Owned by Eric Backstrom Alberta, Canada

1949 Chev Model 1314 5-Window 1/2-Ton Short Box

More pictures of my old truck

From Eric :

This old 1949 Chevy 5-window truck was listed for sale last spring on an online advertising site. I responded to the ad and I turned out to be the first one to contact the seller. He said he had a tremendous response ... and I ended up with the truck!

The seller found the truck a while back on a farm in Saskatchewan and brought it home. He didn't know any of the history of the truck, except that it came off that farm. He listed the truck as a 1950 but the serial number showed it to be a 1949. Plus, I checked the Stovebolt Advance Design Spotting Guide Tech Tip and confirmed that it is a 1949.

He stored it in a seed container and it sat there for years. He realized that he wouldn't be able to get around to do anything with the truck so he put it up for sale.

It was such a good deal, it just had to get it. An all original (except for the rims) vintage 5-window short box doesn't come around very often so I grabbed it and hoped to restore it as my next project.

The truck is in good condition with hardly any rust. I'm sure being stored in the container helped a lot with that. The fenders are welded on to the running board (should be riveted) and it's been repaired here and there. But it still looks good: "Good from far but far from good" I guess you can say. It needs work.

But .... it was operational at the time! The truck was able to run ... all it needed was brakes to stop! The seller said the engine was a 235 but it appears to be a 216. It just stopped running recently -- I think it's the fuel pump.

The front axle was badly bent. The truck runs down the road fine, so the alignment seems good. I assume the tractor that pulled it out of the farmer's field showed now mercy. I doubt the truck would pass Canadian inspection with the axle bent like it is. We have a wrecker here and our guy can pull an axle out of another truck and that will give me a "new" straight one.

I don't have it registered yet as it's not quite ready. It needs an "Out of Province" inspection since it came from Saskatchewan. Inspections are kinda tough in Canada, especially if they come from another province. The inspection is rigorous. They even measure your brakes to see if you are within wear limits. I'll do the brakes and some of the minor stuff (besides the bent axle) soon and get the inspection done.

I was looking at options and was considering putting put this body on another frame. AD Engineering has an kit you can get. It's an old S10 frame which is the same wheelbase. That would give me a more modern drive train. You just put the old truck on the "new" frame. I'm undecided ... and have plenty of time to ponder the idea.

The half-ton will likely be the next project. I have several going on, kinda at once. So, I switch around on what I'm working on.

I am in the process of restoring a 1968 Ford Mustang. I have a 1928 Model A. The other trucks in my collection are in the Photobucket album. (Maybe we'll get a story on them later ~ Editor). The greenish-gray is a 1945 Chev 1.5-ton Model 1543, with a hoist. It's not running now but will be soon.

The rusty blue one is/was a 1949 GMC 2-ton Loadmaster Model 1543, also with a hoist. This truck is now re-cycled and re-purposed. The motor in it was toast. It needed too much work to get it back going. I had too many other projects working already. When someone showed an interest and was willing to preserve it, I was willing to let it go -- knowing it wouldn't be crushed. The cab was solid so we took it off and I gave it to a friend for his project. He is making a car hauler. He already has an old diesel engine. He will have an easy restoration on the cab as it had just a little cancer around the window.

The "rest of the truck" is still here. I mounted a 13 hp motor to the hydraulic pump. I brought the frame rails together and got a coupler to accept a ball hitch. I added tail lights to the back. Now I have a hydraulic dumping trailer to use around our property. I start the motor, it starts the hydraulic pump and it dumps all by itself.

I have been wrenching since I was a kid. My Dad got me into vehicles when I was young. He was a gearhead. I helped him with his cars. When I was old enough to get my own, I didn't have much money. Working on beaters was the only way to keep wheels on the road. Besides what I learned from my Dad, the rest has been self-taught. I also use to work in a fabrication shop ... those skills come in very handy!

Another reason for my love of these 'Bolts is that my best friend growing up and thru high school had a 1954 GMC 5-window 3/4-ton. We lived in that old truck 24/7! Now I have a seat in one with a steering wheel, instead of always being the passenger -- only 30 years later. Yay!

I'm looking forward to enjoying this old truck as an "all original" for as long as it lasts. When the motor goes, it will receive a modern motor and drivetrain.

The old trucks are getting to be more and more popular here in Canada. The folks in town in the rural communities really like to see the old trucks on the road.

I love old vehicles. (We couldn't tell ~ Editor)

Eric

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