The Stovebolt Site Forums Project Journals Project Journals 1940 Chevy 1/2 ton low skill and low buck build

Stealing my intro from the original Welcome to the forum thread...

I've had mustangs and vintage Volkswagens that I've built and sold over the years but never pulled the trigger on a "farm truck". I grew up as a kid around the 80's and 90's street rod scene and always had an affinity for the 30's to 50's trucks but never really considered owning one; I finally caved in and picked up my first pre-war vehicle. It's a relatively stock 1940 Chevy pickup that was supposedly restored sometime in the 70's.

FYI...I've been working on the truck for a couple of months prior to posting this build thread so there will be a time lapse of sorts going on

Starting point of all this silliness begins here:
First attached pic is how we found it, sitting in a guys shed of sorts. Truck ran and drove but it clearly had some issues. Ended up driving the truck home that day but took a bypass that avoided the mountain road.

Took the better part of the day but the truck made it home. Initial findings, brakes worked great, original 216ci straight six smoked or leaked enough oil to rival the exxon valdez, 3spd bull nose trans was an experience and the wiring was sketchy as hell.... but it started, steered and stopped all the way home.