A lot of old farm trucks seem to be coming out of the upper Midwest lately and this 1949 is no exception. It can be found for sale in Murdock, Minnesota here on eBay with a current bid of $4,750. The seller says it is “fresh out of the shed” but there is no information regarding how long it was stored. The ad does indicate there are some service records from the 1980s, so perhaps it has been parked for the better part of 30 years. Have a look at this awesome truck and see if it would make a good project.
The 1947 to 53 Chevrolet pickup front ends are some of the best looking classic trucks ever. Their horizontal grille bars along with the swooping hood and fenders are a great combination! This one has a painted steel grille, but it could always be stripped and chromed if the new owner wants something shiny up front. Also, there are a ton of aftermarket parts available for these trucks.
The ad says the engine is a straight-six from the 1960s that is bolted to the original 4-speed transmission. The engine is free and turns by hand, which is a great sign. The seller also says it ran just a few years ago, so hopefully, it won’t take too much to get it going again.
Obviously, the wood in the bed will need to be replaced. However, the metal strips look like they may be able to be reused. Again, there are a ton of aftermarket wood bed kits available.
The interior has seen some aftermarket additions including a bunch of gauges. I’m guessing the big one in the middle is a tach with oil pressure, temperature, and probably voltage? By the view under the dash, it looks like the owner will need to clean up some wiring too. Overall, though, this truck doesn’t look bad at all. What do you think of this one?
This thing is sweet!! Somebody please restore this beauty to original condition. Dont modify it!
Exactly .
I have a 52, looks exactly like this one and came from Minnesota. When I was looking for a 47-53 I looked for 2 yrs to find one like this that was all original and not destroyed by someone who cant weld or do proper wiring. I did the brakes, recovered the seat, cleaned the gas tank, replaced the plugs, points and condensor and I’ve been driving it for 6 years
Seeing that rust on the outside and having family from the St.Cloud area tells me I’d want to look underneath/evaluate before making the decision as to what it’d best be suited. It presents nicely in the photos but then I’ll bet we’ve all been caught unawares at some time in our lives by something that seemed terrific on the surface but turned out to be something else entirely later.
I would hope it’s sound and someone with more wherewithal living closer than I will bring it back to life in its original design-even with a later model motor under the hood.
Clean it up get running again some basic maintenance and just drive it
That is what I did with my 5 Window 3100. It took me a year to do everything and it was reliable as long as I kept it under 45. Used it as my go-to town ranch truck. Sold it with the ranch. Wonderful truck.
Wonderful. If I lived in the USA, I would buy fast.
Here in Brazil they are affectionately called, by some people, the toad’s mouth. Are beautiful.
I liked some solutions like the spring on the brake pedal and the elimination of the start button on the floor.
Can someone tell me if the color is original.
Beautiful !
To do list: replace tires, the bed floor, restore mechanically, wash, detail. Drive.
Buyer beware. I lived in central Minn. for many years. The brutal climate and the salt they used on the highways in the winter, makes me very uneasy about the looks of the frame and the normal rust out spots in the cab.
One that Old Navy did not get hands on back in the day to which they slapped blue paint on them and used them as “displays” in each of their stores back in 1990s-2000s? Always wondered what happed to those trucks that were once inside of each Old Navy store?
The old Navy trucks rock! My daughter was there when the running driving one was brought to the store she worked at. It was dropped off in the lot and know one except my 15 year old daughter (no permit yet) could drive a stick. The manager said I’m not looking, but it’s got her inside now! Do she drove it in!!!!!
Guess this is one that Old Navy did not get their hands on to paint blue and throw inside one of their stores for “display” back in the 1990s-2000s. Always wondered whatever happened to those Chevy trucks that used to be in each Old Navy store? Hope they did not “cash in” on the high scrap price peak in the mid 2000’s like so many did with “old iron” at that time!
Sorry to all the readers for my “repeat” post after the first one did not show up…
Somebody has already “updated” this truck with an alternator and HEI distributor…buyer beware of hidden rust…could be a deal breaker…I’d give it a real good look underneath….just in case.. before I handed over the cash!!
I think the whole engine has bee updates on this one. Still a nice truck to restore.
The bones of this are very good, albeit better understood once the rust search is complete. The interior has not been butchered to install new gauges and the aftermarket ones in there now can just (and should) be disgarded. The engine is a modern version of what would have been in there so its not that far off original and still quite adequate as a user or driver. As far as the bed goes, yes the wood is toast, however, and importantly, different MY trucks had different numbers of boards and therefore different widths. There is plenty left to get measurements from to make new ones. There is a groove on each side of each board to accept the metal wear rails down the center. You can buy new wood but its expensive. Anyone with a table saw and any talent at all can duplicate this pattern and widths very easily. Id make this mechanically correct, wash it, add new wood (oiled, not varnished), and use the hell out of it and enjoy the thumbs ups you get. Ive had three of these, all original. Easy to work on, easy to get parts for, and will last long after the EMP goes off.
Buy it, new tires and shocks, clean it and drive it!!!!!
If that air cleaner is correct, it looks like an early to mid 60s engine. I’m going with a 230.
Bob, maybe you meant 235?
I would look underneath it , Buy and Restore like New . I’m a big fan of Bagg it Dragg it and Tagg it l have 6 cars at home and I Chopped up every last one of them Woo Woo….
Live long and prosper. Well at least it has lived long.
God bless America
And someone WILL prosper-the seller, at the least!!
oh man clean it up then love it up. Can you guys just let me love her ? eye candy . We can share in the joy with videos . I promise !! Johnny shark
Carved from the earth! Real steel! Pure functional design! Hard work! Long days,sunsets, home cooking and a barn to park it.