The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk First show - 47 Chevy Art Deco!!!!!!!!!

I took last Friday off to work on finishing the truck in preparation for the Beloit Autorama. I figured a while back that this would be a fitting show for the "maiden voyage for the truck. Beloit is just south of Janesville, WI where the truck was originally built. Beloit was also the location of the barn that the truck took it's long "nap" in. The barn is literally just down the road from where the show is located at. I had a lot to get completed before the show but I figured it was doable. The biggest thing was pulling together the interior.

Around mid day on Saturday, I decided to take the truck to the store to pick up some photos that I had printed up for a brag book for the car show. The truck died on me!!!!!!! The carb completely flooded out and was literally spitting gas out on the manifold. NOT GOOD!! After just about killing the battery, I was able to finally get it started (about 1.5 hours later) and limp home at about 5-10 MPH. Any faster and it would flood again. At this point there wasn't anybody that wanted to be near me.......I was steaming mad. Most of all it was driven by the disappointment that I may not be able to make the show in the 21st. After researching the problem on the Stovebolt forums, I decided that I needed to start by tearing the carb down. I did that and replaced the needle and seat as well as the 'plunger' and blew out all of the passages to ensure they were clean and clear. Not that it made much sense but someone suggested that I replace the coil too. It was REALLY hot when I was having the problems so I figured since I had a spare I would change it out. After a couple hours I had her running again! Changed the timing a bit because the plugs showed that things were running a bit lean.

After a 12 mile drive, I was in a much better mood. Got it going 40MPH without incident. Spent the rest of the night on the interior. Got 1/2 of the headliner in and realized that the rear piece needed some trimming and I was pretty beat so I left it for another day. So although it is not quite complete, it is road worthy and most at the show won't know what is not done. Still need to finish the headliner and a few misc interior parts, need to wire the fog lights, heater, defroster and get the wipers working better (not sure if the old vacuum wipers do work any better so I Rainx'd the windows pretty good just in case).

Sunday was THE BIG DAY!!! I borrowed my Brother Chad's truck and the neighbor Chris' trailer. My plan was to drive the first hour from Oconomowoc, WI to Janesville, WI with the trailer then take the truck off the trailer at my parent's house to drive it to Beloit. I got up a bit late that morning (6:30AM) and loaded up the truck. The fog was extremely thick and the air was so damp it was almost like it was raining. At this point there was not much that was going to stop me so I pressed on. Marla woke up the girls and got them ready for the road trip. Marla wanted to be sure to properly document the first trip/show.

With the problems the day before, I was a bit gun shy so I drove a bit further South to my brother's house where I met up with my dad in the '46 Olds Woody and we all drove to the show together. You can see here a photo of her following me and just how foggy it was on my web page (link below). We got to Janesville without incident where I met up with my Dad and my Uncle Don. Remember Uncle Don - he's the one that gave me the truck to start with in 2001!!!


After a commemorative photos, we headed over to my brothers where I just hoped and prayed that it would start!!! IT DID....AND IT RAN BEAUTIFULLY!!!! My dad showed up with the Woody and we hit the road to drive to Beloit Autorama. I kept reminding my dad that my top speed was about 40 but we did end up hitting 45 at one point. My Uncle Don road with me in the truck - of course with the windshield and the cowl vent open!!! We got to the show with no probelms. I heard at one point that there was about 1,400 cars (still need to confirm that though). What a great show.! Perfect weather on top of it. The sun took care of all that fog and there were very few clouds all day long.

We decided that it was more important to park together than it was to make sure we were parking in the "correct" class for each respective vehicle judging so after parking in a late model section and being talked into moving by one of the show organizers, we parked in the Antique car section (pre'49) which both qualified for. The guy from the show stressed to me that I should park with the trucks and would have a good chance at an award but he ended up saying you never know it may work out here too. We were fine with staying right were we were. I love the old cars that surrounded my truck that day and I got to park next to my dad with the woody.

Wouldn't you know it; the first award that was handed out they called registration number 710 - Tim Sheridan 1947 Chevy half ton truck. The club is sponsored by the Lion's club and ends up one of the guys that was key to pulling it off for 24 years had passed away. I was awarded with the "LION DON JOHNSON" Memorial Award for 2008!!!! What an honor!! I did not know him but what a great show it was. In addition to winning the award, I was also invited to an invite only indoor car show in the spring of 2009. Not sure if I will go to it but it sounds pretty neat. During the show, I was asked on several occasions what the truck's name was - Good question. I told my wife that in honor of the fact that my Uncle Don gave me the truck and the fact the the first show that I went to the truck won the Don Johnson Memorial award that maybe I should name it "The Don". Not "Don" but "The Don". She didn't like it.

Now it is time to enjoy it and put some miles on it. After the first show weekend I had just over 50 miles on it!!! What a great new beginning for the little truck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

While the truck is still not technically completed; this has been one great experience. I never would have thought back in May 2001 that I would have gone to this extent.

Thanks again to My uncle Don for getting me started, my dad for staining the bed boards and most of all thanks to my wife Marla and my girls for putting up with it for this long. Marla was so pleased that it was pretty much done that she actually went out and bought a Pandora bead in the shape of an old vehicle for a bracelet that commemorates the completion.

