The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts '38 Chevy 3 tonne truck

I just bought a '38 3 tonne Chevy for Aus$700, minus engine and gearbox - I was wondering if I could slot in a Holden 253 motor as I have one I have recently reconditioned. I was going to transfer the body onto my Holden HQ 1 tonne chassis but the body of the Chev is approx 550cm's thinner!

My 39 has a 235 in it. Shouldn't be a problem. fan clearance is tight.

Are you saying the Holden body is more than a foot and a half wider the the Chevy? The biggest Chevy in the U.S. in 1938 was a ton and a half, so I don't know how an Austalian 3 Tonne body looks. The ton and a half had running boards outside of the body, did the Holden?

Thanks 3in84toy, my 253 is a baby V8 so shouldn't be too much bigger.
Yes Baldy I just remeasured both chassis width wise and the '38 chevy is 915mm wide, the HQ is 1445mm wide.
Our first Holdens started in '48 prior to the GMC
so didn't have running boards.
My Holden chassis is off a '71 HQ 1 tonne ute.
The 3 tonne chevy I have appears to be much the same as your 1.5 chevy.
Our version of your trucks (i.e right-hand drive) look much the same as yours with running boards and all.

Hi jensshed,
I think your '38 could be a Canadian full import, does it have Maple leaf badges on the guards?
This might be of interest a '39 with a big load!!
[img]www.vannattabros.com/2006add/k51.jpg[img]

Tell us more about your truck?
James

Hi guys,
oops,
i was trying to give you a link but i dont think it worked. Anyway just forget the [img] part, i thought that would 'high light' it.
i'll read up a bit more first next time.

James

James, I haven't got the front guards and bonnet yet they will be down tomorrow I hope.
I am hoping to shoe-horn the body onto a HQ chassis that I have ready for it, I have a Holden 253 (60 thou over)which I have just rebuilt, am just going with the holley 2 barrel and am still undecided on what type of manual gearbox to go with.
The truck is pretty rusty but appears to be all there, it has the ribbed roof as well which I rather like.
I expected the 3 tonne to be a lot bigger than it is height wise which is great.
The chassis has dual rear wheel with 20 x 6 tyres on it.
Had a look at your pic, and yes I do like it.
I was hoping to go more with say the '34 chev front guards as they have real nice lines to them.
Do you have a write up in the 'Gallery"?
I am still trying to work out how to transfer my pics from my camera to the puter, then I will put them up.

Hi jensshed!

I've tried to find an accurate answer to your question on the GVW of your truck and can't come up with the exact number. My guess is that it is not more than a 1 1/2 ton. Looking back in the specs book for /46, that's what it shows. But!! I found a site (see below) that shows 1936 1 1/2 tonne and 2 1/2 tonne trucks in Australia. By their appearance, they seem smaller than North American vehicles rated as that, so it's possible there is a different rating system in Australia. Just a guess. Regardless, these are old 'gems'. Hope you get your engine fitted OK.
Cheers, George
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~oldsclub/36hist.html

Thanks George,
The compliance plate shows a weight of 11,300 so I reckon it may be equivalent to the American 1 1/2 tonne.
Wombat it doesn't have the maple leaf emblem just a chevrolet badge that is sort of a sideways t shape.
The chassis number is not legible but it says 32C3 or it could be 32G1 either the 1 has been overstamped with a 3 or vice-versa.
The roof of the cab has three ribs on it.