Bryan Kramer's 1946 Chevy 1/2-Ton Pickup

"Old Rusty"

14 May 2007 Update
# 1743

From Bryan :

           Here's an update to Rusty. I finally got around to starting on the bed and fenders. He's starting to look like a truck again instead of a pile of parts.

           I haven't had time to do a whole lot so far this year. I'm getting ready for a "government sponsored vacation" to an overseas location -- most likely one involving sand. So, I had to put Rusty in dry storage for a while. He'll get alot of work done to him once I get back though.

           Please keep myself and all of our military personnel serving in the Middle East in your thoughts and conversations this summer while you're at all those car shows and swap meets we'll be absent from.

Thanks,

Bryan Kramer
"rumplemtz"
Bolter # 10950
Scott AFB, Illinois

           Bryan, we certainly do keep you all in our thoughts and prayers. Hope your time in the big sand box goes by quickly and safely and you return home soon, to get back to work on this here Bolt! God bless you and keep you. And thank you! ~~ Editor

18 December 2006
# 1743

From Bryan :

           I first started to look for a project truck on the internet by “Googleing”various years of Chevy trucks. I drove by this banana yellow 1957 3/4-ton longbed everyday for months when I decided to go and ask if the guy would sell it. Come to find out, it wasn't his to sell. I then learned a friend of the family was selling a short bed 1956 Chevy. He wanted $500 for a rust bucket with busted glass, no drive train and mismatched rims. Not to mention is was in the middle of his cattle pasture.

           I almost bought it when I found a 1946 on eBay that was only a couple of hours away. I bid my $500 I had to spend but the reserve was listed for like $800. I didn't win the truck since it didn't meet the reserve. The price was a little out of my beginner’s budget, so I kept looking for other trucks. One day about two weeks after the auction ended, I got an email from the guy. Come to find out, he was selling it for a friend. I called the owner and offered my $500, (his wife said "SOLD! He has too many projects in the yard already"). I went with our truck and a friend’s car hauler and pulled it out of the farmer’s field behind his shop. (The farmer also was a car restorer.) The farmer sold me a bed box as well to replace the stakebed.

           Old "Rusty" came home with us that day. He was so named by my 5 year old, who has showed an early interest in the old style trucks.

           More photos and some current progress can be seen on my Webshots page.

Bryan Kramer
"rumplemtz"
Bolter # 10950
Scott AFB, Illinois