1948

The horn location on the intake manifold of the Chevrolet 216 six cylinder changed position with the addition of the accessory oil filter. This oil filter was attached to the front of the intake manifold. A special shaped horn bracket was necessary to move the horn forward away from the filter. This bracket was included in the box with the...

1948 Chevy Truck –“ Heartbeat of America”Owner: Luke Stefanovsky This is my 1948 Chevy 5-window deluxe ½ ton truck that I call "The Heartbeat of America". I was right place at the right time for once in my life spring 2009 when I learned the previous owner in Cadillac, Michigan was letting go of his restoration project. The unfinished truck...

Our special truck this month is a 1948 Chevrolet Deluxe ½ Ton owned and 95% restored by John Young of Alameda, California. Almost all of the restoration was done in his 2 car home attached garage. This became a 4 year project out of sight of the neighborhood while the two family cars set outside! When using the word “restoration”...

This B/W photo in 1948. Shown again 75 years later “blended” in front of the same local creamery. What a great idea combining the new and the old. 1948 2023 We recently realized our special Truck of the Month series had not featured a fire truck! How did that happen? Our reminder was seeing this very special 1948 GMC Fire...

Be careful in purchasing used Advance Design rear bumper braces! Even the seller may not know there are two different shapes. When installed incorrectly, the rear bumper will not be in the correct position. The more common rear braces are on the half ton pickup. They are designed to lower the long horizontal bumper so the tailgate can swing down...

This month we feature a quality General Motors truck still being used at it was designed. This “new” 75 year old still fulfills what the original buyer needed, to carry merchandise. It has always been used in close vicinity of southcentral Maine helping its owners in their hauling needs. This special truck is a 1948 GMC 1 ½ ton flatbed...

It will be difficult to ever top this Feature Truck of the Month! Rarely do we find a Chevrolet ½ ton so unique. It may not have been a one of a kind but in today’s world it is close to it. The truck is a 1948 Chevrolet Funeral Hearse on an all original ½ ton chassis. We discovered this...

This is one of the better examples of an Advance Design “Deluxe” pickup. General Motors offered this extra above the standard model. As extra money was limited during these years, most settled for the no frill model. After all, pickup trucks were for work duties. Spending extra income (which most did not have) was not spent by buyers that were...

Owner: Tad Shadid Combine a love for vintage vehicles plus a strong support for the “home team” and you have our Feature Truck of the Month. The pickup is a deluxe 1948 Chevy ½ ton rebuilt on its freshly powder coated frame. The exterior was carefully restored just like it left the factory except it is the official color of...

The full rear quarter panels for the 1947-55 Chevy/GMC Suburban were made all the same at the metal stamping manufacturer.  To save money these panels were not made different if the Suburban was to have the double doors or the tailgate style opening in the rear. Thus, when the Suburban was provided with a lift and tailgate combination the 4...

1948 Chevy Truck –“ Heartbeat of America” Owner: Luke Stefanovsky This was my 1st project of this sort after dreaming about it for years. I did not start the restoration, but have finished the interior, exterior, the engine bay, and performed some undercarriage work. Once starting the restoration, I was “all in”! It became a great stress-reliever from the daily...

What a unique invention. When you have a 1947 through 1959 single rear wheel 3/4 or 1 ton GM truck and need more pulling power, this is the answer. American ingenuity at its best! This new steel center hub extension includes eight long bolts to reach the original wheel studs. This holds the factory wheel in place and then provides...

It's a great day for a car show! This is one of those rare Saturday cruise shows when the temperature, a light breeze, and no rain make it a picture perfect day. A few hundred vehicles, antique and street rods, fill the parking spots gather around the old city square.

The Chevrolet dealer installed recirculator heater was much different in 1947-48. In 1946 and older plus in 1949 through 1957, they sold the traditional round core design but for 1947 and 1948 it was all different.

This is my 1948 Chevy 6100 Series, 2 ton short dump truck. I used it for remodeling business in Ledyard, CT. The truck has been in use by me for 8 years. After purchasing it, I have sought to keep her looking as original as possible. This is a long term project.

  We often get requests for a formula to make the Advance Design pickups more freeway friendly. Their original ring and pinion gears were created to make the truck's six cylinder work well with a load and also keep up with the 1950's traffic on gravel roads and two lane paved highways. Though a higher speed reproduction ring and pinion...

By January 1949 GM realized there was an engine noise in the new late 1947 Advance Design cabs that needed correction. If a truck customer complained, the dealer was given a solution by modifying a part from a Chevrolet car. The problem was engine noise entering the cab through the horizontal accelerator rod where it touched the floor hole. On...

  Among the many updates in the new Advance Design body style in 1947, one that certainly stands out, is the change in gas tank positioning. For the first time since 1936 it was placed outside the cab and under the bed. The dimensions of this 16 gallon tank were based on the limited space between the right frame-rail and...

Used only the first 1 1/2 years into this body style, these GMC grilles stand out for their different shape and very heavy duty construction. Because of it's weight of this assembly, it sets on the frame rails and is given extra support by a pair of 1 1/2 to 2 ton steel rods extended at an angle to the...

  The Chevrolet "Advance Design" gauge cluster looks much the same between 1947 and 1953, however a few differences do exist. For the perfectionist, these changes are important. In 1947-1948 the gauge needles are short (5/8 inches) and painted red. Between 1949-1953 the needles become longer (3/4 inches) and are white to match the change in the new speedometer needle...

The following article was released by GM on May 15, 1948. It was sent to all Chevrolet and GMC dealers and was to correct a problem with the location of the 1948 Brake release handle.

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.

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.

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.

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

I bought my 1948 Deluxe cab 3104 in 1995 and have done a complete on-frame "restification." Everything is stock appearing, but closer inspection will reveal the upgrades I have made in the name of safety and performance.