1949 Chevrolet 5 window 3100 - mostly all original

Description

1949 Chevrolet 5 window235 CID 6 cylinder4 speed on the floorVery very solid truck
History:... as I know it
I purchased in 2011 in New Haven Connecticut. When I picked it up, I drove it to Albany NY, it was that road worthy. From the paper trail that came with it, the truck was on the road continuously since 1980, and probably a lot of years prior, if not all of them. I was told by the previous owner it was a package delivery vehicle, that's why the roof lights pointing into the bed.
Paper trail has receipts from Arkansas, Tennessee and North Carolina, then in New Haven a couple of years, and then with me in Upsate NY for the past 8 years. Of course never driven in the winter months here, kept in storage from November to May.
This past summer I drove it at least 2000 miles. I use it around town on a regular basis picking up lumber, mulch, firewood, etc.
Mechanical Condition: really sound, as indicated by my daily driving around town.
Engine is a 235 cid as noted in the paperwork from a 1957 Chevrolet. The engine doesn't smoke, runs real strong and smooth. Starts right up - always.
Transmission is a 4 speed with the "Granny" low first gear. Runs through the gears smoothly, clutch is good, grabs early and is smooth.
Rear end has 3:55 gears according to the receipts. Has the original rear and the torque tube drive shaft.
Brakes: I replaced the entire brake system in 2016. Replaced the master cylinder with a double reservoir and kept it in the original location under the floor boards. Converted the front shoes over to disc brakes. The rear are still the original shoe style. Replaced all of the lines, rear wheel cylinders and the front wheel bearings were converted to tapered roller bearings in the process. The kit was from CPP. I have saved all of the original brake parts if someone wanted to convert it back to the original.
Wipers: The wiper motor is the original vacuum motor, the motor itself doesn’t work very well. The transmission and linkage is all in good condition. The wiper arms are new old stock, I found a set of Anco arms in the original box on Ebay and installed them a couple of years ago. The vacuum motors can be rebuilt or convert it over to electric. I never drove in the rain.

Electrical: All of the instrument gauges work with the exception of the speedometer/odometer. The fuel gauge, oil pressure, water temp and battery voltage meter all work good. The headlight dimmer indicator works, the back lighting all work. I think the floor dimmer switch is bad, the head lights go off when switching from low to high beams. Turn signals work, tail and brake lights work. One of the previous owners added an extra set of tail lights for the turn signals. The truck was previously converted to 12 volts and it has an original style generator. The starter is still the floor starter foot pedal.

Glass: Thedrivers doorand windshield appear to have been replaced at one point, the passenger door glass and rear windows have some fogging. The door windows operate but crank a little hard, not terrible. See the photos.

Sheetmetal:The body has all original panels, nothing aftermarket, the only place rusted through is minimal perforations in the bottom of the inside of the passenger door, (see photos) and one cab corner looks like it was fiberglass repaired a long time ago, it has never bubbled or blistered. Floor pan and battery box are in good shape. There is an area in the driver side floor that is about 1” wide by 4” long, rectangular straight cut. An easy repair, it was that way when I purchased it.

The cab is in its original patina paint condition, and unfortunately the box looks to have been painted sometime ago and is not as weathered patina as the cab.

Cab Interior: The cab is the deluxe model for the year with stainless trim around the windows as well as the glove box door and radio area. It also sports a chrome grill, chrome front bumper and a hood ornament. The headliner is sagging a little, it is a hard cardboard type material. It was that way when I purchased it and has never sagged any further. The sun visors could stand to be replaced, I was shopping for an original set and had not found them yet. The heater works really well, the fan is high speed and the heat will drive you out. The heater control knob was replaced by the previous owner with something other than an original switch. The seat cover is in good condition.

Spare Parts: (That will go with the truck:) I received a lot of miscellaneous spare parts with my purchase, the big stuff is a steering column, transmission, and front axle. There are several small boxes of old used original parts like door handles, wiper vacuum motors, carburetors. Also, I purchased a set of original gauges off Ebay to replace the speedometer/odometer.

Shipping and Payment: I will pack all of the small spare parts in a wood box and tie down in the bed of the truck for transport if the truck is not picked up locally. The shipping arrangements are the buyer’s responsibility. And it won’t ship until the final payment has cleared. I set what I think is a reasonable reserve, the truck is not a $5,000 truck nor is it a $15,000 truck. A Paypal deposit of $750.00 is required within 24 hours, Then final payment arrangements can be made over the phone.Also, NYS does not issue titles for a vehicle older than 1973, they use a transferable registration.

Summary:

If you like the original patina look, along with the original interior, this is a great turnkey daily driver. It has been very reliable, more so than my Silverado. And if you want a solid base for a restoration, this will make a great foundation.

I personally like the vehicles in their original condition, it took 70 years to look like this and I didn’t want to try and perfect it. I could have easily restored it to like new because I am a retired airplane and helicopter mechanic as well as a former auto body man. The reason I’m selling is simply that I am downsizing, I recently sold my 68’ C10 that was in its’ original condition, and other vehicles.

I’ve sold a couple of vehicles on Ebay along with several personal small items and have maintained a 100% positive feedback. I’m not a big volume seller nor an Ebay business. This is my personal vehicle, that I like to drive and use, not abuse and I don’t drive it for the attention, but it sure receives a lot. My granddaughter and my Golden Retriever love the truck

The truck is for sale locally on the Elmira, NY Craigslist, so the auction may end early.

Please feel free to ask any questions at all. I’m sure you will enjoy this truck as much as I have for the past 8 years.