It can often be difficult to turn down an old truck with a charming appearance like this 1949 Chevrolet pickup. Although quite weathered in appearance, there is a real lack of rot in this truck. I would guess it has spent many years stored, although I know with the right owner this truck will be a driver once again. With several days remaining in the auction, this Chevy has been bid up to $1,600. Check it out here on eBay out of Brainerd, Minnesota.
I often consider the 216 inline 6 to be bullet proof, but in this instance this engine wasn’t moisture proof. Unfortunately the engine is seized, but I would be willing to bet with a little kerosene, that this engine could be freed up and even started. Although for some, a 235 may be a possible swap opportunity, or perhaps even a more modern 350 Chevy would do? Once the drive-train is sorted, you will most likely have brakes, fuel, and electrical work ahead of you in order to hit the road.
With the mechanical work will be some interior work as well, unless you find sitting on seat springs to be a joy. Once the seat is reupholstered, and the door cards are installed it looks like the next line of focus would go to sealing the floors. There are a few pin holes in the floors, so some work may be needed to assure structural integrity. After that, throw a layer of paint on it and you’re ready to roll.
There is an overwhelming amount of surface rust on this truck, but there is little rot. The insides of the door bottoms, and the jambs have some heavy surface rust, but that seems to be the worst of it. The wooden bed is definitely rotted, so that is another line item to account for. Appearing to be well cared for, the body is straight with only a mild fender repair to report. Looking like a worthwhile winter project, would you revive this charming old Chevy?
Floors need minor work and the state of the frame is unknown, but this looks pretty solid. If I had a donor engine lying around and the space for it, I’d be throwing in a bid.
My oldest boys grandfather gave him his 49 Chevy pickup when he sold his farm. It was in very nice condition and ran great. My son was leaving for college and gave it to me but I didn’t have room so I sold it in 2002 for $1,600 and gave him the money for books at school. Looking at these crazy prices I should have waited a decade and tripled his money.
There are a few of these 3/4 tons still driving around my neighborhood, though in better condition. I’d like to add this one to the fleet.
Looks to me like it was sanded almost bare and repainted at least once, then left in the weather for decades. That’s how the paint gets like this but the metal stays solid. This is the good kind of rust, but it won’t last long on road. I’d go for a Rustoleum paint job, either grey or blue. Ditch the engine and pick up another 216/235 from somebody else’s frame swap project. New brakes, tires, wiring, wood in the bed, and get it rolling. For all the dreams people have of big V8s and tire smoke, these old farm trucks are the real attention getters.
That is exactly what I did with my 49 3600 flatbed. 235, new wiring harness, tires,and brakes. It still looks old, but I use it as intended.
Doing this myself (minus paint and already good engine) with a ’52 IHC. I think I already owe half the neighborhood ride.
Some people referred to these as ideal back in the day. They could haul more than a 1/2 ton but weren’t as rough riding as a 1-ton. Geared a little higher than a 1-ton they could keep up with most of the traffic back then. Now, that being said, you would think that 3/4 tons were more numerous than 1/2 tons out west. But the 3100s reigned supreme, with the 3800s close behind.
The absence of the torque tube is also a big plus.
This truck reminds me of a 3100 I used to ride in as a kid in the 70’s. It was the same color blue, faded about like this one, about the same year, pre 54 at least. It was rare to see any trucks other than green. It still had “Edna Lumber Company” and their phone number painted on the doors. (The owner was a family friend who bought the truck from the lumber yard.) We lived in town at the time, and I would ride with him to go check his cows and it was my first exposure to a ” three on the tree” shift vehicle. I though it was pretty cool. I could have bought it later, but it had been sitting in his pasture for years and was rusted beyond saving. I did save a few odds and ends, including the corner glass from the five window cab. Its all gone now, he died and the place was cleared. I cannot recall for sure, but it seems that the 3/4 ton trucks had a longer wheelbase… or was it the one ton (???) Whatever the case, “back in the day”, the longer wheelbase trucks were good donors for a rear fender without the divot for the spare tire. (The heavier trucks with the longer wheelbase had room to mount the side mounted tire without any interference with the fender).