The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts A few rambling big bolt observations

I bought my '49 6400 a few months ago. I have enjoyed driving it around Tulsa. I even drove it down route 66 to Oklahoma City to pick up a vehicle lift at an auction. Never went over 40 mph, but I smiled every mile. I have noticed a few things since I have owned it. I almost always get asked the question "what are you going to do with that thing?" My reply is I'm going to drive the hell out of it. I am also surprised by how many people don't seem to notice it while I'm out driving. Now, I'm not such a raging egomaniac that I expect people to stare and applaud me as I cruise down the road in this antique, but a large number of people don't even seem to notice this monster is sitting 18 inches from their lexus in 5pm traffic. Another odd thing that I noticed is homeless people LOVE this truck. I have several theories on this but basically I think the truck reminds them of their uncles farm, working in the fields, before they drank their lives away. The last thing I noticed is that no one has rode in this truck without slamming the %#$&*^# door. I can almost hear the door whistling at sub sonic speeds just before it contacts the cab with nearly enough force to rock the truck on it's tires. After my teeth and butt unclench I then calmly point out that the doors open and close perfectly with the force of ONE FINGER! Does this happen to you guys or am I a bit overly sensitive?

I get some looks and smiles, the occasional comment, usualy the sight of my truck and the humoruous business name do that.
As for the doors, mine are checks of rusty steel held on by chunks of rust iron welded to said rusty steel, so if you dont whip em closed thay dont latch. Something I'm hoping to fix in the future of course, but I still dont like people slammin my flippin doors.

Dave -- I share your pain. It's the first thing I try to say to folks who ride in my '49 as they get in but sometimes I'm not quick enough on the draw ...

"Please don't" WHAAMMMMMMM!!!!!!! "slam the door."

I have a broken window on the passenger side door that needs to be replaced because of that.

Yep, huge pet peeve of mine. Happens most of the time in my dd p/up. The guy that works with me does it all the time, even after I told him that the door closes easily. So yes, I am familiar with the clenching.....



Also, I have noticed people almost wreck trying to look at my truck or, they don't even give it a moments notice. Coming back from a local gathering, I was doing 43 in a 50, with a triangle on the back of the truck. I still had people racing up behind me (at 10 over probably). They would pass me without even taking into consideration that I was driving an old truck, and give me a dirty look.

Billy

When I was driving my 52 1 ton regularly I hardly ever noticed other people noticing the truck, only occasionally I'd see a thumbs up or the like.
But when I have a passenger riding with me they comment that "most everyone looks at and notices the truck".
Turns out I'm to busy driving to watch everybody else watching me..
Perhaps your in the same boat, or should we say truck?

Grigg

My wife's family is the worst in the world about slamming car doors. My wife, her sister, mother, father. Get in a car and WHAM!. Always wondered where my blushing bride got it from, and the first time we all rode together for dinner, mystery solved.

Hi Dave, enjoyed your observations about driving your truck. I get different kinds of looks at my truck while driving. They range from admiration to wonderment to downright uncontrolable laughter! Doesn't matter, There is just such a great feeling when driving that old thing. It brings back thoughts and feelings of 40 or so years ago. As pathetic as it may sound, it brings back a feeling of youth. Plus doggone it, its just fun!

Guess that's why I love COE's so much. My first "Big Bolt" was a 17000 actual mile '49 Chevy 4400 series 1 1/2 ton flatbed. I drove it practically everywhere. Got the ocassional looks, & comments, but nowhere the attention my '51 1/2 ton pickup, was getting. But when I got my first COE, I soon found out everywhere I went, it looked so much different than anything else on the roads, I would get bombarded with questions, & comments, about it.

Eoor slamming? What a pest!
I have sure noticed it.. back to the days in the '60s driving Model A Fords or the 70's driving AD 1/2 ton. Seems if it isw old it is part of getting in for some people..... SLAMMING THE DOOR!
I hate it
Ter

You need one of those window stickers that says "Don't slam the door unless your finger is in it".

I absoulutely Hate it when someone slams my doors!
In any of my vehicles.
That's how door locks & strikers break

I've noticed that it depends on which truck i'm driving.if its the 59 wrecker the local wrecker services flash the lights or wave kids seem to flock to it think its mater....the 59 grain truck is the what are you going to do with that question machine.the ol'gal gathers no respect i made a sunday trip to pull-a part.. they thought i brought it there to leave..quickly informed me that they only purchased cars/trucks monday - friday after i explained why i drove it they felt so bad gave me the parts i was there for ...least some good came of it.

AND glass! :mad:

I got my door glasses made in Tempered glass for that very reason.
It'll stand up to even the hardest door slammers,that's assuming all the felts and channels are in good condition.
A friend with a 50 Poncho is on his third laminated door glass in as many months!

A few years ago, Johm Milliman, Sweet, Trkngmc, myself and a few other guys went to a car show in Va. We all parked together, backed up to the curb at an angle on one of the roads in the town. John and I had just got back from a look at all the cars and came back upon our vehicles. There were two gentleman standing in front of my COE and not knowing I was the owner, the one said to the other, with his hands out to the side, looking at the front end, "why"?
We got a big kick out of that.

Billy

When I had my 38 tagged alot of people noticed it saw some run off the shoulder of the road when I met them. Last week I took a friends 63 autocar and 53 fruehauf to the show in middletown. Got quite a few thumbs up and drivers comments in the truck stop. Made my day to hear and see the positive reactions.

I have a nephew that has a old K5 blazer that the doors must be 100 lb. and are slaging,I,m sure. And he slamed the door on my 46 COE wrecker so hard a thought all the glass would be cracked.I had to say (don,t do that). The other thing I did'nt like is when someone was driving in the next lane trying to take a picture of my truck with a cell phone!