The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 1942 Chevrolet 4x4 Cargo/Dump Conversion

Don't know if anyone out there is working on WWII Chevies, but I thought I'd toss up a few snaps of the '42 cargo that I'm converting over to a dump.

I've spent a couple years tracking down / fabricating the factory spec parts to make this conversion. The dump bed and hoist were made by Hercules. Somewhere along the way, the front lip of the bed was cut off and the tailgate was pretty well mangled. I made up new parts for both and welded them on. The bed isn't in great condition, but it will do for now until I fabricate new parts for the sides, floor and front.

The only non-original thing I've done is put a one-ton civilian clip on the truck. (Yeah, I know, it's kind of funky, but I just love that grill.) No cutting or modifications were made to support the civvy clip, other than flipping the military bumper upside down. I keep the military clip assembled as a unit and two guys can switch out the front ends in about an hour or so.

Still a lot of work to go, but thinking about the weekends is what gets me from Monday to Friday.

If anyone is looking for a really nice orginal cargo bed, check out my posting on the parts for sale section.

Images: http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/showgallery.php?cat=1688

Heeeyyyy--I like that;that's cool!
Nice work!
Speed

Wow! Looks great, works great, is great.

Thats a cool looking truck!

Thanks for the notes. As soon as my universal joint parts come in, I'm hoping to hook the PTO driveshaft up and test the pump. Once I've got that unit all set, then I can put the bed back on and try it out.

Really a great looking truck. If you extend the hoist cylinder w/o the body on it you'll almost certainly need a come-along to retract it but you are likely aware of that. Nice work too.

Thanks for the heads-up on the cylinder retraction. I've got a little hand come-along that I'll hook up to ease it back into position.

I wish my truck were a 4x4.

Any plans for the military cargo bed? Do you need any other parts for your conversion?

[email protected]

Great looking truck. Easy does it.

Thanks for your note.

Ideally, I'd like to sell the cargo bed, as it's in great shape and would be perfect for someone doing a cargo restoration.

I've posted photos and details here: https://www.stovebolt.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/419356#Post419356

If it doesn't sell, then I'm going to modify it to become a dump bed. The dump bed that I have now is in pretty tough shape, with lots of dents and rust. The cargo bed is identical to the dump on the topside, but there are significant differences underneath. To make the conversion, it will require flipping the cargo bed over and stripping all the under supports off and replacing them with the ones from the dump bed. The lower section of the front face is also different, primarily as regards the hole where the gas filler goes through. On a cargo, it's literally just a hole cut through the front side. On the dump, it's an arch, which enables the bed to raise and lower over the filler neck.

Also, the back end is totally different. There's no underside tool box on a dump truck and the taillights are mounted on separate brackets that attach to the chassis, as opposed to the back panel of the cargo bed.

If you're interested, let me know. I'm in Los Angeles, so at least we're in the same state.

I'm pretty much at the end of my parts quest, though I am searching for the following items: the "bumpers" that are riveted onto the chassis above the helper springs to serve as stops for them, and one of the cast spacer parts that goes in between the helper spring and the main spring. (I believe these are interchangeable between civilian and military trucks.) The other thing that I'm in the process of fabricating, but would still like to get an original of, is the pillow block bearing that supports the PTO driveshaft. It's kind of a cheap, pressed-steel unit, and I have the remnants of an original that I'm using for a pattern, but I'd still like to get the real deal some day.

I've posted some photos of those items here: http://www.surfacezero.com/g503/showgallery.php?cat=1685

Feel free to drop me a line if you have any of these items or are interested in the bed.

John