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It's been along time since we have had a post like this (6 or 8 months)...for those that have been around awhile, many of the folks that have not been around have no idea what you drive/own for a bolt...for the new guys and gals, tell us what you drive and what you want to do with it.

As for me? 1946 Chevrolet 1/2 ton purchased in Nov of 03. I had to drag it in the garage...drove it back out in June. Winter is good for something in MN. Plans? I was hoping to stay stock, but after a few trips on the road, I am thinking a Camaro rear-end and a T-5 to improve speeds a little. ALong with the higher speeds, I think I need better brakes. A daily driver oughta be safe. When done with the mechanical ventures, it is on to the body.

By the way, this is my second truck...first was a 41 1/2 ton street rod.....

I have a '59 Apache LB 1/2 ton which I saw parked beside the road with a for sale sign on it. I knew it would be gone within a couple of hours so I called my wife and got her O.K. and called the number on the sign.
Seller was a 29 yr old archetect who had bought the truck in high school and babied it for more than ten years. He was selling it in preparation for getting married. When he signed over the title his eyes teared up. I understand.

It was never frame-off, but it had all re-forged leaf springs, a factory overhauled engine from a big shop in Tacoma, new brakes and lines, and all the rust spots treated with some ugly brown stuff. It looked like a bad cast of chicken pox.
Other than maintaining it, I have done very little. It is too much fun to just drive it.

I got my truck (49 1/2 ton, 5 window deluxe cab) 3 years ago. It sat in the storage lot for two years unitl I retired last October (U.S. Army AGR Program, E-7, 92Y40, 22 years). I am currently rebuilding the front suspension and overhaulin' the original brakes. I want to keep it as original as practicable.
The reason I wanted a 49 Chevy (other than I absolutely love the looks of it, and I am a 49er myself) is a picture I have of my twin sister and I with a 49 Chevy. We we about 18 months old and had on little sun dresses with droopy diapers, standing barefoot in the snow! Mother says it was an early October snow and the first time my sister and I had seen snow, so she just stuck us out there.

My oldest son has a '46 Chevy 1/2-ton that we're going to start on this winter. It looks like it will get a Chrysler 383 with automatic, a rack & pinion front suspension, and either a_FoRd 9" or a Mopar 8-3/4" rear. All we've done to it is get rid of the mud dauber nests in it and change the four flat tires over to four matching used white spoke wheels with good rubber, so it'll roll around, anyway. Engine is not locked up and the truck is 98% complete, but we're still gonna rod it. For the same money, we can make a killer fast truck rather than a killer slow truck! We made room in the shop after we got rid of the two Metropolitans today, so we'll be able to move the truck indoors and start on it.

This is the second '41-'46 I've had. The first was a '41 3/4-ton I had in Tacoma, WA in 1981. It was a former dairy truck with over 500K miles on the truck itself.

I'm a Mopar and Hudson guy, personally, but have owned many Chevy and GMC pickups over the past 30 years; the most recent, a nicely-restored '68 C-10 LWB with factory 327 4-bbl, auto, power and air, with later-model 6-lug Rallyes.

The first thing my dad gave me to drive when I got my license was a '47 3100 pickup. I loved that truck, but he sold it within 6 months and bought a '62 Chevy II SW so I could haul the kids around. As an adult I have restored several older vehicles but never an AD truck.

About a year ago I bought a 1947 Chevy panel that is a one ton dually. Chevrolet didn't make dually panels, so best guess is that it was done by a coach builder. My dad says there were dually panels running around back then and you could buy the kit for the rear of his '49 for around $100.00. He said a lot of guys didn't bother doing the front conversion, so the wheels were often different on the front.

Mine has the dually extensions on the front hubs, and the running boards have been cut and widened behind the doors. The whole thing is so well done that I'm thinking it was probably done professionally.

A couple other interesting features is that the rear door glass has been replaced with louvered sheet metal, there are vents added to the roof, there are holes in the floor, one up near the gas tank, about the correct size for a fuel line, and a couple near the back roughly the size of a baseball. The original color of the truck appears to be orange. I'm guessing that a D.O.T. or construction outfit used this to haul a big gas powered generator or air compressor around. I think they fed it right from the gas tank and ran the cables/hoses out the holes in the rear of the floor.

