1948 Chevy 6100
1954 Chevy 1/2-Ton

13 March 2009
# 2559 & 2560

From Louis :

More photos on Photobucket ~ password: stovebolt

Greetings from Belgium! Here are my two Chevy trucks.

This yellow one is a 1954 1/2-ton which has been restored (and totally customized) by me. The only work I did not do by myself was the paint job.

On this truck, I worked for three years over the weekends and holidays. I had a complete 1984 Corvette. I planned to take the engine and transmission from that car. But as I was working to do so, I realized that it would be good to transfer also the rearend for a perfect match.

Then I needed disc brakes at the front. So I decided to transfer also the complete front axle to my '54 frame.

I believe that my '54 is one of the only four in Europe of that kind. Camaro or Mustang front clips are used more often. After all, I even mounted the tilt and telescopic steering column, the pedals, the complete brake system, the glassfiber leafsprings front and rear, the radiator and a lot of little stuff from my donor car.

One of the greatest challenges was to obtain the standard ride height (because I do not like lowered pick-ups). At the rear this was very simple -- just shortened the suspension bolts between leaf spring and axle. But at the front, I had to make special spacers between the leaf and the lower A-arms. Because of the different weight distribution, I had to stiffen the front leaf. I did this by adding a sort of rubber cushion in the middle of the leaf spring between the leaf and the axle-housing.

At car shows, this truck is a real winner.

This second truck is just as I bought it one year ago. It is in restoration right now. It is a 1948 Chevy 6100. I will mount a V8 engine with a 700-R4 transmission. I will add a fifth wheel so I can haul a camper or customized horse trailer behind it.

I bought thius truck from a friend of mine, who bought it four years ago from the first owner in Landover, Maryland -- only 40 miles from Mechanicsville (Stovebolt HQ). What's in a name! It was a tile company named American Mosaic Company. They worked with the truck for 30 years and kept it another 25 years.

I have started the restoration and will keep you informed of the progress with pics and a story.

Louis God
"Louis"
Bolter # 20156
Belgium



Louis, Wow - that's unbelievable that a truck that was just up the road from us is now in Belgium. I wonder if I should have you look for our two old Belgium draft horses. Since they have "retired," perhaps they have ended up back home! Truly a small Stovebolt world! ~ Editor

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