Owned by Mike Doak "Tony Soprano" Bolter # 21370 Missouri

1948 Chevy 1/2-Ton

More pictures of my old truck

Join the discussion about this truck

From Mike :

Well, here is an update for the 1948 Chevy 1/2-ton. It's been while but we've gotten some things done.

We put disc brakes on front and put in a new radiator. We installed a higher speed rear end that we got as a kit from a Chevy magazine. My top speed is still only 50-55 but that's okay for us!

We switched to a Pertronix electronic ignition and did convert to 12 volt.

We put on all new tires, added one new leaf spring, and put in a new front end.

The best part of the update is how we got the old truck painted.

My friends and I are big Mizzou football fans (The Missouri Tigers) and we take the truck to some games. My friend, Roy, was getting divorced and needed something to occupy his mind. His wife moved out, he was bored so he called me. He said " I have always wanted an old truck like yours. I thought about buying one for myself, but you have one so why buy another one."

He offered to paint it Black and Gold (it was red at the time) if I let him drive it some. I had the truck at his house the next day!

The local dealership, Riley Chevrolet, painted it for him. Roy even had a magnetic sign with the Tigers' logo made for the truck (you can see it in the picture above). Roy stored the truck at his house and drove it for about a year. Then in a good news bad / news type of deal, his wife came back and they made up. The first thing she said was, "Roy, I want that stinky old truck out of my garage."

I got the truck back fast! I actually had to go get it immediately. True story; I kid you not!

Roy lives near the stadium and I live about 120 miles from there. So, he won't be driving it as much now but he is more than welcome to anytime ... he will just have to come visit me.

I love driving this old truck. People pull up next to me and wave and smile. It's fun to see how much people enjoy seeing an old truck on the road ... cruising along.

Mike

05 July 2009
# 2625

From Mike :

Here is my 1948 Chevy half-ton truck. When I was a young boy, my family owned a farm in between Stover and Cole Camp, Missouri. My twin brother (Mitch) and I helped Ed Balke, the original owner of the truck, with labor on his farm. My brother begged the farmer to sell him the truck if he ever wanted to get rid of it.

Eventually, when the farmer got too old and retired, he called my brother and sold him the truck for $300. It sat in our Father’s basement for about 30 years and we tinkered with it from time to time.

My twin eventually got around to seriously restoring it about five years ago. We found a 1955 Chevy engine and had it rebuilt. Then my brother gradually restored the rest of the truck.

It was in great shape to begin with. Ed was always excellent with maintaining machinery. He had a new bed put in and later a neighbor painted it red from the original blue. At the time, Busch Beer was doing a lot of beer commercials featuring the old trucks exactly like this one.

Mitch passed away in 2007 from ALS. It is my goal to keep the truck as a remembrance of him, my Father and our farm that we have since sold.

I have the goal of making it drivable. I plan on getting a Mustang 2 front end to put disc brakes on it. I have found a 1948 Chevy auto rear end and have it being put on as we speak. I have converted it over to 12 volts. I am having a little trouble with the 12-volt conversion. I have put a resistor on it to keep from burning out the points. I have to do a bypass to start the truck.

I am a novice at this but have found really good help on the site!

I think these are the most beautiful trucks Chevrolet ever designed!

Thank you,

Mike Doak

-30-