I bought it with the intent of transplanting all the good stuff from my '89 Suburban. I love my Suburban, but the rust is going to kill it. I was initially looking for a pickup, then decided a panel would be more fun. When I ran across this one, it just started talking to me. Now I'm thinking I need to keep it a dually, so the 350 in the Suburban is probably too small. For now I'm just gathering information and working on the show stoppers.

There are plenty of cobbled up problems on it, but it runs and I have rebuilt the brakes, so it stops. I plan to rebuild it with current technology, but AD Stovebolt looks and make it our main hauler for long trips.

Hello. My name is Norse and I'm a truck-a-holic.

I own a 1956 Chevrolet 3200.

Me too Norse, and I own a 1956 3100! Sure glad we're back to talkin' trucks! As mentioned I have a '56 that has been under restoration for a little over a year. I'm one that likes to stay "near original", and that is what I have done with my truck. It was originally Jet Black, and that is the color I went back to. I have the 235 (completely rebuilt) as the power plant. I did make a few changes during the restoration, some for safety, some because that's just the way I liked it! I added electric wiper motor to replace the vacuum one, I moved the gas tank from behind the seat to under the bed, I added seat belts, changed the bedwood to Oak with polished stainless steel rails and added new wheels with wide white wall tires and hubcaps just to name a few. That's another thing I like about these old trucks, is that you can put your own designs/thoughts into them and still have one beautiful vehicle. My truck will not (at this time) be a daily driver, but who knows? It may well be later on. My wife and I just want to enjoy the truck and meeting with the wonderful folks in our local car club and you can check us out at www.obgcc.com .I, like many Bolters have put a lot of $$$ into the truck, but the personal satisfaction derived is well worth it! My future plans for the truck is to pass it on to my Grandson, Ian, who just turned 5 years old and LOVES his PaPa's truck!!

Good idea 46 in progress! I never did this, so I'll do it now. I have a '61 Chevy Apache 10 longbed with the 283. I bought it while living near San Jose, California, and I discovered this fantastic stovebolt website around the same time. I have receipts that indicate the truck was in Washington State (The Real Washington, right? ) originally and moved down the coast to the Bay Area. It has some rust, but by Ohio standards is fabulous (yeah, I'm back in the Buckeye State and had the '61 shipped here, too).

I have a couple other Chevy's, too.. Always looking for more, though!

I recently picked up a 48 chevy 3600 with a 58-61 235 in it. I want to make appear as original as possible , but be a little more drivable and modern. I plan to drive it every day, and use it like a 3/4 ton should be. Recently, I hauled about 3700 lbs of concrete in it. It was drooping more than normal, and a little hard to steer, but had no trobles at all (although I probably won't exceed the max weight again if I can help it...). I also plan to get a nice vintage tow behind trailer for it someday.

AW

Hi I am "pops" and Mr. Norse is my sponsor. I have a 1959 1/2 ton Apache 3100 step side. My son bought it 5 yrs. ago and started on it. It sat in my shop for a yr. tore all down and he didn't have time to work on it. He fell in love and decided to get married. My son bought a home needed some help with the down payment so I being the good father bought the truck tohelp him.

It will be completely redone, as a fancy "hot rodder". Why, because I can. The interior will be luxurious, the motor hot and the color 1995 Harley Davidson Green.

popcorn The Truth is Out There (Can't think heavily sedated going back to bed)

My name is Steve and I collect rusty trucks.

This all started about 35 years ago when my grandfather and I had an adventure in a '41 Chevy truck.

I now have a '72 Chevy half-ton that I drive when nothing else runs.

A '55.1 GMC Suburban that is a daily driver about 10 months of the year. Its been spending a month or two broken each year... It has a GMC 270 six, an SM420 and 3.08 rear from a '73 Chevelle. Currently it has a broken leaf spring.

I have a '54 Chevy half-ton that I am building as a street rod for my wife. Subframe, V-8, automatic, power stuff and so forth. Its still in the frame off stage.

