Jim Carter

I bought my truck from a guy in Illinois. It was halfway done and I completed it. I put the tires and wheels on it, rebuilt the motor and transmission, put all new chrome bumpers on the front and rear and new mirrors. The motor is a 350 Corvette with a 280 Comp cam, Keith Black pistons , and a 750 Carter carburetor.

I have a 1954 Chevy Pick-Up Truck which I bought and restored in Brazil, using a lot of parts I imported there, from Jim Carter Antique Truck Parts. This was about 5 years ago. Today this truck is in Miami, where I have moved from Brazil. It is my everyday car and everybody loves it.

Hello Jim: My name is Paul McGarr and I bought my "1951 GMC" in 1994. I always wanted one because my dad had a 50 Chevy 5 window when I was a youngster. Originally I wanted to buy a Chevy 5 window but could not find one in half decent shape.

This month's featured truck is a prime example of how an early Chevrolet Fleetside appeared when new. Few near 100 point restorations of GM's early fleetsides exist today, so this little truck is a real attention getter. Looking at this like new pickup is as if going back in time. It is even painted the original Galway green, so popular during the late 1950's.

It took me 3 years to rebuild this truck from scratch. I did all the work myself, painting, body work, and mechanical (even restored the radio), all with the help from the folks at Jim Carter. This truck is original except that I substituted a 235 (disguised to look like a 216), converted it to 12 volts, put in an alternator, and used walnut for the bed. This was my first restoration and, thanks to the folks at Jim Carter Antique Truck Parts, I can't wait to do the next one!

I bought my truck several years ago and have been using Jim carters for parts since then. We bought the disc brake kit from you as well as the wood for the bed, and a few other parts here and there. The truck has a 350 Chevy motor power disc brakes with a 79 olds cutlass rear end. We have won two second place trophies so far. I still have a ways to go though.

This is my 1946 GMC 1/2 ton pickup. It is designated Model EC-101. I purchased this truck two years ago from the man who restored the truck with the exception of the bed. He had built a wooden bed from pressure-treated pine. Fortunately, he had the original metal bed, which has its original all-metal floor; and it was in surprisingly good condition. I had a body shop sand blast the bed and my local vo-tech school did the paint work. I was given several old Jim Carter Truck Parts catalogs with the truck and found out quickly that Jim Carter is an amazing resource for owners of these trucks. I purchased the rear fenders from Jim Carter and they are clearly the best fiberglass parts I have ever seen.

I bought this 1946 Chevy truck after it had served for many years in the Bell Telephone System, the prehistoric internet that Bell Labs would later upgrade. After helping with the creation of the net, the truck was in pretty sad shape. The guy I bought it from had overhauled the 216 motor and was starting a restoration but wanted to sell it. Unfortunately, he had no antifreeze in the water, and, when we started it up as we were discussing the sale on a January day after a cold snap, it formed a boiling cloud of steam from the exhaust and a river flowing down the street from a geyser spewing out a crack in the side of the block. We discounted the price to $150 and my dad and I towed it home.

This month we feature a very special truck. It is no doubt one of the few pristine examples of a pure 1952-1953 Chevrolet 1/2 ton in the U.S. today.

I bought my '1951 GMC in '1991 and like many people, eventually I found my way to Jim Carter's shop door...or more correctly his catalog and mail order business. At that time, his catalog was just being updated which is still the case! It's constantly being updated. I wish that I had all my old Jim Carter catalogs to go back and look at them because of what is now available versus what was not available from the catalog then. Trust me, the catalog is a LOT thicker now. He used to go from '1934-'1959 in one catalog! Actually I think his first catalog was from '1934-'1972.

My truck is a 1966 GMC three quarter ton pickup with a short Fleetside bed. This truck came to me with the original factory build sheet showing a build date of 6-6-66, and factory equipped with the optional 351 cubic inch V-6, turbo 400 transmission, power steering, power brakes, 4.10 locking rear end, heavy duty springs, and custom cab. It was originally a two-tone truck, green and white, but I had it repainted a 1973 Cadillac color, Sage Metallic. It has just over 50,000 actual miles on it. I've owned it for about 5 years. I bought it from a neighbor who had bought it at the estate sale of the original owners about a year before. It was in great shape - no rust and no dents.

This section of our website gives honor to those Chevrolet and GMC trucks which earn their place by performing various duties. It is not limited only to larger trucks. Both large and small trucks, through the years, have provided continued service for their owners. They have towed, hauled, advertised, delivered, used as the family car, and even been a home away from home.

This is a very informative section for those that enjoy hands-on re-building and find interest in the work that goes into a full ground-up restoration. Pictures will usually show the vehicle prior to disassembly and then various views of the rebuilding procedure. Sometimes, if the truck is being currently rebuilt, we will add pictures to show the progress.

If you have purchased parts from Jim Carter Truck Parts to restore your truck, we are ready to accept your photos and narrative about your restoration. Please click here to submit your photos along with your story about your truck restoration and or repair project.

In the U.S., at least during the 1930's through much of the 1950s, money was a scarce commodity. Times were tough for most Americans. For many, paying someone to work on their truck or car was not an option. If you owned a vehicle, you or a close friend often became the mechanic. Out of necessity, home remedies were invented using everyday household equipment. We hope you will find it interesting to see some of the repair techniques used by your grandparents during a different economic time.