The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk New 5 Window 3/4T Project

I thought I was buying a 3100 as advertised on CL. $650, complete, rough. The seller offered to deliver it and we agreed on a total of $950.

It showed up as an 8 lug nut 3600. I was disappointed, but not much I could do. It is in the garage. Cab corners, especially on one side are bad.

Usual dents.

My question to the experts is do the parts houses like Jim Carter's suppoer 3/4 ton?

Can "modern" 8 lug Chevy wheels fit this 1949 truck, so I can convert to non split rims?

Are 3/4 ton body parts the same size as 1/2 ton? In other words, can I replace the rear fenders with new remanufactured ones or are 3/4 T different size?

Do they make wood kits, for the (presumably) longer bed? Most of the bed is shot, like the cross metal pieces and the front metal of the bed.

Of course, I am sure it has a granny low iron case transmission and it has floor shift.

All I wanted was a 1/2 ton to restore and enjoy. Now I have a decision to make on this 3/4 T.

It is a 5 window and has a heater with DELUXE on it and has a chrome grille.

My goal is a fun restoration and when done, those local "festival" shows and maybe just toodling around on a nice Sunday afternoon.

I have heard top speed on these 3/4 tons is 45 mph, which is "OK" but in a 1/2T I believe they have "highway gears" which could be installed.

Can I swap out the 8 lugs with 6 lugs?

Do I just have the crusher take it away and write off the $950?

Sorry for all the questions. Trying to sort this out. Maybe 3/4 T's are OK to restore with good parts support, maybe not.

Check with Mar-K for your bedparts, sure they have them, great company to deal with! I sure most of the body parts are the same, especially the cab. I would not rule this truck out, they are getting few and far between especially at a reasonable price

I'd restore it and drive it anyway. You probably won't go 70 with it, but I'm sure it'll do better than 45! I certainly wouldn't crush it.
I personally don't mind shifting a 4 speed. In fact, I rather enjoy it.
There are plenty of guys here running 3/4 T's. I'm sure you'll be hearing from them soon.

3/4 tons have plenty of reproduction parts. The bed wood, box sides, front box panel, running boards, aprons. 1 tons.... Not so much
The cab and sheet metal is all the same. Fenders front and rear, inners.
No experience with this yet, but they say that regular 16" trailer rims fit well on these hubs. I believe 215/85/16 tire size. Don't quoteme on that though as I haven't gone down this road yet.
As for gears, if the back pumpkin is an Eaton you can swap out you gears for 4.10s and get the speeds up. check out the Tech Tip link at the top. I plan on doing this too.
But if you're dead set on a 1/2 ton, I'd keep the 3/4 ton and keep searching. You'd be surprised what you may find. I would also recommend this advice: Buy the best shape truck you can afford. Bargains require much more work. I am much farther ahead on my current projects because I was patient and bought solid trucks. If you do find a 1/2 ton, you may be able to swap some "good" stuff from truck to truck. Get the good parts and perhaps then sell the 3/4. Good used parts for these trucks can be hard to find (especially where winter is harsh and salt is the answer). I have personally bought old "junkers" destined for the crusher brought them home and made quite a few bucks to put toward my own trucks. I bought a 49 GMC rust heap for a bottle of fancy whiskey and then proceeded to sell the straight painted grille, hood, radiator support and a couple trim pieces for $700. I took a few pieces that I needed for own trucks too. Once devoid of good parts, the crusher guys gave me $150 for it and picked it up. Many people don't want the whole truck, but do want a good used part.

Problems?
I picked up a 1950 1 ton in really good shape, I wanted a 1/2ton so I kept looking while keeping the 1 ton, found a very good 1/2 ton, and now I'm restoring both!
Storage- you need a lot of space. My part trucks end up at my parents' farm.
An understanding spouse.

Pros?
The parts trucks have generated about $1500 extra cash minus some effort hauling them home.
Having that extra truck has sure come in handy when I have forgotten how something goes back together.
I can't wait to have the big brute 1 ton and the elegant 1/2.
That big old 1 ton with the 9ft box and duals sure gets a lot of interest at shows. I've definitely been converted to the 3/4 and 1 tons. They have a special place.

Good luck!

I'm kind of partial to the 3600 Chevy. I like the way they
stand up nice and Proud next to the low slung 1/2 ton trucks.
They're not without some challenges, such as the front-enclosed
drive shaft is hard but not impossible to find parts for.
A third of the 1/2 truck will have the same SM420 four speed
trans, a good sturdy transmission, 1st gear is useless unless
you're hauling a load of logs but driving it in 2nd, 3rd &
4th is the same as running the three speed. New brake drums
are next to impossible to find new but there are usable used
ones around if you need them and relined shoes are easy to
find or to get relined. Brake kits are available for them.
70's 3/4 ton Ford wheels interchange with the split rims which
you will want to get rid of. Larger tires will give you
another five miles per hour and with some effort there are
4.10 gears as mentioned which only require a direct swap of
the pumpkin and this will give you another five mph, now
your up to 55 or 60 which is all you are going to want with
any vehicle with this sort of suspension. The frame is
heavier than the 3100 as are the rear springs so the ride
will be stiffer. New springs are easily found from many
sources and you can soften the ride with them if you
choose. If the running boards are usable your in luck,
they're 10" longer than the 3100 and complete beds and bed
parts are supplied by Mar-K as posted and they are very
reasonably priced and indistinguishable from the original
bed.
Other than that you'll find its the same truck as the 3100.
http://www.pbase.com/dennygraham/dgraham
Most AD trucks worth saving are in the $3000 to $5000 range,
for less than $1000 you can't expect much more than a parts
truck or one that is in dire need of a LOT of work.
If you have the resources and the fortitude to restore one of
these old trucks then stick with us. There's a wealth of
information on this forum and a ton of guys that are willing
to help you thru the trials and tribulations of a
Stovebolt restoration.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I'm a 1/2 ton kinda guy, but 3/4 and 1 ton trucks and larger, are KOOL too. They all got their own personality. You'll have an old truck that stands out in the crowd, and you will be KOOL too!!!!

