The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Early 1947 GMC dump.....Good News

UPDATE:
Our weather has acted a bit like spring and has been just warm enough to melt snow and dry up some of the mud. I have been anxious to mess with the dump truck. First thing was to fill up an empty master cylinder. First kinda good news is I have enough brakes that I dare use the truck on the farm to move a pile of cow sunshine. The next bit of good news. I grabbed the handi-man jack and lifted the bed high enough to reach the fill port. Carefully, I put in a gallon of what is prescribed on the data tag. Cranked her up and up went the bed! Smooth as a babies behind. More later....

gotta love that!

SECOND UPDATE:
You will see a little snow in the background, but I had to get some things done. One of those things was to spread some sunshine. I still have many things to resolve/repair/rebuild etc. but the old girl does work good as a dump. See the attached link.
The photo proves that we can have a hobby and actually use it constructively. So far, I am very unsure of the charging system, brakes are VERY marginal, lift cylinder needs to be resealed, tires are shot.......but what fun I had today. The sweet corn is going to real good with the sunshine spread!
http://s209.photobucket.com/user/al...C01141%20800x600.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

Looking good! it is fun to use them once in a while.

The good news for me is the fact that I got the sunshine moved as a storm is coming in for the next few days. I hauled a total of 12 loads. Now for the not so good news. I thought I was using a marginal generator and guess what, I was right with that surmise. I went out to start and move the dump truck and I didn't have enough battery to start it. It is time to rectify the generator issue!.

Looks like you have essentially the same as I do. My dump bed is from Daybrook in Bowling Green, OH.

My truck is currently sitting in south MS and I am about ready to try figuring out how to get it closer to me so I can do some restoration on it.

It has been such a blast to operate that old EC-302 during "Cruisin' the Coast" in South MS, but since I am not living there now, I need to get that pile of rust up here to make it pretty - and more functional.

It really tripped folks out to see me hand-crank start that old thing!

Hello EC302leftfordead, DO you have pictures of your truck? Which wheels do you have? Does your truck have a 248? Is it a 1946 or early 47? I am hoping to get my wheels powder coated in the next few weeks. Then I will have tires that I can trust to drive on.

Not certain of actual build date, but I have number 8939. I believe that mine is a 236 engine, but right now I need to get to the truck (it is in south MS, I am in north TN) to verify some of the numbers again.
My great-grandfather bought the truck used for his farm in 1956. It was used until about 1970 (plate year on the truck when I got it) when the master cylinder went out and the truck got parked in the barn. My grandmother passed it on to me after my grandfather's death in 2011.
Career has kept me moving a lot as of late, so I have been fortunate enough to leave the truck plated and insured in MS.
Not very good at photos on these forums, and really don't have anything all that impressive.

Got Big Al's truck in the Gallery (check his signature line). Good story. Nice guy to talk with. Sounds like you all have been a good help here ... of course!

Peg

One thing I find amusing with my old 302 is actually hand-crank starting it.
I bought a crank off eBay that fits great. It has rusted up some since I bought it so it looks antique.
I really was freaking out a lot of people during last year's "Cruisin' the Coast" in MS by starting it "the old fashioned way".
It was very entertaining to let some petite gals start it that way, too!

Hello Everyone, It has been a while,a very busy summer for me, since I last replied here. I will share a bit of "good News" update on my 1947 GMC dump truck I affectionately call Jimmy. I was able to tear off the old hard and rotten tires from the wheels. That was a job in its self! Then I straightened the lock rings and cleaned them up for new Zinc plating. They look nice and (also the lug nuts). Next I spent a couple of hours scouring the wheels to a nice gray matte with my sand blaster, in preparation for paint. My paint source was able to get me a paint code for the correct Apple Green used on my truck. Next came the paint. The wheels turned out very nice, in my opinion. Next was the installation of the full set of new rubber, 8.25 mud tires on the back with 7.50 streets on the front. After installation I realized that the whole work scope was a big project! I drove from my farm back to my house on the new tires and was amazed at how much easier Jimmy drove with 7.50's on the front rather than the 8.25's that were on it before. I have enough Apple Green paint to cover Jimmy's belt line and still have some left over to paint the reveals on my 1929 Nash as a bonus. For a picture summary, please refer to the below referenced attachment in my signature. If you have any comments, please ask away. Oh yeah, as I thought, Jimmy's king pins are REAL BAD. I have all the parts and reamers to do that job, but I am not quite ready to jump into that repair just yet, (I still have some dirt to haul this fall).
Al
PS: I am having trouble with Photobucket I hope to have that issue figured out shortly, please check back...if Photobucket is working

OK....I don't know what is different now but Photobucket is working so you can now see the pictures of 1947 Apple Green wheels on Jimmy the dump truck. If you look closely, you will also notice that I spent an hour with the hammer and dolly and got a good start at straightening out the dinged and beat up front fenders. (I have a lot more work to do but I feel the fenders can be saved and made to look nice). It is nice to work with steel, for fenders, unlike the tin foil on newer cars!
Alan

I like the wheels! Good job on the fenders, they look way better after banging on them!

Looks superb!

It's nice to see a truck getting put to work, good job! I hope to use mine for firewood this year. I hate spending my day making multiple trips when the suspension on my 1/2 ton bottoms out with 2/3 cord of wet maple...