01 February 2012
# 2937

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1936 Chevy 1.5-Ton Stake Bed

Owned by
Bobby "RLIVE" Ivey
Milledgeville, Georgia

From Bobby :

I have always loved the 1936 and 1937 Chevy body styles. I often surfed the Internet looking for a project to do if I choose to retire.

I looked into one in Mississippi and never was able to move on it. I found out later, the fellow who had listed it worked out on one of the oil rigs. He contacted me when he finally came aground, about a week after, I had the big adventure.

Okay, the big adventure: since no response from MS, I kept looking. In early October, I ran across this 1936 Chevy one and a half ton stake body truck online. I called the number and left a message. Mid-October I arrived home from work at 7:30 pm, heated me a snack and was relaxing and eating supper. At 8:00 pm the phone rang and a lady asked me if I had inquired about the truck. She wanted to know if I was still interested. I told her I was and after we had discussed it for a few minutes, I looked at my wife and asked her if she was game -- not even telling her what was up. She said yes -- not knowing what was up -- and I told the lady we would be there at 4:00 pm on Saturday (craziest thing I've ever done).

We were in central Georgia and the truck was just south of Lansing, Michigan. That turned out to be 860 miles away! Believe me, it pays to be married to your best friend and buddy.

My "buddy" packed enough clothes for the trip, dog food and bed for the baby (see pix). We were on the road at 9:08 pm that night. We drove five hours and arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee at 2:00 am Saturday. We got a room, slept until 6 am and were back on the road in 30 minutes. We got to Michigan at 3:45 pm.

We looked over the truck, paid for it, and were back on the road at 5 pm heading south. We arrived in Louisville, Kentucky at 10:00 pm, found a room and crashed. We casually woke up and made our way back home to Georgia arriving at 4 pm on Sunday afternoon.

I made arrangements to have the old truck shipped with AAAuto transporters and it arrived about two weeks later.

My plans were to restore it and install a 4 cylinder Cummins diesel. But after going over the truck and seeing the great shape it was in, I decided to restore it as is. I didn't have the heart to modify it especially after my wife asked me if I was going to chop and change it. I read between those lines.

The only work I've gotten done so far is to straighten the frame which was bent when the transporter company used a chair to pull it. I'll need to wait until spring to get started.

Bobby Ivey
"RLIVE"
Bolter # 30607

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