Posted by Peter A. Jung on June 03, 1997 at 18:55:43:
Hi.
I've noticed two items of significant interest to
restorers of other (non-Power Wagon) vehicles. I'd
appreciate some insight from the Forum on these topics:
1. Restorers tend to make a big deal out of "matching
numbers" on major components like engine and frame.
Yet, I've never seen this issue mentioned on the Forum.
Did the '45-'68 Power Wagons even have an engine number?
Was it stamped on the frame, along with the serial
number of the truck? I've seen guys get really
anal on this subject (again, non-Power Wagon vehicles)
to the point of searching out age-dated manifolds to
match the build date on their vehicles. And the age
date doesn't even show when the manifold's installed
on the engine!
2. Two of the four vintage PW's I've looked at have had
incorrect beds installed. A 40's vintage had a 3-stake
pocket(post 1951 vintage) bed, while a 60's vintage had an
early (pre-1951) 4-stake pocket bed. Is it pretty
common practice to replace a rusted out or damaged
bed with another, vice repairing the stock one? Does
anybody care?
Thanks for you comments, and thanks for this Forum. It's
great to have a place to ask these kinds of questions!
Pete