The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Who uses their truck as a truck?

We're out of hay which is a sad thing since I used to custom bale small squares of horse hay for a lot of folks. Never had anything nice to say about those who called crying n the spring because they didn't buy enough hay the previous summer. Now that's me.

So, today Mrs. Kathy rode on the back of the '51 and ponyed three horses 2 miles to the cabin where the grass is a bit better than at our house. Not hard truck work but it's part of a truck's life in our world when you can't get a trailer in.

RonR

Glad you were able to escort them pretty (and I'm sure well spoiled) horses to some better grass.

moparguy, this is off topic but I can't help myself. That second picture of yours strikes me as one of the most beautiful shots I have seen in some time. It opened up full size on my large monitor. The composition and balance are near perfect. The truck is nicely displayed and well lit. Congrats on that photo. Enter it in a contest or two, you will win.

That's what a truck is for!

1.5 yards of top soil. She never rode so good! Make those springs do what they were meant to do!

Jim

moparguy My trucks are all beater quality,OK to use em,now I try not to rough em up. I want my doors to close and latch. My wood hauler is an X milk can truck from the 50's with added leaf springs and dual rear wheels (original singles couldn't take the load) well it's a tuff wood truck and I use the babbitt 216 to get to the house. An important factor there is to not overev it,respect it's babbitt and it will last you a long time. My uncle loved to hear me going thru the 4-speed on the way home,our cocker spaniel loved to ride in that truck. Also my son at age 8 learned to drive a stick in it,he first understood that you can hurt people with your driving by throwing the dog and I into the dash a little.

I can tell you the bed of my 51 will hold two yards of mulch, compost and almost a ton of gravel. Hauls firewood pretty good too.

Sludgeburner,
You're putting a ton of gravel in a half ton truck? It is a 3100 series, yes?

Mine just dropped off my transmission for my other truck at the trans shop for a refresh.

Helping out a buddy of mine. Pic attached.

Glenn, you need to change your handle to "glenns towing and hauling".

You know, a lot more of our trucks work for a living than I ever imagined. Good On Y'll!

RonR

I used my 58 today to carry an old snapper mower 7 miles to cut about half an acre of grass

Where's the picture?

Mike B

moparguy OK to use these trucks,that's what they're for. Treat mine like I have good trucks when using them for real over the last 60 years.

Moparguy I think any vehicle keeps the best in use,get it out there real truckers wont hurt them !! At restaurants we always try to sit where we can see the truck,don't you ??

Enthusiastic agreement on both comments! Many moons ago in the mid '70s I was a meter reader for the local gas company. Made less than $2.00 an hour. I lucked into an E-Type Jag that had electrical issues and my bride and I bought it. We worked out the gremlins and truly enjoyed driving it until a lady pulled out in front of us and I very nearly t-boned her big sedan (I may or may not have been slightly speeding). After that I seldom drove the Jag, basically parked it out of fear next time I'd not be so lucky and no way could I afford to fix it if damaged.

Well, my wise old Dad had some of the best advice possible related to the well polished but parked Jag, "Better to wear em out than have em rust out".

The above has been my philosophy for the past almost 50 years. Our old treasures are nice to look at but they're at their best when we use them.

RonR

How do we post pictures of our trucks?

Here is a picture of my '50 COE, model 5700. I am in the process of filling the bed with pine needles from around my property to take to the transfer station. This truck is in the old photo gallery if you want to see more(see my signature line below). Also, it will be featured in the July issue of Hemmings Classic Car.

In case you think I own a trailer queen, this photo is evidence to the contrary.

Loading the pine needles is not very efficient. I have to lift the wheeled bucket to the rear of the bed, climb up the ladder and pull the bucket to the front of the bed to dump the load. This all pays off when I get to the transfer station, however, as the bed has a hydraulic lift and dumping the load is the fun part.

Kent

Another picture of your COE Kent!

Don

Thank you Don for the nice picture! Posing for a picture is doing work, isn't it?
Kent

I drove it to the bank and back home. I changed lane and the engine did a hiccup then ran fine for the next hour.

Tested out the new shocks and rebuilt carb with a 30 mile drive with four stops. No stalls, no hard restarts, and doesn't shake all over the place when you hit potholes and speed humps.

Parked well away from everybody at the grocery store. Wouldn't want anything to happen to that high dollar paint job.

en route to melt some iron

My trucks are used as trucks... or as a place to store stuff on!

We ran a load to the dump. Boy oh boy. Rode like a Cadillac!

My truck helped pick up an electric scooter. Ran like a champ.

Time to get rid of some tree damage and trimmings. 3rd and hopefully last load for a while.

moparguy Just got back from my morning coffee run in 51 6400 pickup,parade last Saturday in Indiana. Been busy on toe-in adjustment really helped it too. Need to snug-up the sector a little,lookes like a slug of hot weather coming,so will do early mornings. Gonna try to make me put on a Fenton split but need to grind valves on a head given to me by a 292 friend is 848 with fresh guides. So many of the heads have the guides knurlized which is a cheap fix !!

hapydirt That is classic,the look of a real truck ,her uncle would give us firewood then he loved to hear me go thru the gears on the way home loaded. Best sound is coming out of the woods loaded to the gills in low gear, my babbitt 216 is still able to do that,not much modern stuff will last 71 years like that. Not hurting it either,cause I watch out for it !!

I used my truck as a truck for many years, hauled firewood and whatever I needed to haul and kept making improvements along the way like taller gears etc etc. Finally blew it all apart, started over. I learned this truck was a cluster, a mix of tin from everywhere, 41 fenders on one side 46 on the other and so on.
Purchased a 261, several trans replacements, now a T-5, found a factory sway bar etc etc, modern seat, rebuild ALL suspension, radial tires, was not difficult finding parts back then unlike today.

The 3600 (my $300 truck) was another story. Kept the patina look but replaced most all the running gear. I get keeping the look but you have to make it safe.

Both of mine are mechanically sound “working versions” which I routinely use.

You mean like this:

Out for a routine ride in my '56 3100 when suddenly the engine started bucking and spitting like it was running out of gas. Didn't seem to be related to load... it would clear up for a bit then start cutting in and out again. Made it back to the house and took a peek at the fuel filter... full of gas and no sign of any debris. Relying on the old saying that 90% of all fuel problems are electrical, I purchased a new coil and replaced it.

So far after several more trips to the lumber yard and to the dump, no reoccurrence! 👍🤞

I do, a reverse mullet. Party in front, business in back.

Got the 1954 3604 Inspected and licensed today !

Here I am loading up a skid of windows to take to a job site. The truck rides better with a load than it does empty.

Are you required to put that GVW number on the side?

Not any more.

Been using mine as primary work vehicle for the last several months.

Today on the way home, I whipped over to the side of the road to get a better look at the Sunbeam Tiger.

Last December I needed garage space so my stovebolt sat outside for a few weeks and we made the best of it. People would stop by that we didnt know and asked to take pictures in front of it with their children

Looks like a Christmas card.