I started this project just about 20 years ago now. I've been looking at this old truck in a farm field for a few years and finally asked about buying it. The owner agreed to sell it and then we had to figure out how to get it home. Fortunately, it was only about 5 miles away, so we towed it home behind a tractor. Along the way at least one tire blew out!
The truck was pretty solid, mostly surface rust. The right side fender was dented a bit and the grille was dented in also. The engine was free, but the transmission was hard to shift at all. The brake and clutch pedals were siezed up. I didn't even try to get it running since there was a mud wasp nest in the carburetor.
I've been working a lot on it lately, so I'll get everyone caught up as we go.
Nice truck is that a pickup watching you cut the tree down if so you will have to make another tractor run.Actually it looks like there are a few pickups ,you are surrounded.
Last edited by KEVINSKI; Tue Apr 04 2023 12:21 PM. Reason: More imfo
So i decided to jump right in and disassemble! That's always the exciting part, seeing what's what. How is it put together, what does what and how is everything connected. What's good, what's bad. What can I reuse/refurbish and what needs to be replaced.
There was a stovebolt 6 of course, but I didn't know much about them at the time. It has a 4 speed gearbox with a reverse lockout. There's an updraft carburetor, complete with mud dauber nest. And of course all kinds of rust.
The doors had some pretty cool art. Looking back, I'm wondering if I should have just left it and not painted it...
I fell in love with those when I met up with a bunch of stovebolters in at a show in northern Indiana. There was one inparticular that a couple had redone, lowered, shorter tires, pickup bed very professionaly looking. And another one near here at the James Dean car show near where I live. It was bright red and dual cabs. He said he and his wife were on their way to Texas after the show. Keep the dream going, good luck.
Continuing to show pictures of the disassembly. I tried to take a bunch of pictures as I went. The camera i had at the time wasn't the best. Some of the pictures are a bit blurry, then when you go to zoom in, it's hard to see much detail.
I pulled the cab off using an overhead hoist. I made some "hooks" to grab the door openings. This worked pretty well. I left the steering wheel on and I was pretty sure I'd get the cab off with the wheel in place, but I wasn't 100% sure. I was able to twist the cab around enough to get it off and not have to remove the steering wheel.
The engine turned out to be a babbitt bearing 235. There was also a brake booster, which I didn't expect in this age of truck. It makes sense though, being a big bolt.
