The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Pics of Task Force & '60s era Tandem Dumps & more

I've posted a number of early pictures of trucks we used in our business from the late 50's on up. The majority are task force tandems and early to mid 60s dumps and tractors. The thread 'Tandem Big Bolts or needle in haystack' drew alot of interest so I scanned these into my webshot album for everyone's viewing. These are just a few of the pictures I have and I hope to soon display more. Would love to hear any comments and remarks about what is shown and will try to answer any questions about these trucks.

Many thanks to my son Travis for patiently helping his old dad do this. Just click on webshot pix at the bottom. Pictures are in the Trucking, Early Years section.

James

Thanks for the pictures.

The pictures are great! I remember seeing these model trucks hauling lumber, logs, etc, when I was small. Thanks for the memories!

Hy oldiron57, thanks to you and Travis for posting your pictures, they were great.

WOW !, Great pictures. The '58 90 series Chevy LCF, is my favorite. By chance, are any of these trucks still around.

I enjoyed the pictures. I was driving when them things were new. It never crossed my mind that 50 years later people would be tinkering with them as a hobby.

James
Great pictures. Thanks for posting. It would be interesting to know what happened to them.
Thanks
Jim

Those are really great photos and bring back a lot of memories. I was selling dump bodies & trailers in the late 60's and we sold a lot of them in the Carolinas, mainly to State Hwys and also to SC Hwy. Most had pony motors on the front, little Wisconsin THD's. My first tractor was a used White 4000 with a Cummins Super 250 and 10 sp RR so I have a soft spot for them.

Thanks for sharing them.

Great pictures. Very interesting. Also enjoyed the info on them. A couple of those trucks remind me of my '62 GMC 6500.

You mentioned Toro-Flows. I'm curious on what trucks you ran Toro-Flows in? Did you ever run any V-6 gas engines?

Bill

Great Pictures, I'm in the trucking business today and can remember riding in my Dads '65 C60 and learning all about the 2 speed button and stuff. We still talk about the Big Gray truck, 348 4sp 2 sp rear. Lots of memories.

To Everyone....
I appreciate the remarks and replies about the pictures posted and am glad they stirred some memories of the past. I too am fond of what once was and do remember the early times of riding with my Dad. Great times indeed!!
As for the 1958 Chev LCF tractor we still own it but Hurricane Fran came thru Raleigh in 1996 and dropped a big red oak on "Pugnose" and totally destroyed it. We do have the rusty remains of a '59 Chev. LCF tractor that I'll post someday, but for the '58 its demolished. The '62 Chev. 80 series tractor is parked in the woods but I do plan to move it to a shelter soon. Its extremely rusty and will need a cab replacement. Its a project for the future.

Throughout the late 50s and into the 60s we ran almost all gas engine trucks, a few Fords but mostly Chevys and a few GMCs. By the mid 70s we were mainly running Whites with 250 and 270 Cummins, plus a few Detroit 238s and 318s. By the mid 80s we were buying mostly Macks but we did have a couple of Western Stars and some Kenworth W900s and T800s. Today we're still mainly with Mack.

We did have two Toro Flow Diesels in the 60s, one being a 1965 GMC 6500 single axle tractor with the 478 Toro Flow. Its fuel mileage was unbelievably good when compared with the gas burners and so Dad ordered a '66 Chev. 80 dead axle tandem dump with the same 478 Toro Flow. By the time the '66 Chev had arrived the '65 GMC had spun a main at 40,000 miles. Dad had soured on the Toro Flow by then because of the expense of a new motor. He converted that tractor to a 409 V8. The '66 with the Toro Flow gave much better service and went to nearly 100,000 miles, but we did not have the experience to work on them. We replaced that motor with a 366 V8. The Toro Flows we used were over worked and were not suited to pull a gross weight of 65,000 lb. (tractor) or 45,000 lb. (tandem dump). We did use several GMC's with V6 gas (478) and they did hold up well, but they did burn more gas than the 409s and were much more expensive to repair or replace. We could buy a new 409 long block for $600 and a 478 V6 would cost close to $1000.

I'll post some more pictures around Christmas when my son is back in. I'll also be glad to answer any questions you may have. Most of the pictures posted do have comments and explanations under them.

Thanks Again, James Bailey

Great pics oldiron57!! Thanks for sharing!!

Wow I had the most wonderful time looking through them great pictures.
I hope that you can find the time to look though my web shots page and take a gander at my two trucks. I own a small excavation company currently hauling with a 64 GMC 6000 with a small block 350 SM420 and a two speed rear. The 64 has treated me great its' box is really a grain box so it lacks a spread gate but hauls a 7 ton pay load well with some power, suspension, brake and tire upgrades.
The 56 has yet to be completed but is really my pride and joy. When finished the 56 will be powered by a 496ci stroked big block backed by an Allison 540 auto transmission. This truck is also getting power steering, power windows and A/C.
Thank you for sharing all your wonderful pictures I hope that you enjoy mine as well.

Saw a '56 GMC tandem on CL last week. If I had my own property to keep my collection of equipment, and the money, I'd have loved to have that old beast,... Seeing as I like to work my vehicles I should probably work on getting my CDL before I tackle something that big.

Grant...
Looks like we share a common interest in trucks! Great webshots of your trucks and business. You've got quite a project in your '56, it looks great with the original looks of that year coupled with a hot rod power train. You'll have to be careful with all that torque, those little rear axles were use to 120 HP motors! Best of luck with the drive train transition, will be checking on your webshots for updates...

James