This 1949 Chevrolet 3600 appears to be a true and original survivor. Found for sale here on Hemings with an asking price of $15,500 in Tallmadge, Ohio. The truck has been thoroughly gone through and will be a fun driver for the new owner. Check out the visor! How cool is that?
This truck is said to run and drive well. According to the ad, “The engine is a 216 cubic inch 6cyl and has a recent tune up (plugs, points, condenser etc) with new valve cover/oil pan gaskets installed. The whole cooling system (New Water Pump, Radiator, Heater core, and hoses) have been replaced.” You should be able to drive and enjoy this project while you continue to work on it and improve it.
The interior looks really clean and original. These trucks typically saw a rough life either on the farm or working hard. It’s a rarity to see one in such good and original condition. It would be a shame to do a restoration on this truck. If it were my project, I would get it running and driving well and have fun driving it. What would you do if this was your truck?
The body appears to be in amazingly good shape. There are surface blemishes, but major dents and rust seem to be very minimal. A little TLC and the new owner should be proud to drive this anywhere. I bet it will get just as much (if not more) attention than the same truck with a $5,000 paint job.
Way, way cool. They definitely recovered that seat and put down a rubber mat, but I don’t blame anyone for stuff like that. Don’t have much experience with these trucks so I love the ignition coil mounted directly to the head and right on top of the distributor, hah.
@Gene. I had a 1982 Alfa Romeo Alfetta where the distributor is mounted so close to the fuel pump that the first time the fuel pipe split the car became a fireball in seconds. Fortunately the guy behind me had a fire extinguisher so the damage wasn’t too bad. The worst part was that he then had to tow me with a ten foot long rope, 100 miles in the dark, back to his workshop.
Hah, wow! That is an unbelievably terrible design and flat-towing with a rope is nerve-wracking for 100 FEET let alone 100 miles. Must’ve been quite the journey.
On MGBs, the heater control valve fails and leaks water directly onto the distributor. I’d much rather have water than fuel going in there! These European vehicles, man. Trying to ruin our lives.
About 1977, I had a 1970 Chevelle sedan and was taking my sister from Sidney MT to Casper WY. As we drove, the car suddenly just died..it would turn over, but not start. After 30 minutes or so, a rancher pulled up and we explained what had happened. He tied a rope to the car and as my sister sat in the cab with him, he pulled me about 30 miles to Broadus MT doing at least 80. I was 10-15 feet behind him and believe me, I was biting donuts. Mechanic at a Chevy dealership in Broadus showed me how the disty had turned 90 degrees. Did it again, but this time it was in Casper.
Nice truck, too bad it’s a long bed, that will limit its desirability.
Steve R
Not if you actually want use it as a truck and haul stuff in it! Short beds are for posers. Long beds are for men who have work to do!
That’s almost funny.
Steve R
True, but posers pay more.
That is one sweet looking stove bolt six.
Nice looking truck. I like my rigs like this with some patina on them. This must’ve been imported from elsewhere as it would’ve been pretty rusty by 1950.
Great find! This is a truck that can be used and still taken to the odd club day run. And it can even carry the tools and the beer. Going to be limited to around 50 but that Stovie will take it anywhere you want to go. Something that you can drive and enjoy without a lot of work. It’s out of my budget but still got my vote….
When people want top buck for their vehicles, they advertise in Hemmings ( 2 m’s). This a $5,000 dollar truck, tops. Maybe $10g’s restored, $15 resto-modded. I realize people can ask what they want, but they are pricing these things out of the reach of people that would enjoy them. They aren’t that rare,,,yet.
I think he’ll get his $15k
Stock trucks like this are not fun to drive. After a week or so you will use it less and less. The 216 engine has babbitted connecting rods that dip into the oil for about 15 degrees of every revolution. The faster the engine revs the less chance oil has to get into the rod mounted oil scoop and the bearing gets less and less oil. This was fine in the 40s when gravel roads were predominant and 25-30 mph speeds were the norm. You won’t enjoy it as an everyday truck and it won’t be fun until it is lowered enough that you won’t feel out of control on most corners, until the brakes will stop you in a distance you are accustomed to and the engine will be reliable enough to get you home after every and any use.
I would at least clean the body, especially the firewall. Make the truck presentable. Not everything has to look weathered.
They put on many new parts but never bothered swapping the rotten tires that are mounted on split rims?
I live in northern rural Ohio. I can tell you that you still see lots of trucks like this, big and small, driven back and forth to elevators or farm to farm during only a few weeks at harvest time carrying seed, pulling wagons, etc. Then you won’t see them again for a year. Most are handed down from one generation to the next and never sold. The same goes with tractors. We have the latest Caterpillar tractors but still have Grandpa’s Farmall Super M in the barn. That’s where this truck looks like it really belongs.
