For several years, people have been adding distressed lettering and logos to classic trucks in an effort to make them look like vintage work trucks. Well, this one seems to be the real deal. Apparently from the small town of Pilger, Nebraska, the truck has awesome original paint and patina. It is now located in Edmond, Oklahoma and can be found for sale here on eBay with a current bid of $3,500. The current owner has had the truck for about twelve years and has nearly $4,000 in receipts. Thanks to Ikey H. for the tip on this cool old truck. Let’s check it out!
The coolest part of this truck is the door graphics and lettering. It is extremely hard to mimic this type of patina, but people spend a lot of money trying. If you arent familiar with the town of Pilger, Nebraska, it was nearly wiped off the map in 2014 when two EF4 tornadoes struck the town on June 16th. The town continues to rebuild and sheriff Mike Unger said at the time, “We’re small-town America…Our motto is we’re a town too tough to die.”
The interior was painted by the current owner including the doors and jambs. The seat was recovered and it appears the same material was used on the door panels. Also, the gauges were redone and the truck has all new wiring, which is a bonus.
Here you can see some of the new wiring. Cloth-wrapped wire was used, which is a nice touch. The seller says they drained and replaced the gasoline along with installing a new fuel filter, clutch, brakes, and master cylinder. The engine is supposedly a 235 cubic inch straight-six. The seller says it should have originally had a 216, but the casting dates on the motor indicate it is a 235. There also appears to be a lot of spare parts included in the sale. So, what do you think of this truck?
This truck I would leave alone cause of its history even though I’m the anti-patina guy that I am!!! Sure it would look better with new paint but it’s an authentic service truck!!!
I’m in the repaint camp myself. I might be tempted to make a new vinyl transfer for the doors but overall I would want to do it up right and continue the enjoyment of running an old beast like that.
Buy it make it safe to drive . leave it as is drive it and enjoy your piece of history.
Patina = rust. Any questions?
Agreed, elrod. I’d want a fresh coat of paint on this old Chevy, too. While I can appreciate old signage as much as the next guy, the Nebraska sign doesn’t mean anything to this New Englander. This seems to be a nice pickup with some nice work already done. Paint it and add your own signage.
Maybe something like “Elrod’s Patina Removal Service.”
Nope–asked and answered, thanks,
Nice three-window cab ‘49. The guy did a nice job with the interior. I’d lose the lights on the roof, and since I don’t live anywhere near Nebraska, I’d have no qualms about repainting the entire truck.
And elrod is right. Heed his words. 😎
Now THAT’S patina. I actually feel bad for anyone that can’t appreciate it and pray that it gets into the hands of someone who intends to preserve it’s history as is. There’s a difference between surface rust, patina and rot. Do all you guys run to the plastic surgeon every time you see a wrinkle? I’m guessing not, but you’d probably go to the doctor for something egregious or life threatening. It’s the same here, fix what needs fixing to continue a long life, but leave it’s character. What a beauty, only wish it were a Ford.
I like to check out the addresses on the doors of these kind of trucks on Google street view to see if they’re still standing. No address, but Pilger is a pretty small town. My guess it’s either the brick building or the grey painted one across the street.
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0085761,-97.0538439,3a,75y,268.96h,89.2t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sR7-7ckbUSVpCrfwskF8APg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en
Pilger was pretty much wiped out by a tornado back in 2014.
The buildings look pretty old to me. Looks like the “downtown” core held up.
I LOVE IT AND NEED IT!! I love vintage signage too… SO COOL!! My Dream.
Sweet truck.
Its even upgraded to the better 235 engine which in 58 should be hydraulic lifters.
This had more ponies too.
1958 with 1 Barrel Carb
Max Brake Horsepower: 145 @ 4200 rpm
Max Torque: 215 @ 2400 rpm
Its a shame not the 230 six but the other is fine since this has the granny low gears in floor.
I would pull the gum-ball off the roof and remove metal floor in bed then install the original wooden floor stained.
The swap out of master cylinder is easy
and rebuild / bleed the brakes.
The paint could go either way.. but if i went new paint Pegasus would appear in cool door logos. 🤔😎😂
Much more plausible price, unlike the green one, and this one is turn key, ready to go. Even got seat belts. Bidding slowing to $50 dollar increments, tells me the mob has spoken, this is what they go for. Again, to the untrained, a 5:14 rear end may not mean anything, but to me, it’s 52mph MAX, with that old stovebolt hammering away. That, my friends, gets mighty old and an update is clearly in order. Modern 3:00 something axle would be an easy swap. For once, I’d leave it alone on the outside too. An old service station truck is pretty cool.
Getting the best of both worlds is easy, take the doors off, hang them for display in the garage, add a good set of used doors, paint the truck.
I disagree. Petroliana is huge today and a gennnuinnne service truck, ( in my best Mr. Haney voice) could add some extra zing. Like I say, painted, it’s just another AD Chevy. Don’t believe me? Look what that gas station stuff on American Pickers allegedly brings.
HoA: Once again I as #1 Fanboy of the Internet Auto Comment Sage, HoA……I have to agree.
As much as I enjoy AmPickers, they’ve pretty much ruined (as has the internet) the potential for finding anything reasonably priced. Unless you’re living in a cave and without internet access ( though some have it, I hear) the “boys” on AP have pretty much guaranteed a serious screwing on anything one wants to buy. Now if only I can outlive my age cohort :)
Am I the only one that thinks the doors are from a different truck entirely? Since all that is from an old service truck, remove doors, hang in man cave, get replacements and repaint.
It looks more like the truck was blue after it was red. Perhaps someone removed as much of the blue as they could but freaked a little when they got to the doors. Does that seem possible?
Sanford and son needs to be written on the doors,
Except it was a 1950 Ford F1, I think. Besides I already did that! Lol. Great minds think alike
Patina, the other P word.
This is a nice truck.
All it needs is a new paint job
Looks like someone tried to polish the doors but not the rest of the truck. I think the different ideas of what to do with it are both reasonable. I’d like either way. The NB signage wouldn’t mean much here in PA either, but it does have historical significance. The “blue” in the original primer so I don’t think there has been any repaint. Nice truck and a nice price.
The doors appear to be from a 1947 (no vent windows). I am also confused by the paint on the doors it looks like it was two-tone blue and white under the red?
Seven digit phone numbers were phased in from 1958 – 1960. So, the phone number is at least 9 years newer than the truck. Things that make you go “hmmmm”.
Yep she’s definitely got a Blueflame nice touch, the double indents on the rocker cover, highway diff and a 5 spd and off you go
I’m not really understanding why being from Nebraska is necessary to appreciate the patina, history and originality of this truck. I’m not from Nebraska but I love this truck like it is. I think the work the seller did to it is very respectful to preserving what the spirit of this truck is and should be.
Or I guess it could just be re-painted so that it looks like the rest of the tens of thousands of homogeneous and anonymous other trucks just like it out there….widely available in varying shades of metallic base color and way-too-shiny clear coat. Paint it that way and see a half-dozen just like it at each and every car show…
Preach! Thank you! The irony is all the unnecessary time, money and energy that would be involved making it look brand new and you end up making it look “worse” than it does now. Thankfully it should go for a price that would be viewed as too much for someone that feels it should be restored because they have to factor in that cost. And someone that wants to leave it as is will be willing to actually pay a bit more because of the patina. Everything should work out as it should.