Fletcher Booth's

1929 Chevrolet International 1-Ton


[an error occurred while processing this directive]

22 November 2005
#1294

From Frank:

             Howdy! I share a shop with a few pals where we wrench on old trucks and motorcycles. We call this shop the Bonnevillains. The name is derived from the Bonneville salt flats that are right nearby. We frequent the land speed races in summer and fall at the flats to rejuvenate our lust for bizarre speed machines.

             One of our projects is this 1929 Chevrolet International 1-ton. We purchased this instate for next to nothing. We brought the truck back to headquarters in winter and parked her inside. One day about a week later, low and behold we had a wasp problem. They were everywhere and Patrick got stung any number of times. I think it was 'cause he cussed 'em the most.

             As you can see in the first picture (to the left), this truck was far too gone to be restored within our capability and interests so we made drastic modifications.

             The next image was our rendering of the vision we had for this old truck. The last two images are of the truck in the summer of 2005.

             It needs a few finishing touches -- like new front wheels and tires -- but all-in-all the truck turned out the way we wanted.

             We kept the frame and Z'd the rear giving it about a 10" drop. The front leaf springs were moved to the rear to cradle a Ford 9." We installed a carriage style front suspension with '40 Ford front brakes with Buick 45 fin drums. The engine is a 383 mounted to a turbo 350. We plan to put a tunnel ram on it this winter. The pipes are custom made sticking out at about 18" -- sounds like a real drag car out on Main.

             As for the body, we rebuilt the interior structure out of steel and channeled the body 6" and chopped the top 6 1/2." We kept it a truck by building it a new flatbed that's about 40" long. It still uses the original gas tank and steering box.

             One of the most fun trucks I've ever driven, and one of the scariest, trying' to stop that 383 Chevy with Ford brakes!

Thanks,

Frank

Fletcher Booth
Bolter # 8996
Salt Lake City, Utah

             Frank has another Stovebolt in the Gallery, a 1949 Chevrolet 1-ton (an old grain hauler). Plus, we've got another Bonnevillain in the Gallery: Pat Carter's 1958 Chevrolet Apache Fleetside Shortbed ~~ Editor


[an error occurred while processing this directive]