The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Great Great Grandfather's Chevy Truck

I've decided to clean up my great great grandfathers truck and try to get it running. I have no plans to restore it to show quality, the only goal is to get it to start at the moment. It has been parked out in a field for longer than I have been alive and getting it running has been something I have always wanted to do. I only know the basics when it comes to getting an engines and drivetrains but I hope this truck will be a good learning process. All I know about this truck is what my grandfather has told me. He says it is a 1937 Chevrolet Truck that his grandfather bought to tow a food wagon for the farm workers.

Album

I've attached an album of pictures of it in the field. I have been looking at other '37 trucks and have not found one with the same type of grill. I am new to the restoring old vehicles game so any information or advice about this truck is appreciated. I'm really wanting to know if it is a '37 truck.

Also can anyone explain how there are only two pedals but it is a manual transmission.
Thanks
-Reason

Would appear to be earlier than 37. Have a picture from the front?

I have a restored to near factory delivered '37 half ton. As for pedals: there would be on far right, the gas pedal. To its left, the brake pedal and to its left the clutch pedal. There should be a high/low beam headlight button on the far left side.
The grill will have vertical bars about 3/8" apart. Dash gauges will be round, with the speedo a bit larger than those on either side.

Your pictures show a 1 1/2 ton or bigger truck from the late 1920's or early 1930's. I'm guessing around 1931 or so. 6-cylinder engines were not used in Chevvies until 1929, and the design changed to the 216 type engine in 1936. Your engine is from the 1929-35 vintage.

There are a HUGE number of missing parts, and restoring a truck that old is going to be quite a challenge. Not impossible, but definitely a long-term undertaking! The gas pedal would have probably been mounted to the floorboard, which is missing. The small round pedal at the upper right operates the starter. This truck would have had mechanical brakes, so don't go looking for a master cylinder or brake lines.

My grandfather ran two Chevrolet trucks of somewhat similar vintage (1934) from Nashville Tennessee to Milwaukee Wisconsin and St. Louis Missouri and back, hauling beer to Nashville after prohibition was repealed. They were set up as tractor-trailer rigs, one with an ice-cooled insulated box for hauling draft beer.

Good luck on your project!
Jerry

It is a 1929 or newer since it has the six cylinder engine but with mechanical brakes and updraft carburetor it is definitely not a 1937. My guess would be in the early 30's since it has no grill but just the radiator showing. A frontal picture would help.

I think the give away may be the vertical slots in the hood. Check out the pictures in the gallery for same style.

Definitely not a '37, or in the 30's. I am uncertain it is a Chevy or a close relative. But, the tranny number shown in the photos does appear to show a BowTie symbol in the casting as do the other data plates.
Some close up photos of the engine and cowl, especially any numbers on the engine block might provide additional clues. The wheels appear to be post World War 1 and pre late '20's? The missing cab might mean it was made of long ago disintegrated wood? The dash and front clip sides and fenders are different from the very few late 20's Chevy trucks I have seen. Having said that, my experiences have been no where near enough to defend my opinion. My guess is, it was made between about 1920 and 1927 and most likely in the mid 20's.

Sparky, the 6 cylinder engine makes it at least a 29 model if it actually is a Chevy- - - -earlier trucks and cars had a 4 cylinder. The engine closely resembles the 207.

Here's a 1930 194 cubic inch engine:

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GyRjv3dzYIk/hqdefault.jpg

Jerry

Agreed on the engine cylinder number. There seems to be a number of mysteries with this one.

Anybody else notice it's got a PTO and a U joint with a square shaft socket hanging off the driver's side of the transmission? Maybe it had a dump bed or a winch at one time?
Jerry

Here is a front picture
http://imgur.com/a/ASLD8

I will call my grandfather some time this week and ask some more questions. I know this will be no easy or quick project but I would love to get this running one day. Defiantly going to ask about the PTO being for a dump bed. Don't know if this truck was ever used for hauling as I know they had another one for hauling their cattle and grain. Also not sure if it matters, but these trucks would have been bought in the North Texas area.

Thank y'all for all the replies and all the help. It is much appreciated.

It's a great piece of family history. You should be proud of it.

As to your goal of making it run, did someone remove the spark plugs and distributor recently, or has it been that way for an undermined length of time? If the answer is the latter, the odds of a startup without a complete teardown are probably slim.

But don't let that discourage you, lots of folks here who can help. If you're committed to it, it can be done.

You might do a search on cleaning with a molasses solution. It looks like many parts could be frozen/seized and the molasses treatment is a bit slow but does work and is by far cheaper than other methods. Does no harm to pot metal or aluminum parts. You are in for a long term project so have your patience level at it's max. We use the washing soda bath with electrolysis which gives good results but does discolor non ferrous parts.

