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From plaid upholstery inserts to an original 350 Turbo, this Feature Truck is worth a second go-around! For this month’s feature truck we combine the talents of Linda and Doyle Groat, both loving older GM vehicles, and the discovery that they owned a very rare 1972 Chevrolet Suburban Highlander. This mix has resulted in their great memories among the special...

Whether it was dealer-suggested or just to copy the car production, a change occurred in 1953. To help lower engine noise inside the truck cabs, the back of the accelerator pedal was changed. Instead of the metal accelerator to the rod from the engine to the metal foot pedal in the cab, the construction was changed. The metal horizontal rod...

As it is today. When Kevin first bought it. This Feature Truck of the Month is a very attractive, almost 75-year-old 1953 Chevrolet ½-ton. It looks very above average! Only a person who is very knowledgeable about this series of the older Chevy pickup would know it has something special out of sight. This can cause the driver to get...

As an early truck enthusiast, Ray Geweke found this rare 1938 Chevy ¾ ton pickup near Fargo, ND, and pulled it to his Wisconsin home in 1981. Its total restoration was begun many years later! Ray had time to find many new original parts and made it look like it did when new about 88 years ago! There were major...

The 1946 to early 1947 trucks had been carry-overs from the pre-war 1941 design. General Motors wisdom knew not to offer redesigned vehicles immediately after the war. They understood sales would be great (often a 6 month wait) so why not use pre-war tooling and sell the older 1941 trucks and title them 1946? GM waited and enjoyed the income...

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...

Setting in Fresh Snow after the Restoration Keep it in the family! You do not find many over 65 year old pickups that were bought new by the father and today the proud owner is his son. (This is now Milt Packard of Hampstead, North Carolina.) Its appearance was kept almost identical as new during Milt’s major restoration in 2014...

For the GM truck perfectionist! Just in case you like to read about the GM truck’s fine details, here is one! The die cast part of the window crank-up handles were near identical for almost 20 years. After all, it was a truck. During these years, most customers bought them for work duties. The occasional changes were in their small...

This month’s GM Feature Truck is the only one in existence because it was hand built from so many pre-existent GM parts. There were no beginning rules to go by! If it gave great eye appeal and would fit together safely, it was a candidate for this final “one of a kind” creation of a General Motors Truck. The proud...

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...

As trucks were primarily for work during the Advance Design years, the use of elaborate factory wheel decoration was out of the question. The object was to produce a quality work vehicle at a competitive price. Adding extras to a standard truck raised the cost and added nothing to its hauling ability. Basic chrome moon type hub caps were installed...

For this month’s feature truck, we present a very special and extremely rare pickup. Few have survived after almost 90 years! It was the year that GMC, the big truck branch of General Motors, introduced their first ½ ton pickup. Here is this special truck, a 1936 GMC ½ ton pickup. Maybe this 1936 is why there are light weight...

In the concern for safety, many decide to replace their original single chamber master cylinder for a duel system, but they want to keep their factory front and rear drums. (The duel chambers were required by federal law on all new vehicles about 1966.) A current new duel chamber cylinder allows your front or rear brakes to operate if either...

As most of our readers know, for this series, we look for trucks that are the more unusual. For this month, we found a vehicle that is correct for this category!  Here is almost a “one of a kind” early 1947 Chevrolet Suburban. (Yes, there was an early and late body design for this year.) Here is an example as...

Bill’s son and new owner, Mike Vavrina It’s amazing what a person can do to a 1971 Chevy C-10 ½ ton 6 cylinder, 3 speed column shift, drive to work many, many, many years and later change its total personality. It’s only possible if its owner has major mechanical skills plus some disposable income saved back with this project in...

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”...

A very unique year for General Motors trucks. This was a split year! Two different body styles were displayed at different times at the dealerships. They are referred to as the 1955 First and 1955 Second Series. Why did this happen? Many have said: It is easy, Follow the Money! With limited changes in Chevrolet cars since 1949, it was...

