The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk What are the chances that this is original?

Did Chevy ever make a front step bumper for it's 3/4 ton trucks? If not then this one is pretty custom. Any thoughts from anyone?

Front Step Bumper

don't know if it's orginal, but it looks pretty cool. maybe off of a 1 ton or bigger?

i'm a little jealous...i love those 39's!

could it be off a big truck?

Don't think it's original, but I've seen similar bumpers on fire and tow trucks, usually with some sort of brush guard.

not factory at all, the bumper itself isn't anything like a 38-40 bumper - looks more like something that would have been on a firetruck by the aftermarket body maker

Bill

What you have is a customized "big truck" bumper. I think these were a heavy duty option on the big trucks (1-1/2 ton and larger) because I've also seen big trucks with the smaller chromed bumper like the 1/2 tons. The piece of sheet metal on the top was added by a previous owner and is not part of the original design. Here's a shot of one in it's stock form:
http://www.stovebolt.com/gallery/petra_daniel_1942.htm

--Bob

Bob - that's very interesting indeed. I knew the stock bumper was chrome. I've been wondering if it was off a big bolt. I even toyed with the idea of replacing it with the correct chrome one. However, it is different enough that I decided I would keep it as is.

As I'm learning more about this truck, the bumper may very well be off a war-time truck. It's just so hard to tell since I only know of the prior owner's experience when he started rebuilding it out of a junkyard in 1989.

This does help solve part of the puzzle though!

weather it's stock or not, i'd leave it, i don't think it looks bad, if fact i think it's kind of neat and different (and a little bigger never hurt you it you bump somebody accidently just give your truck a little more protection)

Looks cool. Nice truck!

Looking at the picture it screamed 'Firetruck' to me. But I agree with what others have said that it looks like a modified big truck bumper.

Too cool. Keep it.

I'd keep it. Even if it's not original, it's done well enough that it looks original. It'd be another thing if it was some cobbled up POS. But yours looks professionally done.

It reminds me of those cement trucks.

I vote for fire truck!

Any such animal as a 3/4 ton fire truck? :confused:

I always assumed they would be 1-1/2 ton and larger. Now that I've learned that the box and tailgate are not original - who knows?

3/4 ton might have been in the fire service, but not likely a pumper. Possibly a "service truck" or utility. 'Course, if that's the case, why the stepped bumper?

Signs of a former fire truck: patched holes in either front fender top for a siren/warning light, likewise in cab roof. Possibly evidence of a former radio installed in/on dash (no, not original to pre-40s, but often intstalled years later.) Any signs of Search light mounted high or low corner of windshield post. AND, ANY signs of RED paint originally (yes, could have been other colors, but most likely red.)

3/4 tons pretty rare in fire service.

'Least, that's my thought.

-Michael

Factories used smaller trucks as on-site fire trucks.
Utility company could have ordered it.
Small tow truck.
If it was a fire truck, it could have been a small rural brush truck.

Could have been a municipality (city) vehicle, state or local, parks service, etc. etc. etc.

I've got a '62 Suburban that has a home made push bar incorporated into the front bumper and welded to the frame. It was originally a California Parks vehicle. It's a 1/2-ton truck, but came from the factory with a heavy-duty 7 blade fan, 3/4-ton heavy duty radiator, 283v8 and 4spd manual trans.

I dig the look of yours. I'm going to get rid of the push bar on mine, but I'm going to have the bumper restored and keep the assembly around...a friend is building a Bonneville race car, and this will be the push start truck.
-Brad

I looked it over last night and I don't see any evidence of it ever having any of the equipment associated with a fire truck. It does have the holes in the dash that look like they fit a radio and the there are three holes on the rear passenger side of the cab that look like an antenna mount, but other than a one or two extra 'mystery holes' in the dash I can't tell much.

Anyway, I'll keep it on there. It does make for an interesting story and pushing things around is certainly easier with some solid plate steel on the front!