VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans 1948 Tow Truck

Trying to figure out a 1948 tow truck that a friend just bought. ID (VIN) tag is gone, and we can't decide if it is a 1-Ton, or? Has 137" Wheelbase.

It's titled to the engine number (still matches the engine in the truck, luckily), which has Engine Serial Number prefix "FCA" - what does this tell us? My charts only go back to 1950 on the engine serial number prefixes.

Thanks!

Prefixes ending in - AA AC BA CA were manufactured in Flint, Michigan

Prefixes ending in - AM AP BM CM were manufactured in Tonawanda, New York

My bbok says FC engines were used in 1948 3/4, 1, and 1 1/2 ton trucks with a 216 engine. The 1 ton had a 137" WB as did the "short" 1 1/2 ton. The heavy duty 1 1/2 ton also had a 137 WB model.
The 1 ton had 12" front brakes and 14" rear brakes. The 1 1/2 ton had 14" fronts and 16" rears.

Thanks for the info. Yes, Gene, it's me who had the crazy idea to buy a 1948 Tow Truck. Luckily, Janice finds it interesting. I've just posted a picture in the Member's Project section. I'm pretty certain I've convinced myself it's a 1-Ton. It does have the 137" WB and a 216. I've just posted a question in the Commercial Vehicles Forum, but it does seem that some commercial truck discussion is going on in this forum too. Is there a preferred forum for my tow truck??

Can you post a photo here. I couldn't get into the members project section. I've owned about 10 Antique Wreckers through the years. I collect Holmes Wreckers. Had two 1948 Chevrolet 2 ton Holmes model 515 units. 1/2 ton through 1 ton '47-'54 Chevy, & GMC trucks have the pickup style bumper. The 1 1/2 , & 2 ton trucks had heavy channel bumpers.

Here it is. Let me know what you think!

WOW !, I like that ! It's not a Holmes unit, & I can't see enough of the service body to figure it out. I can't see a boom/crane setup, in the back either. Do you guys have it? You can tell it was originally a Dealership Wrecker, & not a Towing Service Wrecker by the use of the tripled original front bumpers, as a push bumper. Dealerships often doubled, & tripled original equipment front bumpers, & used them as push bumpers, before the Wrecker manufacturers started mass producing their own push bumpers. Towing Services usually rigged up there own push bumpers. Gotta see more pictures please.

Oh yeah, That looks to be a dual wheel 3800 series 1 ton truck. Especially if it has 18in. wheels, & not the 20in. wheels, the 1 1/2, & 2 ton trucks used. The use of the 1/2 ton - 1 ton front bumpers, also indicates this.

Here are two more pictures of the '48. It only came with the winch & cable, powered by the PTO. The rest has been removed or cut off. At the back end of the truck, outboard of the big steel brackets, two round steel pipes were cut off. They looked to have been similar in size to what's mounted at the front of the bed. Also a couple other big brackets on the back end. Going to come up with something to put on there. Have a Holmes single cable boom that I plan on putting on there unless I find something more appropriate. It came with incorrect 16" wheels. Still trying to decide if I want to put on those multipiece correct 18" wheels...

Dale,great find,your a lucky guy

Thanks. It's pretty solid and somewhat runs. We'll see what I can do with it. I'll still be hanging around the '46-'48 Forum too. :-)