We hope this article provides you with interesting data on one of the rarest early Chevrolet ½ ton trucks. They are a part of our country’s history during the 1930’s through the mid 1950’s. These little ½ tons ( with only a seat for the driver), provided a convenient method of selling groceries and related items to residential neighborhoods that...

After 25 years providing the Feature Truck of the Month series, we have found this beautifully restored 1937 Chevrolet ½ ton nicely dressed for Christmas. The proud owner is Janna Chevalier of Bellingham, Washington (about 20 miles from the Canadian border). She purchased the pickup from the owner of a Texaco Service Station in her town. This person had given...

There is almost no similarity between these two trucks in regards to their light switch and pull knobs. The only item even close is the color of their pull knobs. The following shows the big difference.  Chevrolet 4" Rod Complete GMC 2 1/2 " Rod Complete

Its 1947! A 14 year old Burt Fulmore thinks of a method of getting to school each day from his home in the small town of Economy to Bass River, Nova Scotia Canada, seven miles away. (This island province in eastern Canada is 450 miles above the US most northern state of Maine). He knows his father’s 1937 panel truck...

For the “real” perfectionist After our 44th year, Jim Carter Truck Parts uncovered a big surprise! Facts: Recently, a person came to our lobby offering 10 used ¾ ton hub caps, hoping credit would be offered against a future parts purchase. One of these hubcaps was a real attention getter. We thought it never existed! Because of this, an article...

It’s 1966 and the new requirement of the US Department of Transportation becomes law. This requires all new cars and pickups to be equipped with backup lights. Though this may have been for safety (warning a passing vehicle that a backing vehicle is in reverse mode) it created extra expense for vehicle manufacturers. Those that had already designed their future...

Owner: Ed Brouillet It’s 1935! With the encouragement of the US Army, the first Chevrolet Suburban is introduced. The Army wanted an enclosed vehicle to carry officers with a driver at their military bases. Of course, it would be a boost to Chevrolet for people to see they were doing so well during the Great Depression that they could even...

With the introduction of any new vehicle, sometimes corrections must be quickly made that were missed during their design. We discover that even the more knowledgeable followers of the Advanced Design pickups and big trucks are not aware there were two different designs of “door handle remotes”. Generally Unknown Fact: The 1947-48 the doors, were opened by pushing the inside...

During a local truck show in the summer of 2021, several from Jim Carter Truck Parts noticed a very special deluxe 1972 Chevrolet Suburban. It certainly stood out among the nicer vehicles in this well attended show. It is owned by Linda Grout of Chouteau, Oklahoma. You can read more on this Suburban in our feature Truck of the Month...

In the 20 years of our Feature Truck of the Month series, we look for commercial vehicles that are different and are rarely seen at any truck or car show. This month’s vehicle fits exactly in this category. It is the only one of its kind in the world! This large Chevrolet truck is a 1950 COE (cab over engine...

Few owners of these years of Chevy/GMC trucks have any idea that a hidden adjustment door plate is built behind the actual door striker plate. Unless you read the owner’s manual that was in the glove box when the truck was new it is unknown. Check the attached photos: The back side of the striker plate has about 13 horizontal...

What an excellent example of how General Motors saves tooling cost in pickup production. Not cars! Over one million ½ ton hub caps were produced in these three years. Their tooling for Chevy and GMC was almost the same. ONLY the small red logo in the center was added with a different stamping. Another example:  New Truck buyer’s wants are...

Jim Carter Truck Parts, in our Feature Truck of the Month series, we try to find examples that are just a little different. This month’s 1941 Panel truck certainly fits in this category! Jeff Stires of Conway, Arkansas is the proud owner and builder of this unusual ½ ton Panel truck. At first glance, it appears to be another great...

There seems to be controversy on the GM Original pickup bumper guards being the same for all six years. We at Jim Carter Truck Parts can only assume the rumor became strong when only the 1967-70 all chrome plated bumper guards were available. Waiting customer’s with 1971-72 pickups could only obtain the 1967-70 design so this is what they used...

