1946 Chevy 1/2-Ton
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Owned by Wayne Hannen Talking about this truck |
# 2796
From Wayne :
This 1946 1/2-ton was sleeping in a garage for 30+ years until found last year.
I started reading the forums when I got this truck (lots of useful information). I joined Stovebolt last month and today.... my son and I finally fired the old truck up! Brakes almost done, a couple more small leaks to repair and we'll be on the road.
My best friend for the last 45 years always helped out a couple of elderly sisters. They lived just down the street from him. He had been helping them out ever since he moved into the neighborhood about 20 years ago. He'd shovel snow, help with the yard work and be around for any task or heavy lifting they would need. He was just being a good neighbor and never expected anything in return.
One day he noticed this 1946 Chevy truck in their garage. He commented that it was a nice old truck. As it turned out, it was the sisters' Father's truck. It was last used by their brother who passed away in the 1970s. The women asked my friend if he would like the truck. He thanked them but, at the time, he had his own projects that kept him plenty busy.
Over the next few years, the old truck was offered a few more times. He finally accepted it.
I went to the garage and helped him tow it out. We had to drag it out because the brakes were frozen. Once we had it outside in the daylight, we looked it over and found that it was very original and complete, the only thing missing was the speedometer and maybe a couple of screws here and there.
The truck was repainted with a brush, which one of the sisters later told us was done by her Mother many years ago. I don't know what paint she used but it still looks pretty good from a few feet away.
After we got it out of the garage, my friend moved it by flatbed three doors away (he lives on a VERY steep hill and he was afraid to tow it).
My old friend put a new set of tires on the '46 and then promptly lost interest in it. After a year of sitting in his garage, he asked me if I wanted it and I jumped on the chance!
We had it towed to my parents' garage (I don't have one) and I worked on it almost every day this past winter. I've been an old car / truck fan since I was 10 years old but I've never had the opportunity to own or work on anything this old.
I've freed the stuck motor, cleaned the cooling system, new points, plugs, condenser, and wires. I got a speedometer on eBay and cleaned it up and installed it. I cleaned the fuel system and rebuilt the fuel pump. I disassembled and rebuilt the brakes front to back and got her running this Spring.
Once it warmed up, I found a small crack in the block that weeps some coolant so for now no long trips are planed. In the future I hope to upgrade to a 235 and a four speed so one day I can change the rear end gears for highway driving. For now, I just want to enjoy driving it around town while I clean it up.
Next are new windows (passenger door and back window) and then I'll clean and re-paint the interior and a new seat cover (for the wife). Body work and exterior paint may come someday but I like the way it looks now so I'm in no rush.
This truck worked as a farm truck (I found receipts under the seat) and later as a plumber's truck. I'm sure it served its owners well. Now it's time for it to be cared for and enjoyed.
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