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Posted by Eric B. [99.100.188.129] on Monday, November 14, 2011 at 16:07:05 :
In Reply to: Re: Still a great source of numbers... posted by Leon in PA [151.213.55.225] on Monday, November 14, 2011 at 15:25:26 :
I have heard the same story about leftovers being why the cowl and chassis kept the 1958 dash, but I think it had more to do with not wanting to redo the design.
Someone once tried to convince me that the reason the 1957-59 C500 style Cab Overs (the picture is of a 1958 or 59, I can't tell for sure) used the 1957 nose for the whole run was that the parts were left over from 1957. Given that thousands were made each year I can't imagine it. More likely it was because all the money went into the 1960 revamp of the COE into the Low Cab Forward and the 57-59 COE was just a stop gap. If you look at the 1957-59 COE it is clear that more would have had to have been done than just bolting on the 1958 grill.
If it was just leftover parts there would not have been so many subtle changes, changes that required new stampings for the doors, hoods and other pieces.
Anyway, the books clearly show the 1958 dash was in use for a while in the Chassis cowl trucks, most likely because its mirror design was easier to incorporate into an aftermarket body (as opposed to the 1959 dash that stuck up on one side), or Dodge didn't want to redesign the 1959 dash into a cowl as there was not enough demand for the chassis cowls to justify the cost.
I am very skeptical of the leftovers theory, as that would imply in some cases an overrun of thousands which would only make sense if there was a gross error or a huge fleet order was canceled.
I have seen examples of leftovers being used up, but it tends to be limited to early trucks in a model year and little bits like knobs. I think if there were leftover parts, like a 1958 Dodge letters for the hood, anything leftover got put into the parts department, or thrown away. I can't see Dodge pushing thousands of 1959 trucks out the door with 1958 individual hood letters!
Thanks again for sharing pictures of that Route Van, if you are ever back in that yard and the truck is still there I would be grateful for a picture of the tags.
Eric
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