This is what we at Jim Carter Truck Parts (with 41 years’ experience) have learned about these very popular grilles.  Here is some grille bar data that many followers of the famous Advance Design trucks should find of interest.  This can be very important for a person on a hunt for a restorable grille. During your restoration of a ½...

This month’s feature is the earliest NAPCO accessory equipped truck in existence! So far no one has been able to prove otherwise. That is quite a compliment due to the large following of these aftermarket 4x4 trucks. As the author of this article, Jim Carter of Jim Carter Truck Parts, I became telephone friends of the owner of this 1951...

In our July 2022 Feature Truck of the Month, we noticed an approximately 7” x 7” metal plate covering a square hole in the center floor board of the 1936 Chevrolet Panel Truck. This vehicle looks almost untouched in regards to changes over the years. It was used for light weight deliveries as most panel trucks were purchased to do...

How rare!  Most invoices were discarded soon after the purchase!  This shows the day of the sale of a 1958 Cardinal Red Cameo as first purchased November 16, 1957.  It is now owned by Kevin Rantuccio in Florida in 2021.  The original invoice was included with the sale.

Our feature Truck of the Month Series is well known for the very unusual. So, here we go again! Cameos of the mid-1950’s are now rarely seen, however this example was even quite unusual when you could place an order at the Chevrolet dealer 65 years ago. Not only is it one of the country’s top unrestored Cameos, it has...

And The 1960 That Made It All Happen This month’s Feature Truck is almost never seen among restored vehicles in today’s world. Because it is a ¾ ton, it was bought for work duties on the farm or hauling merchandise for a company. There was almost no concern in keeping it nice for a future generation. Actually, prior to the...

Most of us that appreciate seeing older trucks soon learn that the range of condition has several levels. All are great to see on the road as a daily driver as well as one that rarely leaves the garage. Owners usually find their “comfort level” of what they want in their old truck combined with the finances they want to...

For this month’s feature truck we combine the talents of Linda and Doyle Groat, both loving older GM vehicles, and the discovery that they owned a very rare 1972 Chevrolet Suburban Highlander. This mix has resulted in their great memories among the special older vehicles owned, their restoration experiences, attending many car/truck shows, and now owning and learning about this...

Prior to WWII rubber was not of quality to withstand continual contact with petroleum based lubricants. Because it had never existed, the auto and truck factories used the materials available. An excellent example of this is grease seals used in early vehicle suspension shackles. These seals hold the grease to remain around the horizontal pins after a pressure gun has...

After over 30 years of General Motors using the standard stepside bed for their pickups, a major addition was introduced as an accessory in 1958. It was referred to as a Fleetside. Our Feature truck this month shows this new size pickup bed. Yes, the standard stepside remained as the most popular bed, however as the new Fleetside began to...

Thirty six years by the same owner! Mike Odom of Kingston, Illinois purchased this 1938 Chevy 3/4 ton at a farm auction about 1985 for $1275.00. Why? It was the beginning of the pickup craze in the U.S. that still is alive and well. Mike wanted an older pickup long before he had the money to buy one, much less...

Check out our Featured Truck Restorations, Repairs and Customizations from some of our customers. Many of the parts were provided by

About 5 years ago Steve and Cynthia Brouker of Lee, Massachusetts got an idea they wanted an old Chevy truck. Just one of many that have made early pickups about the most popular vehicle now collected and restored in the U.S.A. As most current pickup owners, the Broukers did not require a trailer queen for shows but rather a very...

2014 ARTICLESMODEL YEARMODEL MAKEOWNERSDecember 20141962Chevrolet 1/2 Ton 4×4Nelson GoodNovember 20141941Chevrolet COEEarl BurkOctober 20141952Chevrolet UTEJohn SmithSeptember 20141950GMC 1 Ton PickupJohn LesmeisterAugust 20141954Chevrolet 3/4 TonTerry MillsapJuly 20141950COEKent ZimmermanJune 20141946Chevrolet Panel TruckJim WintersMay 20141935Chevrolet ½ TonRichard WrightApril 20141942Chevrolet 1½ TonHerman PfauterMarch 20141949Chevrolet ½ TonRandy PriebeFebruary 20141948Chevrolet ½ TonTad ShadidJanuary 20141946Chevrolet ½ TonPaul Owsley 2013 ARTICLESMODEL YEARMODEL MAKEOWNERSDecember 20131950’sCars of CubaAnonymousNovember 20131958Chevrolet CameoAnonymousOctober 20131969C-10...

