Jim Carter Truck Parts

  One of the most unusual and rare options for the 1947-1955 1/2 tons are 'wide running boards'. The adjacent picture is from the 1949 Chevrolet Salesman's Data Book. The photos below are of used original boards recently found at an Oklahoma swap meet. They consist of 'short' running boards as used on all flatbed ¾ and 1 ton trucks...

In upgrading the Advance Design 1947-1953 cab for 1954, GM engineers created a totally different dash assembly. It required that the radio be much smaller. With better electronic technology and no push buttons, the new 6 volt radio could be placed into the smaller space. They even placed a cardboard sheet above the '54 radio to protect it from settling...

All 1954-1955 Chevrolet/GMC trucks came from the factory with a blank-out plate to cover where the radio would be installed. As this accessory was dealer installed the plate could be removed (probably thrown away) and the new radio added.   This blank-out plate and its two special clips has become very rare in recent years. They are not being reproduced...

  As more restorers become interested in the 1954-1955 Chevrolet truck, the demand for the correct factory accessories has increased demand. Trucks during these early years were used mostly for work and many owners ordered no accessories. Even the heater was often added later. Though locating a restored or restorable factory radio is a difficult task, there is another source...

The common practice of replacing the original differential with a newer high speed assembly usually brings up another question: How do I connect the late model brake cable to the original brake system?

One of the most unusual features of the 1967-1972 series of trucks is the unique placement of the 1969-1972 Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Jimmy radio speaker. Unlike the pickup, Suburban, and large trucks; the radio speaker is not under the top of the dash. In fact, the dash does not even have grille slots to allow sound to come from...

Stainless steel bedstrips are always a nice extra when you give your bedwood a clear finish. Not only do the strips look good but they retain this attractive appearance despite long term bad weather conditions.

Push buttons were discontinued at the end of 1953 and did not reappear until 1967 Prior to 1959 radios used mechanical vibrator tubes. They would operate with either positive or negative ground. A low buzzing sound could always be heard from the tube area before the radio warmed up, once the sound began, the speaker made the buzzing difficult to...

During the Advance Design truck era, 1947-1955, most all spare tire assemblies were under the bed. Though not always convenient, this kept the extra tire away from the bed box and out of the way.

In 1940, GM began offering a slightly wider bed on their Chevrolet pickups. This width increased from about 46 3/8" to 48 1/2".

Though Chevrolet and GMC were usually close in their construction during the 1940's, they were far apart in a few areas. GMC in particular advertised some of their major differences as being steps above the competition.

  For the Perfectionist During the first half of the Advance Design years (1947-1955), GM offered a special panel truck as an option. This deluxe model was designed for a company wanting to give a more upscale appearance to their retail customers. During the era of one car families, the lady of the house looked more toward home deliveries for...

Prior to 1941 in GM pickups, the bed wood of choice was oak. The change to yellow pine occurred at this time and it was used until the end of the wood bed floors in 1987. This southern yellow pine is a hard wood and should not be confused with softer white pine.

Chevrolet and GMC cabs are basically the same during 1955-1959, however their dash boards differ. Thus, removable dash items such as guages, glove box doors, and radios will not interchange with Chevrolet. It seems it was a way GM divided the two marques using limited expense.

The demand for in-dash factory air conditioning or GM trucks greatly increased during the 1960’s. (Automobiles had this feature available since the mid 1950’s.) An under dash “box” (Cool-Pack) was available on trucks since 1958, however, this unit was dealer installed and took up much cab room especially for a third passenger.

During the beginning of the Advance Design years (1947-1949) new Chevrolet Suburbans were sold in one color combination; Channel Green (light) on the lower body and Fathom green (dark) on the upper. Unless the customer paid extra for a specific paint such as for school bus use or a commercial paint color for a company, the two tone green was...

There are few GM accessories that are more unusual and rare than this item that was seen at a recent truck show. It was offered by GMC dealers in 1958 and 1959.