I'm going to a salvage yard later this week that has a '29 tucked away in the back forty. I'll take a bunch of pictures and post them so that you can have some comparison. It might even have some parts that you'll be looking for.

Matt

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, I'm no expert on Chevy engine serial numbers on 20s/30s trucks. But I do know that there's really no such thing as "numbers matching" engines well up into the 1950s. Other than an engine serial number that ties out to the right year, nothing really ties the engine to the chassis.

If the same is true for 1920s/30s trucks, there is no reason beyond sentimentality (which is a valid reason) to rebuild THAT engine. I say that because an easier/quicker path to forward motion would be finding a complete, running 194/207 engine that would be "correct." I occasionally see one on craifslist or such that someone has taken out for a hotrod project or engine upgrade. Not as common as the 216/235 but they are out there.

Seems like maybe I've even seen a 194/207 posted in the parts for sale found here....not too long ago.

Someone much smarter than me can guide you on which years of engines are compatible with which bellhousing/transmission.

Reasonselz,

Welcome to the Stovebolt

Base on the chassis serial number you have an "early" 1930 131", 1-1/2 ton Chevrolet truck. The "late" 1930's were 157" wheel base trucks with Single or Dual wheels.

The transmission cover 590366 was both the casting number and Parts Book number and was used from 1929 thru 1931.

Your Chassis number is stamped at the bottom edge of the upper aluminum tag on the firewall. From what I can read it looks like 3LRxx16968.

3 = St Louis Plant
LR = 1930 (early), LS = 1030 (late)
xx = month
16968 = unit number

Your engine serial can also help, it's located on the flat machined surface at the fuel pump on the passenger side. Looks like I can read xx9x782. The number should be between 1365366 and 2100284.

Hope this helps,

Mike B

Here are some pix of the 1929 Chevy truck that I mentioned in an earlier post. A few things that I thought were interesting were--

-How similar the engine looks to a 235 or a 261.

-That the gas tank was under the driver's seat!

-That it used an updraft carb (no carb on the truck).

-Notice the diamond shapes pressed into the running boards...maybe this is how 'diamond plate' got its name?

Matt

http://s844.photobucket.com/user/ma...869_zpsty0ug1zf.jpg.html?sort=3&o=12

Model A Ford Pickups of that era had the same diamond style embossing on the running boards. They were hard to find way back when I had mine. I put passenger car running boards on it which had rubber mats over smooth steel.

Aridzona is the place to find rot-free trucks and cars. The OP should go buy that one for parts for his restoration. He's only two states away.

Called my grandfather over the weekend and told about all the information I'm learning about the truck and he sounded more excited than I am about all this. He says 1930 fits in the timeframe they were working with the thrasher so that is probably correct. Next time I go up there I will be sure to get pictures where serial numbers are.

@Maybellene Thank you for the pics of the '29 truck. There are definitely a lot of similarities between the two. Is finding parts for this truck going to be difficult enough that driving to Arizona to get this truck worth it?

@Mike B
picture Is this the fuel pump where the engine serial number is?

@JW51 Don't know when the spark plugs were pulled but my grandfather told me this truck hasn't been used for work since about 1950. I will most likely have to put a new engine in it.

For buying new parts I see American Classic Truck Parts is a site sponsor. The problem is there search only goes back to 1936. Is there enough similarities between a '30 and '36 where some parts will work for me? Are there any other sites that could be of use to me or is ebay/craigslist my best bet?
Thanks again for all y'alls help

reasonseiz, it may serve you well to join up with the VCCA group in trying to find parts and stuff. They have a VCCA chat forum but not sure if you have to be a member to post there. Tiny, one of our resident bolters is still an active member and can probably answer my question?!
I was a member for years but with my "model year" found the Stovebolt to be THE place!

Good luck and remember, we're all here to help so let your fingers do some walking when needed. Slow and easy, one step at a time.

Man, I'm excited for you! I am fired up about working on my trucks which have no family history. I can only imagine how it must be for you.

The fuel pump is the round aluminum casting sticking out of the passenger's side near the front. The item you have circled is the starter. The rectangular pad just above and behind the fuel pump should have some numbers stamped into it. Scrape that pad (carefully) to expose the numbers. Rubbing a bar of white soap or a piece of chalk onto the pad and wiping it off will help make the numbers visible to a camera.
Jerry

I'm not sure how hard parts are to find for this era of trucks, but I'm assuming that they are hard to find. If you are interested in the '29, send me a PM and I will help you if you want.

Matt

reasonselz,

finding parts is part of the adventure of 'old trucks are fun!'



Look in the swap meet here... check out the links section here on the bolt for a long list of various vendors. Some of them sell older parts or have New Old Stock or used parts for sale sometimes.

Welcome to the 'bolt, looks like a fun project.

I've seen worse looking vehicles brought back to life, all it takes is work.

