The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Are there any restored factory stock TF trucks?

I have not seen one, any place yet.
Does anyone know of any, and photos?

Maybe check the photo gallery on this site. I'm sure there are a few.

Google is also your friend. Do a google image search.

Why not look at an unrestored factory stock one instead? I've always thought Steve Taylor's bolt was the most perfect example of a time capsule specimen. Still has the original tires, er, tyres.

Bill

Have a look at mine....

I'm doing a '56 to original stock condition. I want it to be the closest I can get to a time machine.

Indeed. Perhaps about the finest truck restoration in the country (according the the AACA) can be found right here in the Stovebolt Gallery -- George Van Orden's 1955 NAPCO Suburban

Plenty of other very nicely done TF pickups, firetrucks (Check out Mike B's 1957 fire truck

Just take a look in our gallery and I think you'll find a lot to look at. Google will just bring you back here anyway

John

I would like to see more pics of Steves truck, looks good. Wish I could find one like that. I honestly have never seen a picture of a factory stock task force truck on the web. They all fall short. The bed wood is the place they all fail. Its black not clear coat with chrome skid rails.

by the TF series the bedwood was usually body color, and there's lots out there that way, as well as some "incorrect" black .... study up on GM trucks here and you'll find "factory stock" depended on the factory and the original purchasers preferences .... I'm sure you could find one that met your preferences at one of the major auctions - Steve did, paid the price and paid to ship it to England as well

Bill

what is a Task force Truck, I have never heard that expression used before ???

Task Force is the GM truck series after AD (Advance Design) that started mid-1955 ("second series") to 1959. They were released along with the first gen smallblock v8, most had the venerable stovebolt inline 6. They also had a the upgraded modern Hotchkiss rear drive with drive shaft instead of torque tube, but still had front straight axle with leaf springs. (In 1960, front suspension was independent sprung with torsion bars)

Check out the gallery pages at this site for 55 2nd Series through 1959, you will see the type. Only big differences during this series (let's scope out the Cameos) are grills and hoods, then in 1958 the fenders were changed for quad lights mandated by new Federal saftey laws.

During this series the "Fleetside" bed type was introduced (later copied by other OEMs) that evolved into the modern bed-type.

historical correction R-bo, GM's fleet bed was not the first full width box of the industry, the Ford full width Styleside bed started in 57 as a one-up on the GM Cameo [dressed up stepbed] .... Dodge also 'matched' the Cameo in 57 with the Sweptside, pasting car quarters on a stepbed, and then in 59 came out with the Sweptline full width bed - so ya might say the Cameo bed "evolved into the modern bed-type" but it was GM that did the copying with the wide Fleetside

also there was an Aussie Dodge in 52 that had a wide smoothside bed - prolly called a "Ute", but predates anything US made of the fleet style

Bill

I am old enough to remember the brand new trucks in 1959. The bed wood was most always black. I have done the research.