The Gallery
 

1948 Chevy 3800 1-Ton


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  Owned by Richard Hill
"funoneton"
Bolter # 18866
Calhan, Colorado
12 September 2008
# 2428

From Richard :

        Hey Stovebolt! I picked up on your site before I even bought my truck. I thought I would finally submit and join the mayhem.

        I live in Calhan, Colorado, a small town about 30 miles east of Colorado Springs. For years, I have thought of getting an old truck to work on, 'cause I'm through building houses and need to keep my hands and tools busy.

        Looking on Craigs in the wide region and using years for my search (1941-54), I came across a 1948 Chevy 3800 9 footer in Desmoinse, Iowa. I really hadn't known that this model existed.

        When I saw in the pictures [ side view ] how straight the old boy was and that it was a five window, I contacted the owner. It seems this unit had been in the family all its life and the young man was into restoring land rovers, and having babies (his wife helped). So he reluctantly decided to sell. We haggled a bit but settled on a price and I sent him a deposit.

        Two weeks later, I hooked on my car hauler trailer and went to retrieve my prize. Located in West Desmoines, it had been sitting for years. Luckily it had not rusted badly. (Floor board corners and front fender stay locations were the only rust through areas.) The home was a historic registry property originally belonging to the first doctor in the area, who was the young man's Great Grandfather. The big old victorian home still stood on a large acreage and had been the area's first hospital. The family had restored it and retained much of the original furniture and some amazing old medical equipment. Great location to buy a historic old 'bolt!

        IRWIPI prevailed! I found it had a 235 in it. The truck was frozen in the ice and we used heat guns to thaw it out. The guy had a tractor with a loader and we lifted the truck by the big welded-on angle iron rear bumper. We shoved it aboard my trailer [ pix ] .

        The guy went way out of his way to help lash it down and even loaned me some heavy tie downs for the trip. Much thanks to TOM STULL.

        A friend here located a nice low mileage 1955 261 for $100 that is being gone though. I'm sure the 1961 235 is a good builder for the next project. (Note: I found the years with your links to casting numbers.)

        I'm patching the little rust throughs at the front fender stays (mouse nests). I cleaned out the huge mouse hotel under the seat with about a bushel of leaves and acorn shells. I got the front clip off now [ pix ] and took out a 1/4 inch diamond plate bed bottom which revealed a rotted floor and ruined front panel (exact front bed panel for one ton available at Classic Parts). The sides, gate, cab and all else are near mint.

        I don't have a lot of time to give it right now, but who's hurrying?

        Thanks for the great web site.

Richard Hill

-30-


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