i'm restoring a '50 3100 and want to make it as original as possible. my question is what is the correct color for the runningboards. everything i've seen so far tells me black no matter what color the body is.
Ken ; Try to remember that these were commercial vehicles and so Chevy would paint them pretty much any old way you ordered them , most folks think that ' Original ' means the same as in a catalog but that's not how it is nor was with commercial vehicles . Some were sold with running boards painted to match the body color , if that's how the customer wanted it ~ _you're_ the customer here so paint it how YOU like , who's paying the bills anyway ?. Think of the wierd fleet colors all delaers will tell you are simply not available ~ do you really think every munincipality in America has to pay to have thier brand new trucks re-painted to match thier fleets ? of course not . I once owned a 1963 Chevy II Nova with the desirable RPO # 347 (Super Sport package) it was sold new in Kansas to a lady who ordered it up with the tiny 194 C.I. inline 6 cylinder engine -and- a _column_shifter_ ~ I know every one who -thinks- they know old Chevys will say " NO ! " but they're wrong ~ the build sheet and VIN number don't lie and the RPO codes are right there in both... Go figure , I'da rather had the floor shift with big old chrome console but the car was cheap... Anyway , paint your truck so it looks nice to YOU , I have white running boards on my '49 as that's how it came to me . -Nate
The 1950 Chevy Truck Resto package for exterior colors and finishes is located here. http://chevy.tocmp.com/chevyresto/5069.htm The running boards are listed as Black Baking Delux. Baking Delux is listed towards the bottom of page as a Baking Enamel. Hope this helps.
Nate: 43 years was a long time ago, but if I remember correctly the 194" 6 was the biggest engine you could get in a Nova in '63. The Nova also offered a 153" 4 cylinder engine. The only transmission options were the 2 speed PowerSlide (and floor shift with the SS package) or the standard 3 speed which I think only came as a cloumn shift in the '63 Nova.
Nate: Found some published information that backs up my vague memory at http://www.novaresource.org/history/63Z03ss.jpg
RE: OT : Super Sport RPO Hey Bill ; That's neat . As it turned out , the small block 283 was released *late* in the 1963 model year for the Chevy II cars , the 1963 shop manual didn't include it . 99~ 44/100 % of all SS packages with manual tranny option had a floor mounted three speed manual shifter , I've had and worked on , lots of them and I remember them when new too . The 194 engine was a real dog , no power , the 230 was often ordered up as soon as it became available in 1963 . Not many 153's left as they were even slower and so were scrapped as soon as the cars needed over $600.00 worth of repairs . BTW : you may have heard of the GM 153 C.I. 4 cylinder engine , it was a world famous engine called ' The Iron Duke ' it it powered cars boats , generators and Ag. pumps around the world.... Wasn't a bad engine when fitted in 2 door coupes with no power acessories . I LOVED the Chevy II cars and restored them back in the late 70's and early 80's before they had any cachet or resale value.... -Nate