2008 ARTICLESMODEL YEARMODEL MAKEOWNERSDecember 20081937GMC TrailaboutRon LoosNovember 20081972Chevrolet ¾ TonEdward EckelOctober 20081948Chevrolet ½ TonRoger DarrowSeptember 20081940Chevrolet ½ TonJohn BuhrAugust 20081949Chevrolet ½ TonSteve JonesJuly 20081953GMC ½ TonJerry WillisJune 20081957Chevrolet CameoKen McCartyMarch/April/May 20081954Chevrolet ½ TonAngus McDougald and Linda ChallandFebruary 20081941Chevrolet ½ TonJeff LewisJanuary 20081955Chevrolet ½ TonMarty Bozek 2006 ARTICLESMODEL YEARMODEL MAKEOWNERSDecember 20061946Chevrolet COEJim FasslerNovember 20061935Chevrolet SuburbanEd BrouilletOctober 20061964Chevrolet ½ TonGene SatterfieldSeptember 20061955Chevrolet...

With the introduction of the new 1955 GMC Blue Chip trucks. (Chevrolet used the name “Task Force.”) The GMC Truck Division made their statement with changes that were different in many ways than their Chevy competitor. Much of the sheet metal was identical to Chevrolet but there was just enough changes that allowed them to be a market and stand...

2002 ARTICLESMODEL YEARMODEL MAKEOWNERSDecember 20021955Chevrolet ½ TonKeith GunnOct/Nov 20021963GMC ½ TonGary AmelingSeptember 20021953GMC ½ TonClyde TreserAugust 20021951Chevrolet ½ TonDave Hinegardner & Billie HeatonJuly 20021935Chevrolet ½ TonJim JohnstonJune 20021953Chevrolet ¾ TonDennis OlandMay 20021954Chevrolet ½ TonRudy ParmenterApril 20021950Chevrolet ½ TonMark DeMonacoMarch 20021941Chevrolet ½ TonTom BollingerFebruary 20021969Chevrolet ½ TonDanny CurranJanuary 20021954Chevrolet ½ TonJ.A. Ceschin 2001 ARTICLESMODEL YEARMODEL MAKEOWNERSNov/Dec 20011951GMC ½ TonPaul McGarrSept/Oct 20011959Chevrolet...

There are two electric wires to the intake manifold mounted horn in the mid-1930's. They are protected by a zinc plated conduit between the two horn contacts and where they connect to the main wiring harness beside the six cylinder Chevy engine. 207 Engine 1934-36 The 1936 and earlier 207 engine manifold does not have a connection for the conduct...

In our 20 years posting Featured Truck series we have only listed one 1938 Chevy USA made ½ ton. (November 2009) The 1938 Chevy trucks are much rarer than the other two years in this series, the 1936 and 1937. This is due to 1938 labor strikes that at times stopped production in most of the GM plants. It was...

Our Featured Truck of the Month (a 1972 Chevrolet Cheyenne Super) is the final year of this classic body design. It has never lost its popularity! The 1967-72 GM pickups are the ultimate result. GM began the transition of a farm truck to some luxury trucks in 1955 with the introduction of the Chevrolet Cameo. This was GM’s test to...

In the family so many years! This little ½ ton spent most of its life in North Carolina where it was first used on a farm and did the required hauling duties. Now owned by Stephen Caudill of Wichita Kansas about 6 months ago. He purchased it from a family member in North Carolina after the immediate owner had passed...

About 4 years ago Jim McCoy of La Fontaine, Indiana attended the area’s largest car and truck show in this part of Indiana. The Dave Kunkel Cruise in occurs annually and has grown to be the largest the state. Jim is a regular and always reserves the day to be a part of it. It was love at first sight...

