The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 1941 Chevy 1.5 Ton Build

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First big truck project. 90% Original been sitting since the 60's Looking to just getting her up and running and driving and then start restoring. Will update as I go. Picture is the day I brought her home. Have gone through and checked out everything externally and sprayed her down with penetrating oil. Mostly covered in surface rust cab corners, bottom of the doors and the belt line are the worst spots I have seen so far. Somewhere along the way someone got happy with a welder took the hydraulics off for the dump bed and welded the bed directly to the frame, along with welding the passenger fender on. Looking forward to digging in. Open to any and all input if you have any experience with this or similar vehicle.

Looks like you got a good one!
Welcome to the Bolt!
There have been plenty of discussions here about starting one after sitting for a long time. Do a search here.
Otherwise, changing all the fluids, draining and cleaning the gas tank and giving it a tune up would be a good place to start.

Check the thread; "Preparing Big Bolt For The Great Race". A lot of GREAT info,on this thread!! GOOD Luck,and WELCOME to the "'Bolt"! B.T.W...GREAT Project!! Thanks for the pic.

Nice truck! looks like you have a great base to start your project. thanks for the pic.

Nice looking truck! It looks pretty complete. I have a 45 GMC 400 series 2 1/2 ton. It's probably the most simplest & most easiest truck Iv'e ever worked on. Time & money is the hard part.

Thank you all for the comments. Just a quick update on progress. Got her moved into the garage (gave up my winter parking spot) and started tearing into the engine plugs didn't look terrible, radiator fluid was a little orange but mostly clear and there was not a drop of oil in it :/ Pulled radiator, doesn't look like it has any leaks, will pressure test it on a little warmer day. Pulled valve cover no rust or sludge. Then I tried turning her over by hand ... no such luck. Will dig a little deeper in the next few days.

Not sure what I exactly want to do with her just yet. Know I need it to be a reliable truck to haul plate steel for my company and I would like to put a short roll back bed to haul future projects. Torn on rebuilding the 216 or getting a crate motor. Pretty sure I will be changing the rear end gearing. Possiblities are endless ... it is just time and money

There are not significantly higher rear gears, only slow and slower. Look for a Brownie for an OD ratio. 5000 series work fine-somewhat hard to find, 6000 series OK, just larger.

Make sure valves are not stuck before turning over, otherwise might break rocker arms.

Original brakes not up to very high. speed, especially w/ load. Read here about front disc conversions, using 2 ton front axle.

Can get later 235 or 261 engine, full pressure oiling.

Later 5 speed trans(NP-540 series) for example has close ratios.
NV-4500 great OD trans

Also consider the total weight of the bed and what you want to haul relative to the weight and capacity of the truck, brakes, and HP along with how fast you want to travel.
Adding a heavy rollback bed to a somewhat small truck with limited HP may work out fine but you won't be traveling very fast, and perhaps not hauling much on it.
Then if you add more HP you'll want faster gears, and with that likely better brakes...

So figure out your needs, desires, and plan the best you can before jumping in.

I cleaned up your link a little so its easier to open.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WuskhXKdNWg/VMa20XCR4iI/AAAAAAAAAH4/zXtUyS0mn70/w1580-h889-no/15%2B-%2B


It looks like a very good. I have a 41 and a 46 GMC 300 which are about the same vehicle with a GMC motor. They will run 55 to 60 without over revving the engine. Putting 900x20 tires on the drive will help some. Depending on the the offset of your wheels. You don't want duals to touch each other. But as far as using it in a business, I wouldn't recommend it. My father still had gasoline tank wagons on trucks of that vintage in the 50's. There were a lot of little things to fix all the time. But in those days, you could go to any parts house and buy parts and every gas station had a mechanically inclined person around. There wasn't much traffic so stopping distance and steering wasn't that important. I have a dozen GMC's ranging from 1941 to 1957. I consider them all toys now. I have Internationals with Cummins in my semis, and I pull more with my 2500HD GMC and a trailer than we ever dreamed of hauling 60 years ago with a ton and a half. And I've got good AC, good brakes and I can go 80 where IH10 has an 80 MPH speed limit around here.

This isn't part of my business, its part of my addiction to play toys, but except for having to jerry rig the lights on this trip, I went through Houston and Austin traffic like there there was nothing on the trailer.

https://plus.google.com/photos/1081...3665610642&oid=108197707187186692269

I put 7,000 axles under the trailer and have ST235/85R16 tires on it. I have 3 trailers with 2 7k axles. Up until a few years ago I had an Isuzu NPR, but I got rid of it in favor of a pickup and trailer. I have been trading pickups every 3 years and the difference is a lot less than what it would cost to maintain an old vehicle. What the 2500Hd will haul more than a an almost 70 year old vehicle would ever haul. If you need something heavier than that, consider a one ton.