I like it the way it sits.Restored these go for over 20k.
If this was a short bed step side the first thing I would do is pluck the six. If number matching drain the six of all fluids fill with resin and wrap this baby in plastic, same goes with transmission, up into the rafters. Into the bay goes a stroker 383 with a TH or turbo 400. At least disk brakes in front while in back a 12 bolt posi unit. I wouldn’t touch a hair of the patina. I would be one happy driver on the road.
In 2004 my first wife’s grandfather died and he left my oldest son one of these from his farm in S. Dakota. It was just as nice as the featured one but had black fenders. My son was off to college and didn’t have anywhere to keep it so he said I could have it, well I was busy with the Mach1 so I sold it to a friend and gave him the money to help with school supplies, I got $1,600 for it and thought I did good, guess not if this seller gets 15K.
I have the same truck only with a flat bed and a full pressure 235. Very handy for lumber yard runs, hauling firewood and pulling stumps. Not much fun on the highway as it only goes about 50 MPH (down hill w/ tailwind). We call it Wilbur the Wonder Truck.
Crazyhawk, I also have grandpas Super M in the shed. He bought it new in 51. Dad says it has thousands of hours pumping water to alfalfa fields in the early sixties. Still lots of them in this area.Honest old Chevy, surprised no one has mentioned the visor. Our 50 F-1 has a Fulton visor,gets lots of looks,comments at the show.
My father’s was a 1950. Same color inside and out. Dad’s also had the corner windows in the back of the cab. When I was four~five I used to go with him to get coal that we used to heat our house in a pot bellied stove. My job was to watch for the other trucks to move forward in line and then wake him up so we could move up. He worked 3rd shift in a saw mill so he would cat nap while waiting our turn to move under the coal tipple.
Thanks for the memories.
I learned to drive on the identical truck. my father used it in his business, hauling things like barrels of lube oil and solvents. Led a hard life, and never complained or failed to perform. If I had the money, I would buy this today!
I had a 1950 with the 216 and a 4 speed and it was fine at 55 mph – 60mph, although at those speeds I’d have to add a quart of oil every 500 miles.
Nice original truck, but the price is insane. I paid 18k for a fully restored F100 with a number of upgrades. No way this truck is worth 15k.
A 56 F100 that is.
Yes , He will definitely get his 15k .one thing at know is Chevy’s … And the 49 is Beautiful truck . I would prefer the 5 window . Nice Find
I don’t quite understand the comments about how the featured truck would be Saturday morning back roads putt putt (my interpretation) driver.
My first (purchased) vehicle was a ’49 3100 Chevy that I bought for $400 in ’78. Mine was a column shift 3 speed, never knew if the engine was the 216 or 235, stock tubed driveshaft and rear axle. My truck was an oil burner – had to add a qt of 50 wt oil with every fill up. That said, it was not uncommon for me to drive the P/U on the freeway. Back in the 55 mph speed limit era, I would drive at just a shade over 60 mph on the freeway. Engine was screaming, no idea as to the revs. It was my back-up vehicle to my then daily driver ’61 Falcon.
By the later ’80s, I had acquired a ’78 Triumph Spitfire – the top of the Spit’s windshield frame was almost flush with the top of the P/U front fenders. On several occasions I came home driving either the Spit or the P/U, moved my tool bag out of the vehicle just driven and into the other vehicle and drove off again – did not matter the vehicle sequence – that was one weird driving sensation for the first few minutes.
I still have the ’61 Falcon. Upgraded the 170 to a 200 CID and replaced the 3.50:1 rear axle w/ a 3.00. No issues keeping up w/ the flow of freeway traffic. Frequently drive the left lane without blocking traffic. Still on manual drum/drum brakes.
I agree with Jeff and with Aribert. If you’re not familiar with old vehicles you might be in for quite a shock driving an original example. Top cruising speed is probably 50 mph though you can push it harder. A buddy of mine had a rig like this in the 1970s and he drove it on the freeway all the time. My ’66 F250 came with a 390 and I cruised all over at a steady 60 mph. staying in the right lane. This was less than ten years ago in the SF bay Area and people drive fast enough to create a sonic boom out here! I found that most driver’s were pretty cool. They saw my bright red old truck, and just went around me.I always make it a point to stay to the right to allow faster drivers a way around me. Those Fifties trucks are okay, but you have to accept them for what they are. My ’07 F150 can easily hang with any car. New trucks are just incredible.
Nice truck, just finished my 3600. 3 years and a lot of moolah. But vary happy with results.