Featured Truck of the Month 2019 starts off with a bang! We are offering a different way of showing this special truck. We hope you enjoy the video, background music and the detailed description as much as we did putting it all together. This Advanced Designed Suburban was rebuilt by Mike and Tyler Chance a father/ son team devoted to...

             Beside the beach Louie Hinojosa of Bakersfield, CA has been a car and truck enthusiast since his high school days in the mid-1960’s. He had a 1955 Chevy two door hardtop ready when he was of driving age. This was his daily driver for many years. He learned so much on how to keep...

Yes, you can create a 1950’s show truck at home, however it requires a basic mechanical attitude, enthusiasm, tools and of course a garage or work shed. This little ½ ton now looks about like when it was in the dealer’s show room 60 years ago. It left its home garage only once during its three year ground-up restoration. The...

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...

During the mid-1950’s General Motors begin seeing the trend of increased demand for 4 wheel drive trucks. Not to miss a good opportunity they decided to offer this option in 1957. As it would require several years to develop their own 4x4 system plus the back road testing, GM “temporarily” used the best of the pre-existing systems. They bought kits...

Jim Winter’s 1941 Panel Truck As an aid to delivery drivers working after dark, GM provided an overhead “reading light” on the headliner bow between the front seats. (Same place with or without the accessory right side seat) Its on-off switch is on the wood plank panel metal protector at the left of the driver’s shoulder. CARGO LIGHT: Because only...

It is rare that we see a transformation that has occurred like this 1951 Chevrolet ¾ ton pickup. It was changed from being a parts truck to a national show winner among some very stiff competition.  It has become a step above the quality on the day it left the dealership 65 years ago.  The owner, Dr. Fred Young of...

Owner: David Griffin Suddenly, while moving with traffic, directly in front of our vehicle on a major interstate highway, was a very attractive 1969 Chevrolet ½ ton short bed pickup. We also watched other drivers and we could see it was certainly an eye catcher to them. The biggest surprise was that it was soon parking in the same building...

Owner: Colin Carvolth  If you are a person that has followed our Feature Truck of the Month series you know we try to find GM trucks between 1934 and 1972 that are just a little different. Their criteria are they should have a different flair in some area that makes them almost a one of a kind! Therefore, even though...

WOW, a real World War II produced pickup! Few have survived and those remaining are usually restored with their trim parts chrome plated as before and after the war years. This 1942 Chevrolet ¾ ton pickup has been kept over 95% pure as it was during the final year before most all pickup truck production came to a halt in...

Here is a Feature Truck of the Month that was truly saved from the salvage yard. It had been outside deteriorating over 20 years behind the out of business Dellwood Dairy in Copiague New York (on Long Island). Because of some mechanical problems it had been left in the back lot of the abandon dairy. Now enters Vinny Tumminia of...

It appears the GMC Division of General Motors in the United States wanted no part of using a Chevrolet low oil pressure engine for their 1936 introduction into the pickup truck market. GMC had previously been GM’s big truck provider however the Great Depression of the 1930’s required emergency changes. Quickly. Large GMC truck sales in the US had reached...

When light trucks appeared on the scene about 100 years ago, they were created for only one reason: WORK. This remained their primary use through at least the 1960’s. Move up another 55 years and today we find the majority of light trucks purchased for another reason: FUN, PLEASURE, and TRANSPORTING PEOPLE. Even the traditional 8 foot ½ ton bed...

What a surprise! After 35 years in the old GM truck business we discover there was a custom trailer hitch made just for the 1955-58 Chevrolet Cameo and GMC Suburban Carrier. Installs with no damage to these rare classic GM trucks. The assembly is secured by placing only two approximately ¾ inch bolt holes in the frame rail under the...

If you wonder what are some of the most unusual early GM trucks, you should always remember John and Lisa Milton of Vestal, New York. Their continual search for those with almost no survivors is their passion. Not only do they occasionally find an available rare truck for sale they usually give it a ground up restoration to be like...

