The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Accessories?

Is there anybody else on here that loves GM and aftermarket accessories from 40's & 50's?

When you start adding fender skirts, fancy hub caps, running lights, spare tire mount with a cover, extra antennas and all kinds of gadgets, I think it takes away from the truck. One or two or three at a time.
A visor and a spot light looks good. Maybe even a visor spot light and fog lights. Or fancy hub caps fog lights and a visor.

I love accessories. That is most of what I look for at swap meets and junk (I mean salvage) yards. I've been very fortunate and found lots of good stuff. I'm not bragging, but here is a list of neato stuff I have for the '51: AC glass bowl fuel filter, Fram oil filter, Fram air filter, deluxe airflow heater, GM matched horn set, passenger's side sun visor, an no-name swamp cooler, Trico vacuum fan, Anco Dead Locker wiper arms. I guess I mostly go for the accessories which are functional, and not just look good. I'm anxious to hear what the rest of you have.

I'm a fan of, Orig. G.M. Accessories. I've got quite a few, collected for my trucks. Check out all of the accessories on this guys truck. I don't think he forgot any of them,those locking gas caps, are like "Gold", when you find them. http://community.webshots.com/album/59307996CpoKDf

I like lights. I,ve got "high five" cab lights, 3rd brake light on rear of cab, & small running lights on my 70 stepside. I,m always thinking of more . Maybe side turn lights or arrows on the mirrors.

Hey Spanky, I like the way he did the carpet in that GMC. He covered the whole floor, but left a patch where the brake fluid fill is. Looks nice. I dont recognize what the gold annodized (?) contraption is where the starter petal should be. 2 suicide knobs?? Nice truck. Thanks for posting the pics.
Ralph

Mine are from the 60s, but I have bumper guards, two speed wipers/washer, backup lites, armrest added to mine. Brian

i would like to find one of the orginal rubber bladed fans for the inside of my truck. if anyone can help let me know. ron

Hey guys...speaking of GM accessories, (I don't know if this is an accessory or option) I got a 57 Chevrolet Grill Guard. It's really cool looking. Check it out in the swap meet or email me if you're interested

The starter pedal may be still there.What you are seeing is a steering colume mount flashlight holder and flashlight.

The most bizarr thing I got on the 41 is a "Press-A-Lite" bakelite cigarette humidor that automaticly spends a burning(!) cigarette when you push the lid.

I also have a special section on my site just for thatkind of stuff.

click on "40es ACCESSORIES" and have fun: http://www.thesavoy.de/html/cars.html

Here are some of my favourites:

[img]http://www.thesavoy.de/assets/images/4d_1.jpg[/img]

[img]http://www.thesavoy.de/assets/images/trafic.jpg[/img]

I remember that traffic light. They where real popular for a short time back in the 50s. When you stepped on the gas it was green. When you let up it changed to yellow. Then when you stepped on the brake the red came on. You hung it in your back window.

Those are some nice pics Stovebold.I have the exact traffic light and the GM vacume ashtray(57-58 pass car).I went to your site,I like it.The 47-48 pass car accessory pictures are from 1948chevy.com right?I also have the Pres A lite cigerette dispensers in black,brown and maroon.I am still looking for the green one.

Right. I collect pics of accessorys since years. Yust for fun. Some are from the 1948chevy site some are from Ebay or other sources some are the stuff I own.

The Press-a-lite is one of my absolute favorites and there is only one more here in Germany as far as I know.

