The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Just got a 1948 3600 - now what?

Hello! Just found this truck - very rough shape. 12V conversion on the engine is done, thats about it. Needs brakes, exhaust, gas tank, etc. I'm looking and see a lot for the 3100, but not as much for the 3600. Any links, resources, or ideas are welcome! This is a learning project for my kid and I - we have no expectations other than to get it drivable, learn some welding (have a friend to teach us), and have fun. I know basics from my 72 Skylark but this 3600 feels a bit overwhelming.

Welcome to the Stovebolt madness. There is no cure!

I moved your first post here so you could be welcomed by the collective. Enjoy your ride!

Be sure to post any questions you have to the appropriate garage forum and take the time to read the Sticky Thread at the top of the General Truck Talk Forum titled “Why posts are moved, edited or deleted” for a general overview of how the site works.

“Now what?”

Read the mental health evaluations fine print in your health plan. There maybe a provision in there for incurable diseases. Denial is a good skill to have too. Just toss the receipts into the round file, and ignore your bank account statements until and after the project is done.

Enjoy the process more than anything else and stay active here.

(One component and system at a time and the overwhelming feeling will dissipate). These are basic yet I still marvel at the design and engineering skills that people had to build these things on a mass scale.

get it runnin', drive it (after all the essential safety aspects are verified)

Hello Kyle, when you start out with a truck in less than pristine condition your options are limitless. My advice would be to get it running and drive able and then see where it goes from there. It's your truck and you'll know what you want it to be. I have two very rough projects and a decent solid Apache 32. I have different plans for all three.

Enjoy and share your progress.

Welcome

John

Welcome, I have a 47 3600 that I just started on. I'm going to build a new gas tank as they are not reproduced by anyone that I could find. It is not the same as the 3100 under bed tank. My neighbor has a complete metal working fab shop with all the machines to do sheet metal. My truck is very solid considering it's age. Door are solid, cab corners are solid, box is repairable (wood ) but I'll replace the back fenders. It will be a lot of work, but, I enjoy this type of challenge.

Welcome to the garage Kyle!
Having your kids to help is a big plus and motivator.
It will probably end up years from now as Grampa’s truck and a thrill to get a ride in it.

Don

Welcome to the “Bolt”. Plenty of experts here to help guide you to getting your truck to where you and your son envision it to be.

You only need to post a question in one place, if posted in many, just confusing.

Ed

Thanks all! Starting with the basics - brakes and exhaust. I can handle that. Then get it running and go from there.

Hello Kyle and welcome aboard! You'll be the center of attention when you pull up at the diner for sure. On brakes, your truck has a few things to know in that area. One if still stock, it's running Huck and not Bendix (which most are more familiar with) brakes. Most all parts are available EXCEPT new brake drums. Good used drums are getting scarce so most folks try not to do a cleanup cut (turning the drums) if at all possible. This thread has a good discussion on Hucks on a 3100 that does apply to your 3600. I'm still running the stock Huck brakes on my 3600 and they work quite well. Can lock up at will, just have to push on the pedal a little harder than more modern trucks since no power booster (yet).

Good Luck!

RonR

Welcome Kyle and son !! My opinion is get it running and drivable where it is safe. If you and son drive it you'll both be hooked on it and then can start working on the other repairs you would like to do. It's easy for a young man to lose interest in a project if it's in a million pieces without remembering the excitement of the first time driving it. Have lots of fun and enjoy it.

Those old corn haulers are great trucks. Like a lot of others have said, get it driving and stopping and then decide where you want to take it.
Don’t look too hard at the big picture, that will be overwhelming. Break it down to several smaller pictures, and enjoy tearing it apart and putting it back together.

Kyle m "Now What" ?? Learned from tho old lead bodyman, when we would get a bad wreck in he would never look at the whole thing, just find a dent straighten it, prime it, do another one , till he had say a perfect door . Keep that up till he had a perfect car!!He didn't use much lead always straighten it mostly lead the joints! When you hear it run that will help and when you let the clutch out ...welll your hooked !!

Thanks to all! My kid is excited, cleaned the whole out already and antsy to get started on the brakes. Got one rear drum off, doesn't look too bad. So yep, let the fun begin. Looking forward to getting asking specifics here as we get going.

Kyle m Another detail ,we got a stuck 51 3600 in 82,son was 5 soaked it with marvel,I got a piece of 2 inch pipe in the duals and gave it a romp son said the fan turned,we got it fired. When he was 8 I said why dont you try driving this(4 speed).We lived in a hick town of 6oo,before long we would get the cab warmed -up then cruise town after dark I seldom got to drive ! Hegot so he could back right up to me looking in the mirror later he kind of thru our dog and me into the dash and learned that your driving can hurt people !! That is country stovebolt fun at its best !

Martin; Would you know why my posts disappear then re-appear after another reply ??

fixite7, please check your Private Message folder.

Oh so fun stuff - learned a bit more. Turns out the truck is a 1947 3800 - the parking brake lever is a lever to the right of the tranny (not a pedal), and the wheelbase is 137". So the title I got is bogus, no problem. Imagine my surprise when we pulled the rear drum off and saw that massive wheel cylinder! It's all part of the learning for us. Looks like we may be finding a place to reline the shoes since new ones seem near impossible to find.

And yes, thanks about the brakes. My 72 skylark still have 4 wheel drums and manual brakes. It's a sled to stop, though I drive very, very defensively and cautiously when we are out and about. Totally got used to it - the firm pedal, giving more space to stop, etc. Better driving habits all around.

Im new here by a few months i got my 3600 in sept. the brake drums were gone, i looked and the cost was to much so i changed the whole truck to disc. now i dont know enough about the trucks to know what parts are different then yours. i have the Eaton HO52 rear and i went a company named lugnut 4x4. the guy helped out i did have to trade out my bracket being there wasnt a 50 with disc brakes yet. my rear came from ebay it is a company called auto city classic in minnesota the add was for a 55-59 8 lug. i had to drill 2 holes bigger from 7/16" to 1/2" and used a flapper disc on my grider ti ease a few edges for things to clear welds and turning. i hung a brake booster on the fire wall with new pedal and ran 3/16" lines for all of it and boy dont push hard on the pedal you may not stop as well as the truck. i will have to get more pics