Its 1947! A 14 year old Burt Fulmore thinks of a method of getting to school each day from his home in the small town of Economy to Bass River, Nova Scotia Canada, seven miles away. (This island province in eastern Canada is 450 miles above the US most northern state of Maine). He knows his father’s 1937 panel truck...

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...

What a unique 1951 Chevrolet Suburban for our Feature Truck Series! It is certainly a one of a kind. The owners are Jeff & Brenda Kuhn of Plainfield, Illinois. Their dream is now complete after 4 years in the making. The goal was to restore or find a totally original Suburban and then add special performance features that were usually...

What an “attitude change” for this ½ ton! It moved from a stock long bed fleetside to a nice custom short stepside ½ ton in about 3 months! The owner and responsible person for the work is John Toon of Sugar Creek, Missouri. As his first major truck transformation, we feel he has created a very different “breed of cat”...

Our monthly feature truck is an 80 year old regular driver! Born in late 1936, it found a great home in mid-Missouri about 10 years ago. It was found in Western Kansas where the low humidity slows rust on metal left outside. To keep it looking much like it was found, the remaining Brewster Green paint was untouched and the...

 Let's Really Talk Trucks!Our Feature Truck of the Month series often shows the more unusual GM trucks. Most are rarely seen at special interest car and truck shows. This month is no exception! This ground up restored 2 ½ ton 1959 Chevrolet Spartan 100 is one of the very few (if any) in existence fully restored. It even goes further...

This month’s feature truck may be the only COE (cab over engine) short wheel base Advance Design Tow truck in existence! Most trucks that are tow vehicles are doomed to extinction once they begin their job of car and truck moving duties. They are worked everyday sun, rain, or snow to justify their expense of huge insurance, a driver, maintenance...

What a Deal! When the term “Only One in the World” is used in the automotive world, this special 1959 Chevrolet ½ ton Fleetside short bed should be near the top of the list. There is none like this one! The owner and creator is Sam Caudle of Independence, Missouri. Using GM as the original designer, Sam became a subcontractor...

One of the lowest mile over 50 year old trucks in existence! A great example of what an older truck was like when it first came off the assembly line. It is owned by Gerald Cooper of Manassas, Virginia. He has almost 50 early vehicles in his collection but this ½ ton is a special vehicle to him. It is...

  When the 1954 Chevrolet deluxe pickup was introduced (about two months into the production year) they came with a different design arm rest not used before. It wasn’t even found on the assembly line produced standard 1954-55 pickups! Because the door panels and painted interiors of this new deluxe cab had four color choices, GM realized they could not...

For the First Time – Two in a Row! While the Feature Truck article for January 2016 was being developed, we noticed an additional very special vehicle in Greg Fanning’s collection. His photos showed another eye-catcher, one of the rarest of the 1947-55 Advanced Design truck series. This is the now almost extinct “Canopy Express”. We doubt if even 100...

Seeing a small tanker vehicle like our feature truck this month brings back memories from another era in our country’s history. It was a time of smaller family farms that dotted the country by the millions. Usually one medium size tractor was adequate for the planting and harvesting of the numerous crops these farms produced. Suppliers of petroleum products in...

Here is an example of pure American Ingenuity! Put two things together: A 1952 Chevrolet 2 ton and an ambitious top quality retired carpenter that wants to travel. These qualifications fit Richard Howe of Trinidad California. (About 300 miles north of San Francisco, California) He built another similar house and truck combination several years ago on a Cab over Engine...

Where did they all go? Sold in high volume to small businesses for local neighborhood deliveries, these little panel trucks served their purpose well. Merchandise stayed out of the weather and theft exposure was greatly reduced. It has been over 75 years since the last of the series came off the assembly line but here are 10 important factors are...

It is often said that when a person does a complete ground-up restoration on a vehicle that otherwise would be sold to the metal crusher by the pound, the owner has saved it for future generations. Our feature truck for February is certainly one of these vehicles that was close to having been gone forever. Don Ranville of Lee’s Summit...