When we look for rare Chevrolet truck accessories available during the late 1950's and early 1960's, few are more unusual than the Chevrolet dealer installed "Cool Pack" air conditioning system. Truck cabs were not engineered for factory air as there had been little demand for this expensive accessory. Most people didn't even have air conditioning in their homes, much less in a truck that was usually for work related jobs.

Since the introduction of GMC's first 1/2 ton pickup in 1936, there has always been a sharing of most sheet metal parts with Chevrolet trucks. This was done mostly for economic reasons. However, when possible, each of the two brands tried to make inexpensive changes to be different than the other. Some specific examples of this occurred during the Advance...

The new Task-Force truck design was introduced in mid 1955. For some reason the panel truck carried the same left tail light as the Advance Design used from 1947 through mid 1955. This is strange as the new body was designed to hold a right and left tail light.

When observing un-restored GM trucks of the 1947-1955 era, one will notice the majority of these vehicles were originally dark green. An explanation is simple. Green was their standard color! If you did not specify one of the other approximately eleven non-extra cost colors, your truck would be delivered green. The standard color of trucks had been thought of as...

Purchasing a 1947-1955 optional cigarette lighter assembly from many vendors provides you a reproduction that is far from correct. It appears an overseas manufacturer decided to offer a lighter assembly made with the currently available 12 volt base and joining it to a 1947-1953 headlight knob.

During 1940-46 the Chevrolet GMC trucks came standard with an unusual interior paint. It added a little extra appearance with minimum extra expense. This has been referred to as "Hammered Paint". While drying this paint develops a fish eye appearance. This helped make up just a small amount for no cloth door panels or related extras found on GM cars. After...

In evaluating the available paint colors on 1946 and older GM commercial vehicles, one should keep in mind the general attitude toward pickups and large trucks during that era. Unlike today, customers bought and owned trucks for work! After five o'clock and on weekends most trucks were parked and the family sedan became the driver. This relates not only to...

After seventy years, authentic car and truck restorations are very difficult. With the limited survival of the 1936 GMC (the year of the company's first ½ ton) this truck is especially difficult to restore just right. Some literature has survived but what we see is usually in black and white. The question is the grill housing color of this rare...

Serious early truck restorers often ask 'What is the interior color of the original cab sheet metal parts, versus the exterior color?' The answer for the 1934-46 trucks is simple. The removable panels from the cab interior were always the inside color. If a component was welded in as part of the cab structure, it was sprayed the exterior color...

When observing un-restored GM trucks of the 1930-55 era, one will notice the majority of these vehicles were originally dark green. An explanation is simple. Green was their standard color! If you did not specify one of the other approximately eleven non-extra cost colors, your truck would be delivered green. The standard color of truck had been thought of as...

  During the 1955-1959 Chevrolet Task-Force truck years, the panel body style remained very popular. To help sales continue to grow, a two tone paint scheme was offered. This option was used for the business customer that planned on having their logo applied to the panel. A wide band on the sides and back was painted Bombay Ivory*. This two...

  If you ever wondered about the color of the primer used by GM before the initial paint, these photos give the answer. This 1957 Chevy 1/2 ton had been polished through the paint in most areas. Of course, our question is: Why didn't they stop polishing when the primer first appeared.

The following article used by permission of the writer: Robert Hensel, Technical Advisor Coordinator for the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America.  Bob passed away several years ago but his GM truck certainly lives on! I do not know of any book that gives the engine colors for all Chevrolets. I have found it here and there in many Chevrolet letters...

Its the annual convention of the American Truck Historical Society. This year, 2010, it is in Pleasanton, California. Over 700 trucks of all sizes and makes gather at the Alameda County Fairgrounds. In a far grassy corner is a sub group of local early GMC owners. Most seem to be acquainted and use this show as a reason to renew old friendships. There are few "trailer queen" trucks in this group, just dependable daily drivers. Most owners know how to repair the occasional problems that are a part of driving a 50 year old truck.

Finding a forgotten 60 year old stored vehicle to restore is very unlikely in today's world. They have been already found and junked or are in the hands of a new owner. The most unusual exception is our feature truck of the month.

