Rick Mayabb's 1942 1/2-Ton Chevy -- Restoring an old truck

I acquired the passion from growing up in my Dad's plumbing and welding shop. I saw my Dad work on our go-carts and motorcycles and I had to learn quickly when, at 15 I acquired my first car for $200 -- a '72 VW Bug. It needed constant work to get me to and from high school.

This is my first attempt at restoring without needing it for transportation (some of you may know what I am talking about). I am the third owner of this '42. I picked it up from a guy in Phoenix in January 2006. As you can see, it came in pieces and was in need of some work.

The truck started out in Minnesota on a tree farm and was parked in the back of an orchid for years. It was transferred about six years ago to a relative in Phoenix. The body had been primed but from what I can tell, it wasn't prepped or sanded. There is evidence of this when I took off the original manufacturing plate and some gaskets around the fire wall.

For your information, I found the truck when searching through The Stovebolt Page. Three months later, I brought it to my Dad's welding and plumbing shop in Piedmont, Oklahoma.

The original manufacturing plate was still attached and I was able to trace this back to the Kansas City plant. The motor was swapped in its career to a 1950's 235 that had been recently rebuilt but still needed some elbow grease. I was able to get it running within an hour of having it home. I sealed up all the holes and used airplane paint stripper to change it from blue to black. It was quite a transformation! It's also amazing what $200 in chrome will get you.

(Speaking of what chrome will do ... this is a good shot of the '42 with a new chrome grille. Great motivation I bet ~~ Editor)

I live in Houston, Texas and have gone up once a month to work on it. Lucky for me, my wife is very understanding. (Actually she didn't want the "pile" in our garage.) There is a reason that you don't see me in any of the pictures. According to my wife, I am on my own with this one!

So far, it looks like all the major components are there. I have had to make a few adjustments to get the body to line up. Once all the hardware fits properly, I will unbolt and send the frame off for sandblasting while I finish the motor and work on the interior and drive train. I don't want to replace the floorboard with fiberglass so I am searching for a metal replacement. If you have any suggestions, please email me!