During these years there were no differences between the Chevy grilles of each year in the base lower price model (Custom) and the top of the line Super Cheyenne. The reason is simple! High volume reduces high prices! Most Chevrolet trucks in these years used an anodized aluminum grill housing with a plastic insert. In proportion to the mid series...

About 15 years ago, Jim Carter Truck Parts, decided to reproduce the “real” GM step plates used in the years of 1947-55.  Though there were hundreds of step plate designs available during the early years, but only one is pure. The 1947-55 Chevrolet/GMC Running Board Safety Treads and was made available by the GM dealers. No lettering exists so they...

Jim Winters of Rochester, Minnesota looked two years before he found the vehicle he wanted to restore in his retirement years. He did not want to spend the time and money required for a major rebuilding unless it suited him just right. Many cars and trucks were checked but few gave him that special feeling he wanted. When he saw...

The revised Chevrolet 235 and 261 high pressure inline six cylinder engine (1955 through 1962) was given a much better cooling system than prior years. This was due to a big change in the water pump and how it attached the front of the engine block. The prior 216 and early 235 design pulled coolant out of the engine block...

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...

Owner is Unknown The Great Depression has reached a level not ever expected. About 25% of the country’s work force is without income. The Chevrolet Motor Company introduces a less expensive automobile (The Standard) to try to stop vehicle sales from their gradual downward spiral. The 1935 1/2 ton pickup is kept as basic as possible to still be rated...

The first year of the Chevrolet pickup with a Hydramatic transmission was 1954.  Though it did not find a large percentage of buyers, this truck did open the door for an increasing number of this transmission in the coming years. When sitting in the 1954 Chevrolet truck cab with this new option, some changes are immediately noted. To operate the...

Owner: Butch Voigt This month’s Feature Truck certainly follows our trend of finding the more unusual among early Chevrolet and GMC vehicles.  This may be the only survivor of a 1951 Chevrolet 1 ton with a 16 passenger body. Chevrolet provided the 131” wheel base chassis with fenders, hood, grille, etc. See photo. The passenger part was made by the Carpenter Body...

Owner: Ed Brouillet It’s 1935! With the encouragement of the US Army, the first Chevrolet Suburban is introduced. The Army wanted an enclosed vehicle to carry officers with a driver at their military bases. Of course, it would be a boost to Chevrolet for people to see they were doing so well during the Great Depression that they could even...

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...

To keep General Motors truck costs down, Chevrolet and GMC ½ through 2 ton shared many components during the late 1930’s through the 1950’s. However, when it came to the grille, the focal point of the truck, changes had to be very noticeable. The truck designers were limited in creating a new grille as both makes would still have almost...

Owners: John and Michele Dunkirk We have always assumed that less than 100 Advance Design Canopy Express trucks remain. If you ever see one restored or not restored, you should stop and take note. They are a part of our nation’s history. They carried groceries in neighborhoods with one car families during the years they were built. The husbands drove...

What an ingenious way to keep a tail light in view! General Motors realized that with the tail gate in the lowered position the center tail light still had to be seen by the following traffic. At times the gate will stay lowered when longer freight is carried. Therefore, the 5” round light is attached to a swing bracket. This...

Owner: Russell Penniston A one family owned 4x4 Blazer bought new in 1971! George Penniston purchased it to drive to the various job site locations of his construction company. This go anywhere vehicle was necessary to reach off road job sites through mud and snow. George bought it at Parrish Chevrolet in Liberty, MO. It lacked only one option he...

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...

Owner: Pat O'Brien This rare little ½ ton survived its 75 years mostly because it stayed with one family; it probably never ventured beyond the city limits, and was used mostly by a mechanic that lived in an area of dry air that discouraged metal rust. For the trucks first two years, it was driven by Virginia Swaim to high...

The parking light assembly on the 1941 Chevrolet and GMC Pick-up Trucks was placed on top of the headlight bucket. From 1942 through 1947, GM used a much less expensive park light housing on civilian trucks.