VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans 1955.1 3600... Red Oxide or Black for Diff Carrier?

I'm about to reassemble my rear axle on my 1955 first series 3600. Can anyone tell me for sure whether or not the differential carriers were originally painted in red oxide at final assembly, or if they were black? I had never, until today, seen any evidence of red oxide on an original carrier. To be fair, there is usually very little, if any paint left on them after this many years. I had assumed that axles were assembled in bare metal and painted as an assembly at the factory. Is that correct or not?

After looking at your list of vehicles, I'm guessing you know more about NAPCO trucks than all the rest of us, combined.
I have a "59 3600 Fleetside NAPCO. It has not been out of storage for a long time.
I would have assumed that everything underneath would have been black, but this is only a guess.
Is there a NAPCO forum?

Mike

Howdy Mike. NAPCO equipped trucks have been my hyper focus since I got my first 55.1 3600 in 1995. I've been pretty fortunate to own quite a few of them since then, acquire a lot of original literature, and meet a lot of the old timers with first hand knowledge from back in the day. I do enjoy them. The NAPCO Owners Group does technically have a forum at www.napco4x4.org but it's not functional at the moment. There are technical issues that the host has not been willing or able to solve. If you are a Facebook user, the NAPCO Owners Group hosts an excellent group located here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1531792713798709

I encourage you to join the group. It's an excellent resource and very well moderated.

My website is live but is very modest and is really just a placeholder at the moment. If you are at all interested in having original type 19.5" traction tires reproduced for our trucks, I encourage you to visit my site, www.napcopowrpak.com and sign the petition. It has gained a lot of traction, and Coker Tire is already giving positive signals based on the response thus far. Every little bit of support helps though.

I tend to think you're right about everything on the trucks being black, but I would love confirmation if there might be someone with definitive knowledge on the subject. Thanks!

My NAPCO is for sale so I will not be a customer for 19.5 tires. However, if my name on a list of interested parties does not amount to a commitment to purchase, I will be glad to sign up.

Mike

It does not require you to buy any tires. It's just a petition. Thanks!