The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Any 47-53 shopping advice?

I've always liked the 1950'ish (1947-1953) 1/2 tons and I'm remotely ready to start seriously looking. Does anyone have any recommendations for a particular year in this range?

Also, I live in NC and know at one time there was a older model salvage yard near Siler City. Does anyone know where this place is and/or have any other suggestions of where to look around.

Thanks for any help.

Differences among the years are relatively minor. Most obvious is the grille design. You'll get lots of opinions which is "better".

Advice depends on what you're going to do with it. Resto / Show? 216 is a cool original. Want to drive it a lot, but keep it original? Look for a full oil pressure 235 (later years). Gonna rod it? Motor is less important.

So, what are your plans?

Cheers,
mark.
'51 3100

newhope458 Welcome to the 'Bolt! Well it depends on what you are looking for and what your budget is. With that being said hear are some things to look at. Sheet meatal - these truck are prone to rotting in the cab corners and dog legs of the front fenders. Take a magnet with you when you go looking at one that has been "restored". Engines - 216 valve cover has bolts thru the top/ center. 235 vavle cover has bolts thru the side flange are. (There is a converstion kit to make a 235 look more like a 216) If you do a search on this you will find more ways to tell the 2 engines apart. Electrical - look at the tag on the generator to see if it says 6 or 12 volts (unless the truck runs then just look at the battery).

No matter what any one says, do what make you happy. Get it fix it and drive it. If you are the type to save every receipt, that is ok just don't look at them until you are all done. Oh by the way I don't think anyone here is all done with there trucks yet ( am I right guys?). Good luck with your hunt.

One last tip, Put out "Free" Want ads anywhere and everywhere. I did this when I was looking for my truck. Keep track of where you post these want ads soon you can remove them when you finally get your truck. Or you will have the problem that I had, that is you will get emails and calls up to 3 years after you post the ad!

Good luck and have fun

Another thing to remember is in the later years of that time frame was the Korean conflict, and that resulted in nickel shortages. So those trucks did not have the stainless and chrome that earlier models did.
And a lot of guys really like the 5 window option, which added to the trucks, in addition to corner windows, other options, such as stainless window moldings, another sunshade, an arm rest, and on most trucks, a chrome grille.

Are you nuts? You want to buy an old truck, spend lots of money on it, bust yer knuckles, cut yer arms and hands up working on it while everyone around you questions your sanity?

Cool, welcome to the 'Bolt.

Click on Tech Tips at the VERY VERY top of the page you are now reading and check those article out that are related to AD trucks.

For a little bedtime reading(that is reading yer doing at yer computer when you should be in bed because you've gone truck mad):

http://www.chevytrucks.org

http://50chevy.freeservers.com


For more links to webapges about chevy trucks... go to the URL below and scroll down to

Chevy Truck Resource Pages

http://woogeroo.home.mindspring.com/autolinks/trucks.html

check those sites out...

also check out the Links section here at the 'Bolt.

Happy reading...

-W

I don't think I could give any usefull advice; I try to buy every one I find.

Hi Newhope,

I'm over in Raleigh, so welcome Carolinian.

I bet Stovebolt member Spanky can give you the 411 on salvage yards that might have old 'bolt parts. I don't think you'd have much luck finding a complete truck at any NC yards.

So, are you interested in building one from the ground up, finishing someone else's restoration/rodding attempt, or are you looking for a turnkey driver? That kind of info might better help point you in the right direction.

One thing I will say up front is that you definitely picked the right make/model to pursue. Mostly because they are such cool trucks, but also because GM built a BUNCH of them, which means:

1) There's more of them to go around... so supply and demand helps keep the cost of buying one reasonable (unlike a '67 Shelby Mustang for example).

2) You're more likely to find a nice truck near you, which makes getting it home easier/cheaper. Note that this won't help much if you live in parts of the country that get a lot of rain. Most of these trucks were used for WORK and were not kept in garages.

3) You're more likely to find parts at salvage yards.

4) There's a significant cottage industry built around selling original/hotrod/streetrod parts and assemblies. You can buy everything from a complete rolling chassis to headliner retainer screws FOR YOUR SPECIFIC TRUCK (try doing that on a Studebaker or International).

5) There is a HUGE knowledge-base that makes working on these trucks easier. There are books, websites (like the Stovebolt Page), and message boards with knowledgeable folks... most eager to help put/keep another 'bolt on the road.

