barn find 49 1-ton

[clemdaddy]

never been on this side of the forum before... mostly hang out with the 60-66 guys but i found something last weekend that i think is pretty rare.
its a 49 1 ton pickup with a 9' bed but the rare part is the cab and clip are 5 window custom deluxe with a deluxe heater. now what farmer would want such a fancy farm truck?

so what do i do?

1. leave alone and get it running for the rareness of it.
2. put the cab and clip on a 1/2 ton frame and get a short bed for it.
3. put a more conventional factory flat bed with short running boards on it and maybe dual rears.

those are the longest running boards i've ever seen and check out the curved panels between the boards and the bed.

[justplainray]

I would vote for "Preserve/Restore"
and this is from a guy that can't leave anything as is.
IMHO
justplainray

[Southcity]

X2 - preserve/restore

[FFredo]

I kow it's only my opinion but I'm going with clean it, drive it, repete as needed.

[special-K]

I say preserve it,too. There were so many short bed 1/2 tons,there's still plenty to toy with. I have hot rod blood,yet always appreciated originals and especially trucks. They are such a part of US working history. I always figured to satisfy all my interests I'd preserve a 3/4t or 1t and hot rod a 1/2t...Not that I don't hope to see some of those preserved,too.

[MrTucker]

as a preserver/restorer myself, I say just fix it up.

That being said, dont confuse rare with valuable. I have an ultra rare truck, but it's not much more valuable than non-automatic restoration.

[salvo]

Preserve and enjoy!

Lets see a picture of the deluxe heater. I finally found one for my 54 and rebuilt it. Great little heaters.

[55metalmonkey]

IMO
if it's mostly complete and hasn't had 50+ years of hack work done to it restore it and enjoy it.
I would have done a full resto on my 55 if it was a good candidate for it (wasn't )
looks like it's a solid truck, congrats!

[mr48chev]

I'm well known as the guy who says that anyone can restore a truck but it takes a real man to cut one up. This time around though I think that one needs and deserves to be restored to original showroom condition.
1. It actually is a rare version of these trucks and I don't remember seeing another one just like that either in person or in photos.
2. The truck looks to be in great shape to begin with and doesn't look like it got abused like most old farm trucks. Most likely that was the owners pride and joy for a number of years and while it got worked it didn't get abused like so many of them did.

If the bed was all beat to hell and torn up and the frame was suffering from extreme use and abuse along with having scab welds all over it I'd say do the swap around thing but this time I say restore it as it already is a bit special and should be an oh wow truck when it's done.

[cayoterun]

Fix it up to a driver, then enjoy it while you improve on the resto. It's a keeper for sure.
Great find.
Cayoterun

[OrrieG]

Clean it up and drive it.

[clemdaddy]

[QUOTE=salvo;4776551]Preserve and enjoy!

Lets see a picture of the deluxe heater. I finally found one for my 54 and rebuilt it. Great little heaters.

not sure if you can make it out or not but between the spokes of the steering you'll see a little blue emblem. thats the only difference i see. same shape just a emblem on the round raised area of your heater. will get a better pic tonight.

i appreciate everyones advice to restore and drive... thats the plan.

[STEVE60]

I like the short beds, but that is a cool looking truck. Put some wood sideboards and a old tailgate, that would make me even more envious of you.
Steve

[VWBeamer]

Yea, it's cool as is.

Originally Posted by FFredo

I kow it's only my opinion but I'm going with clean it, drive it, repete as needed.

[special-K]

Great parade truck and most likely movies and advertising.

[55metalmonkey]

As much as I hate to say it, some people try very hard to fake/ paint on all years of patina you have there. If you like the "as found" real patina look there is nothing wrong with just making it a runner and driving it.

[Dan Bowles]

Drive it. While you're at it, tell me what the front rims are. I am going to buy a '47 3 window this weekend (hopefully) that is in similar condition other than it has a junk seat and a GMC 248 in running condition. I want to put some good tires on it, though, she's running a front pair of splits and a rear pair of 16.5"s.

Love that truck and don't cut up that bed or running board fillers. They are hard to come by. A real long bed is 9'!

[clemdaddy]

[QUOTE=Dan Bowles;4780215]Drive it. While you're at it, tell me what the front rims are.

they are 16.5 in size but not originals. later i think. i'm looking for a match to the rears and then i need tires also... need a place that changes exploding rims too.

[clemdaddy]

[QUOTE=MrTucker;4776520]as a preserver/restorer myself, I say just fix it up.
That being said, dont confuse rare with valuable.

man you nailed it... the truck has much more value as a 1/2 ton. the cab and front metal is in great shape and should be mated to a black patina short bed. i just got a 54 1/2 ton frame with all the drive train, so this will be the new backbone.

anybody out there interested in the 1 ton frame and the 9' pickup bed or other related parts... just let me know.

sorry to those purists out there and i appreciate the input but its a done deal.
i will post progress...

[reinmeister1951]

I just bought a similar truck, 1ton 3 window long box. It was a long term resto mod project that the owner didn't live long enough to finish it.
The problem being that even with disc brakes & power steering it still feels like you are driving a 63 year old 1 ton truck. My vote is to cut it up slam it and make a short box. If you don't want to drive it why have it.
Doug

[tantrumpipeline]

well it's a what would you do thread right? I see why everyone wants a restoration as it's in great shape, but it's a 5 window? these are the coolest hot rods going, 1/2 ton and bagged, 5.3l and all the bells and whistles

[clemdaddy]

and they say lighting doesn't strike twice.
just when decisions were made about the 1-ton... a guy shows up with a similar truck thats been in a shed for 20 years. i got to go look... and i had to buy.
this one has great floors and a straight body. the farmer needed a dump truck so he made one and didn't do too bad a job of cobbing it up. now theres 2 at our place and i'm hoping 3rd time will be the charm.

still its a 5 window with good sheetmetal... lots of promise.