The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts For ten brief, shining moments...

Yesterday (Friday), Peggy and I became the proud, new owners of a '42 Chevrolet ton and a half.

[img]http://www.thevirtualgarage.com/personal/ontrailer.jpg[/img]

It was one of those deals where we got an email from a friend who's friend of a friend (who worked at one of those yards that buys and sells insurance writeoff vehicles to junkyards, etc) said there was this "'42 Chevy military vehicle" that was about to be crushed and if someobody wanted it, they should come get it quick.

So I raced home from work, Peggy and the dogs and I raced up to Brandywine, MD. Found the friend of a friend, winched the truck (which as you can see has been in a significant wreck) up on the trailer and we were almost ready to roll when one of the other yard managers rolls up and asks me who told me I could take the truck.

Uh oh.

10 minutes later, he comes back after talking to a higher level boss and tells me I have to unload the truck and leave it.

"Oh no, it has to go through a sale," he says.

Whatever.

So the friend of a friend comes back with the huge fork lift. He picks the truck up and tells me to just drive out from under it.

Peggy and I just looked at each other... Why couldn't we have LOADED it that way???

Oh well. Bottom line is that we drove an hour to load a truck, unload a truck, booger up my right thumb and drive away leaving a perfectly fine 25-foot chain and chain binder sitting there. And the truck may still end up in the crusher.

The sheet metal on it was really solid, other than being crumpled. The radiator, rad stand, and grill are pretty much destroyed. The driver's side fender might be repairable. Both headlight buckets are good and the pass side fender is pristine. Both doors are perfect and the cab is complete. Shoot, all the glass is solid! In the accident, the whole box on the back shifted forward about 6 inches and really caved in the back of the cab. Glass didn't break, though? Rear axle twisted a bit to the drivers' side duals are locked up but the passenger side duals turn (made it a chore to winch up on the trailer...).

The truck was restored really well at some point not too long ago and seems to be an amalgam of Chevy and GMC parts (The cab has a "General Motors Of Canada" data plate on it, but the grill is Chevy). Even has a 1942 Ontario plate still on the front.

[img]http://www.thevirtualgarage.com/personal/driveside.jpg[/img]

Anyway, this story may not be over. I'll probably write this one up as either a Roadkill or a Saga. There's more to the story, this is merely the "Executive Summary"

But that chain and binder.... :mad:


John

John,
I just gotta ask, do you still have a friend of a friend or just a friend ?!!

Fred

Fred -- it all depends on whether or not we get that chain and binder back

John

That's a bummer.

John, the more I read online about these old trucks, the more I realise things get done different from place to place. Keep in mind, GMC pickups built "North of the 49th" were equipped with Chevy Stovebolts, not GMC "Long Motors." Throw into the mix the old "Maple Leaf" trucks produced in Canada by Genereal Motors for several years, and your amalgomation of Chevy and GMC parts may just have been the real deal. :confused:

Or, I might just be speculating out of my [censored]... :o

darn shame you couldn't drag the old fella home, though-even worse if they crush it, the bastards...

Regards,
Wannabe

Interestin story--

If u get a second shot at the old rig might want to think thru a document you can use to get the thing registered--bill of sale or salvage title whatever they use up there in Merryland--too bad u didn't get it ; but you might be surprised what happens if you make a ruckus--friend of a friend appears to be an agent of the yard-cud be a problem for em--may get it yet--chain binder is an entry--I'd go over friend of a a friend's head but that's just me. I'm very suspicious that sumbody at the yard may want it or thinkin of gettin it cheep???? :confused:

Buzz'n -- That's exactly what we were thinking -- somebody else mighta had a deal goin'

Wannabe -- the more I think about it, coupled with what you say, the more I think this truck was probably a Mapleleaf firetruck that somebody got and turned into some kind of a circus carny truck of some sort. And doing the circuit, they got into a wreck down here in Maryland. I say that because the truck really doesn't show signs of being restored. You'd think that the doors would show signs of being patched, or that bondo would be cracking or something -- this truck shows nothing. Which is all the more a shame they wrecked it -- but accidents happen, I guess.

But stay tuned -- I don't think this saga is over just yet.

John

is that a DODGE dually I see towing your trailer??

John, a neighbor has a good 1-1/2-ton '41 Chevy truck that's a great parts truck, with most if not all of what you'll need for the front of your '42. However, the truck is up the street from me, here in Oklahoma City. Let me know if you might be interested...

Sawby4president,
yeaup - John has a cummins Dodge.. the cummins bolt as he sometiems refers to it.

-W

Patrick -- Hmmmmm! Yes, I'm interested -- IF we end up with the circus truck. AND, I should be coming your way next summer as I am planning on hauling a buddy's 35-foot travel trailer out to China Lake, Calif. when he moves back there at the end of his tour here and I will be deadheading back.

Woog & Sawby -- YESSSS!!!! I'll admit it .... I have a Cumminsbolt!!! THERE, I said it! There's more, and it's worse. WAY worse. But I'm not yet ready to come out of the closet, yet. Some of the best people on this site are fellow MOPAR drivers, too.

Regards,
John

hahaha Cumminsbolt. No shame in that, you cant argue with a Cummins. The funny thing about the F#rd v. GM debate is that Dodge sits on neutral ground, neither side seems to mind them

Ahh...the DodgeBolt. I've started thinking of my Cherokee as the JeepBolt - it has a straight 6, and is a bit Suburban-ish...

Mr. John


This subject, Dodgebolt, is so important that it produced good vibes that arrived here in Brasil, so I also have to admit, I'm a Mopar Chevy guy also! Or a Chevy Mopar Guy? Anyway, since I cannot made my mind, keep on going strong on these 2 fine automotive brands.

Alexandre! Long time, no hear! Good to hear from you. Yes! That's right, your one of the Brotherhood, too! How's that Outlaw Chevy II?

Regards,
John

Nothing like a Ram to get you going..yep I drive one too

whoops, I didnt mean to hijack this post, haha...by the way, Jeepbolt is a stretch but whatever gets you through your commute

GMCPanel, I thought that Jeepbolt thing was interesting so I started a new thread about in the General Truck Talk forum to see if anyone has used the 4.0 jeep six in a bolter

John,

I'm fine, been way too busy recentely, now it's all rite. Finally assembled my chevy 250 engine, after almost one year of procrastination. Big valves, Isky cam, clifford intake and holley 4 barrel. Eager to hear it running. Some pics of my stuff:

http://www.reillymotorsports.com/gallery/album.pl?album=Alexandre_Garcia

Best Regards!

Sawby,

Go for it, man! This is "my" thread and I give you permission (even though that takes the fun out of a good hijack) Sometimes there's nothing more fun than a good thread hijacking! Just how far off topic can you take one thread???

JEEPBOLTS ROCK!!!!

John

Yup I drive a RAM too! One thing about the RAM's is they do have curves. That's one of the many things I like about the pre 1960 Chevy's and GMC's.

Did you get your chain and binder back?

kb3csw -- Yup, got the chain and binder! I stopped by the joint Monday on my way back from a meeting uptown. So there I was, slogging around in the mud of "the swamp" in my school clothes. I didn't get too dirty, though...