The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 50 6400 in the bag!

I was thumbing thru the local newspaper today and saw an ad for a '50 1 ton with hoist, "runs great" so I went to take a look.

Turned out to be a '50 6400 Chevrolet (2 ton, 161" WB) with a side dumping grain bed, and a two speed rear.

Paid the man, hopped in, hit the foot switch, and drove it 50 miles back home!!

One big dent in the drivers side fender, both driver and passenger side windows are cracked, bed is pretty rotted, otherwise she's a real beaut.

Originally I was going to snatch the doors for my '50 3100.. but I just don't have the heart to do that to it.. might have to see if I can find it a new home on eBay or in the Swap Meet.

I'll post some pics tomorrow.

drive with pride..glad to hear that you picked up another one. looking forward to the pics. enjoy the 47 to 53 style, will have to try to make it down to that neck of the woods one of these days and check out your collection..mike j

Hey Fumblin, That sounds like a great catch!! Does the side dump work? That would make an interesting photo.

It always makes the deal so much sweeter, when you bring them home under their own power.

I didnt bother even trying the dump.. the body was so solid, and everything else worked.. the price was right.

50 Mile drive, at 55MPH by the time I got her home the cows were all up at the bunk screamin' "Wheres our grain, fool?!" so by the time the chores were done it was too dark to mess with it.

I'll post some pics tomorrow, and see if the hoist works. I'm also interested to see if it's a 216 or 235.. theres some crud on the side of the motor i've gotta clean off to read the engine number prefix.

I'll probably not be able to keep it.. i've really got my heart set on building up that 6500 with a V8 and a roll off bed so I have something to bring more old iron home with.. and this one is just in way too good a shape for me to do any mods or rods to.

Being a '50 with rock solid doors, I initially was thinking of swapping the doors with Ziggy (my '50 3100) since his drivers side door has a little bit of rot at the bottom.. but again, this thing is just too solid of a runner and looker to use for parts.. and i've already got a 2 ton stock truck (the '46)

But man, what a friggin' blast it was to blow down the highway at 55 MPH in that old truck!

Only thing would have made the ride better would be if the stock Chevrolet radio worked!

And drove it home to boot! Nice catch. Shame you can't keep 'em all.

Got her fired up today, hoist works like a champ.. the engine prefix HEA indicates it's a '50 235.

[img]http://www.oldtruckstuff.com/506400/headonshot_thumb.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.oldtruckstuff.com/506400/passrearhoistcloseup_thumb.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.oldtruckstuff.com/506400/passhoistup_thumb.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.oldtruckstuff.com/506400/frontdriveup_thumb.jpg[/img]

So if you can't keep it, and it needs a new home, I have the solution.

GIVE IT TO ME!

Nice one, Fumblin... Looks like you got plenty of room... Keep it

I've already got one stock big bolt.. what I want next in a big bolt is one with big juicy V8 and a rollback bed.

This one runs too nice to take it apart. Some old farmer really took care of this one while he was using it, and I wouldn't doubt (based on the painted valve cover) that it had a rebuild in the past.

If the motor was junk, it would be alot easier to yank it out in favor of something with more muscle.. but I just don't have the heart to do it.

Stuck it up on eBay with an opening of $800 with no reserve.. if I can't get that out of it, I guess I am going to keep it! (the wife dosen't know that yet, tho!)

I did snap a pic of it beside Ziggy just because it was neat to see the baby truck next to the big bolt (how'd that darn Dodge get in the picture again?!)
[img]http://www.oldtruckstuff.com/family_style.gif[/img]
I'll take another one if/when it sells with the '46 in the shot.. was going to do that when I took that pic, but it was wet outside, and was too lazy to walk down the hill to get it in the rain.

looks like a keeper to me..like the family pic, need to get the 46 in the row..mike j

Nice deal and drove it home too! Can't get better than that. Looks good in the photo! Enjoy!

Way to go there, Fumblin!! You better keep it..you need to keep building up that cylinder index!!

You know it's funny.. of the 4 trucks I have, the newest one (the Dodge) is the crappiest looking!

Tomorrow i'll bring the '46 around and put her in the lineup.

me being an ignorant suburban boy from back east... what's with 'dump to the side' action?

cool truck... just curious.

-W

Side dump is handy when a long narrow pile is preferred, instead of a "traditional" dumps fat round pile.

With a side dump you can dump your entire load quickly, without needing as much height clearance.. for example, inside a building with 12 foot ceilings.

Alot of grain beds have little "doors" that slide up and down on the side, so you can regulate the rate of dump.

For instance, lets say you have a load of grain you wanna feed your cattle.. by opening the side "doors" up a little bit, tilting the bed and driving forward slowly, you can leave a nice long pile of grain or corn for your cattle to walk up and eat.