Thanks all. I was afraid I would sign on today and get nothing but you guys are great motivators. I like paper catalogs in front of me, so I am in the process of ordering catalogs from the vendors in Hemmings.

The bed is a concern. So I am glad you guys are recommending this one company.

I am so glad to hear the cabs are essentially the same. Mine is tough but I have seen worse.

Assessment starts today, pulling parts from the interior.

Mar-K, never heard of them so this is good information.

1970's Ford 3/4 ton wheels? I'll be on the look out for them on CL, might take a trip to the U Pick It Yard but doubt they have any 70's wheels.

Just went in and ordered 4 catalogs including MAR-K. I am old and prefer paper catalogs over images on the website.

Mar-k is located in OKC and has been the go to place for bed wood/parts for a long time. Their customer service is first class. You got a big project ahead of you. Good luck.

Ford went to metric wheels in '98. F250 and F350 wheels made before that will fit. It has been posted that the E series vans continued using those wheels for some time after '98 but I can't confirm that.

The point that Charlie brought up is, don't limit your self to 70's only
wheels. They were used for many years. Even the Chevy 3/4 ton
wheels will fit but no matter what you use, you may need to use
a spacer and in some cases you may get away with just changing
the tie-rod ends to the modern type, which some of the vendors
offer.
Learn to use the search functions here and you will find more
discussion than you can read in a week on most subjects.
Don't get discouraged if you don't receive an answer right
away, remember, this isn't like a telephone. Some of our
member have other things to do and only have time to
stop in every few days.

dg

Post some pictures for us when you can.

I restored my 49 3600 about 12 years ago. I used 84 Ford F250 wheels and had no clearance issues until I installed power steering. Needed to install 1" wheel spacers to be able to turn as sharp as originally. As far as obtaining decent highway speeds I installed an S10 5 Speed OD transmission which allows me to do even 70 with no problem. The engine is a 62 261. We pull a 58 canned ham camper which weighs about 2000 lbs. loaded. Handles it perfectly. The bed was purchased from Classic Industries. Love everything about this truck. DaveV

I will flip this over to the Projects side this weekend. I want to try and keep it original but the original motor may be bad.

What would a 3/4T have in it? Is it still a 216?

There is a forum member selling a rear axle complete for a 1953 1/2ton and he has a 235 hydraulic lifter motor. I need to find the cross reference thread so I don't keep asking questions.

Park that '49 Roadmaster and take a ride in my stock
'50, 3/4-ton with the stock 216 and stock HO-52 rear
axle and stock SM420 four speed.


Not the best video but enough for you to get an idea of
what to expect if you put some effort in to your truck.


Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

1/2 ton and 3/4 ton rears are different, as are the rear frames on the trucks. The original 216 is the same
in both, the full pressure 235 is considered an upgrade.

Upgrade? As is a 350 sbc or any other engine swap.....but....not
necessarily necessary unless your building a hot rod or prone
to customizing your vehicles instead of restoring them to
their original condition.
Those stock 216 engines were just fine, ran for decades and are
still running just fine, as can be seen in that lousy video!

dg

Don't discount the 3/4 ton truck! Best modification for highway driving is changing out the rear carrier to a 4:10 from a late 1960's or early 1970's 3/4 ton pickup with an Eaton rear axle. Ring and pinion are one unit and is an easy swap. Also find a Borg Warner T5 transmission from an early S10 pickup. This will give you overdrive and easy cruising and will get your engine rpm's down to around 2100 @ 60mph.

Just FYI I have been through a lot with my 1947 3600 rebuild. Lots of reproduction and aftermarket parts are only for the 1/2 ton make sure you look into major parts before you buy them. I just ordered a new u dear bed super nice fuel tank and it was to big. 1/2 ton frames are wider and different in quite a few ways than the 3/4t. Brakes are a problem, pre 51 I think have huck brakes, can't find them anywhere. Conversion kits are all for 1/2 ton. Lots of stuff I never thought about. 3/4 ton is cool but 1/2 tons are easier.

Roadmaster 49 - I purchased the Dexstar AM20766 wheels for my 1954 3601 Truck and they work just fine. If you are looking to get the same size tire ( height ) as original then you might consider LT215 / 85 / R16 . FYI, I spent $300 total, including shipping for all four rims from etrailer.com
Hope this helps and YES keep the truck, you'll enjoy it and the challenge.

Ronnie

I obtained a 3/4 ton truck, was thinking to just fix what was needed to make her road worthy. Ended up doing a whole lot more then originally planned.

3/4 ton drum brakes hardware is pricey-It was actually cheaper to convert the front end to 1/2 ton 6 lug spindles w/ disk brakes.

Drive train-swapped in a Chevy corporate 10 bolt & a T5 5-speed. Had a custom 1 peice driveshaft made for her.