The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Do It Yourself (DITY) Gallery 1946 Chevy truck -- Meet Bruno

Thank you, Sparky!! So the slots DO go over the bar... Now I just have to figure out how to make the # dials turn while on the bar.

Three years now since we first purchased Bruno. I'm trying to get the gears going forward again.

- I put POR-15 on the frame
- The new brake lines are installed
- Our tranny friend went through and replaced everything, and we've got it lubed up and reinstalled.
- I finally found four rims with tangs, and they're off being powder coated
- My 216 Babbitt was seized, but I have a 261 ready to go (235 with captain bars)

My current issue is that the PTO for the airblast elevator was a custom job by the farmer's in Kansas who owned it for eons... I'm trying to find the patience to marry-up the motor, tranny, and PTO shaft. It's just off a smidgen, but I need to figure it out. I'm beyond ready to get him on the road for the first time.

Maria, glad to see have been making progress. You've had a good following in here.

It may be a bit before Maria can add much since her family is in the throws of planning a wedding for the Fall. An old truck makes a great photo-op, back-drop for wedding and family pictures.

What is an airblast elevator? Is that what that drum on the driver side running board is?

It's been a very hot minute since I posted... And got to work on Bruno. I brought 'him' home four years ago, and I'm anxious to get behind the wheel.

We've had some pretty significant changes in the family the last few years, and working on my truck with my husband always cleared my head, and gave me something positive to focus on. I started a new job an hour away from home last spring, unlimited OT started in January, our son's getting married in September, and my husband has traveled for work more this year than he usually does in a year - no time for Bruno. I really wanted to drive him on my 50th birthday in September, and get the kids' pictures with him after the wedding, but that won't happen now. 😔 Maybe next year will finally be my year! 🤞

In the meantime, we have hit up a few car shows this year. I couldn't believe it when I saw this in Elnora, IN... Bruno's twin (with a LS swap)! It sounded pretty 'bad', too. I hope everyone is doing well, and enjoying their vehicles!

Maria

This a little recap since I have originally started this thread back in June 2020. "Getting started"

This is my 1946 Chevy truck that's original (no LS swap). I purchased it in May 2020, and I'm desperately trying to get it on the road before Frog Follies (August 2025).

I lost several of my pictures during a phone update, but I'll share what I have. This is our second (and last) vehicle restoration (the first being my husband's 1968 Camaro, from high school), and we're piecing things together as we go.

My 216 Babbit was seized, and had a busted oil tube. I replaced it with a 235 (261, it had "captain bars"), and it runs great. There was a PTO shaft with an "air blast elevator" that we went through, and the transmission has been reworked.

I'm converting it from 6v to 12v, and we just started laying the wiring harness out yesterday. I'm going to hook the heater up again but I'm not sure how we should go about it. I'd like it to be functional.

I just left my windshield crank to a friend to see if he could 3D print another. I've been told by multiple people that it's WWII vehicle-specific, and I've found exactly zero like it online. Regardless of the authentication of it I want to reproduce it because it's what 'he' came with.

I swapped-out the odometer with a friend's so it was both period original and functional. It needs rewired, and probably gone through, but I'm not willing to send it off to some name in a magazine. It's 100% 1940's parts, down to the clutch head screws, and I've heard too many horror stories of instrument clusters coming back repainted with new, shiny hardware.

My steering wheel and shaft had issues. Bruno was an old farm truck from Kansas, and they fitted parts and pieces to keep him functional for as long as possible. The steering box was partially busted so they somehow flipped it, cut and bent the metal tube that the rod from the box to the steering wheel slides through (I don't know the technical name of it), and added 3-4 large washers where the horn should be to make the steering wheel the height (inside the cab) that they needed. The steering box is sorted, but I'll need to repair the tube or replace it, and then figure out the horn. Also, the steering wheel is in OK shape, but it needs to be refurbished... Something I'm going to have to research.

I'm working on a "buy a little bit as we go" budget, we're not wealthy, we're not retirement age, we're not professionals, and we have maybe a half a day a week to devote to the restoration of my truck. I still need to figure out the battery's new home, turn the driving lights into turn signals, add a second brake light and two rear turn signals, put the floor of the cab back together, get new tires, and finish the wiring harness.

I think that's it, for now. Any advice on the steering 'tube', steering wheel restoration, heater restoration, and instrument cluster fine-tuning would be greatly appreciated! Other than that, I'm well on my way to finally driving my truck after owning it for 4.5 years.

Contact Jim Carter about having your speedometer rebuilt. They'll do a proper job on your original and reuse the original parts as specified. www.oldchevytrucks.com They can restore your entire gauge cluster.

