Now to get her running. Carb off and cleaned. Starter off and polished. Plugs out, cleaned, dist. points and cap cleaned. Oil topped up, water for the rad., small 1 Gal. fuel tank spliced in, 12 volt battery and jumper wires. It took a lot of rolling over, the compression was quite low. It did finally start. I drove it up and down our drive, turning around in the field. Driving with no brakes really builds character.
Now, (oops) jump to ordering parts. Brought in several boxes of tin and manuals from Jim Carter. The body was really rough, floors, cab bottoms and window lips very cheesy. This was not a candidate to "restore". I wanted to use it tow my racecar trailer or maybe run my racer up onto the deck. With very little effort, the stake bed just pryed off and crumbled to the ground.
Not even any good metal to save. $700 new parts, truck too rough.
Thinking the project through, I extrapolated the tired old straight 6 did not have what it takes to pull a tailer down the 4 lane highways. Matter of fact, when new I don't think it could keep up with current speeds. I would need something with more guts. Could put a V-8 in it? Ya, but the suspension and brakes were still antique. (Wait a minute, this is an antique truck!)
I would need a modern driveline, complete.
Some weeks later, the answer came in the form of a donor truck.
1980 Chevy C5000, (8 ton) dually, 350 V-8, 5 speed, 12 volt, etc.
Now the brainstorm. How to put the old cab on the donor frame and gear? Big truck to big truck, Chevy to Chevy! Nothing corrupt here. It was a $350 donor truck, nothin to lose.
Separated the '49 cab and frame/running gear. Posted the frame and drivetrain in classifieds, sold for $400, threw in new books from Carter's. Onto my car trailer and delivered it (rear axles and duallies hanging off the back end of the trailer).
Now, lets try out the donor truck. Same deal, gas, water, electrics and drive it around. NO BRAKES! Good thing I have experience with that. But it did have a band brake on the drive shaft.
Now to strip the donor truck to the bones. Fenders, doors, windscreen etc. sold $250.
http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz296/BAFTUB/Donor80ChevC5000.jpg Floor on donor cab was good so why not use it for floor on '49? Cut cab down, left firewall and steering. Sold that stake bed to a neighbor for a farm wagon. Good ole Chevrolet, they probably didn't change much in 30 yrs,
or did they? The donor cab was wider and firewall was 9" further forward. With help from a friend's tractor/bucket we lifted the cheesy cab onto the donor. The short stroke was the steering wheel now resides 8" into the windscreen. SNAP! This will be a BIG JOB! The '49 cab was to narrow too, by 6" or more. OK, I can do this (I think!).
Now you Stovebolt purist look away as I get out the Plasma cutter and quarter (literally) the '49 cab and hood. Now I can move the quarters to places where they will fit. AND it looks like 6" is the magic number for widening. All the buddies said it would be near impossible to do, because the '49 is a tapered design, smaller at front, wider at back. BUT, if I do an imaginary section down the middle and move the panels (and split hood) 3" to each side, I can just glue it back up. Anyone scared yet?? Not me!
http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz296/BAFTUB/49Chevwideconcept.jpg (6 yrs ago now)
Why didn't Chevy make their trucks wide to begin with? Answer: didn't need to, life was smaller then! Ha!
Off now to the shop to get dirty.
More to follow later. GO BIG OR NOT AT ALL!
-Rick
