The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Intro- Longtime '53 Chevy 1/2 ton owner

Hi All-

Found the Stovebolt site through another forum, and thought I'd jump in...

I have a '53 Chevy 1/2 ton that I bought with lawn mower money in 1981 at the age of 14.

I've been tinkering on and driving the truck regularly since. I drove the truck through high school and college in stock form. It had a later model 235 with four speed, and topped out at about 48 mph.

After college, I swapped the six for a '91 350 and TH350 auto. Drove it with the stock steering and suspension for another 4 or five years, and then did a Heidt's MII front end.

I've been driving the truck since, still using it as a hauler, without doing anything else. I've been side tracked for the last 8 or so years on a '50 Plymouth, check out www.50plymouth.com.

Here's a few recent pictures of the truck. Still wearing the paint that it had when I bought it, which was about 10 years old at the time. It needs some body work in the fenders, new bed wood, and a paint job, but otherwise is still in great shape.

image number 1
image number 2
image number 3


When I bought my truck, the internet was still a figment of imagination. There was very little information available on parts, etc. When I needed something, I had to comb the local junk yards. When I was in High School, I found a magazine that had an article on these trucks, and a list of about half a dozen parts suppliers. I sent all of them postcards in the mail, asking for catalogs. Only 2 or three of them responded, with 4 or five page xerox copies of their stuff. I felt like I was re-inventing the wheel when I did anything, as there was no support group like this forum... Man, how times have changed!

Looking forward to the discussion...

Pete

Welcome to the Stovebolt, Pete. You'll find plenty of help here thats for sure. You couldn't find a better bunch of guys. Buy the way, Nice Truck! I wish mine looked that nice.

We hear ya. Looking through all the books and going to junk yards just trying to find a part that was less worn than the one we had. Those where the days. I love your truck the way it is right now. The first picture with the mountains in the back ground is beautiful. Keep up the good work and all the work in the past makes your truck just that much sweeter. :-)

Thanks for the welcome...


Here's another, a little more picturesque-

image number 1

Thought about some door art at one point, but never got around to it...

image number 2

And what it looked like when I got it so many years ago-

image number 3

Hi Pete, welcome to the 'Bolt!
This forum is a 'Godsend' for folks like us!
All the info you could ever need is right at your fingertips!
Jock

I like old trucks and I even like some old PLymouths
Welcome to the stovebolt. If you can't find what you need to know here it isn't available!!!
Lots of grest guys and gals here, young and old(me)! Let us know what we can do to help.

Very nice '53

Welcome

John

Hi there Pete,
Was just over at the POC and noticed you are here now. GREAT!
You will notice that this site is VERY ACTIVE!
Lots of cool info and drop on down to the "greasy spoon" for some off topic frivolity!

SO WELCOME to the Bolt!

Cliff59 (cliff54 at the POC)

Yes, that top pix with the yellow foliage is very picturesque! postcard quality!;-)

Welcome,
what part of Idaho were those pictures taken in? I have a lot of family spread out up there.
I really like those wheels on your truck as well.

welcome pete.

awesome truck you have. and to think in 1981 a 14 year old kid would want an old truck, instead of say, a camaro or mustang, that is so cool.
looks perfect just the way it is.
also, you live in a beautiful part of the country.

leonard

Good lookin' ride you've got there!! Welcome aboard!

Blake- The wheels are American Racing, Torque Thrust II, bought them at my local Les Schwab in '99.

Had a look at your '51, looks like a great project for you and your kids...

I have lots of fond memories of restoring my Plymouth with my two sons. Time for us to start working on the truck again...

Pete

Leonard-

One of myy dad's oldest friends owns a '53 just like mine, that his dad bought new and used for a farm truck. His mom had painted the truck with house paint, and he credits this with saving the truck from rust. After he had spent many years restoring the truck, I told him one day that I'd love to have an old truck like his, and he called a few days later letting me know that he'd found one for me. It was sitting in a farmer's field missing some glass, but otherwise in decent shape. The owner, Orville Balzer (no kidding...) had parked the truck there two years earlier. He went out with a new battery, and it fired right up. $800 dollars later, it was mine. The paint was already ten years old at the time (hardly anything left of the same paint now...), but I didn't care, it was my diamond in the rough. The brakes didn't work worth a darn, but we drove it home 40 miles anyway with cardboard stuffed into the missing windows. I think this 40 miles was probably the best hour I ever spent with my dad, one on one. From that moment on, I knew I'd have this truck for a long long time... None of the kids at school "got it", but I loved it. And it still puts a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel, all these years later.

I now drive my kids to school in the truck, and I don't think many of the kids at school "get it", but my boys and I love it.

Pete

Welcome,
Nice truck, nice pictures. If you ever get ove rtoward Missoula, lrt me know.
Glenn

Sorry, typed that with my toes-
Glenn

Welcome aboard! You've got a good looking truck there. Keep us posted on the progress.