As luck would have it, I found this rare 1967 Chevrolet C30 pickup on eBay just 80 miles from home. I saw a reference to GM having built pickups with a nine foot stepside bed in an old dealer brochure. Surprised, I punched "9 foot box" into an eBay search, and this truck popped up. When I went to look at it, I knew I had to have it. I told the seller to pull it off eBay, as it was MINE!

I am glad that you have shown an interest in my pickup. It was purchased from a local theater in 1964 they used it to carry a billboard in the back. After purchase it was used to carry feed and seed on the farm. After purchase of a newer pickup my Dad's employee used it to carry fuel and supplies to a bull dozer until the engine was beginning to fail.

Now, this is just like they used to be! A 1938 Chevy 1/2 ton rebuilt, beginning with the bare frame and made to look as it was on the dealer showroom over 70 years ago.

This is my original 1952 Chevy truck with only 83.783 miles on it. The truck was sold in Rush City, Minnesota at Schneider Chevrolet, which is no longer in business. It was kept in the area by Leroy Lindstrom. I bought it at a garage sale in 2007, just the way it sits, for $2500.00. I had to redo the box wood and put on a new muffler but every thing else is original. It still has the 6 volt system, six cylinder, and three on the tree.

Hello to all! Here is our 1967 C10 with a 1993 step side bed. This is owner built with a 305 tune port 700R4 trans from a 1988 Trans Am. It has a tilt column, Dolphin gauges, billet gauge panel and glove box, classic under dash AC, hidden hitch, front and rear roll pans, Ansen wheels, and lots more.

I was volunteering for my church, working the graveyard security shift, at a fireworks tent. The 11pm-7am shift was an opportunity to visit with a couple of men from our church, share a few stories etc. We got to talking and I told my new friend I had been searching a long time for a specific, Chevy, truck...

During the 1940's and 1950's a few body companies created their own design of truck not offered by the chassis manufacturer. In this case the Campbell Co. made their own "station wagon" body to fill a need of a small number of buyers. its all wood construction and 3 or 4 side doors made a very attractive package. It was similar to the GM all metal Suburban with 2 doors.

Regular readers of this section know we tend to give credit to trucks that are the more unusual. This month is no exception.

Charlie has owned this truck for over 30 years, since he was 12 years old. He bought it with paper route money. His parents said "What are you gonna do with that truck" he said "gonna drive it". And he did just that after scraping out the oil pan and replacing the fuel tank.

What a traffic stopping combination! When this pair hits the road, even the non-truck enthusiasts take note. The proud owners are Bill and Ken Wedelaar in Midland Park, New Jersey. Bill and Ken have a local auto electric shop and the restoration of these trucks has been their hobby when time became available.

Now that our 1939 has had it's restoration completed we thought we would send you some photos of the finished product.

This 1951 GMC advance design half ton is owned by Tom Pryor of Kansas City, Missouri. Found four years ago in Clinton Missouri it was originally an Iowa farm truck. The previous owners had started a very poor attempt at restoration, sanding the old paint with little body repair then applying primer, the truck then sat in the outside elements were surface rust took over on every panel of the truck. The wood bed was rotten, electrical non-existent and field mice had taken over the interior.

Years ago when I lived in Washington State, I had a 1950 Chevrolet 3100 that I restored/rebuilt customized from the frame up. It was my hunting and fishing truck and I loved it. During a time when I was getting ready to build an addition to my house here in California, I got talked into selling my 50.

It's 1937 and the Great Depression has affected all households. Sales of new cars and trucks have dropped and most manufacturers have permanently shut their doors. The struggling survivors must add ways to stay above the level of bankruptcy.

My truck began life as a 1972 3/4 ton Custom chassis cab with a 350, heavy-duty camper suspension and four on the floor. I purchased it new in November 1971, and by February 1972, I installed a camper body on it. It remained this way until 1995 when the camper body was no longer reliable, having developed some fatal leaks causing some structural weaknesses. It was no longer practical or economical to keep it as a camper. I was faced with the dilemma of what to do with it.