6) Much of the sheetmetal for these trucks is available as repops. If you're truck is involved in a fender bender, NEW panels/doors/fenders/etc. are readily available, without having to keep several donor vehicles handy.

Okay, so depending on your answer to my first question about starting from scratch, picking up an in-process project, or buying one turnkey, I would recommend buying as much truck as you can afford, that is as close to the finished product you are looking for. Most car folks will agree that projects take TIME, TALENT, and MONEY. Sometimes you can get by without one or two of these, but you will surely have to make up for it with the other. Most times it just takes a boatload of ALL THREE.

But you didn't ask for a lecture on project planning, so I'll shut up. Hehe. Anything I have written here is just to serve as food for thought.

In terms of "what specific year to look for", I'd say you can't go wrong with any of them. And any feature you like (or don't like) about one year, can simply be added (or deleted) from the truck you end up with. Best of luck and keep us posted.

-murph

I like the 51 up. They have the Bendix brakes & tube shocks. But if you find the older ones they can be changed over.

My personal favorite would be almost any but the 1954 since I don't care for the grille styling of it.

I have a 1949 3800 series, which is a one ton. It rides rough (11 leaf rear springs), but then again I grew up with older vehicles and riding farm tractors, so rough I can live with. I also haul wheat or sand on occasion so need the extra springing.

Something else to consider is that ½ ton trucks use the torque tube, i.e. enclosed driveshaft, whereas the 3/4 ton and 1 ton use an open driveshaft. If you will be rodding/changing transmissions and engines it might be easier going with an open driveline.

However with the higher capacity vehicles also comes the funkier wheels such as 17" and 18" which make tires hard to come by at a reasonable cost, 16" would still be reasonable.

Now if I could just get those shocks that Wrenchbender spoke of----

I here you, OldSub. I've got that same problem. I even get attached to the parts cars/trucks!

Ron my current most active project was purchased as a parts truck. My wife said it was cute, and my daugther said she wanted it. Can't part that one out!

You mention wife. I am lucky to have one who understands my hobby and is ok with it. I've been with her thirtysome years and married to her 29 years. Newhope, sorry I got off the subject alittle.

Newhope, I love 48/53 trucks. I don't want to pis* anyone off, but I think the 54 aren't as nice. Lots of trucks and parts out there. These years are all so similar, I'd get what ever you find good first. I'm a streetrodder so 1948 and older is the only one that I can take to some of the shows I go to, so.... any year, 48 thur 53 becomes a 48 on those weekends. I might also add, many people like the 5 window trucks. I'm also a hotrodder and like the 3 window trucks much better. Look at this closely during your search. I think 3 window trucks make much better looking hotrods.

I like the 48's and 49's because the don't have wing windows and do have level style door handles. I like the 54's for the resale value of the grill parts since they have such a limitted production run. Other than that, as long as you save an old Chevy truck from a crush, any year is good. Ever consider building a 1 1/2 ton pick-up? There's a lot of the big bolts out there, I've got three working on the forth as we speak,
Scott

It's all soooo subjective. For me, it would depend on how you want it to look and the running gear you want. If I wanted to do one as stock, well I prefer the look of a stock 47 to 53 even though they're so common. (There are some fabulous examples in the Gallery.) For rodding or customizing--again, a purely subjective view--a lowered 54-55 Series One with the voluptuous chrome grille is way cooler (although I prefer the windshield treatment and dash of the earlier years). And it's rarer or course, being such a short production run. So speaking as a 54 owner, my main advice is for you to continue to keep them off your list--the fewer we see out there, the greater the wow factor of our 54-55s!

Like Scott Ward I prefer the 48 and 49 doors. It's a cleaner look. But I guess you can stick those on any old AD? (Someone will correct me...) For a driver,I'd say definitely go with a 235 or drop a V8 in. Also, for a driver, whatever you get I'd install disc brakes, decent steering and coil springs. I've driven some weird stuff but I once tried a beautiful Bolt with the stock front end and it scared the bejaysus out of me. (Justifiably proud owners of bone-stock Bolts will have a whole other point of view.)

Finally and somewhat irrelevantly, IMHO the GMC ADs are cooler than the Chevys--again, you see fewer around so it's kind of refreshing when one pops up.

Happy hunting.

Christian