Jim Dunkin's 1951 Chevy 3/4-Ton Longbox

21 February 2007
# 1841

From Jim :

           This is a 1951 Chevy 1/4-ton long box. My son John and I bought it from the original owner in St. Louis where it was manufactured in February 1951. It was running until we began a frame off restore in the summer of 2006. It should be completed in the next year ... or two ... or three.

           A week later, I arranged with a body shop man to paint it on his off time and in his garage at home. I think the paint job cost me $40. Surprisingly, it looked very good.

           I had a lot of fiberglass insulation and thought it might help to pack it under the dash which, like all vintage trucks, was as hollow as a tin can. I also packed fiberglass under and behind the seat. The results were astonishing. I could drive down the street and not hear the road or the solid lifters clicking on the 216 engine. In fact, the ride was as quiet as my mother’s LTD.

           Hunting, fishing, and dragging my motorcycle to every muddy race, I drove that truck for the next three years until returning to college and needing money. I sold it to a farmer in Dekalb, Texas for $600. I don’t know if it is still running today but I ran into him back in the early '80s and he told me it was still running and he drove it every day.

           I always wanted to replace that truck. Well, 36 years later when my son suggested we buy and rebuild something, I agreed and we began looking. I convinced him that we should start with a vehicle that would have less to rebuild -- like a truck. He agreed and we found this 1951 Chevy 3/4-ton long box truck on eBay.

           My son John is 20 years old and a Sophomore at Texas A & M University.

           I am now in the process of installing a Heidt’s IFS and a 10-bolt Camero rear end. I have more pictures on my Webshots account.

Jim Dunkin
"BIG CHEVY 3600"
Bolter # 12402
Dallas, Texas