I have a couple of Big Bolts and think one will be made road worthy, but basically stock, and the other is going to be a street-rodded dually pickup, possibly with an extended cab. One currently runs but doesn't stop. The other I've not even checked yet.

I have a '52 GMC Suburban and a '55.1 Chevy pickup both of which are probably just parts cars, but we'll see.... And I have a '78 P30 motorhome that will donate its 454 and such to one of my projects someday.

How many is that? If you count please don't tell my wife! She likes to talk politics and religion, but I'd rather stick to trucks any day!

Greetings Everyone.

My daily driver is a 2001 F**D(Please dont flame me I just hate the new Chevys, but love the oldies:)

Anyway, Im looking to get a 47-54 Chevy 1/2 ton. I havent found one yet however that is in decent enough shape/price. Most people around here want several thousands for a parts truck that has lots of parts missing. So the hunt continues.....

What I do with it all depends on what kind of condition I start out with. If I have a "complete" truck I will most likely go original at first. If I have lots of stuff missing, then I will update to be able to drive it on todays highways with no problems....

Im really looking forward to bringing my First AD truck home, and even actually looking forward at doing the work myself. I hope I havent bit off more then I can chew, but how else do you learn?

Anthony

I always like AD trucks and always thougt how fun it would be to have one. I got my first "Raal" out of college job and thought that I should get one. I have never rebuilt anything before but I read the site for a while and did some research then I bought one. I have what I think is a 1949 1/2 ton and it is in pieces. I got a really good start on it 2 years ago, then I got married, bought a house and got position with more responsibilities. Time for the truck has dwindled. Still here for the inspiration and the knowledge. I will finish this thing.

Hi. As you can tell by my handle, I have a 1951 five window deluxe cab that was bought as a basket case. It came in on a rollback truck with nothing but the cab and running gears. It was completly disassembled.It had new brakes and lines and the motor had been rebuilt, but not even started yet. That was in July of 2002 in St. Louis,Mo. I have since moved to Chaska, Mn. and the truck is still undergoing a ground up restoration.I am in the bodywork phase now. Cab and front end is ready for paint. The bed is another story.It is rough but salvageable. Well that's it for now, see you all later.

I have a 51 GMC 1 Ton which I purchsed in 2002, in a very decayed condition. I wanted to get into all aspects of restoring and so far that goal is coming true. So far I have rebulit the 216 and tested it, redone the front suspension, brakes and the frame. I am rebuilding the cab at the moment and after that is done along with the doors, I will proceed to the rear.

I am enjoying the journey and someday i will enjoy the drive!

Good thread! Do all of you have your trucks in the Gallery?

At the Stovebolt Headquarters, we have a '49 1-ton (you can see it at the top of the home page) and a '49 1.5-ton. After some discussion, I officially gave up on the 1.5-ton this weekend. Threw in the towel. It wins.

Regards,
John

It all started for me when my neighbor gave me a '48 4400 cab and chassis that he robbed the grain box from for a newer truck he owned. I built that truck from a pile of parts and vehicles I had lying around. After you own an old truck, you start to sniff them out and soon you start wheeling and dealing, then all of a sudden you are a collector. I now have 2 '48 4400's, a '54 4400, a '50 3100, a '63 K20, 2 '64 C10's, a '66 C10 and a mid 60's 933 Caterpillar dozer. I have my eye on several others, but I don't cash in hand right now to do any serious dealing, so I have to wait.
That's a short version of my story,

I got my '46 from behind my neighbor's garage. He bought it in West Virginia and drove it while in college in Maryland in the 70's. He flatbedded it up to RI in the 80's and it just sat. He decided I was worthy of owning it and so now it's mine. My wife cried when I got it. She was afraid that I would spend all my time tinkering with it and ignore my family. Well that sure hasnt happened. My family is thriving and my truck is basically the same as when I got it. Sure I changed the head gasket and some small stuff so that it runs but I dont think my version of ownership even qualifies as a project. Not at this stage of the game anyway. That might be an exageration of course. Anyway I love it and someday as time and money allow it will be upgraded as necessary but always respecting the original intent. If you want to see it, here it is.
http://www.stovebolt.com/gallery/gervais.htm

