Bought an old chevrolet.

wilson ind

Well-known Member
Bought a one ton Chevrolet . !953 model 3800 rated. Has 18 inch by 7.00 tires on budd wheels. Son drove it home for me. Ran well about 59 miles per hour. Lots of work to do before it's dependable. Not sure how picture of rear seal on cockshutt 550 got there. do not know how to delete it/
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Seams hard to believe it can go down the road 59 mph. I had a 49 1 ton. It was really screaming at 50. Interesting place to mount the exhaust.
 
yor are correct typo 50 miles per hour. Thinking of putting brownie auxiliary transmission in drive line. 20 Per cent over, straight and 20 percent under.
 
(quoted from post at 17:14:18 03/15/18) Seams hard to believe it can go down the road 59 mph. I had a 49 1 ton. It was really screaming at 50. Interesting place to mount the exhaust.

This is a different breed but when I was a teenager I got our 49 IH KB1 up to 60 and it too was screaming. I only did it once.
 
I had a '48 Dodge farm truck once. It cruised real nice at 55, empty with the stock racks down. But-one time I was hauling a load of hogs against a strong south wind. With the stock racks up, a load of hogs, and going against the wind, I had that old gal flat to the floor and I was getting 38 mph.

Going back empty, I almost could have just left it in neutral and let the wind push it.
 
Nice old truck! The brownie would be nice if you can find one at a reasonable price. I have a 48 GMC 1 ton. You can change the gears in the rear end to get good highway speed. I put 4:10's out of a 71 3/4 ton in mine and 55-60 is not a problem. GM used the same rear axle (Eaton HO52 and HO72)from late 1947 until 1972. Look here :https://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/axles/1%20Ton%20Upgrade/

Also a couple pictures of my old truck.
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Untitled URL Link
 
Neat old truck. I'm working on a '53 Chevrolet 3800 myself. You said it had Budd wheels. Mine still has the 7 x 18 lock-ring wheels like the GMC below. What model wheels would fit my '53?
 
do not believe it is a 1953; 1952 was first year for pushbutton door handles instead of the turndown handles. 1951 was the first year for vent windows instead of one piece door windows. 1951 was the first year side vent on drivers side was discontinued. it appears you have a 1950 or earlier. here is a shot of my 52.
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GM sure sold a lot of that series trucks around here too. I've still got a couple sitting around plus a bigger 2 ton that has pretty much rusted away. This picture from last fall.
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That is same grill and door handle my 29 3600 had, that is not a 53 grill. Do not know if older parts would have fit a 53 if it had been wrecked at one time.
 
I am still driving the old 51 GMC Pickup I learned to drive when I was four years old and I am fixing to hit sixty four years . It still has the original motor in it and never has been babied either!
 
On a hill far away, sat an old Chevrolet, its fenders all battered and worn.... Anyone remember that old parody & the song it used?
 
The GMC back then had a better engine with pressure oil to the rods instead of the dippers chevy used.
 
I had a pal across the street while growing up and went fishing with him and his dad on several occasions. He had a half ton of the era, babbit bearing, hot water 6, 3 on the tree. Like others have said, at 60, which happened to be the max highway speed in Tx. at the time, that sucker was screaming. Utterly amazing how trucks have changed over the years.
 
......and the tires were bald
From all the loads that it hauled....

C'mon guys, add a few verses to 'Ode to a Chevy'

Sung to the tune of The Old Rugged Cross..
Ben
 
...but with a gallon of fuel
and a quart or two of oil
it was ready to work like a mule.

Oh how I cherished that old rugged Chev &#127926;<etc etc..>Any one else got the music in them?

Ben
 
(quoted from post at 05:11:19 03/16/18) Rusty, what model Case combine is sitting to the left
That is the remains of a 460 Case pull type combine. Parts machine that has been scavenged over the years to keep another one working.
 
Hey wilson, admiring your new truck, are you aware of the web site; stovebolt.com. I have been a member for 20 years, check out the big bolts section.
 
I have never heard the Chevrolet parody of The Old Rugged Cross; however, I know the tune well. Do you have all the words to the parody? Can you can post them as a new topic?
 
(quoted from post at 10:27:07 03/16/18) Hey wilson, admiring your new truck, are you aware of the web site; stovebolt.com. I have been a member for 20 years, check out the big bolts section.

As mentioned, lots of good info on Stovebolt.com. Plenty of tech tips and also on the forums. In addition to the Big Bolt forum for big trucks, there is a forum specifically for 1 ton trucks. Also engines, drivelines, etc.
 
The serial number plate should be on the hinge column at the drivers door. Get the serial number and plug it in on the sight below and it will tell you your year.
Vin buster
 

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