The seller of this 1950 Chevrolet 3600 pickup truck states, “I recommend keeping this one 100% original. So few are left, and everyone wants to modify them. But, this one is still completely unmolested”. Well, I’m down with that suggestion as that’s my preference but I know opinions will abound. As long as this Chevy survives in one form or another is all that matters. This 3600 pickup is located in San Antonio, Texas and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $1,661, 36 bids tendered as of this writing.

We have covered the history of Chevrolet’s Advance-Design trucks (1947-1955) on Barn Finds before, so there’s no reason to retrace that ground. It is safe to say that the Advance-Design trucks were a very successful model for Chevrolet and GM with 494K units in all three carrying capacities, half-ton; three-quarter-ton, as is this example, and a one-ton variant, sold in 1950.

What you see is what you get with our subject truck. It has spent years sunning itself on a Texas farm and it looks it. While the paint is burned off, the seller suggests that this Chevy has “Great Patina” but the images indicate that the patina may be more than just skin deep with some significant rust pitting. The seller adds, “No noticeable dents. The body is very, very straight. You will save thousands in bodywork”.  But he later adds that the bed frame is rusted through in places as is the passenger compartment floor. The body does appear to be straight and intact; I have to admit the double front bumper is a different twist…The underside, in general, still shows itself to have integrity.

The interior is about what you would expect for a truck of this generation. The door cards and front seat are gone and a borrowed finger is necessary to hold the glove box door closed. The few instruments that are lodged in the instrument panel are very clouded, they may be restorable, it’s hard to know from the images. The bad news is that the interior will require a complete redo but the good news is that there’s not a lot to it in terms of componentry or complexity. The passenger side windscreen is definitely going to need to be replaced; the other glass should be closely inspected for cloudiness or delamination.

A 92 gross HP, 235 CI, in-line, six-cylinder engine is in residency between the front fenders. The seller is forthright in advising that the engine is seized. He states that he tried to free it up but to no avail. One would be advised to go with the assumption that the engine will require a complete tear-down and rebuild. The seller doesn’t state specifically, but the transmission could be either a standard three-speed manual unit or an optional four.

If originality is your thing, this could be your truck. That said, it has a long way to go before it will be turning miles again – it needs work everywhere but it’s nowhere near as deleterious as some that I have reviewed. Be advised, this will be a bill-of-sale transaction as there is no title. I would prefer a stock restoration but I have to admit that a small-block/LS swap would be very tempting – as long as this pickup is saved, it really doesn’t matter how it is done. What do you think, a good restoration candidate?