I've enjoyed a few .. like these nice, heavy chromed 55 knobs ... a new radio (only because the PO cut a hole in the dash - arrghh!) new Dolphin gauges and a Gennie floor shifter and hand brake:

[img]http://AlanHorvath.com/54chevy/chevypics/ACknobs.jpg[/img]

And I like these bedroll tail lights, to get a little more attention on the road:

[img]http://AlanHorvath.com/54chevy/chevypics/bedroll_on.jpg[/img]

And I love these accents on my headlights:

[img]http://AlanHorvath.com/54chevy/chevypics/headlights.jpg[/img]

Or, how about some back up lights (from older-model parking lights):

[img]http://AlanHorvath.com/54chevy/chevypics/backup8.jpg[/img]

A better antenna:

[img]http://AlanHorvath.com/54chevy/chevypics/antenna1.jpg[/img]

And those are just a few things I've done ... LOL!

fab51 -- Fill me in on those "Anco Dead Locker wiper arms" ... and do you have a source?

spanky -- WHAT is that big, tubular thingy on his passenger door???

Wrenchbender Ret. -- Yup! I want to put some lights that shine onto the runningboards when you open the doors!

stovebold -- HA! That is some of the coolest stuff ever, bro'!!! That scrolling map-visor is killer!

Alan-

Your truck looks great.

The Dead Lockers are a universal wiper arm. They have an adjustable length, so they can be used on any vehicle. One thing I like about them, is they have a lock to keep them on the splined shaft, instead of just friction like most do. There is a push-button on the front to unlock it.

I just happened to stumble upon them at a junk yard about 3 or 4 years ago. I thought they were neat, so I picked them up and never used them until earlier this year when I installed my electric wiper motor. Unfortunately, the junk yard closed and they brought in the crusher. :mad:

I can get you a pic of one if you need to know what they look like. Most people probably won't know they aren't original, but I do.

Thanks, Tim

I'd appreciate a picture ... I think I might have a pair ... problem is, they are dull looking ... but they worked great and I like them better than what I have on my truck now.

I bought a new pair of wipers and they work okay, but the wiper blades don't stay straight ... you know what I mean? Sometimes, when I shut them off, they'll sit straight ... and sometimes one will be cocked on a bit of an angle and I'll have to fix it when I get out of the truck (because I'm neurotic). LOL.

The other wipers don't act like that, and also, I get more windsheild coverage with them. Maybe I can get them chromed or something -- I have to look into that.

PS -- What kind of vehicle did you find them on?

horvath,That tubular thingy, you asked about, is a, Vintage Cool Air, dispenser. Most people call them,"SwampCoolers". Or in other words, an Antique Air Conditioner.

Alan-

I'm thinking they are stainless. I used some extra fine steel wool on mine and shined them up pretty good. I found them on an AD truck, but I don't remember what year. I don know it was a '47-'53.

spanky -- Thanks, man ... LOL! That looks cool! Pun intended ... I wonder how they work, and how well they work -- has anyone here ever used one??

fab51 -- Thanks, bro' ... I'm gonna go take some steel wool to mine now and see what happens. I'd love to put 'em back on.

I believe you filled them with ice and they scooped air to push through as you drive. Dad used to have one and talked about having to stop for ice to fill it.

Instead of steel wooling your stainless steel item, try using rubbing compound. It is finer grit so you should have a shinier finish, but steel wool my cause it to rust. It's a little known fact, but stainless can rust after contact with normal steel.

Alan, your truck looks as good as any I have seen, dont you like sun visors?,,,Fred

I am pretty sure that is a not true.I have heard that tons of times and just cant figure out how they would stick a piece of ice through that small hole.I have had alot of these coolers,40-50 of them,used and nos.None of them had instructions that said anything about putting ice in them.I have asked my father(he is 68yo in a week) along with other old timers about this and he said they just put water.

I tried with ice one time.I could not get the ice through the hole so I filled with water and put it in the freezer.I put it on the car and went for a ride and it did not feel any cooler.The ice also melted in about 20 minutes from direct sunlight hitting the metal that it was in.

There was a electric cooler that went on the trans hump.The nos one that I have states to use ice if desired.I can see this working due to it not being in direct sunlight.

mi dos centavos

You can buy the swampcoolers here, Alan

ClassicAire car cooler

Because it's an evaporative process, they work best in hot dry climates. Don't work well in areas of high humidity (like south Florida, darn)

BradB -- Thanks, man. Boy ... sounds like, on a hot August day, you'd be stopping a lot!