Hi! I've got a '47 Loadmaster 1 1/2 Ton. It came from my neighbor about a mile down the road, who used it as a farm truck. Somewhere in it's past, it was repowered with a 307 V8 out of a '68 Impala. I added electric wipers, and elec. fuel pump and updated the turn signals to new ones with 4-ways built in. Otherwise, it's stock in appearance, and in really nice original condition. I've got several other trucks (various brands and conditions) and also 14 old tractors. I'm really not that good of a mechanic, to be owning all this stuff, but I love it and enjoy messing around with it, learning as I go. I've learned a lot by reading the entries on this forum, and I'm looking forward to the new format. If I ever learn how to put pictures on the computer, I'll give you a look at some of my stuff.

Ok here's my story for those who have not heard it. I got my 47 (first series) about three years ago from my uncle who bought it from my dad many years ago. The story is my dad wanted the "newer body style" (AD). Of course the truck ran when it was parked. At this point it is completely disassembled. Being that this is my first complete restoration I know the odds of it ever being put back together are against me but with the help of this site, I know I will someday drive this thing. Over the past 3+ years I have collected all the needed metal to replace the cancer ridden parts along with literally oner 1000 photos of these trucks. just click my photo link to see my truck and many many more.

p.s.; I'm in the gallery under 1947 (although it should be listed with the 41-46 trucks).

i have not been without a truck of somesort since the early 70's. i bought my 54 3100 in july of 83 but things have kept me from restoring it til now, i put my son thru college, a new room addition to keep my wife happy, a divorce three yrs ago today.it made way to do what i wanted to with my money so ihave been working on it now. new power brakes, pacer front end, dual carbs, last week power brakes, lower sring kit 25% over budget. also put a rear roll pan w/led lights under the tailgate today w/ bedroll lights. i am proud of myself, my arm hurts from patting myself on the back, ha ha. just went out in the dark to see what it looks like, great!!!!!! better go i am listening to very sad country hits of the past. go driving to all. ron

Well as you can tell or not I like Bill am one of the few "old timers" that have been around for a while. I don't know how many of us "under 100" guys/gals are left but I will be around until they shut this place down.

I have a family and they come first, and as some of you may or may not know I do a fair share of charity work for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation(shameless plug for our families web site www.cfstjoe.com ). After that if there is any spare time and the "Honey do" list isn't too long I get to work on my truck.

My truck is a 1949 3100 Deluxe. Upgraded to a 235 and 12 volts other then that it is all original.

MY CI is now 24.

As you can tell by my nickname I work on pianos, player pianos and pump organs. I have a 1958 1/2 ton snb pickup that my granddad bought in 1962. It had 12,000 miles on it then and he paid $650.00 for it. Still have the bill of sale, and his records on everything done to the truck. I started driving in around 1975 to school and back, and used it on paper routes. The original 235 went out years ago, and I installed a 261 out of a 1960 Viking 60 series 48 passenger school bus. It had been rebuilt and had about 500 miles on it when I installed it. The truck now has 116,000 miles on it. Currently has a bearing in the rear end out, but will be back up and running this winter. This truck has a lot of history behind it( and I know nearly all of it).

51 gmc cabover is the only toy left. sold a 50 coe last month. hope to get back to work on the old truck soon.

proud former member of the drag race diesal dream team of a fella who used to hang out here named bullfoot. he had a crazy idea about a real fast old jimmy.

46 IN PROGRESS, you've started a good thread.
I was first introduced to Stovebolts with an entry-level 1954, 1/2 ton with serious rust-out but mechanically sound, when I was in the 10th grade. My father bought it for $100 and said that it was the whole family's truck and that it wasn't just for me. As it turned out I was the only one who ever drove it and learned a little here & there from a mechanic friend who had been working until he was 96 years old in the same garage where he made his living since 1919. He was a big fan of Chevrolets & Studebakers but could repair anything mechanical.
The '54 lasted me through high school and many 125 mile drives to the city where I went to college. The 235 died one Christmas eve and I moved on to other modes of transportation.
In June, 2001 I found a nice lookin' '46, 1/2 ton, all original, just with a newer paint job that was originally from Tennesse then moved out to New Mexico for retirement. I fixed the brakes and put the old boy back to work in S Louisiana. He's still on limited duty but does his share to earn his keep. He still has the original ticker, a 216, that was rebuilt by a p.o. in N.M.. His gait, (steering), is a little unsteady at times, his vision, (headlights), has somewhat deminished with the passing of time and he can't quite remember where his spare tire carrier is, but he sure remembers the good old days and is glad to be still around to tell any young upstart how it used to be.