* 1948 Chevrolet * 6 volt system, all original, floor starter * 1972 blazer wheels (so I could run radial tires) * Factory 4 speed

This truck has been in my family for nearly fifty years. my dad purchased it from a local GMC dealer in our hometown in western Wisconsin and we are the third owners. The truck was purchased new by the Wisconsin Dept. of Agriculture, next by a farmer in a neighboring community, and then by my dad. We used it on our small farm, hauling can milk to the local creamery, trips to the feed mill, and in the fields at planting and harvest time.

In the search for unusual trucks to place in our monthly feature, we came to a stop when we found this 1949 Chevrolet ½ ton. Though not restored original, it looks on the outside much like what would have been seen on the road in the early 1950’s.

This 1953 GMC 1/2 ton is certainly one of the more special trucks we see at today's shows. It not only is of interest to people now but would have been a definite attention getter in the 1950's. Jerry Willis of Independence, MO bought this farm truck un-restored in 1995 and is the third owner. He found it in South Missouri so it had not experienced winter road salt. It was a great candidate for restoration.

This months feature truck is one of the better examples of a correct 1957 Chevrolet Cameo. Its a limited production 1/2 ton that was sold four years in the 1950's. They are now rarely seen. GM added many extras to their 1/2 ton pickup and came up with this very deluxe truck. This "Boulevard Truck" drew customers into dealer showrooms and yet could be used by a new owner for light hauling.

Our 54 Chevy truck was won in a raffle in July, 1997. We were en-route to Cherokee, N.C. and saw a sign for a car show in Maggie Valley. So we went to the car show. Linda saw this truck and bought two tickets. They had one more show to attend and would announce the winner in August.

When I purchased the truck 3 years ago the engine had been rebuilt ( a 1960 235 inline 6) and installed and a feeble attempt had been made on the body work. The interior had to be completely de-rusted. The bed sides that came with the truck were not usable in my estimation so I purchased new bedsides, bed front and tailgate from Jim Carter.

This month we feature one of the most unique eye catching Advance Design 1/2 tons in the country. On daily runs it is a real traffic stopper. At car shows it is surrounded by curious admirers and trophies seem to be a regular occurrence.

This old girl is on her 3rd SB305 engine, hauled a ton of sand last week on the leaf springs. It has found a second life hauling the boy scout trailer around. She is equipped with leaf springs, power steering, power brakes, tilt steering wheel, Eldebrock 550 cfm electric choke carburetor, five bolt wheels, and a factory tachometer.

I purchased my 1971 Chevrolet 1/2 ton Cheyenne in the spring of 2002. My intentions were to do a patch up backyard restoration. I soon discovered that not only was it going to be a full restoration but a frame off restoration due to a lot more unforeseen rust and body damage.

Have you ever seen one of these? Few were produced, almost none have survived.

Not only is this 1937 GMC T-14 very unusual but it is one of the only remaining examples of a pure original in existence. It is a part of history and will remain un-restored.

A one of a kind truck! Yet, it is displayed regularly and is a part of local parades and drives.

This cab and early fleetside bed combination was available only during 1958 and 1959 but to get the bedside trim you had to wait with the last year. This was a time when trucks were usually bought for work and styling was far down the priority list. Therefore, one can appreciate the rarity of this month’s feature truck.

First I would like to thank all of you for great service and quality parts.

You can’t get more unusual than 1 of 1. This is how Ralph Wescott of Largo, FL describes his 1957 GMC Palomino. General Motors built only one! It was produced to draw attention to their truck display at the New York Autorama show in 1957.

Having grown up in a family that always had delivery trucks, usually sedan deliveries I have always loved trucks. The first truck I remember was a black 48 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery. Ten a 50,52,54 and than we went to wagons.

Here's a recent photo of my 1961 Chevy Apache 1/2 ton, 98% on-frame restoration. Original 235 6cyl "Blue Flame" engine, Power Glide tranny.

I found this truck in Fall City, WA and it is now in Soldotna, Alaska. I shipped the truck From Tacoma Wa to Anchorage Alaska on Totem Ocean Trailer Express (TOTE). I have driven it about 500 miles since I bought it.

