The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Sometimes magic happens

DOWNUNDER we don't have a lot of Stovebolts popping up everywhere which has made it hard for me to source parts, panels and replacements for rotting bits.
LAST TUESDAY was different. I met up with a guy who said he may be able to put me on to a few free Chevy bits and we arranged to meet 7.30am. He showed me the way out to a farm house on a 200 acre property with an absent landlord.
But he's the caretaker with full control.
We drove into the bush for a while, and came out onto what looked like a junk yard, with more than 100 old cars parked under the trees in various stages of decomposition.
There was 9 Chevy's like mine and a couple of GMC's, all 1941 to 1944 and all ex-military.
Most had fenders and grilles, something I been moaning about for the past 7 months.
I found one 1942 3/4 ton cab so good, I'm going to ditch mine and switch to this one.
Other notable vehicles in there was 1 1940 DeSoto sedan, ex military with the remains of some kind of shield painted on the right front fender, I don't know whether it was Australian or USA, but THAT car would have been the ride of Commanding General. So, that would be a historic car.
I figure I could get about three Bolts running out of this lot, there's 216 engines, complete, everywhere and around every tree there's a new surprise.
Also in there is a chassis and engne for a 1925 Oldsmobile, body parts for a 1931 Chevy rag top and, fellas, I only had a quick look.
I'm going back next Saturday with my recovery tools and plenty of time.
And I'm the only bloke allowed access to the place through three locked gates on private property.

This is heaven!
God Bless

Zac

The end of the rainbow.

It sounds like the stovebolt find of a life time.Have fun.I wish I were there.

Don't forget your camera!

Definitely flix of Old Boneyards are always interesting to check out!

That is too cool. Please take pictures for us!

sounds like fun...pictures would be appreciated. a find like that is wortht aking some pictures of. happy hunting.

I took some pictures last Tuesday, there's a tangle of another 100 or so cars pushed into a creek with a bulldozer, theyr'e pretty well done.
I can see three 5 window '47 Chevy utilities in there, Ferds and a range of English cars, which I'm not interested in.
Will post some pictures of what I shot on Tuesday when I get to work this morning.
These cars were under cover until 1976 when the council defined them as a potential rodent problem too close to the town centre and ordered them removed.
Many were sold, I bought a 1948 Buick Straight 8 for $500 which was runnning. Then all the cars were moved by trucks to a secret location in the bush on private property. This is that secret hiding place.
They were in far better condition in 1976 than they are now, exposed to the elements.
Many panels have surface rust, nothing deep, sandblast and rust neutraliser would be sufficient.
Caretaker said I can take out anything I want -free as the area may be clearedmid 2007.
That's plenty of time
Posting again later this morning.

Zac

Great find Zac,

I hope that you have plenty of storage space. Grab as much as you can mate. Got to keep these old Chevs alive.

Cheers

Bob

Zac, and they say there ain't no SANTA !!!
Post pic when you can. You just became the parts king Australia mate !!

Good on ya mate

and

WELCOME

Maybe you should see about getting some land further out and opening a bolt boneyard with the lot? Might make a side business?

Jeez thanks folks! I got some pics here but can't see how to post them, I'll send them to John and Peg and maybe they can tell me how or where to get 'em on.
I'm getting interested in that DeSoto staff car as well, don't know how the missus would handle that!
Ar, all truck blokes are the same anyway!

i pulled two stepside fenders and two long steps from a dumpster yesterday.

Zacca,

By all means, send us the photos and a more detailed write up -- this sounds like a cool feature story or... a saga even!

Cool stuff like this still happens and it's fun to hear about. Let the rest of us live vicariously through your experience.

Too cool! Congrats!!!

John

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cliff59

Oh man!! We gotta have pics!!!

For starters I'd tell the wife that she is so high ranking in your opinion that she should be riding in a general's car and that you have found one,a DeSoto.

You must have been a very good boy in 2005 for Santa to pay you such a late visit. You must be a great guy in general to have been entrusted with the secret and to have been given exclusive salvage rights. To top that off, you are a Stovebolter.