Ahh, yes. Rubbing compund is definitely a better idea. Only now, I can't remember where I put them -- ARRRGGHH!!!

joker -- You know ... when I got my truck (2 years ago now) I wondered about the lack of sun visors ... but my windshield is tinted on the top, and I haven't experienced one single moment where I needed sun visors! Amazing, ain't it? I've decided at this point that when I do my interior panels, etc., I'm not gonna bothr putting visors in.

ViejitosCC -- Hmmm ... makes me think of, when we were kids (NO ONE had AC in the house) and it was unbearably hot, we use to wet a towel and drape it over a fan and sit in front of it. It had a pretty good effect, too!

Maybe that's the principle involved???

LAROKE -- No need, bro' ... I've got me an Old Aire Hurricane AC unit!

@horvath

There where ice coolers in the late 20es to the 30es. But they never worked right.

What we have here are swamp coolers - the improved version.

You fill dem swamp coolers with water.
There is a kind of squirrel cage in there, lined with some kind of sponge material. You have a cord or rope inside that you can pull from time to time so the cage spinns in the water and the sponge material gets soaket. Then the water evaporates and this makes cool air. It cools much better than I thought at cruising speed. Works not so good on a (well german) highway.
Works best in a dry climate.

I sexed up mine with some flyscreen and an headlight rim

Frank
[img]http://www.thesavoy.de/assets/images/Thermador.jpg[/img]

P.S. had some real fun when the german cops pull me over becaus they think I have a granade launcher on the window

Stovebold, have not seen one of those coolers on an ad truck,,,looks good,,,,,you might be a red-neck if
--------
Alan, I like it better with-out one,,,would give anything to have your 54,,,see ya down the road,,Fred

Alan (and anybody else who is interested)-

Here is a link to pics of my dead lockers. Anco Dead Lockers If that works as easy as it seems, I will be adding more pics of my truck and accessories. Oh, and please try not to notice how dirty the truck is. Its been in the garage for a month while I rebuild the engine. Awww, who am I foolin? That's about as clean as it ever is.

Stovebold-

Yours looks nicer than mine. Mine is generic. It had no labels on it or anything to tell me anything about it. It is a short one that fits well in the '51's window. It seems like most of them I see are longer, maybe for a car window. I don't know how yours works where you live, but mine doesn't work so good here in Central Missouri. Waaaayyy too humid.

stovebold -- Thanks for the info ... they're really cool lookin' gizmos, man. HA! I like your crack about a rocket launcher!


joker -- Yeah ... I don't think one would work with my truck -- a totally-original stovebolt, yes! Thanks, Fred ... I love my truck, too, but even more when people compliment it like you do.


fab51 -- Thanks for the pics! Mine are adjustable, like yours ... but a different design at the shaft -- mine have a lock-screw.

when I was a tadpole in Aridzona, those swamp coolers were common - worked as well as the swamp coolers we had for houses [not very], which was a way to get the 'wet towel on a fan' effect thru the whole house - ok if you could sit right in front of the breeze from a vent

as neat was the canvas bag ya filled w/ water and hung on the rearview mirror so there was always cool[er] water on hand to drink on trips, and to refill the rad on the ol flathead that had a tendency to get thirsty in the summer

I've got onea those vacuum fans that was an accessory for early Fords - used it for a while on my 57 panel, til I found a nice electric one - mount it on the steering column so it blows on ya - great in summer traffic jams!

Bill

Spanky -- I like Horvath's nomenclature better -- "Tubular Thingy." "Swamp Cooler" ain't bad (more descriptive, I suppose), but Tubular Thingy has it.


John

I got one of those canvas bags.

I soaked it in the tub for an day before I used it,
but it only takes an hour to dripp drop empty.

Is this normal or is it just to old to seal?