During the early 1930’s the US Army strongly encouraged General Motors to develop a light weight people hauler for their military needs. GM’s answer to this is what they called a Suburban. The finished product was placed on a ½ ton truck chassis. This allowed GM to use most of the existing items from their pickup.

This truck restoration took a considerable amount of time due to the repair of a lot of body rust. Thanks to the availability of parts from your company and the skilled work at the body shop I am pleased to say that the body is all steel (no fiberglass or bondo). All of the material received from Jim Carter was correct and of good quality.

Here are some of the before and after pictures of my 1955 First Series Chevrolet Truck, complete August, 2006.

This 1951 GMC is a family original. My father bought it new from the local GMC dealer in Fort Benton, Montana and has stayed with us ever since. For years this pickup was used to drive from town, to our farm and back daily.

In Feb 2005 I purchased my 1941 Chevrolet pickup off web site DealsonWheels.com. The truck was located in Sacramento, California. I live north of Seattle so I purchased a one way plane ticket to California. Upon arrival, two days later, I finally get to see the 41, stuffed in a small garage with boxes all around.

Maych is a 1972 GMC Sierra Grande 1/2 ton pickup. He is named for my father, Martin Hamilton Patterson. I was 2 years old when my father died in an automobile accident, so I never really knew him. But for as long as I can remember, when friends or relatives spoke of my father they would always call him Maych.

I bought my 1936 GMC T-14 from the second owner in Arizona in 2003. It was restored in 1989 by the original owner who bought it in June of 1936 and the truck has been in Arizona since new until I bought and had it shipped to Florida.

A few months after the introduction of their 1954 trucks, GM announced a new model with more deluxe features. Korean was shortages were over and the average American had more disposable income. Buyers were already ordering the many options on automobiles, so General Motors knew at least a small market existed for a well appointed pickup truck.

The attached photos are of my 1949 Chevrolet Thrift Master Panel Delivery Truck. It was restored/ modified about twelve years ago but still looks pretty darn good thanks to the quality parts that Jim Carter supplies. This truck sits on a Chevelle front clip and differential.

Featured this month is a rare 65 year old truck was saved from an unknown destiny almost 35 years ago. The survival rate of this style 1940 Chevrolet pickup is very low because they are rated 3/4 ton. Heavier demands were placed on almost all non-1/2 ton pickups and most were just “used up.”

I would like to submit a picture of my 1934 Chevy 1 1/2 ton truck for your feature trucks gallery. It has been a Pennsylvania truck since new. It started life as a produce truck in Dallas Pennsylvania, about 6 miles from where we live.

I recently obtained this 69 C20 as an inheritance. The previous owner bought parts from Jim Carter Classic Truck Parts. It's all original with a 350 and automatic. I'll be redoing the interior as soon as I get previous projects complete.

I purchased my 39 Chevy in 1973 for 500$US. I drove it in original condition for several years. After 3 wives, it has been the only thing I could hold onto. I used it for wood hauling, then with a 600 gal. tank, for water, then in the 80's, it went mining with me, serving well hauling gold ore down a treacherous road.

I bought my 1938 Chevy truck at an estate sale in Lindsborg, Kansas on October 4,2002. Since that time I have performed a frame off restoration on the truck. The frame and body panels were all blasted to bare metal, and the repainted to their original colors.

I'm Sending you a picture of my husbands truck. It is a 1928 Chevrolet Parcel Delivery. He did all the restoration himself. It took about 5 years and a lot of traveling to find parts. We take in our local parades. We would like to know if you or anyone has seen a truck like this!!

I have owned this truck since 1970, using it for fun and everyday use. Jim Carter's used parts have been a life saver for this old baby. All of the restoration has been only to maintain, repair or replace with original or original-reproduction parts.

When I started this truck in 2000 the first thing I did was send for a Jim Carter catalog, after seeing the ad in Hemmings. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with the truck when I started. This was the second 1954. The first one had been wrecked and had a pieced together frame so it became a parts truck.

