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Restoring my '34 1/2 ton Panel; Can anyone tell me what color the interior was painted? The floor is black but don't know whether the side were painted body color or some other color. Were there composite panels on the upper roof? Also was the grill painted or chrome plated or did it depend on the model?

ron

I have seen a "panel" truck called a Sedan Delivery. Or one of those open with curtains called 1/2 ton Pick-up with Canopy or 1/2 ton Canopy Express. I am hoping your panel truck is the enclosed kind. There is a photo of one on page 401 of the Chevrolet, Master Parts Price List 1929-1942. On page 419 it refers to 16.736 Insulator, Roof panel. Per the photo it goes across the top only. The sides show wooden rails. part no. 374594 rear 1934-35...ccab also part no.374596 frony 34-35...ccab also part no. 374681 center 34-35...ccab
You may want to check out the old ads in news papers of the time at the local library or on the net. That is the best I could do to help. Hope this helps some.

Thanks Terrill. Yes, 1/2 ton panel. I've seen pictures showing the wooden braces along the roof top covered with panel material but maybe someone added these later. Was the grill chromed (I know on the big truck it was not but don't know about the half-ton version)?

Looking at the ad on www.oldcaradvertising.com (root)/gmtrucks/1934/1934chevrolettruckad-01.jpg the grill does not appear to be chromed. May be some one has photo's to share?

The parts book lists a chrome grille for "special jobs" for 1934 and 1935. It was also refered to as Deluxe equipment and included chrome head lights and supports and a chrome radiator shell among other things.

Thank you to everyone who responded. The ad pictures seem to show a black grill but can't tell for sure. I know the big trucks had the painted grill but still not sure about the half-tons. Trying to restore as original but chroming is so expensive I don't want to do something that is not correct. Anyone have an original half-ton panel that knows for sure?

ron

The Engineering Features manual says the grille screen is black.

The 1934 truck Enginering Feature manual is no longer available but you can find the material at....GM Heritage Center archives....Chevrolrt truck/1934

Thanks for this resource, never knew it existed. The details do show the grill to be black, as you stated. I've seen one panel with chrome grill so I suppose one could order this feature as an extra. Was there a "deluxe" model 1/2 ton panel as well as a "standard"?

ron

Ron,

I'm currently restoring a 1938 3/4 ton panel. I'm not sure how much things changed from 1934 to 1937/38, but the panel interior of my truck was still original when I got it. The interior color of the 37/38 is a goldish/tan. I just painted mine and the color that I matched closest to it (the interior color is not one of the standard exterior colors) is called "saddle." The roof of the 38 was covered with a sort of leatherette cloth, again a shade of darker tan/brown (to complement nicely the saddle color). The cloth stretched from side to side on the roof and was secured by clips on the top sides of the roof struts. Behind this cloth on the ceiling/roof was the paper soundproofing/heat shield of the day--a sort of thick felt paper, glued to the roof (this did not show because it is underneath the leatherette/vinyl. The sides (including the one horizontal wooden support running the length of the truck on both sides) was painted this "saddle" (gold/tan) color. This color is also on the interior of the two barn doors at the back. The interior color of the cab is, of course, different.

As I said, I have no idea how things changed from 34-37/38, so none of this may be helpful to you; but I thought I would answer just in case. There are so few of these panels out there, so any info can be helpful.

Good luck,

Jim

Thanks Jim. My panel was in such bad shape I couldn't find any remnants of the roof paneling. I have seen a couple pictures of the interior which don't show any covering over the wooden roof construction but it seems like there should be something there so I may go the way you describe. Were the horizontal wood slats along each side painted the same color as the fiber paneling between them and the outer panel sides? I'm assuming the floor was painted black. I think the door panels on each inside were also painted black as well as the dash.

Ron,

As you probably know, in 36 or 37, they changed the interior to steel framing. All the steel frames on the interior of my 38 and the intermediate panels (which seem to be made of some sort of fiber) were all the same color. There are only 2 wood slats running the horizontal length of the truck, one on each side, about 3/4 of the way up from the floor. These too were painted the same interior color. The interior side of the rear barn doors was also painted the same color.

The floor on the 38 mimics the floor on the regular pickups, so there are bed strips (about 6 or 7 of them) placed between the joints of the floor boards. The floor boards were originally painted/stained black. I don't know if the 34 had boards or used one sheet for the floor, but I think it's a good bet it was painted/stained black.

