VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans 52 3600 Spare tire Mount

I will be installing an exterior box mounted spare tire mount (between the left fender and cab)on my almost finished 3600 pickup. I have two versions of the mount to pick from, but both were taken off junk yard trucks and were painted the original body color. Was this a factory installed option (and therefore painted body color at the factory) or a dealer installed option and painted body color by the dealer? Or maybe it just came black originally, and got body color during a re-paint along the way?
Any insights would be appreciated. Scrambling to get it done for Flint!!

RPO 341 were installed at the factory { as evidenced by the factory assembly sheet }.

The side mount spare tire carriers were first offered as an option on the trucks in 1953
& would not be correct for a 1952 truck.


Although I have seen many side carriers that were painted body color... I have seen a lot that were painted black.

I would imagine that if the factory installed them... they were painted to match the body color.

I don't see any reason why you could not have had the dealer order a carrier for you but, if it was ordered from the dealer to be installed... it would have been black.

Great information, thanks a bunch!
I will need to think twice about installing this, although I suppose one could argue that it was available as a dealer installed accessory in 1953 onward, and then of course, should be black.

The spare tire rack might be black if installed by a dealer or could have been sent to the body shop, painted body color and then installed. Dealer installed rack bolts would not have been painted and the part of the bed covered by the tire rack would also have been painted body color before the rack was installed.

I have a problem envisioning completely painting a spare tire rack that was installed on the bed side. Getting paint to the back side (next to the bed side) would be difficult at best.