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continues to pull in the most views on the Stovebolt. In August alone there were over 22,000 views in those 13 forums.
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Jul 21st, 2025 | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 | OK, all you bolters, wish me luck! I have to drive my 46 1 1/2 ton from RENO over the Sierras to its new home in Petaluma, California! (About 250 miles) Gonna take all back roads, should be an adventure non compris!!!! -Gasp-
Stovebolts are like women; as they mellow with age, it's harder to get 'em to turn over on a cold morning, but once they're warmed up, LOOK OUT!
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 59 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Jan 2011 Posts: 59 | good luck on your adventure.
don't forget to take pics! | | | | | Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 433 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 433 | johnton
There is a really cool back road on the west side of Truckee... Its the old Hwy 40... It takes you right next to Donner Lake and up to the summit to Soda Springs... If you stay on the same road at Soda Springs it crosses over I 80 then it takes you past Kingvale then on past the Hampshire Rocks... It ends at Cisco Grove...
1954 Chevy 3104 3 Window Hydra-Matic in my family for over 60 Years
Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right... "Scarlet Begonias" Grateful Dead 1974
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 2,877 Socket Breaker | | Socket Breaker Joined: Feb 2002 Posts: 2,877 | Take pics!
Take some tools with ya too!
Good luck, and we want a full report.
-W | | | | | Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 2,393 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 2,393 | Yes,please do take pics and add frequent posts. Larry "LAROKE" from Florida and others have done that several times and are enjoyable reading on these forums. It's sort of a vicarious trip we take. 
Drew
| | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 | Thanks Bolt-heads! OK, the tools part I knew about! But I appreciate the reminder about taking pictures. I think my camera takes video too - so maybe I can capture the steam billowing from the radiator! (Hah, just kiding)... I did drive this truck once over a radical pass on Highway 4 in CA, with 4,500 lbs of ROCK in the bed, for a job in Angels Camp! She ran fine, never even got hot; gave me a true appreciation for that "granny" compound low gear! -- Taking Amtrak to Winnemucca, then back to Reno where she sits, then the fun begins on Thursday! Hoo-YAAAAA!
Stovebolts are like women; as they mellow with age, it's harder to get 'em to turn over on a cold morning, but once they're warmed up, LOOK OUT!
| | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 | Thanks but I have to stay off the Interstate completely as this rig only goes about 45 MPH max. I don't want to get stuck or be in the way. I know those roads you refer to - Google Alice Ramsey (I painted the Alice Ramsey mural in Reno) for some thrilling information about the first WOMAN to drive across the United States. I wish i could have met her... anyways she used the early Hwy 40 - AKA the Lincoln Highway- I believe in that region. Great story, she wrote about her feat 50 years after the fact. -john
Last edited by johnton; 10/18/2011 1:00 PM.
Stovebolts are like women; as they mellow with age, it's harder to get 'em to turn over on a cold morning, but once they're warmed up, LOOK OUT!
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 946 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 946 | Good luck with that drive it should be beautiful this time of year in the Sierras. I grew up in Carson City and have made the drive many times. I'll need to pack up my NAPCO one day and see if there is a dirt only route I can take across.
Take photos! | | | | | Joined: May 2010 Posts: 43 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: May 2010 Posts: 43 | Johnton, if you have time- before you leave,while you have easy access to air tools, remove all the wheels one at a time & clean up the threads on the lugs and lube them... God forbid you have a flat, but if you do-it makes a world of difference! Most of us haven't had the wheels off in a while... Happy climbing!! | | | | | Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,048 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Nov 2005 Posts: 1,048 | Best of luck !!! If you took a few notes I' bet it would be the makeings of a great story | | | | | Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 166 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 166 | Great work Jon. Really like the Cocoanut Grove sign right here in my home town of Santa Cruz. Nice to know who did the nice work! | | | | | Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 Extreme Gabster | | Extreme Gabster Joined: May 2001 Posts: 7,440 | If we can keep this related to the truck trip this post can stay here. The off topic stuff needs to be discussed in Greasy Spoon.