-W

You're going to need a lot of parts which aren't necessarily reproduced. A parts truck probably ain't a bad idea. Watch eBay and CL for running engines....194 or 207. That series was used from 29-36 but not sure if motor mounts or bellhousings changed.

Also don't hesitate to use the parts wanted forum here.

Now that truck covers a lot of family history! That is going to be an epic undertaking. But not unprecedented. Many of the Bolters close to HQ are familiar with John V. He is restoring one of his daddy's first trucks -- a 1930's(?) vintage Biederman. Although, it may just be an identical truck. But still, you can go to your average Saturday evening cruise in and swing a dead cat all night long and you probably won't hit too many Biedermans ...

At any rate, he started with a truck that makes yours look darn near like its fresh off the assembly line You might gain some inspiration from some of the awesome work going into that truck

Went out to the truck for the first time in a while. Mainly just took more pictures and took measurements. Been doing research on rebuilding the engine in it and not sure if its the path I want to take. The estimates I've seen is $1000 a cylinder and the engine would not put enough power for me to drive it on the highways here in Texas. The thought of an LS swap has crossed my mind but don't even know if it would fit under the hood.

http://imgur.com/a/YMunk

Trying to find a '30 cab and then probably will build a flat bed for the rear. Needing to get it out of the field so can really start working on it.
Also now that I know this is a 1 1/2 ton not sure if this thread should be moved to the Big Bolt section.

No, that truck was not designed to run on today's highways. But it would be great to putt around on city streets, going to local shows and cruise ins.

If you want to discuss putting an LS engine in it you need to start a thread in HiPo shop. You are starting a whole new ball game there.

The Filling Station might have parts for your year truck.

Trying to make a 1930's vintage truck a highway cruiser is going to be a very expensive lost cause. They were engineered to run maybe 40 MPH tops. If you install enough modern bits and pieces to make it run, stop, and handle safely at highway speeds, the frame and sheet metal will be about all that's left of the original truck.

There are so few Chevy trucks of that vintage left that it would be a shame to see one with the history yours has butchered up into a hotrod. It's your truck, and your money, but at least consider doing a real restoration, not another resto-mod that will destroy its collectiblity.
Jerry

I second Jerry's opinion.

I still think you should be able to track down a somewhat "correct" (194 or 207) engine that's already running. They aren't as common as the 216/235, but I do occasionally see one for sale. Presumably from those who decide to update to a more modern 6 cyl or v8.

Second Jerry's comments.
Take it for weekend drives, run around town in it and drive it in the local parades. Finish it out in the same livery your Grandpa had.

A highway cruiser is a 40's pickup on a S-10 chassis.

If you are not looking for a highway cruiser, it would be cool to have one of the original 1929-1936 194/181/207 stovebolt engines. They had a "blue flame" cylinder head (not the later Blue Flame high-oil-pressure engine) and was the first non-splash-oil lubrication system in a Chevrolet (like the later low pressure 216 and low pressure 235).

If money is no object and you want a highway cruiser, buy another cool truck not so old for that and restore your current older truck to as-built condition. Trust me, you will be all smiles, and so will a lot of other people who see it.

These trucks as pieces of history and it is amazing seeing them restored to their original glory. Really looking forward to seeing your progress on this project.

Hello Reasonseiz;

Give the "Filling Station" up in Oregon a call.
They stock parts for the earlier Chevrolets, and
they offer a large paper catalog also.

Respectfully, 59shortfleet

Been a while since an update mainly because the truck is still sitting in the field. Hoping to get it moved over winter break. Enough of y'all have said to keep it stock to convince me to keep it stock. Have been looking for a donor truck with a whole drivetrain I can swap because I'm pretty sure the current one is all seized up. It has been much easier to find 216/235 engines. Was wondering if I use the larger engine than what the truck currently has, will it fit without having to modify the grill or hood. Keeping those unmodified and on the truck is important to me because its the last of the body that still exists. I've been looking at this ad for the drivetrain.
https://montana.craigslist.org/cto/d/1942-chevroletton-dually-truck/6358460183.html
Would a more or less direct swap be possible even though it is a '42? Definitely won't be buying anything until I can take this one apart and really see the condition of the drivetrain.

The 42 will have a 216 engine, which is actually a couple of inches shorter and has a slightly different design than the engine in your truck. I'm sure that a lot of the older ones ended up with later model running gear over the years just to keep them going, but a lot of adapting would be required. If you choose to go that route, swapping the entire drivetrain would be the way to go, and doing whatever adapting is necessary to make the later running gear fit the older frame. The 42 will also have hydraulic brakes, so the brake system would require a total swap as well as the engine, trans, and rear axle. It might be possible to adapt the original front axle to hydraulic brakes- - - -not sure of that, however.

Hang in there- - - -and get busy- - - -the work won't do itself!
Jerry

Maybe this thread would be helpful to you. 216/235 swap