49? chevy 3600

[militarycckw]

i got this summers project today its suposed to be a 49,any tips on how to confirm that? it apears to be a long wheel base,its a 5 window and its very rusty i am thinking about using a newer modle 3/4 ton frame any thoughts about that? it will a dailly driver work truck when finished, I had originaly thought about using the original drive train but the springs are shot and i plan on pulling a trailer with it from time to time and on the interstate also 70 mph I will be posting pictures soon[

 

[Todd]

you will crowd the fenders with a newer 3/4 ton chassis. Check out my post on AD-kota, it is a 3800 on a dakota chassis.

 

[38fordtruck]

you could widen the cab but you would have to widen the hood and the grille if you plan on runing them too

or you could do as todd said and put a dakota chassis under it s-10 chassis are popular too but about any small truck should work well im using a toyota chassis because it was free and its fully boxed

 

[Sam_Fear]

Or you could just widen the fenders. But Todd is right, the track width is wider on newer full size trucks.

Post a pic and you will quickly get an answer to what year it is. Did you get a title?

 

[militarycckw]

i plan to start hunting a frame this week i will be mesuring wheel base and width not sure what i will find,availabilty will play a big roll in what i use,i have thought about widening the fenders,also i might be able to come up with some 2 ton fenders if they are wider and will bolt on

 

[militarycckw]

here are a few pictures of my truck when i got it to the shop,it was parked in the woods for 30 or 40 years,notice the tree growing between the bed and cab.the engine still turns over.the man i got it from said his father bought it for 50$,he gave it to me for free said he would like to see something done with it,he also has 4 ford trucks in similar condition from 48 to 53,a ford cab over coe ,and two 45 modle chevy 4x4 army trucks same as what i built my first rat from,i have pictures of all the trucks on my cell ph i will get them posted later this week,these trucks are not for sale and he will not scrap them because they were his fathers trucks[

 

[ratchet041]

too bad you live so far away i am pulling my cab and bed off my truck putting it on a tube chassis. probably could make it work on yours it has a camaro sub frame and rear end in it. its the truck in my profile pic.

 

[Tripper]

Very nice 5-window... keep us posted!!! Mine had the starter button on the floor... I always dug that!

BoB

 

[BruceR&C]

Looks like either a 49 or 50. Door glass is one piece, crotch cooler vent, pull down door handles. Those went away in 51. Prior to 49 the gas tank was under the bed. 49 was 1st year for it being in the cab. Hope this helps you out a bit.

 

[militarycckw]

the starter button is in the floor wished i could keep it that way,and thanks for the other info bruce that narrows it down to a 49 or 50 , i originaly thought about chopping the top but am having second thoughts on that i think i am going to leave the top leave he fenders on clean driverain clean interior and leave mother natures paint job on the outside , that should have me on the road in may,my other rat i went extreem on everything i wouldnt do it any other way but i am looking forward to some thing a bit milder for a daily driver[

 

[Shea Laking]

That tree sure made itself at home!

Yes, I'd say it's a '49 or '50.

1951 was a year of "first and last"-First year of vent windows, last year of turn-down door handles. Makes '51 the ONLY year those two features cohabited.

If you wanted to run a newer fullsize chassis under it, you could try swapping the front clip out for one off of a 1 1/2 or 2 ton truck-they are both wider and a bit longer than the 1/2 to 1 ton.

I'd like to recommend a link:

www.stovebolt.com

The Advance Design Chevy trucks are quite popular and you will find mucho info about them over there, along with many people who've "been there, done that."

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Shea

 

[ratrodz]

i wonder if you could run 1 ton wheels on the front of the newer 3/4 ton frame that would make width narrow enough.

 

[Todd]

Does it still have the VIN plate in the door? You could run those numbers on the Stovebolt website and know for sure. Mine was a June '49 build in the Janesville Wisconsin plant.

 

[militarycckw]

thanks for all the info i will be checking out the stovebolt web site,and i will look into the one ton wheels on the 3/4 spindles,i think they might rub the brake caliber or some thing but i will check,i know of a couple of 2 tons setting i will also check if they are available for parts,also i will check the doors for the vin, I removed the front clip and the bed going to try to pull the cab tomarrow if its not raining,thanks again[

 

[militarycckw]

finished disassembling the truck today,its abit discoraging the amount of rust i have found,i like the surface rust but i have some major rapair to do around the bottom door hinge on both sides and another area i am concerned about is the seam where the back of the roof meets the back of the cab,i will replace the floor first then i will repair the rest,i plan to leave as much of the patina and surface rust on the outside but repair or replace any rust that afects the structural stregth of the cab,I plan to use rust killer or rustoleum under the cab and on the inside of the doors and in side body chanels,it will be preservation not restoration[

 

[Snake Farm]

Cool truck man! I swear if it were mine I'd try to leave the tree stump in it Talk about a conversation piece

 

[militarycckw]

Cool truck man! I swear if it were mine I'd try to leave the tree stump in it Talk about a conversation piece

thanks i had to remove the stump it was only atatched to a thin peice of rusty metal between the running board and bed I am saving it just not on the truck,got several pictures of it ,i was looking at it today thinking about what i could make out of it thought about a display telling about the truck and some before pictures it still has the peice of metal in it thanks again

 

[Shea Laking]

finished disassembling the truck today,its abit discoraging the amount of rust i have found,i like the surface rust but i have some major rapair to do around the bottom door hinge on both sides and another area i am concerned about is the seam where the back of the roof meets the back of the cab,i will replace the floor first then i will repair the rest,i plan to leave as much of the patina and surface rust on the outside but repair or replace any rust that afects the structural stregth of the cab,I plan to use rust killer or rustoleum under the cab and on the inside of the doors and in side body chanels,it will be preservation not restoration[

Unfortunately, the rust-out in the two areas you mentioned are VERY common on these trucks. There are repair panels commercially available to fix the lower hinge mountings. You may want to take the front fenders off (if they're not already) and take a closer look up in the lower area in front of where that hinge panel sits-also look at the inner kick panel. Once rust starts on one of these pieces, it seems to migrate to the others.

Unfortunately, with regards to that seam between the roof and cab back panel under the window-I don't believe there are any commercially available patches for that. You'll be in the world of "fab it yourself" to fix that.

Keep pluggin' away and you'll get there. I LOVE your idea for the tree-stump show display, BTW.

Regards,
Shea

 

[militarycckw]

i got a 86 half ton frame to pick up this week end,i am going to frame the floor structure with 1in square tube, i will raise it about 3 or 4 in so that the cab will set deeper on the frame once i get the floor framed in i will tackle the door hinges and rocker pannels than i will go after the seem, i hope to come from the inside sand blast what i can,paint the seam with rust kill than than fill it with seam sealer,as for the width of the axles i am going to start with wheels that set in as far as posible,than widen the fenders if nessicary.thats my plans for now i am sure they will change 3 times before i am finished[.it will be a few weeks before i get all my parts and materials together,this weekend i need to finish the front brakes on my other rat i have been getting it around on only rear brakes,taking it to a show on the9th,than a cruize in the next week end thanks

 

[earthman]

I like you plan to repair only the rust out damage and leave the patina.