You'll probably have to have a new shaft machined for your steering box. Lares rebuilds steering gears www.larescorp.com You might also contact www.rareparts.com

The steering wheel can be repaired with epoxy and then painted if you have that sort of ability. If not, there are plenty of companies that do excellent jobs restoring steering wheels. It'll cost you a few hundred dollars, though. Do search on this site for steering wheel restoration (magnifying glass in the upper right of this page) to find others who have done their own.

Jim Carter might also have an original windshield crank for you. He has a large inventory of new and used parts in stock.

Due to WWII my ‘41 is pretty much the same as your ‘46. So I’ll following your progress.

Thanks for posting.

John

Thank you so much, Otto! I appreciate your help.

Thank you, John! They don't have any like mine and, since I'm leaving everything original, I don't want new and shiny unless absolutely necessary. Good luck! It's been a journey. Haha

The ‘46 models often had parts from prior years because the demand was beyond production capability. My ‘46 was born in June, months after the war ended. Yet it had, for example, a leather gas tank grommet. Rubber was still in short supply. There are many other examples that others have reported over the years.

I have a few parts left over from the restoration of my ‘46. Let me know what you might need. I’m certain we can work out a mutually acceptable deal.

I'm just getting my '46 back together, so I'll be sure to watch for your updates. I'm not planning to paint mine - I want it looking like an old farm truck. I'm still debating the 6volt vs 12volt.

John from Utah,

I use my truck as an actual truck and put thousands of miles on it each year. It still has a 6v system with a generator and works just fine.

The sealed beam halogen headlights are as bright and shine as far as any modern vehicle.

Ditto for the taillights.

Unless you're adding a bunch of electric accessories, I see no reason to do the switch just for the sake of doing it. Also, you can jump start your 6v truck from a 12v vehicle in an emergency without harming the starter.

I can't remember where I left off, so I'll just start where I currently am. =) Yesterday, my dad helped me put my new "bedliner" in. I had this idea to incorporate yardsticks like quilt blocks (I've quilted for over 22 years and currently make custom t-shirt quilts). Bruno was a farm truck in Kansas in his past life, and since I had my quilt shop name aged on the doors, I thought the yardsticks would be a good alternative to a shiny new bed. I scrapped the quilt pattern idea when I realized I was overthinking it, and decided to stagger them like a hardwood floor instead. There are 116 pieces, and I put six layers of urethane on it in 46 sections of application. I used subfloor adhesive to adhere them to plywood.

Bruno came without a shifter knob, and my original idea was to have a thimble made. My (at the time) 22-year-old son told me that most people his age wouldn't know what it was (valid point! LoL), but how about a spool of thread? Perfect! A young gentleman in a neighboring town does custom metal work, and he was up to the challenge! I can't wait to use it!

Hubby just ordered me a new water pump because the 261 pushed the fan blade out too far for the radiator. Since the original 216 Babbit was seized, the 235 with captain's bars (from a 1961 Chevy) was the next best thing. The motor runs, but I have to wait for the new water pump to arrive to actually start the truck for the first time.

The toolbox in the bed was a nod to my paternal grandpa, since he was a master carpenter (and Bruno was my maternal grandpa's name). I saw it at Frog Follies a couple of years ago and had to have it. It now houses...my battery! I swapped to 12V and needed a place for the larger battery—it fit perfectly.

I realize that my additions aren't for everyone, but other than the door art, everything I modified was missing or needed replaced. Hubby got me new rims and had them powder-coated to match the green on my door, and I have original hubcaps to put on it as a finishing touch. A reducer and new gauges allowed me to keep the original instrument cluster (my favorite part!), and Hubby purchased the faux leather seat for me because mine was covered with a bath mat-like material and needed replaced.

A muffler system, finishing touches on the interior, and a little more wiring, and I'll be on my way! This has been my dream for the last five years, and I'm so happy that my husband helped me make it a reality! I've learned quite a bit about vehicles, and I've thoroughly enjoyed almost every moment of the restoration. I personally removed everything from it (sans having help with the motor and tranny), cleaned what we could salvage, and replaced quite a bit of it myself. It's definitely something I'm proud of, and thankful for the overtime and family who made it possible. =)

Welcome back and thanks for sharing the pictures and updates of your project! All the personalized touches to make the truck " yours" are great IMHO. My better half has been a life long quilter and got a kick out of your use of the yard sticks and the spool of thread!

You're making excellent progress and I'm looking forward to future updates and seeing more pictures as you continue, not to mention the maiden voyage when that time rolls around.

Thank you, Gdads51! I've gotten all types of opinions from men (mainly those who either never spun a wrench on theirs, paid to have the work done to their vehicle, and/or roll their vehicle off of a trailer at car shows. To each his/her own, but don't judge me for having my own ideas, and not having an infinite supply of money, 'ya know?!). Most can't believe I'm not having it painted, doing a LS swap, adding some modern conveniences, or having a professional do X, Y, or Z for me.