See you at the shows and on the county highways!!!

Tim

Visit www.46chevytruck.com to see the show photos.

Gotta love it when a plan comes together! Cool story and congrats on the award!

Jeff

Awesome job, beautiful truck and really enjoyed your web site telling about the process. Well done!!!

Nice truck and great documentation too! If only I would get off of my......... This is a good example of what I what to do and maybe the inspiration I need. Thanks

Congratulations Tim.

Awsome restoration,and excellent website.

An inspiration to us all!

Jock.

Geez, 8 years... beautiful job, you have my respect.

Mind if I ask what color green that is?

Tim,
Your work and your compilation of pictures, description, humor and technical learning and sharing are inspiring, and a little humbling as well. There are many who have not had your persistence, your patience, and your determination to see this kind of restoration all the way through. I believe that those who look closely will see that there are ways, if you just choose to tread on, continue, seek, stumble and get up, to succeed as you have. You deserve all the honors you have received. It is one beautiful truck. Congratulations!
Dale

I've followed you through the restoration since I first found your web page Tim, great job. There aren't to many people that would have stuck to it like you did and still stayed true to the trucks original form. Thanks for saving a piece of automotive history and sharing the trip with us. That one belongs in a museum some day when you’re too old to drive it!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Indeed, very impressive effort and result. Your restoration web site is right up there with the best on STOVEBOLT.
Congratulations !

I gotta say, awesome writeup and holy cow, do you have alot more patience than I do!
Beautiful truck, and reading all the work you did makes looking at original restos all the more enlightening.
Great Job!!

Tony

What can I say. Well done Tim. A beautyful piece of work. You have done a fantastic job. Now you can enjoy the fruits of your labor.
George

The green is the original Brewster green. The photos don't to it justice as the tone seems a bit off. With the dark color I have found that it is really hard to get a photo that captures the color as seen by the naked eye.

It was sprayed in PPG BC/CC.

Thanks for all of the great comments. I have really enjoyed the ride and thank quite a few of you out there for allowing me to bounce things off of you as I went along.

Excellent choice... really adds to the air of authenticity. And allow me to "Me too" what Denny said... Thank you for saving a piece of automotive history.

Tim,
What can I say other than ...CONGRATS!...your hard work and dedication turned out one beautiful truck that deserved its award.
You have made a pc. of History come ALIVE and that is saying something!...man I can almost smell the "NEW TRUCK" smell from here.
A HATS OFF TO YOU for that fine job and your website is awesome.
Thanks for sharing.
Tim Bloom

Tim,
Ditto on all the above! Great truck! Great work! Thanks for allowing us to follow your build. Now enjoy!
Dan

Tim, I've been following your progress over the last couple of years and can truly say that I've read a couple of entries and been inspired to keep working on mine. I only hope that I'll get to see that green in person some day! Great job! The question is now what will you do with all your free time???

I guess it is time to drive it (and maybe start taking care of my lawn again)! I was just asked to put it in a parade on Friday. It should be fun because I plan to squeeze my girls in with me.

WOW, and well done. A real labour of love and an inspiration to those of us that get a little downhearted during a rebuild.

Your restoration site has been a godsend on many occasions when I've forget to take enough pictures during my strip down or when I want reminded how it should look.

All the best - and look forward to you starting your next truck

Very cool to know that my web page is helping someone all the way over in Scotland!!!!!

Hello Tim!

Congratulations on your first show! It sounds like your hard work paid off!

Randy B.

Thanks Randy. I remember meeting you years ago at the ice cream shop up by you so i could see your truck. One of the many that inspired me over the years to keep going!

Tim,
I noticed in one of your pictures you are using a vibration dampener and covering the entire back of the cab. Then the later shots seem to show you have painted that portion around the rear window. Did you later decide not to cover that area?

The first photos were before I re-installed the rear panel. The sound and dampener and insulation is actually under the beige colored panel. There are only a couple areas in the cab that i did not put the insulation, etc.. Those are the back side of the firewall that you can see when you look in. Everything else was covered by the rear panel, headliner, bottom corner panels and kick panels.

I highly recommend doing this as it makes a HUGE difference in the amount of road noise and rattles. I glued everything down with the exception of the floor insulation (just incase I get water in the cab I did not want it to sit in that insulation and cause rust problems down the road).

I've covered everything in the cab of my 51 with "second skin" except the top half of the back of the cab. I wish I could get in behind that area but it will have to be the only spot without dampening.

nice truck.thanks
one day i hope my 1946 chevy turns out as nice as your.thanks

Tim, I saw your truck at the Beloit Autorama. Nice job and a well deserved award. I have referred to your website many times for help. Nice job there also. Other than Iola, Autorama is the best show in Wisconsin. I never miss it. Drive it and have fun cruising. Hopefully my sub will roll out next spring and I can cruise also.

Weeds

Great looking truck!! Congrats on a well-done job and for your perseverance. Great personal website too. I have never seen a better arranged chronology fo events with loads of detailed pictures. Thanks for sharing that with the world. Good luck and enjoy it safely.