Deborah B's 1951 Chevy 1/2-Ton

2 April 2007
# 1901

From Deborah :

           Hello. I'd like to submit my truck in her "before and after glory" for the Stovebolt Gallery.

           When I was younger, I owned a 1951 International, a 1949 GMC, a 1949 Chevy 3/4-ton, a 1956 Chevy and a 1954 Chevy (most were 1/2-tons). Those all came and went for a variety of reasons, mostly economic necessity.

         For the last twenty years, my desire to own an old truck again was a huge ache in my soul. I would put notes on every old Chevy I saw asking if they wanted to sell. On my 51st birthday, I test drove and said "YES!" immediately to the purchase of this old 1951 girl. I love her but I had to say "goodbye" to her for the next year which she had body, interior and bed restoration work done.

           Now I have her back. She still needs some work but she runs well. She has a rebuilt 235 that was in her. Even though it has cost more than I thought I could afford, she's worth it because now somehow, I feel like myself again when I get in her and go.

           Isn't the grille guard great? The other day, a friend who met my truck for the first time (she's not even a driver by the way) said, "Your truck has jewelry" when she saw the guard. I've never seen the same one anywhere before and I did wonder if it's a normal aftermarket addition. It didn't hurt my decision to buy her within the first three minutes either. I decided to be more investigative on the grille and I found out it was produced by the Perry Company of Waco, Texas and they're still in business making grille guards, among other things.

           I went with a new Chrysler color for the paint. After I had the body shop do test panels of other colors, they just didn't do it for me. So I went on a hunt of other colors out there. I probably had them try five other colors before I found that one. It has a small aluminum flake in it. These pictures aren't exactly representational of it. It's an interesting color in that it seems to incorporate green, blue and gray and depending on the light one of those stands out. I needed to have a color that I would be happy with for years and so far so good.

           I'd like to say a huge thank you to Scott at the Need a Lift shop. He's treated my truck like it was his own.

           I don't see that many women in this Gallery who are nuts for old trucks and I'd like to see more. It's good to know I'm not so alone.

           I love this web site and laugh like crazy at some of the sagas here.

Thanks,

Deborah B.
Bolter # 14299
New Mexico