Owned by Greg Borm "Gregger" Bolter # 30141 Calgary, Alberta & Yahk, British Columbia Canada

1951 Chevy Cab-over-Engine

More pictures of my old truck

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From Greg :

I have always loved the early GM trucks through to the end of the 1950's, especially the Advance Design series of trucks. Their styling just screams purpose-built work truck, yet it possesses a beautiful period styling that looks even better today.

Of all the trucks offered in the AD series, I have a particular affinity for the cab-over-engine, or COE truck.  It is distinctive, stylish and tough-looking.

After a protracted search, I realized there was nothing north or east of me. In September 2011 I located an old truck 500 miles from my home. It was list on Kijiji which is somewhat of a Canadian-version of Craigslist (but a little smoother and with pictures, too!).

The fellow who had the listing was from Saskatchewan and he had three listings. He is a retired truck driver, who goes around to farm auctions and buys up old stuff to re-sell, as a hobby. I chatted with him at length. I had seen the one picture and couldn't pass on the price. He has 40 acres and he agreed that the truck could sit there until I am ready to start the project.

The truck is a 1951 COE with the deluxe five window cab version of the "Comfortmaster" cab. It is in very nice condition. Indeed the entire truck is in very nice condition! The truck was in some sort of protective yard and taken care of.

So far, I don't know any previous history of the truck but I will find out when I got out to pick the truck up. I am anxious to learn a little more of the company / farm who had the truck before the previous owner.

I live in the city and can't really park a Big Bolt truck on the street in front of my house, let alone in my garage -- it's too tall. So. I decided I was going to build this truck as a long box pickup truck. The cab and front sheet metal will be mounted on a modern 3/4 or 1-ton pickup frame. I am likely going to do a chassis swap onto a 1989 Chevrolet 3/4-ton truck I have that is in awesome mechanical condition.

I will need to pull the cab and sheet metal off. I can pull it apart and work on it in parts in my garage. Or I'll take it to the family farm and disassemble it there. The family farm is half way between where I am now and where the truck is now. That is why I started searching in that area for a truck. I would be out thee for a long visit with the family and my Father-in-law and I would go "hunting" around to see what's "parked" on farms in the area. The last two grain trucks I picked up are practically neighbors of my FIL. Almost everyone out there has at least one old truck sitting on their farm.

So, I acquired a 1949 Chevrolet truck for the needed 9-foot box (and a future project for myself or someone else). I also found this on Kijiji ... also from another farm in the area. It is a deluxe cab. It'll just keep the AD nine foot box ... if anyone else wants the remainder, just let me know!

Lastly, I picked up the THIRD Big Bolt on a farm near my Father-in-law's farm. It's a grain truck and I'll use it for some accessories like the outside visor and defrost fresh air heater. (If anyone needs bits and pieces from this parts Bolt, just let me know.) We can't quite pinpoint the date of this truck but the Big Bolt forum guru's, we are leaning towards a 1948 2-ton.

The end result of all this will be a snub nosed AD pick up truck. I am not the least bit concerned about the custom work required to mount the body. I have worked on, restored and customized many cars (as a hobby) over the years but this is my first truck. As a matter of fact, I still have my first car - a 1961 Chrysler, 2 door hard top with the big fins up the back!

So I have begun the planning and parts gathering phase of the project.

I will commence work on the COE after I complete the project currently occupying my garage, likely in 18 month. The current project is restoring a 1958 Cadillac convertible that I've had for over 15 years. I found it in the Wine County, in BC.

When the COE is finished, it will be a part time, summer work truck that will be put into regular service doing all my weekly "truck chores."

Until then I look forward to learning and sharing here on Stovebolt. I joined here to learn all about these trucks before I start this first truck build!

Until then, she'll wait for me on the old farm in Saskatchewan.

Greg Borm

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