The cab including dash, trim, and interior doors on the 38 were NOT painted the same color as the panel section of the truck. In 37-38 they were painted a wrinkle brown color. I would imagine that the cab, dash, and interior of the cab doors on the 34 were painted what the regular truck/pickup truck cabs were painted--which I presume was black. As I said earlier, for the 34 this is all guess-work on my part; but info on the 38 is accurate.

Yours,

Jim

10/4. Was there a covering material below the roof struts above the front seats (as in the back)? Looking at the 1934 Gold Book shows no covering under the roof but the description says "neatly insulated, lined and trimmend" I'm assuming the illustration is eliminating the cover to show the wooden roof framing.

Ron,

On the 38 (and presumably the 34), there was the standard headliner in the cab. This is a sort of cardboard, shaped to the form of the roof of the cab. For the 38, it is a dark brown with some texture to it. Perhaps the 34 was black. At any rate, in my panel, this headliner extends from the top of the windshield back to the dome light (which is just rear of the head of the driver), and on the sides down and around the tops of the window mouldings. The leatherette/vinyl material I spoke of earlier then begins at the first roof frame, i.e., at the dome light and extends to the rear.

Jim

Ron, I sent you a photo from the '36 Gold Book of the half ton and it doesn't show headliner, or much at all, for that matter. My trucks didn't have any headliner, just the cardboard on the (interior) sides and whatever the rodents left of the insulation. I hope it helps.

Thanks OB, looks like there should be no liner on the inside as the picture shows. Funny though, the description says "fully lined".

You may want to also find old photos for sale on ebay, black and white but you can still see if grill is painted or plated.

Not sure where you might find pictures of the inside, maybe in a 1934 sales catalogue for trucks ???

mike lynch............

If it has chrome head lights and the head light supports it had a chrome grille. If those parts are painted it will have a black painted grille.

I can't speak too much about 1934 as my literature is incomplete. I was told with the '36 pickups, if it had chrome headlights and supports, then the windshield frame was also supposed to be chrome, as well as the optional spotlight. However, with the '36 Panel, that rule did not appear to apply. I have a photo of my grandfather's bakery trucks lined up which includes 6 '36's. Of the 1936 trucks, all have chrome grilles and painted lights. I've tried to blow up the photo as much as possible because there is also one '34 or '35 truck, which appears to have chrome headlights and grille, but I can't tell for sure. http://www.buchansbread.com/Trucks.htm

That is correct. All 1936 trucks had a chrome grille and the grille was not the same as the 1934-1935.
The 1936 Engineering book says "radiator shell finish,same as hood color in 1934 ad 1935, 1936 chrome plated grille frame and painted shell shell.
radiator grille finish, 1934 and 1935, black. 1936 chrome plated.

Good to know, thank you.

I am the second owner of a late 1936 half ton. Mr. Kalka who I bough the truck from had never done anything to change it from the day he bought it until he sold the truck to me in 1964. It had several "accessory items" that he had put on when he ordered the truck. One of the items was Chromium Plated Head Light buckets. Also, he added overload springs, spare tire, tube, wheel; spare tire lock, front and rear bumpers, high beam indicator, de-iceing fan (mounted on dash and faces windshield). He had a heater installed by the dealer also. This was his personal truck. He owned the Texaco Filling Station in Bandera, Texas. The truck did not come with a chrome windshield. He told me that he had to change the windshield out once. (The straight slotted screws still show the pressure marks on them.)I have in 2003 since changed it out but kept the original black frame. I can not speak about panel trucks but thought I would comment about what was found on my truck.

The 1939 parts book does not show a chrome windshield frame for 1936. The lower half of the frame fits 1937 and 1938 also.
Sounds as if you have an intresting truck with all the accessories + the history.

The '36 Gold Book shows an illustration of a high cab (early '36) with chrome headlights, supports, and spot light, but a painted windshield frame. I was told by a collector that the chrome frame was an option but I know no better. I wasn't interested as mine is a 'work truck'. I have a rear bumper question but I should probably start a new thread.

The parts book does not list a chrome frame for any 1934-1935 truck.
The spot light would have been a dealer installed accessory.
You can't trust the pictures. They are not accurate an often retouched. An actual photograph is usually better.

The rear interior section of the panel was originally painted an olive-green color but what about the front doors (I know the dash and wdo frame were black)?

Have you thought about looking where there may be traces of paint left? Like on top of door on passenger side or under door bottom, places where a person would not normally paint (if painting a vehicle) or where the sun/weather does not effect it?