Thanks,
Charlie | | | | | Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,201 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 2,201 | 250 miles = NO PROBLEM. Have a great drive, should be lots of pretty scenery this time of year. | | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 | Sends a freakin chill up my spine to hear all y'all's encouragement! I love your remark, pb1, about lubing up them thraids. May do 'er. --Hah, can you imagine the AAA guy trying to swap a split rim on the side of the road? BTW I do them all the time, don't be stressin' me out with decap stories! I have four spares. What I do is, I wrap a bunch of chain all around and around through the wheel holes & around the tahr, thin air 'er up and off we go Ka.............BOOM! Hoo yeaaaah! Hey if it feels like I have time, indeed I will get some pictures. It is mating season for stovebolts, I sure hope she doesn't meet some young pickup along the way ... OK, off to get an agricultural slow vehicle placard! -John
Stovebolts are like women; as they mellow with age, it's harder to get 'em to turn over on a cold morning, but once they're warmed up, LOOK OUT!
| | | | | Joined: May 2001 Posts: 1,878 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2001 Posts: 1,878 | It should be a great trip with no sweat! In 1966, the wife and I took our '51 Chev 1250 miles from Seattle to Laramie, Wyo camping and pulling a U-Haul. Then it got to learn what "cold" really was! Good luck (but you won't need it)! I'm anxious for the report!! '51 Chev at the City Limits. -
Last edited by Wally / Montana; 10/18/2011 6:43 PM.
1948 3/4-Ton 5-Window Flatbed Chevrolet 33 Years. Now with a '61 261, 848 head, Rochester Monojet carb, SM420 4-speed, 4.10 rear, dual reservoir MC, Bendix up front, 235/85R16 tires, 12-volt w/alternator, electric wipers and a modern radio in the glove box.
| | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 | Cletis (Charlie?): Agreed! I got off the subject, my bad! Wasn't trying to toot my own horn. Just stepped on it and it went off.
Stovebolts are like women; as they mellow with age, it's harder to get 'em to turn over on a cold morning, but once they're warmed up, LOOK OUT!
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2001 Posts: 4,109 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Feb 2001 Posts: 4,109 | I envy you, have a safe trip. RON
Ron, The Computer Greek I love therefore I am.1954 3100 Chevy truckIn the Gallery 2017 Buick Encore See more pix1960 MGA Roadster Sold 7/18/2017
| | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 | OKAY I have my triangular ag vehicle / slow vehicle placard, fancy plastic and high-tech reflective stuff all around it. Packing up plenty of tools and some rope and tie-downs and a couple spare needle & seats & top carb gasket (ya never know...) and some lock-tite and some JB weld and some Doritos and a map and a spare fuel pump and a buncha other stufff, don't forget the keys! i stuck em in my wallet to make sure -- My goodness no GPS? G-A-S-P!!! yikes. Should i take a gas can? Fuel gauge works fine (I think)... what about a spare starter? It IS a 12-volt system with a 6-V starter after all... hmmmm... oil? might use a bit. Flares? Cant take em on the plane! Marking pen to make hitch-hiking signs with? iPod? NO WAY! I wnat to hear the music of that old 235, those square-cut gears (especially the whine of third) and all the other racket this rattle trap is puttin' out! Hoo YEAAAAA!
Stovebolts are like women; as they mellow with age, it's harder to get 'em to turn over on a cold morning, but once they're warmed up, LOOK OUT!
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2011 Posts: 78 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Oct 2011 Posts: 78 | Johnton,
Anyway, best of luck.
When I am done with my '46 2-ton I will be driving it to their house from Portland and would be happy to park next to yours. I have taken Hwy 4 all the way over several times and it is one of the prettiest roads in the world! Be safe, Mark
Last edited by cletis; 10/19/2011 4:22 AM. Reason: removed off topic content
Milk the cows you have
| | | | | Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: May 2006 Posts: 24 | Welcome to California, you lovely old Kansas beauty! Issues encountered were minor, but consistent: crud in the fuel - opened the "rebuilt" carburetor to find a booger-size chunk of SILICONE plugging up the jet! What the- ?? Heyyy, they didn't have silicone in the '40s!!! Had to advance the distributor a little (what a difference THAT made!!) Clutch kept getting un-adjusted, fixed that... um, not much else, no flats, no overheating... a few twisted neck along the way as this rig's a bit of a looker. MY kidneys were screaming toward the end, and today i have a stiff knee from all that gas-pedaling... no complaints, we did it. as i say, welcome to your new home, old girl!
Stovebolts are like women; as they mellow with age, it's harder to get 'em to turn over on a cold morning, but once they're warmed up, LOOK OUT!
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 374 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 374 | Nice! Post pics when you can! | | | | | Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 166 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2002 Posts: 166 | Sounds like a fun drive. Agree, post pics when you get a chance! | | |
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