Vinny's Peterbilt Mystery

Discussion in 'Peterbilt Forum' started by vinijackson, Nov 29, 2011.

  1. vinijackson

    vinijackson Bobtail Member

    30
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    Sep 11, 2011
    Williston Vermont
    0
    For those following the 359/379 mystery assuming, there are any, my hope is that someone reading this may be able to learn from what I find out and not have to ask dumb questions. In September of 2011 I bought what I thought was a 1977 peterbilt 379, to put on the road and start driving for a living when I retire from machining in the next five years. So far I have found that it's either a 359 or 379. I've been told the VIN in the cab 89251N is an invalid number because the N should be a number. The dash on the driver side is not round as you might expect but flat like a 379. I've stripped the frame from cab to bumper both sides no numbers except a few on the bracket holding the springs to the frame. I thought the number would be easy to see.
     
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  3. spax

    spax Medium Load Member

    361
    364
    Aug 5, 2011
    United States
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    Since the first year for a 379 was 1987, you can eliminate that possibility. Unless, it is not really a 1977 that you bought.
     
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  4. vinijackson

    vinijackson Bobtail Member

    30
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    Sep 11, 2011
    Williston Vermont
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    Cab says 77 359 but the title says 77 379. There's no fiberglass or plastic on the truck. I sent a letter to Mass. DOT because they issued the title prior to the one I have now. They will be sending me some sort of vehicle registration history? I am wondering why the dash is flat and not rounded like others i've seen. Old Trucks ....ya gotta lov'em
     
  5. haulhand

    haulhand Road Train Member

    In 77 Pete had the old little window cab with a flat dash. I don't think that the corvette dash came out until the very early 80's so you have a 359 little window truck. I'd be almost sure of it.


    ---
    - Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
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  6. puncher

    puncher Medium Load Member

    540
    358
    Feb 12, 2010
    Tn.
    0
    If the truck in your avatar is the truck in question, it's a 359 with a high rise sleeper which was first installed on some of the numbered 359's in 1986, and later on most 379's, so it has been added. I don't recall ever seeing external luberfiners on a 379, only 359's, also if you look on the side of the fenders at the amber marker lights that is a 359 feature, along with a little mesh looking step on the bottom back of the fender(only on the metal hoods) also 359's had external rubber elbow ducts going to the breather(s) from a cut out of the hood, 379's had the hidden ducts running behind the cowl, and the back of the hood was straight with out the cut out. There are other things to distinguish the two but these are enough to make up your mind as to what it is.
     
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  7. blackpipes

    blackpipes Light Load Member

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    18
    May 4, 2010
    king ferry,ny
    0
    Peterbilt used a plastic dash that is like you are xplaining. it started in 73 with the nww cab. They used it till the late 70s. Im sure u have a 359. Somewhere somebody messed up the #s on the title. The corvette dash is likely what ur thinki.g u should have but ur truck is a little too old to have it. If it has a stand up sleeper that is not original. Pete didnt do that til much later. Into the mid 80s I believe. As stated, if the elbow from the breather comes out the front and goes in by the back of the hood, its a 359. The 379 goes straight into the side of the cab and u really cant even see it. if u put a picture on here we can tell u in about 2 seconds what you have. Old trucks rule to take care of that thing!
     
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  8. vinijackson

    vinijackson Bobtail Member

    30
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    Sep 11, 2011
    Williston Vermont
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    Thanks for the input men !! Yup that's the old girl...The breather comes out the front and into the hood.
    Nice knowing for sure what it is. A real S.O.B. to get parts for but nice! I drove it home (a 6 hour trip) ran nice shifted well braked good and no over heating.Only issue was in backing up a small hill it stopped backing up after a little bit as though it was not in gear. checked twice and the shifter was in gear but wouldn't go? backs on level ground fine. 13 speed road ranger by the way. cant seem to find the numbers on the drive axles. Front's Rockwell. LET THE WORK BEGIN!!
     
  9. puncher

    puncher Medium Load Member

    540
    358
    Feb 12, 2010
    Tn.
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    Glad to help, the backing up hill deal was probably uneven ground, just flip the powerdivider switch to lock the rears. The ratio of the rears should be on a metal tag located usually in the face of the stump, if it's gone then look at the ends of the input shafts for the ratio stamp, sometimes this is hard to do with out dropping the u-joint.
     
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  10. oilfieldtrash

    oilfieldtrash Light Load Member

    226
    107
    Oct 17, 2009
    Jones,Oklahoma
    0
    I don't know about 359's but 379's have a vin number stamped in the top of the right hand frame rail just under the turbo. right behind where the frame goes back to full width.
     
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  11. 1958Pete

    1958Pete Light Load Member

    171
    64
    Sep 12, 2011
    Jonesville, Louisiana
    0
    Looking for to seeing a picture of your truck when you get it on the road again.

    I love 359's!
     
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