A lotta trucks. Kind of a gypsy pipe welder, frequently seldom seen at the truck ranch while working miles from home in the city on someone else's projects. As most of you know, it's easier to haul 'em home than keep them running if you have mail to answer. Still, there are trucks that slip by the radar and are headed for the crusher.
These are the ones I end up turning around. I'm close to retirement and should be able to keep quite busy with the old iron for some time with existing rolling stock.

Hi Gang,
My name is Dave Knokey and I live in western Washington state in a wide spot on hwy 12 called Rochester. About a year ago a friend of mine who knew I wanted a flatbed found me a 62 c-30 for $250.00 (see story along with pics in the gallery) It has a 261 in it and at the moment it is all original and only has about 69000 original miles on it. I think it probably started out as a fleet vehicle for some gov't agency because EVERYTHING was undercoated. Not kidding, frame, oil pan, tranny, rear end, EVERYTHING!!! Who else besides the gov't would spend the money on that? (oops was that political?) As a result, the only cancer it has is the rear corners of the front fenders and a little above the windshield. There is a lot of surface rust inside the cab, but nothing really deep. The fenders are beat up enough that I think that when I finally get around to the body work, i'm just going to replace them. Right now my wife has cancer so work on the truck has come to a screeching halt along with the rest of my life. However I am replacing the behind-the-seat fuel tank with one from a 71 Blazer that will go between the frame rails at the very rear of the bed. I can justify this much because the only other vehicle I have running is an 84 CRX with 269000 miles on it and a plugged catalytic converter, CV joints that are ready to fall into pieces and a motor that won't last long. I will have to take my wife to Olypia every day for radiation treatments all winter and I have to have something reliable for a backup if the Honda quits. I have to have a new fuel tank as the current one leaks and is so full of rust and crud a brand new fuel filter plugs up in just a few miles.
Well I gotta go, I just got an e-mail I need to check.

Me and my wife have four old Chevys, 37 and 51 pu and a 45 2 ton on the road and a running 50 pu that will be roadworthy next year.At the moment, I building a GMC 302 to replace the modified 261 in my 37.We do all our own work,modifying the trucks as necessary,but not so much to remove the character of the old trucks.

I have always owned an AD truck since I got my first one in 1972 ( 1949 Chevy 1/2 ton ). My current truck is a 1953 3/4 ton Chevy . After driving and fixing it on a regular basis for about 7 years, I started an off-frame restoration about 5 years ago (was going to be a "3 year project" ). Hope to be driving again in another year.

Personal info; I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Married a Kentucky girl in 1975 and found out that Kentuckians ALWAYS move back home. We moved back to Paducah, KY in 1987 and absolutely love it here. As I've learned to say back here, "ya'll come!"

That is a common sentiment around here...

I'm Woogeroo... I have 1965 Chevy stepside lwb truck I named Matraca... my dad has a '53 chevy truck with a '57 inline six - his runs, but mine drives... well, not at this moment since the distributor cap is off... for many pictures and lots of information, check the link in my signature line.

-W

Speak for yourself Woogeroo, I happen to drive two "new" Chevies, a 2000 Silverado, and a 2003 Tahoe, and LOVE them.

Hello. Names Tim not Bessie. I live in Jefferson City, Missouri and am working on a 1954 chevrolet 1/2 ton that I bought from my father in law. I also have a 53 1/2 ton chevrolet that I drove in HS and a 65 el camino. Married, tow great kids 6 and 4 boy and girl. Wifes ok too. They love to play in the back of the truck. Usually it is a pirate ship but sometimes they fill it with balls and play some goofy game while I work on it.

