According to the seller, this truck was manufactured in Kansas City in April of 1949. It spent some time on a Kansas farm, then was stored in a barn for nearly fifty years. The current owner has had it for about three years and resides in Cornville, Arizona. It can be found here on eBay with an asking price of $10,000. There is a great photo in the ad showing the owner with a “Best Antique” award at a car show. He looks very proud and I’m sure the new owner will be just as proud to own this one. Check it out.
The interior looks good for a truck of this vintage. It has been freshened up with new paint, headliner, door panels, and seat upholstery. You can also see new seat belts on the bench seat, which are 3-point style. Also, the gauges have been refreshed with new faces.
As with the interior, the engine has been freshened up a bit. It is a 216 cubic inch straight-six mated to a 4-speed transmission. There has been a lot of mechanical bits replaced including the hoses and belts along with the fuel system. The 6-volt electrical system is still in place and has been updated with new points, plugs, and generator brushes. The seller says it starts right up and runs and drives well.
As you can tell, this truck is a driver. The seller says there is just some surface rust and dents, but no major rust issues. Even the wood in the bed looks pretty good. Overall, this looks like a solid old truck that would be fun to drive as-is or fix up as a project. What do you think? What would you do to this truck if it was yours?
What can I say about this? Something you can take right out and put to work. A 3600 is just a little heavier duty than a 3100 and the box is bigger. Not as clumsy as a 3800 and will ride a little better. I sure wouldn’t turn this one down although in this case it wouldn’t matter because it looks like it’s already gone. Someone must have wanted it…
Always sends a shiver up my spine, like fingernails on a blackboard, when someone drills holes in the fenders to put a signal, when it’s just as easy to add a dual filament socket to the parking lights. Nice truck, again for 50 mph, and what’s the deal,advertises way too much, gets no bids and pulls the ad? I think the motor came apart, unless they masked every head bolt, not likely. Neat old truck, look up AD Chevy’s, and see how many original ones you see. Not many.
Howard, you gotta think like the average owner/do-it-yourselfer back in the day. There just weren’t a lot of dual sockets back then. But I have to admit that I don’t like them either. The Mickey Mouse ears that adorned the tops of some of the cabs had all the appeal of ‘Hurricane Bessy.’
I’m with you Howard, I don’t like the “lollipops” on the front fenders. I also never cared for the look of the turn signal switch attached to the column with a hose clamp. It seems that’s how it was done back in the day. A trip to Western Auto, or get out your J. C. Whizzbang catalog and bingo you have blinkers.
The first thing I would do is change out that plastic fuel filter, it’s right above the exhaust manifold!
I agree. There should never be a hose or plastic filter on the pressure side of the fuel pump. Gasoline is designed to explode; that should be in the combustion chamber…
Hmm, never knew that. See, 65 and still learning. I had trouble with vapor lock on gas lines too close to the manifold. A certain IH R190 dump truck I drove did that. Lead man told me, if it happens again, try and pee on the fuel pump,,,
I’d freshen the paint and body with original color, change the electrical to 12 volt and redo the wood slats (high gloss varnish) bed and drive it like a regular pick up truck.
No one thought these “work trucks” would last this long. The add-on blinkers were temporary bandaids to solve an immediate problem that would allow them to continue being used for work. Now that they are classics the temporary solutions are thought of as short sighted. They are so rarely used for real work anymore that dual element blinkers and varnished beds are more in vogue. I like the add-on blinkers and oiled bedwood because it reminds me what it was designed for. I use mine. If I want a pretty truck I’ll buy one (never happen). If it were mine, Id clean it, make it mechanically sound and use it the way it was intended and for which I have a need.
All that engine work and still needs valves and rings..I’m so compulsive I might have dealt with that before all the prettifying.
While I’m loathe to disagree with HoA and geomechs, I like the lollipops..very period correct.
I wonder if it really sold.
Yes, it would be a great idea to ensure that everything is well and good inSIDE the engine before giving it the rattle-can overhaul…