Hi everyone. I recently acquired a 49 Chevy 6100 tow truck with a running 235 and working pto winch. I plan on having a lot of fun with a crazy build and thought I'd share my progress as we go along. I realize I will be doing a lot of things that are untraditional, but I'm chasing a vision. My goal is to create a badass work of art that will also be fun to drive around town. Feel free to criticize or offer advice.
I have learned by casting number that the 235 is from 1958-1962. My truck has a 4 speed transmission and a 2 speed rear differential (that isn't hooked up right now).
Got it home and started with the first step of my color change. The previous owners choice was too much green. The end result will be a weathered blue with some green, a little white, and a lot of rust and bare metal. I'll post more pics as I get it closer to completion.
Hung the fuel kegs with rubber straps to get an idea of placement. They'll be mounted soon with steel brackets. Passenger side will have a half-tank reserve.
Looks like it had been a yard dog boom truck most of it's life. I can't digest the worn out paint look though. I've had real honest worn out paint for so long I sure would never put fake work out paint on anything and mine will never hit the streets again until it has new and shiny paint on it. Actually if that as my truck I'd find a factory wrecker bed and boom from the same era and build a real wrecker out of it and paint it up decent. It shouldn't be that hard to find a proper Holmes wrecker set up for it.
That's exactly what it was. And I usually prefer flawless paint jobs, but the body is so trashed on this and the paint was so poor that I chose to embrace it rather than fight it.
Fake is fake, patina is earned for me. But I'm on board for now. Will you be using the boom? I hope this doesn't turn into a RR turd, that'll get it booted off here. Could be a cool truck if you do it right, and for right, I mean within the confines of this site. Edit: just read your other thread again, and that answered my question, re the boom.
I'm building the way I envision it. I'm not trying for the naughty double R, but if the mods deem it so and want to delete the thread, I'll understand. It will be an untraditional build. Think Mad max meets zombie apocalypse. Everything over the top and larger than life. Like a big toy. Keeping the tow truck concept and the l6 though. My Merc build went so unnoticed, I finally stopped posting. At least this one will be fun and keep people's attention.
The term rat rod gets thrown at everything that's not finished or is in primer. I don't care at all what it's called but if someone builds a car using stop signs, bathroom door knobs, or toilet seats, strictly for shock value then I loose all interest in it and feel they are just mocking the original hot rods and customs of the past.
Dude,the shot in post#9 looks like an honest old workhorse (which the old girl rally is) don't embarrass her with fake patina, she has EARNED her dignity!
The shot in post 9 is after the paint work. I worked hard for a realistic weathered look. This will continue to be a work truck. It's not a show car like my firebird (I know. Wrong forum. Lol) or like my Merc will be when I'm finished.
Neat old trucks...... I have a 235 and 4 speed for one of them if you want .... runs good. PM me if interested. I am retiring and closing my shop and need it gone !! Be real cheap too.
Was it an old trailer moving/delivery truck? I graduated from Tyler's TJC in 84 from the Radiologic Technologist Program, and trained primarily at what was then Medical Center Hospital, now I think it's called the East Texas Hospital Foundation Hospital; lead hospital in a chain of them throughout East Texas. I lived out on Hwy 64 East, not far off Loop 323. Been a while, and I'm surprised I remember that much. I'd make a car hauler if it had a longer wheelbase. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
I've been looking at brake booster setups that fit in the stock position, and they all seem to say "for automatic transmissions". Does anyone know where a can find one to work with my truck? What does the clutch pedal have to do with my brakes?
I don't know about trucks of those years, 49-54, but the passenger cars used the master cylinder as the pivot point for the brake and clutch pedals; are you certain you're not looking at the "car" setups? OK, I looked on E-Bay and the truck setup is different than cars; they don't use the master cylinder as a pivot point for the pedals. There's not a lot of room under the floor, and with pedal linkage possibly being in the way, that may be the problem. Companies only market what they can sell; there's probably not a big enough demand for what you're after, most guys seem to be going with automatic transmissions. You may have to design and build your own starting out with a small, 7 inch or so diameter brake booster. Is there a conversion setup that uses the Hydro-Boost setup? At least those are physically smaller. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Going back to E-Bay; there are some conversions that say "for automatic trucks only", and some that make NO mention of it. The designs look different also between vendors. I'm using E-Bay as a reference only, they usually have pictures of the item, and you can get an idea from them. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Thanks, Butch. The weather hasn't been good enough to crawl under and measure. I don't really NEED power brakes...ill just be toodling around town and stuff. I jut thought I might as well get one with a booster since I had to replace the master cylinder anyway.
Check the bore size of your master before you order, the big trucks like yours usually require a larger bore than the pickups.