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01 September 2012
# 2966
 
 

Owned by
Ray
"1Plowboy"
Bolter # 32972
Lake Stevens, Washington


 

1948 GMC 1-Ton

 

More pictures of my old truck

Join the discussion about this truck

 

From Ray :

I added this photo to my Photobucket album (link above) on 19 June 2010. That picture, taken in July 1973, shows a great old farm truck working on my parents' farm in North Dakota. That's me at 16 years old working the combine. And that's my Dad's Stovebolt, a 1953 GMC 2-ton. That was our last harvest. The farm was already sold at that time. The old GMC truck was sold at auction and it went to our neighbors who lived south of us. (That's a great way to introduce an album for an old farm truck! ~ Editor)

To me, this old photo illustrates what having a truck is all about -- that connection to the farm that I grew up on.

My parents moved about 40 miles from the farm, to a small town in North Dakota. One of those classic small towns. There were 12 kids that started first grade together and in 1975, we all graduated on the same day.

I stayed on the farm with the guy who bought it from my parents. I helped on the farm during the week. On the weekends, I went home to my parents.

Besides the GMC, my Dad had a 1949 Ford F3 1-ton pickup. That Ford F3 is actually what I learned to drive on. As an adult, I have had a 1948 ford F1 and a 1958 Ford F3.

When I started looking for a truck, I was actually looking for a Ford. When I came across this 1948 GMC 1-ton ruck, it was in such great shape, I couldn't pass it up.

The truck was listed on Craigs list, just 60 miles from home, and only $3,000. Included in my album are some pictures of my "farm truck" just minutes after getting her home. The old truck does look better after a wash. (There are plenty of impressive pictures -- you just gotta check 'em all! ~ Editor)

The previous owner of the truck purchased it at a storage auction. So there isn't a lot of history to go with it. The PO didn't even have a key for it. He had a locksmith come out to make up a new key. He paid $1270 for it and I tried to get the price down ... I did some but he wouldn't budge any lower than the $3K.

The numbers on the odometer are very faded. I believe it reads " 2?735." That's right, less than 30,000 miles! So, I have no doubts that this truck has been a farm truck most of its life. It's in such great condition, almost makes me think it was kept in the barn or at least covered! There is no way to document that but everything that I see and the way it drives. Nothing on it is worn out.

The color of the truck is still evident on the steering wheel with no black showing through. On the old trucks, they were black plastic with a coating on it and the coating would wear off. This shows color all the way around the steering wheel.

The front end is very tight. The truck doesn't wander on the road at all. There is no rust through that I've found. The engine runs good so there's no need to mess with it.

I hope to restore her as close to original as possible with a few changes and upgrades. I'd like to make a dually pickup out of it similar to fellow Stovebolters: Wayne "46 Chevy 2 Ton" Hagopian's 1946 Chevy 2-ton Dump Truck and Shawn's Maher 1946 GMC 1-ton. I like the look of big heavy pickup!

I have purchased a 9 foot bed. I may widen the fender or the bed. I have to do something to get it out covering the wheels. If I widen the bed, I have to do wheel wells and all that. This way I can bolt on an original fender. I am leaning towards something like that. I may use the 9 foot bed or have sides fabricated. Someone may want to get the bed.

I am a woodworker as a hobby. My wife and I built a house with our own hands and did virtually everything. I prefer to build furniture. I work at Boeing and I do the interiors of airplanes -- so what you see in the airplane is stuff that I work on.

I plan to do a plywood mock-up of the bed before having bedsides fabricated and fenders added.

I have never done a restoration before. This is all new to me and I have a lot to learn. None of this scares me. There is a lot I don't have a much knowledge of. But coming from a farm upbringing, you learn to do a little bit of everything. With some of the truck restoration, I will definitely need assistance. But I hope to do a good portion of it myself.

My wife was hesitant that I buy a truck. When she looked it over she asked if I was going to disassemble it and have it blasted.

We recently bought a house and we have been busy painting, putting in new windows and outside stuff. We are working on the garage now (plenty of room to work on the truck!). The plan is to get started on the truck come winter. I have gathered some parts.

My wife likes the truck. She got stained glass windows for the house and I got the GMC. Believe it or not, the windows costs more (maybe a little).

There doesn't seem to be a lot of vintage or original trucks in the area. Most are very custom, hot rod, or big dollar trucks. I have gone to a few car shows over the years.

Ray

 

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