Quote:
Originally Posted by WadmalawJoe
Do you mean to tell me that the writing on the firewall comes from the factory?
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Writing on the firewall is to give the downstream workers a "heads up" on what is coming.
Vehicles can be marked with option content in the body shop, to aid the guys welding up the cab (and box) to make sure the proper base components are used or appropriate holes added. Vehicles can also be marked with the exterior color to give the painter a heads up of what color to spray or what two tone might be required. Markings can also be added after paint to aid in the trim process, which is why you will often discover numbers and letter both under and over the firewall paint. Lastly - and probably most importantly - vehicles can be marked with the build sequence number, in an attempt to make sure the correct content is added to that truck and to make sure everything stays in sequence.
Although often called "chalk marks" the actual marker was more of a tire marker, or grease pencil, rather than "chalk".
The writing can vary between model years, between plants, even between operators within the same plant. Colors vary, too, since they were not controlled. Normally you will see white or yellow, for contrast, but the truth is sometimes the guy will use a "stogey" that he found on the floor ("red" being another popular color).