Article and photos by MB Johnson Holdings Pty Ltd, South Townsville Old 4810, Australia. copyright 2004 MB Johnson Holdings Pty Ltd. all rights reserved. Sergies Lucas is a 51 year old self-taught timber craftsman with vision, creativity and a passion for achieving a standard of product that has long been lost to the world through natural attrition.

This is the restored 1950 Chevy 1/2 ton, 3100 series, my grandfather bought to use on his farm. It now has just over 15K original miles with the factory Firestone's still on the truck. Everything is as it came from the dealer, with the exception of the wood in the bed, the exhaust system, and the paint.

Thanks again for the Cardinal Red paint for the wheels. Paint matched well. Thank you for your continued support and commitment to these trucks. This Cameo, before restoration, had only 32,000 documented miles. It has been quite a learning curve for me.

I bought this very clean truck from a fellow in Spring, Texas who told me he had it in his garage for nine years. He tinkered with it until he got bored and it started taking up space. He said he bought it from a man in Alvin, Texas.

1950 Chevy 3100 deluxe cab, this truck was recently refinished by CSCC this spring. Paint custom Sikkens glacier blue pearl.

This 1959 Chevy 1/2 ton step-side pickup was purchased in Santa Barbara, California from an estate containing 20+ cars and trucks. It was found sitting behind a 1955 Chevy "business coupe" with cement and old rubble in front of the garage door which had to be removed with a tractor.

Just thought I would send you a picture of my '68 Chevy pick up. Maybe you could use it in a future catalog. I bought a new wooden bed kit ,some chrome grill parts and other misc. items from your company, and the service was great!!

Hi, I thought you may be interested in my truck. The dual rear was an option and may have had a flat bed or stake sides at the beginning. I have the original owners manual that lists only one model with a 6900 lb. gross vehicle weight and it's the dual rear model.

My name is Roger Uttecht. My truck is a 1950 GMC 3/4 ton Pick-up. I did a frame up restoration on my truck over a 2 year period. I used quite a few parts from Jim Carters antique truck parts. The Website provided me with quite a bit of information about what my truck was originally equipped as well as paint colors on the engine and so forth. The truck was originally green, but I painted it to look like a 1952 Chevy Dime Bank that Harley Davidson Motor company put out in 2000.

I note the absence of GMC participation on the featured trucks so I though that I’d send in some photos of my current project: a 1953 GMC 400 series with livestock body and twin double telescoping hoist.

I got this 1957 Chevrolet truck two years a go. It was in bad shape I did a body off restoration. It has a 350 with 700 R4 , S 10 rear and Fat Man front end. With a lot of help from Jim Carter's I able to do all the work.

I hope this truck meets your approval. It is a 1954 model that is totally original. I know these trucks did not have white walls on them when they came out of the factory, but these are the original brand (B.F. Goodrich). This is actually my second 1954 Chevy pickup.

This is our 1956 Chevy 1/2 Ton pick up. We parted out an 1988 Iroc for the 305 TPI motor and 700R4 Transmission. We used 71 Camaro clip disc brakes and 72 Trans Am disc brake on the rear. This is truly, a home built HOT ROD. All design, fabrication, body work and paint were done at home, in our garage, by the owner. All handles and emblems were shaved.

Our 1946 Chevy Truck looks stock from 50 MPH or 50 feet away. My husband (Denny) did all of the fabrication and modifications and designed the chassis to comply with the air ride suspension. We moved the gas tank from under the seat to the rear of the chassis.

350 Engine 400 Transmission 9" Ford posi-track 78 Ford Mustang suspension. This truck has 1954 windows

Here is my 1956 1/2 ton Chevy. It was a three year project. The truck was a complete frame off restoration. Frame has been powder coated as well as all the suspension pieces. The engine has been bored 0.030" over, Milled the block and head to get 9:1 compression.

I bought the un-restored Suburban in 1996 from a Kansas source I found in Hemmings Motor News. It must have been home to a thousand mice for 20 years or more; most of the stuffing from the seats was above the headliner, in the glove box, in the doors, etc.