The Stovebolt Site Forums The Forum Gallery 1947 (2nd Series) - 1955 (1st Series) 1954 Chevrolet 3604, 3/4 Ton

Here’s my 1954 3/4-ton truck that I purchased in 2014 from a fella in Springfield Missouri. I “found” this truck searching Craigs list.

What led me down this long road was the death of a close friend and the reminder that we are all just mortals, so I’d best do a few things before the bell rang.

I’d last owned a 1949 3/4-ton truck back in 1976 that I’d purchased from the estate of the original owner. It was fun to drive and fun to own but life got in the way, and it had to go. I had thought about that truck often over the years and every once in a while, I’d pick up a used car flyer and search through it or check out auto trader. When my friend died, I got serious.

So, I bought the truck and got my brother-in-law to help me go get it and get it home. The seller told me it was a Texas truck that he had bought it in 1990. He said he did a bit of work on it and parked it in one of his machine shed’s where it sat for all those years. Funny, he said all I’d have to do was put gas in it, start it up and drive it.

Well, it wasn’t quite that simple, but I did get it running and driving soon after and drove it on occasion until spring of 2017 and that’s when the real fun started.

A little history, regarding the Texas truck story…. the truck had very, very little rust. A whole lot of small-to-large dents, but the rust was minimal. While working on the heater ducts, I found a business card for the Texas Electric Service Company, Wink, Texas. That might explain the steel plate in the bottom of the bed, the custom large rear bumper with the huge Wilton vice, the dual side spare tire mounts and the cab spotlight. No way to know, but that’s about as close as I can get to history.

In July 2017 I started the “restoration / refurbishment.” It's not a show truck but I take solace in the fact that I did almost all of the work myself. I did need a machinist friend to do work on the driveshaft and door hinges, help assembling the bed and getting it onto the frame and help hanging the doors.

Five years and a few months later, more time and money than I ever imagined, and it's almost finished (are they ever?). I’m going to drive this truck …. whenever I want.

Just so ya’ll know, without the Stovebolt Forums, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. There are so many members who helped me along the way. Thank you all!

Sincerely,
Ron Miller
Northeast Missouri

Great looking truck!

What a fabulous job you have done on this truck! The best part is you have done most of it by yourself! I think your spot on with the history of your truck.

I couldn’t have said it better, “Five years and a few months later, more time and money than I ever imagined, and its almost finished (are they ever?)”. I think that applys to most every bolter on this forum. Since I got my truck in February of 2019, my three year 15k project, turned into a five plus year and I already spent my budget.

Your writeup and pictures for the “Gallery” are exactly what we are looking for. Great job!

Thank you Phil! I appreciate the kind words.

Ron,

I've got a very similar 3/4 Ton 3600 which I bought back in 2001, also (a darker) green but doesn't have as nice a paint finish as yours.

I've also done a llot of mechanical and electrical work on mine to make it safer and more reliable to drive !

I hope to refinish mine someday soon when I have an enclosed shop to properly patch, weld, sand and prep it for a two-step paint process.

I refer to my old truck as "B.O.B." for Bucket Of Bolts !

Enjoy that truck and as Red Green would say, "Keep you stick on the ice ... and we're pulling for you".

Black Bolter, I plan to enjoy it whenever possible. It's amazing how busy a retired fella can be. I suggest you keep driving your "B.O.B." every day that you can until its restoration time! One bit of advice ...take lots and lots of pictures of everything on your truck before you disassemble anything. I did , or thought I did, but i didn't take enough!

Ron

Dusty53 would you mind telling me the color used on your pickup? Is it a stock 1954 color?
Very hard to tell actual color in digital form but what you used looks like what i'm looking for.

Thanks
Dands

dands - the color is a custom paint mixed to match the original Ocean Green. I was unable to find a matching paint code that crosses to the original PPG 41375 paint code. I had my local supplier mix AkzoNobel U500 Single stage paint to match the beautiful Ocean Green paint that was still present under the front and rear fenders after I had removed them. PM me if you would like to have the paint code data ( mixing data ) .

Dusty53 - Thanks for sharing information, when i get closer to paint and I'm still stuck on stock green I'll get back with you for color info.
Your turck in beautiful, can't wait to get paint on mine. I've looked at so many colors an still not sure which one i will go with.

Thanks again.
Dands

Hey Dands, your welcome! I had no idea what color I was going to use until those fenders came off. The Ocean Green spoke to me and I listened. Please keep us informed on your progress. Take a look around the site, you'll surely find some helpful information and ask questions, we are here to help.

Danny,

I pulled up your initial post in the Welcome Centre for those folks wanting to see *some* of your 1949 1.5-ton flatbed dump.

If you have more *story* in mind, with some pictures, add it to your original post in the WC, and we'll edit it a bit and move it over to the DITY Gallery.