I have a 1952 Chevrolet 3100 Bell Telephone Truck from southern California. The truck has a near perfect utility box on the back which i assume is original but there are some inconsistencies. First the tag and title are for a 1952, the doors have vent windows, but there is a side cowl vent on the drivers side. Is this normal on the Bell trucks or is the cab a 1950 cab with 1952 doors. The 216 head has 1952 casting numbers but the engine stamping doesn't match anything I have found and has the letters "CAL" at the end. I assume this has to do with being a utility vehicle from California. The truck seems original (with a very old restoration and the PO tried using zip strip to remove paint) even has the original shocks on it. Any insight into this would be very helpful as I cannot find many pictures or any information on these trucks. I'm not sure its eve worth keeping the box on the back even though is does draw alot of attention.
I am no help with identifying the year of things, but I would definitely leave that utility box on it. You'll be the only one on your block with one.
Looks like the way it would have bee configured for a Ma Bell body. Must be for installation only as no ladder rack.
Judging by the blue dot tail lights, it's was owned previously by a car guy; unless you did that! I say leave the box, and update everything to Ma Bell standards; except for what's under the hood. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Ive seen a few of these at show but they were 3600 or 3800 The drivers side cowl on the cab indicates earlier cab than 1952 Was there a data plate on the drivers side post? If there is you can run the numbers here https://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/vin/vinbuster.html Nice rig .
Looks like the tables have turned. In the '60s, there was a Bell Telephone facility just outside Santa Cruz. Their yard was large, for their fleet of F100 trucks. In one part of the yard they had F100 pickup beds, (new 'take-offs', with fenders attached!) all sitting on pallets, front 'gates' down, tailgates up. It was said they would NOT go to auction, they would be kept to replace on the trucks when the trucks were sold off. The utility beds were repainted, repaired, and used on the next new truck fleet. Company policy? Guess that's why we never see an old Ma Bell truck with its utility box. Rare...
Long time lurker here with a 1952 telco service bed. I found it at an auction, made into a trailer, with 6 hole (Chevy) rims. It is a little different, possibly since it was found in Southern Arizona. The rectangular door on the upper-left corner holds the spare tire. Hard to read, but the manufacturer's data plate. Anything more would be a hijack of this post (and become my first OFF- TOPIC vehicle violation <wink>). Adam, Great job saving this truck, I really like it. TrailerTrashToo (Russ McLean)
I've heard that Ma Bell had trailers like that for supplies and were dropped off at certain locations and used by line men.
This trailer was the "2nd life" for the service bed. The torque tube was cut off and a coffee can was crudely used to seal the open tube. The frame was cut and bent to make the trailer tongue. Crude, but effective. I suspect that it was used for housing maintenance, there was painting supplies and various parts for residential housing left inside.
The data plate puts it as 1952 built in St. Louis. My guess is that the plate was transfered when they changed the cab.
All the bell trucks we bought for Joe's Truck Parts had the Bell service box on them never got a pick up box. Bought lots of pole trucks , they cane with winches poles and had a valve for locking the brakes because it had a power take off. We did that for about 10 years . Some of them came with miss matched parts almost all were Chevys had a few Dodges and Ford over the years. The service boxes were bought by people who worked out of their trucks.
I know its a long shot but the two side poles for the ladder rack are missing the ones that go front to back. Would anyone know where one could locate them. Not sure if I would put the ladder rack back on without them. I think it looks cooler without them and you can actually sit on the top of the box. It is steel reinforced with 3/4 plywood.
I have only found one picture with a box like mine. I think ours were made by the same company but one is a older one...which one I am not sure.
In N.H. and Vt when Ma Bell replaced a truck the complete old one went to auction. They were well maintained.
Thanks, The rivits on your data plate are not original That being siad I would just leave well enough alone if you got title and reg.....its a 52 In my view 3100’s are alot easier to work on when it comes to brakes and driveline .
An elderly lady phoned the telephone company to report that her telephone failed to ring when her friends called and that on the few occasions when it did ring, her dog always moaned right before the phone rang. The telephone repairman proceeded to the scene, curious to see this psychic dog or senile elderly lady. He climbed the nearby pole, hooked in his test set, and dialed the subscriber's house. The phone didn't ring right away, but then the dog moaned loudly and the telephone began to ring. Climbing down from the pole, the telephone repairman found: 1. The dog was tied to the telephone system's ground wire via a steel chain and collar. 2. The wire connection to the ground rod was loose. 3. The dog was receiving 90 volts DC signaling current when the phone number was called. 4. After a couple of such jolts, the dog would start moaning and then urinate on himself and the ground. 5. The wet ground would then complete the circuit, thus causing the phone to ring.
Look at the radius on the rear fenders! Looking at the black one posted above I gather that was a modification specifically for those bodies?
I worked 35 plus years for a utility company . Not uncommon to mismatch of parts , just to keep the truck moving . Down time was money . I had the bed on my truck attached to 3 different chassis before , it was sold because most of the tool storage was on the street side of the truck and not the curb side . It was much to safer to get needed tools from the curb instead of standing in the street . Dont worry about , your working on equipment tied to a cavern full of 8.5 M gallons of Liquid Propane !
The fender appears to be specific to this series of bodies. The fender insets about 2" into the body and is held in place with screws around the perimeter. The metal is thick, I was only semi-successful in removing dents and twists (fortunately, Herculiner bed coating hides a lot of crude fixes).
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