The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Newbie - AD trucks - question on 9 ft bed

Greetings all truck lovers - after 20+ years restoring old British cars I'm one step away from satisfying a deep desire for an Advanced Design Chevy truck. I'm very excited to join up and learn all I can about these great trucks.

I have a question for the experts out there - I'm currently looking at a 1950 3600 standard cab with the 9ft bed. Is the extra long bed a rarity or are these fairly common?

Thanks and I look forward to joining the "owner's club" soon!

The 9' pickup bed was on the 3800(1 Ton). They are not very common...

If You want you can saw off the extra feet and join the rest of us.

almost forgot welcome to the Bolt.

While not common, I would not say they are rare.

I have a 52 3800 with 9' pickup bed, and I have seen and heard of dozens of others, I haven't kept a tally, but probably near 100.

I consider Rare to be something you only see in museums, in a rich guys collection, and occasionally beyond hope in a junk yard. While not extremely common the 9' bed trucks don't seem to sell for any more than a 1/2 ton, often less. Although there are times when a seller convinces the prospective buyer that they are extremely rare, and demands a premium for it. I just don't think the 9' beds are at that point right now.

As stated earlier, the 9' bed was only on the 3800 / 1 ton trucks, and it was only pickup bed length available on the 1 ton.

Grigg

On the other hand, when you get 'em so they're working properly, you rightly get a lot of respect from those guys with the chickie trucks.

It's a 1-ton. 137" wheelbase, 5.14 diff ratio: A tree-climber. Welcome to the REAL truck owners' club into which, out of an impulse towards Christian charity, we suffer all those owners of stunted little wannabe trucks to join, too.

[img]http://thumb11.webshots.net/t/28/28/6/5/29/2946605290096215731ZQPyXX_th.jpg[/img]

(ducks head, cringes)

Well said!

Grigg

Niagra,hotshoe36,and I had our trucks at lunch in April.Niagra's is show room,Mine's a bit shabby,and hotshoe36's is a bit shabbyer.It's a REAL truck.As people walked by,they would look at the two 1/2tons then go" WOW! nice truck" when they saw Marc's.Quite funny actually
Welcome to the Bolt

I purchased my '50 GMC 1 ton pickup, back in November, & having alot of fun driving it. I've pulled up beside a couple of 1/2 ton AD/ND 'bolts, & like being able to sit up higher, & look down, at the lil' fellas. In all the years that I've collected old G.M. trucks, I can only remember seeing a hand full of the 9 footers, in my area.

I was lucky enough to find a 46 1 ton with the 9' bed. I don't know if it's rare given Grigg's definition, but there isn't another one around here. I wish that I had found a 1940, but that is rare.

I like it's stance and hotshoe is dead on.

I don't think your truck looks shabby at all, Boyd. I like the matte finish. And look what I just did:
[img]http://thumb11.webshots.net/t/64/464/6/3/64/2252603640096215731mOZawt_th.jpg[/img]
Black and chrome. Purty cool, huh?

They sure aren't as common as the shorter ones. I'd like to have one. I currently have four 1-tons and not one of those beds.

Welcome to the BOLT! You will get a lot of good advice here. As you can see there is a lot of good natured ribbing going on between the "Big and Little" Bolts.
Big bolts think the 1/2 tons are "stunted little wannabe trucks". The 1/2 tons think the Big Bolts are trying to compensate for something by owning a big truck.
That being said, if you have a need to "haul a big load" there is nothing like a big truck to do it in, because the first vehicle to "lay frame and throw sparks" as it went down the road was an overloaded 1/2 ton truck.

I've got two little trucks on this big bolt.

Kidding aside, I prefer bigbolts for their load hauling ability (and dumping feature) and they usually cost a lot less to buy. They are usually in better condition since they only get used in the fall for hauling grain (around here anyway).I maybe overcompensating, don't know?
Scott

Sorry new Guy, that isnt a 3600, it be a 3800. I got a 1953 3800, you can look at him in my profile or at my website
WELCOME
And good luck!

We had a '46 with the long box when I was growing up. I used to drive it to school.

As long as we are on the 9 ft box topic, I have a 1951 1 ton as name implies. I also have a 1948 1 ton parts truck pretty well stripped.

My '54 1-ton was originally equiped w/ a 9 ft. bed. I have the orig. running boards for the truck. The prev. owner capped the boards to fit the image of the truck. Also had a '91 Fltsd bed w/ fat fenders on the outside. It got hit in Jan. by a hit&run taking out the Leftside of the bed & rearend. We swapped out the '68 Impala 10 bolt(2.68) for a'70 Imp. 12 bolt(3.08). Had to replace the entire rear suspension. New tri-four link w/ 8 in. airbags good for 2800 Lbs. I'm building a flatbed (all wood) for it. I want to mount short boards under the cab only.

Please place your for sale ads in the swap meet.

Thanks

Well guys, thanks for all the helpful advice. My posting that it was a 3600 clearly showed my "new guy" status. Here's the truck I'm talking about - I'll let you experts check it out and let me know if the $3,200 is a good asking price. This guy's inventory turns over fairly often, so he's always got a good assortment of old trucks for sale. What do you think?

http://www.modelthaven.com/49p.html

I think, WOW! Don't leave it there.

ADBolts,

As the others have said, the 9-foot beds aren't exactly rare, but they aren't exactly common, either. Yeah we have a few of them in the Gallery (our \'49 3800 included) , but I've only ever seen three in person -- Mine, Grigg's and Jim Carter's. I see a LOT of 3800's, but they are all duallies with flatbeds.

Those of us who are lucky enough to own a 3800 Express (aka, a "pickup") DO walk a little taller, swagger a little more, get more chicks and generally are envied by men who drive lesser trucks

That truck seems solid, but the bed wood appears to be gone and it needs a lot of work. For that price, it better run, stop, guages work, etc. Grigg's right -- the 3800's aren't as numerous, but they aren't as popular, either, and some mechanical parts (brakes, driveline, bed pieces, wheels, etc) are hard to find, thus they generally go for less than 1/2-tons in similar condition.

IMHO, That is too high, even for a starting price on that truck in Ohio. It *MIGHT* be worth $2,000, but only if it's mechanically sound and the guages & brakes work (i.e., you could tag it and drive it as is). I'd work him down under $2k or find another truck. You can do better than that price.

I think if you really wanted a truck just like that one, $3,200 could find you a better one out West somewhere and have it shipped to you.

Good luck!
John