I'm blessed with a patient husband who has 20 years of experience working on F-15's in the Air Force and 15 years of experience repairing and replacing a specific system on Navy ships. Our friend who rebuilt my tranny has owned a transmission business for over 30 years, and taught auto mechanics at our Alma Mater for years. Lastly, my father-in-law has built drag racing motors for 50+ years and was previously a mechanic at a mine - I'm in good hands. LoL I've made educated decisions every step of the way (if anything, I over-think e v e r y thing), and I've gotten some parts and a lot of helpful information right here. I went the hands-on route because it was therapeutic, and I wanted to be able to speak about it and actually know what I was talking about. My "mid-life crisis" was a blessing in disguise, and I hope that others can appreciate it like you and your wife did. =)

The yard sticks and vintage tool box in the bed are unique ideas and I like them. Now I'm thinking about ideas for mine. Glad to see another with a '46 making progress.

Thank you, Utah! I just saw your message about the pedals and replied.

I wouldn’t personally spend 14 seconds worrying about what men think of your truck. It’s yours, not theirs and good for you to personalize it and build it the way you want it. I love the Art Deco trucks, and love yours.

Was just wondering if you still have the stock setup for the brake/clutch return springs. Here are a couple of ways I've been trying. I'm using a wider piece of angle iron now to get more static stretch on the springs. Some suggested to drill holes to keep the springs from accidently coming off. I'm still thinking about fabbing something to use both holes on the bell housing.

Thank you, Paul! =) I appreciate that.

If you still need some used clutch head screws, send me a pm with your address. These are free. I found three different sizes in my bone pile. I think they’ll fit and survive a journey in a padded mail envelope?

46Sparky, that would be amazing, thank you! I'll PM you my address. Let me know how I can pay for shipping, please. Thank you so much!

I was browsing thru your story about Bruno and wondering if you ever got the flywheel and bell housing off the old 216. I believe you'd need that bell housing to install on the later engine to match up with the motor mounts.
Anyway, I got a seized up 235 and managed to get that stuff off by pulling the pan, main bearing and rod bearing caps and lifting the crankshaft out. I needed to pull the timing cover and crank gear off as well so things could rotate a little bit. I was after the 235 crank to put in my 216. Here's a photo.

Keep up the good work on Bruno.

Maria, where'd you get all those yardsticks? That looks pretty neat.

Are they glued to a sheet of plywood or something?

HERE IS the image Otto is talking about. Zoom in for a good look. Looks very neat!

@ klhansen - We were able to cobble together "the old and the new" with the help of a crazy-talented transmission/mechanic friend. I ended up having to get an electric fan because, even with modifications, the old metal blades wouldn't turn freely with the brand new (aluminum) radiator and the original radiator support. Considering we hit temps of +100° during Indiana summers, the electric fan is a dream whole stopped at red lights.

@ Otto - I asked if anyone had any yard sticks they'd be willing to sell on my personal Facebook page, and friends and family began dropping them by the house, or asking me to stop by after work! My husband purchased some from eBay to fill in the holes, and to practice different layouts with. I've also seen them at swap meets (usually kinda pricey), and "Facebook Marketplace." My original bed boards are underneath.

I used a wooden floor glue in a caulking tube to section pieces onto a 1/2" piece of plywood. I have OCD, as does my 83 year old dad who helped me, so I alternated between a row of new sticks and a row of old sticks, and staggered each row as you would a hardwood floor. I made the half behind the driver's seat face you when you stand by the tire. Once I got to the middle, I turned them all to face you if you're standing by the rear passenger seat tire. I finished it off with paint-on marine grade polyurethane - six coats on the top, and four on the bottom. I slid it over my existing bed, and wah-lah!

I'll share some pictures of the finished product. Thank you for asking! I get really excited when people approach me about it because it's unique, matches my t-shirt shop "theme", and it's a good conversation starter. =)

P. S. The tool box holds my 12 volt battery, BTW. I decided to convert it to 12V in case I broke down while I was cruising alone. (I knew it would be easier to deal with than the 6V.) I kept my original dash and instrument cluster, and converted the gauges to 12V with the help of my husband and a friend.

Maria - Love the truck bed and glad to see "Dad" autographed it for you!

Looking forward to seeing some pictures as you drive it and show it off.

That is really cool, Maria. I, too, would have alternated old and new and split them down the middle. I am addicted to symmetry.

Just for the record, a 6v starter can be jumped from a 12v vehicle without any harm. Just don't turn on your headlights while the 12v vehicle is still connected to the 6v vehicle.

... or press the brake pedal, have the dome light or radio on. I don't know what will happen to the gas guage.

Maria,

Love the path you have chosen for Bruno, your creative touches are most excellent!

@ Gdad's - Thank you so much!

@ Otto - Thank you, and thank you for the info!

@ Bill - Thank you for the info! No dome light and no radio (it's original... No LS swap). =)

@ mvigo - Thank you so much!