Another practical application.. lets say I have a load of stuff I wanna dump in a roll off container (like a roll off dumpster) you just pull up along side, drop the side of the bed, and dump. The load gets evenly distributed in the container, and no hassles backing up, and no giant mound in the center sticking up.

[img]http://www.oldtruckstuff.com/family_full.gif[/img]
Left to right: '52 D*dge B3B 1/2 ton, 1950 Chevy 3100, 1950 Chevy 6400, 1946 Chevy 2 ton

Between the D*dge and the '50 3100 you can see the top of the '67 Chevy Custom I sold to a Marine who's currently serving in Iraq.. he'll be here to pick it up when he's on leave in September.

With two, '50 model Advance Design Trucks. We need to start calling you, Fumblin50 !

I caught the old truck bug with the '46 way back in january.. now i've got 5 of 'em sitting in my yard.

I'm really going to focus on the "catch and release" method.. saving old iron from wasting away in fields is my new hobby.. kinda like a "no kill" animal shelter.. only for old trucks.

Of course, you can't help but fall in love with some of 'em.. like the '46 that started it all, or Ziggy, the '50 3100.. still have a bad itch to bag a '41 thru '46 half ton.. and wouldnt mind getting something from the late 30's, either.

Fumblin';
Would you consider payments for it?I'm looking for a project to fix up a little...naaaah,never mind;I was gonna say to fix up and sell,but I know me-I'd wanna keep it,and I'm still two trucks over my parking capacity. I'd sure love to have it though.
Speed

It's out floating in the 'Bay now with 4 hours left and $910 worth of bids.. i'm curious to see what happens with it.

It was a tough decision to sell this one, and I guess part of me put a $800 opening bid on it in the hopes nobody would want her for that kinda $$ and i'd just HAVE to keep it.

But the truth is there are many, many more of them out there on the sandy plains.. tucked away in thick pockets of trees, scattered amoung the bluffs and cattle.. and nothing can beat the feeling you get pulling one of those rigs out into traffic the first time.. hittin' third with the wind slowly building on your face as it rushes in the windows.. watching the speedometer creep up to 55.. and trying to read the lips of annoyed motorists as they speed past you, undoubetedly uttering vulgarities that would make even the most grizzled sailor blush.

Those folks are just too busy with their rush rush rush daily routines and $7 double espressos and high power buisness meetings to really get what drivin' a stovebolt is all about.

Of course theres also the old farmer in his beat up 70's 3/4 ton Chevy passing by going the other way.. with a simple nod or with two fingers extended from the top of the steering wheel you know he understand completely.

To me, thats what having one of these trucks is all about.. the experience.. and with each truck comes a whole new personality and a whole new batch of experiences.

Poetic, indeed...

I can't wait to take mine down the road for the first time!

If you were only a bit closer I would be owning that rig!!! My wife would kill me for having a third stovebolt [59 apache and 37 1 1/2 ton grain truck]. Fuel costs what they are I would have more in the transport than the truck... If I had more time it would be an adventure to drive it back to NY! looks like someone is getting a whole lotta truck!!!

Hey Fumblin, I was out of town Wednesday thru most of Friday, and did not get to see your photo's until yesterday (Saturday). Nice looking truck, that was a good find. I would also have a hard time taking parts off one that nice. Very interesting the way the side dump looked. I had heard and read about them, but had never actually seen one in the raised position. I'm just curious, did you get the name brand of the bed and hoist? There were quite a few truck bed manufacturers in the midwest at one time. That would be something else to keep track of. I am sure that there are probably a lot of ways to identify them. I know some people that work for Omaha Standard, I am going to try and find out if there is some kind of archives available for those interested in truck history.

PS: I hope Ebay did you well.

John

Well being a big bolt in the days when gas is approaching $3 a gallon, I did as well as one could expect.. $910 was the final bid from a fellow out of Okie. He sounds tickled to have won, and i'm just as tickled it's going to someone who appreciates old iron.

Hey, and I made a few bucks on the deal to boot!

I haven't ever paid real close attention to who made the various beds i've seen.. they all look pretty much the same to me, and all work nearly identical.. placement of the PTO lever and the actual lever used to engage the hydrolic pump being the only real differences i've noticed.

I personally prefer the side dump to a "traditional" back dump, but the new rig for the back of the '46 2 ton is designed dump either way.

Just move some pins, and move the cylinders and the bed will dump side or back.

It's not that I actually NEED a dump, mind you.. it's just neat.

you hit the nail on the head on your post of going out to find the next bolt, enjoy the same feeling, maybe that is why i've got 10 of them out back now. some in parts some drivable, will have to get a family pic. anyway enjoy your posts. search out the next one and let us know..mike j