The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Do It Yourself (DITY) Gallery 1949 Chevy 6400 in restoration process *

Hello everyone!My names Danny Acker, im 17 from San Martin Ca. and would like to tell you about my first restoration project.
I guess ill start with when and where i got the truck.It all started about 3 years ago.When i rode the bus home from school i noticed an old truck sitting on someones property with a for sale sign on the window.My dad and i were kinda looking for a truck for me that we could both work on together.So after a couple weeks of seeing the truck sit there when we passed it on the bus i would tell my friend "hey, someday that truck will be mine and ill get to work on it and make it run and drive it to school". He said..."that big piece of junk,...sure whatever you'll never get that thing". Sure enough, i talk to my dad about it and he gives the guy a call about it. He says it doesnt run and has no brakes.We go and check it out.It has the stock 216 in it with everything except a radiator.As for the brakes, you could just push the pedal down and it would stay....trashed main cylinder. After some negotiating on the phone that night, they were able to come to a final price of $700. That weekend we went over to go tow home the truck(only like a quarter of a mile down the road)My dad chained up to the front of the truck and my neighbor to the back of the truck to act as brakes.When we got it home i went straight to work with the pressure washer http://www.watertruk.com/49%20Chevy.HTML

The project had begun

Not long after, my dad and i had gone to do a leak test on the 216 to find a crack the length of the block(probably freeze crack)well.... there goes that engine.What a good reason to tear apart the front end and clean and paint the chassis.Why not, just do the whole chassis front to back,top to bottom while im at it? After the long search of a new engine, we finally found a cheap 261.We brought it home and went to work on rebuilding and painting it... before: http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt202/dantheman176/261straightsix003.jpg
after: http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt202/dantheman176/0526081918.jpg
Months and months later we finally got the engine dropped in and hooked up. We got it to drive under her own power.no more towstraps! next was brakes which we are still in the process of doing.So far currently 4/24/09 we have the backplates with shoes,springs and new cylinders hooked up.Im just waiting for my wheel beaings and seals to arive so i can put my hubs and wheels back on and drive it to the garage and install some brake lines so i can finally stop this beast. Check out my photo bucket to see all the differnt stages of the restoration.

http://s612.photobucket.com/albums/tt202/dantheman176/

Thanks for checkin out the truck! see ya in the forums!

Nice truck, nice work, and nice vision. I have a very similar 51 6400 myself. Keep up the good work.

thanks! today i just got my other set of wheel bearings in so now i can install the left front drum and put the wheels on and finally take the truck off those jack stands!!!!Then drive her to the garage without brakes and install the brake lines so i dont have to drag my feet anymore! haha I'll keep you all updated on its progress.Thanks for lookin!

Nice truck and very nice work! Your photos really tell a story. That truck will be a real blast to drive down the road.

ya! its come a very long way.Just hoping to get her on the road for the first time this summer!

That's a very cool truck glad to see another truck from california.

update!! today i got the front hubs installed with new bearings and finally put the wheels back on.No more jack stands!tomorrow will be time for brake lines.cant wait to start her up again,its been awhile

http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt202/dantheman176/DSC04326.jpg

Dan, looking good. Thanks for keeping us posted. I can see your smile from here when it came off the jack stands

Update!!Today,i drove the truck to the garage and installed new brake lines! then found out i needed brake fluid, and a whole lot of it.I started filling the lines today, but i just kept on filling.It must be that hydrovac/brakebooster thats trying to fill up.I ran out of time, but started to get pressure in my pedal.Not enough to bring it back up by itself.Maybe next weekend. Heres a pic with the truck on its wheels with new bearings.Its been awhile since shes had front wheels and driving with no brakes haha

http://i612.photobucket.com/albums/tt202/dantheman176/DSC04333.jpg

Very nice work Dan. I am also working on '49 6400. It looks like you are off to a good start, and will be driving it to school before long. Keep us posted.

I have a '49 chevy 6400 and I am just starting to look for parts. Not sure where to look. I see many parts that say they are for a '49 chevy, but do not say which model. Where is the best place to find parts for the 6400, or do most parts mit most models of '49 trucks?

Hey Venni, yes a lot of the parts are the same. You should ask your question in the parts wanted section or the big bolts section. Adding to somebody elses post with a question like this will get overlooked and tends to confuse the topic.
Hopefully the moderator will move your post and delete mine.