?

Jeff

[John-T-53]

Jeff - Not that I found. The floor is one piece of sheet metal...Other than a few bends, the seat base is the only brace in the middle that I know of.

[52b3b Joe]

Splain?

 

I had a pretty bad dealing with them. I thought I'd never see my grill again. The only way I got it back was due to my brother going there and personally getting it. I'm just lucky he went on vacation and was driving by on his way there. Get on the Imperial website and check them out on their reviews. I wish I had done my research better before I made the almost fatal error. 

[Don Coatney]

I had a pretty bad dealing with them. I thought I'd never see my grill again. The only way I got it back was due to my brother going there and personally getting it. I'm just lucky he went on vacation and was driving by on his way there. Get on the Imperial website and check them out on their reviews. I wish I had done my research better before I made the almost fatal error. 

Thanks for the warning

[Jim Roach]

I had the same experience. I wasn't sure I would ever get my 1955 TBird bumpers back. It took over a year. Then I ended up having to send one back because they did a bad job on the rear bumper. I was furious!! They told me to send it back with a one week turn around. I told them I would show the car for the balance of the season (east coast) with the bad bumper then send it back in the winter. That winter I sent it back with serious concerns. Two weeks later I get a bumper back, except it was a front 55 TBird bumper not the rear. When I called them they didn't know anything about it and that my rear bumper was completed and would ship the next day. Another two weeks went by and no bumper. All this time I continued to hold the front bumper hostage until I got my bumper back. I finally got my bumper back, thought about keeping the extra bumper but that wasn't right. There was some poor sole out there waiting for his front bumper so I sent it back. The only good thing about all of this was they did an excellent job. I would never recommend them unless I lived there and could hound them on a daily basis.

[Jeff Balazs]

Jeff - Not that I found. The floor is one piece of sheet metal...Other than a few bends, the seat base is the only brace in the middle that I know of.

John;

There is a write up on this under 53 year model changes in Don Bunn's book. Was wondering about this when I was working on my cab. It had been tweaked pretty good in an accident and I was thinking about this addition as a stiffener. Never found any pictures though.....

Jeff