[img]http://home.mchsi.com/~tpetty/wsb/media/129404/site1037_t.jpg[/img]

Hello, my current project is a 1945 chevy 1 ton dually. My plans are to build a daily driver with a stock appearance but with later model suspension and drivetrain.I hope to finish it this winter.

Hi All,
My name is Ralph and I currently have 3-1/2 stovebolts. I keep buying parts trucks and then buying other parts trucks to fix the previous parts trucks. I daily drive a 1948, 3600-5 window truck with a 235 and 12 volt system. Not long after, I bought another 48 half ton because it had a good short bed and frame and running gear. The cab was damaged by the wrecking yard when they loaded it on a trailer by running a cable through the door windows and lifting it up. Even more recently I got a complete running chassis from a 51, 3/4 ton for parts for my 48 and a complete except for the engine, 51 half ton. With the addition of two rear fenders and two running boards, I can build two more AD trucks. Along the way I have aquired a Trans Am front Clip and a good 350 froms my Brothers Corvette. This winter, I hope to get another one running.
Ralph

I live in south Texas and I like chevy bowties (hence the handle SoTxBoTi). I'm still plugging away on my 55.1 3100 and it is the time of the year that I predict it will be done by the end of the year. My 55 is modified, with a 12 bolt corporate rear axle, TH-700, 400 small block, Pacer front end, ac, power seats from a 2000 LeSabre. It's painted 1975 Corvette Metallic Steel Blue with a "Quasar Blue" grille.

I also have a 1957 sport coupe (restored) and a 1957 Nomad (mostly rust, awaiting restoration after the truck is done).

While I enjoyed some of the posts in the Lounge (most notably some of Norselander's artwork) I am glad the Lounge is gone. I think this site ought to remain truck related and political stuff, flaming, etc can be done on some other website.

Hello all,

I own a 1964 Chevrolet Short Wheel Base Stepside. It was my Uncles, but my Grandfather's daily driver. After my Grandfather passed away, I bought it from my Uncle. I plan a frame-off restoration with disc brakes up front and air conditioning. I purchased a '66 parts truck with a good cab and running 250 for $200. My truck is currently in a lot of pieces, waiting for the $$$ to be allocated. Such is life.

And for all who are wondering, 'Bkndsdl' stands for BacK iN Da SaDdLe. The '1' is there because I forgot my password and had to re-sign up.

My name is Dale,and I have two pickups.A 1955 Chevy 2nd series which I have updated,(streetrodded).It has a 350 cu.in.engine,700R4 tranny.and stock 3.90 rear.I installed a mustang 2 frontend with power steering,and power brakes,discs up front.I am planning to put a late model 3.73 rear in it in the future.It is a real sweet ride.I also have a 1972 Chevy fleetside shortbox pickup.It has been restored by the previous owner.It has a 350 engine,400 turbo tranny,power steering,power brakes and AC.Both trucks are in the gallery.I am planning a move to TX in the near future,so the 72 might be turned into a tow truck.If not I want to lower it about 4 inches all the way around.

Hello. My name is John. I have a 39 GMC 1/2 ton, a 46 Chevy 1/2 ton and a 47 Chevy first series 3/4 ton. The Chevy's are disassembled for body work and the GMC is a driver. All restorations at this point.

Hi my name is Chris DeLapp I purchased my 1955.1 in 2002. It came from Nebraska, originally manufactured at the Kansas plant. I always wanted a classic even growing up and was lucky enough to find her. It has been a pleasure networking with the stovebolter's to help me work on my 55.

I am 31 years old and a college graduate. I work in a rural hospital in Wisconsin. Have a lovely wife and a 3 year old daughter. I live for bowhunting whitetail deer and cruisin in the 55.

Good Thread

Chris

Hi, My name is Jim and I am a recovering (not really) COE junkie. I have a nice 49 Chevy cab that I am either going to make a car hauler out of, or a oversized dually pickup. I'm leaning toward the latter because then I could drive it much more frequently than would be practical with a car hauler! I also have a 55 Chevy Deluxe Cab 3100 1/2 ton short bed. If I ever get some of my current projects done (I have several mid fifties Chevy cars), and don't have to spend too much time repairing my wife's Ford, I'll get my `Bolts on the road!