Congratulations on your most excellent find.

My guess is the find is well worth the pair of shorts you destroyed when you saw it!

Congratulations, man!

WENT back out today, its 20 minutes from home. Well I recovered a grill for the '42, rust was only on the surface and they've been in the open for 30 years. Sanded back with fine grit and hit it with spray zinc, it'll be a good painter.
7/16 socket had those bolts twirling out like they were only put in yesterday, every one rode out fine. Then attacked the left fender, perfect extraction but that took a few hours not damaging anything, got the inner fender wall and deflector panels, as well. Going back Tuesday for the other fender and the frame and cab of the bolt sitting beside the ambulance 42 I took the grill from, no rot in that cab at all and straight as an arrow. Also picked up lower and back seat springs, springs only, remains of maroon leather in places, Also saw two frames and engines for an old tourer car Oldsmobile, 1920's something. Saw solid wheels laying in a heap for either a Nash or a Hupmobile. Somebody has been there shooting at some some cabs have multiple 30-30 holes and there is very little glass or window regulators to be found.
Temp got up to 38C , darned hot, so hauled out at 2.30pm.
I'm loading up with as much usable/repairable stuff that I can fit on my regular driver truck.
Going back on Tueday hauling a car trailer to take out the frame and cab of the '42 which is exactly the same cowl/windscreen setup as my New Guinea bolt and the only one out there like that but a far better cab. Hmm, it's 3 inches higher, that's because the rust aint shortened it up yet.
Oh a final word.....the country out there is auriferous with ample presence of quartz, ironstone, decomposed micacious shist which are all associated with free gold.
Taking my gold detector when I go back, now THAT would be asking just a little TOO much wouldn't it?
Found a lot of that stuff in the 1980's detector rush.
Will write up a brief for John and Peg, a lot of pics but may have to burn a CD and send it airmail.

God Bless you all.

Zac

Zacca- We must see photos!!!! Any way go for the gold too, you will need it to convince the wife to give you rights to the desoto. Beautiful story man!! Please keep us up to date.

Pack I'm on your list cobber! No worries, I'll send pics to anyone who asks for them, just send your addy and I'll blast them off.

Zacca mate.

Boy sounds like a gold mine find. Most of the junk yards around here are dried up. And the old farts that have neat stuff hang on to them until they are rusted junk. AKA(im gonna fix that up some day. I remember as a kid and back in high school going to the junk yards and seeing 40s,50s and 60s cars and trucks. That was heaven but seems like a dream now. So hats off to you Zacca, use those parts wisely.

I'm going to haul every one of those bolts out of there. The owner has to clean up the area because they sit above a river that runs straight out to the Great Barrier Reef near Cairns.
EPA are sniffing around inland farms looking for anything that may upset the balance of things out to sea.
We think that when he comes back from overseas next year it will be a bulldozer job again.

I've found a guy on a farm near me that has acres of used mining equipment sitting out in the open and I'm sure he wont mind a dozen or so Stovebolts living on the edges.

QUESTION. Saw a great pair of GMC fenders that have already been removed from their frame, no dents, good metal. Still has the grill attached, could these be adapted to fit a Chevy?
I can see the Chevy pattern there, but a couple of filler panels are welded in near the top of the GMC grill.

Cheers all

Zac

What year GMC fenders are you talking about?

They're 41-46 something about that era, the profile around the grill is the same as the 41-46 Chevy.
Looks like a solid horizontal grill panel goes from one side to the other above the thinner horizontal bsrs. I'll know tomorrow, from here I'll say they'd fit, theyr'e a matched pair.
Also picked up an external custom sun visor fits the '42.

DANG!
Took the missus out there yesterday.
She wants the Dodge.
And painted the same colour as her fingernail polish.
Pearl Grey.
Life does doesn't it

How many vehicles are you going to get and could you send me some pictures of all the old trucks

Jarred... Don't get too excited... Zacca is downunder.. as in the otherside of the world... Australia!