VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans 1936 1 1/2 ton Low Roof Semi Lots of Pics

Over Christmas we were able to work on the truck a bit. We installed part of the factory radiator shroud accessory. It looks to be NOS and after a bit of fussing fit well. We had to pull the upper radiator hose to get it on and also fixed a few small leaks that had popped up sense the heater install.

The truck is still running great. My dad has lumber cut for his dump bed and hopes to get back to work on it soon. He has the material for the floor on the trailer but need to saw it up.

I put the upper shroud on my 37 and would like to find the lower half but not sure if I would want to put it on since it might make it a little hard to work around.

I had that hunk of tin for about 10 years and didn't know what it was. It came with other Chevy stuff so I had reason to believe it was a Chevy part.
One day I was looking in the accessories section of my 1936 Truck Gold Book, and there it was. Another genuine Chevrolet accessory for my truck. My Tow Ring and heater have a new companion. Now if I could just get up the nerve to drill a hole for that Safetylight.

Mike

Mike,

I'm putting both the upper 1/2 fan shroud that you installed and the lower 1/2 that goes with it on my '36 pickup. I now understand why I've never seen a complete fan shroud installed.

The bottom 1/2 has to be custom fitted to clear the fan and the front of the harmonic balancer. That involves making the angle brackets to mount the lower 1/2. After correctly centering the lower 1/2 on the fan and marking its exact location I pulled the radiator so I could do the bracket fabrication on the workbench. It IS possible to pull the radiator without removing the hood, fenders and grille but it's a very tight squeeze.

Ray W

I've been making some improvements to my '36 truck. Last spring I went to Western New York and picked up a real deal factory platform bed. It was amateurishly restored a few years ago then left outside. It deteriorated to the appropriate state to look "at home" on my truck. Recently I scored a nice (driver quality) radiator cap with bird from eBay. It is also correct for my '35 Standard coupe. Here is the description from the '35 Accessory catalog;
"Radiator Cap with locking device, heavily chrome plated. It lends an air of fleetness that characterizes the performance of the New Standard Chevrolet. Price $3.75" I couldn't have said it better, myself. My buddy asked me if it was a buzzard, I think it might be one.
Another eBay purchase is the Low Speed Governor as illustrated in the accessory section of the 1936 Gold Book of Truck Values. The brass tag features the Chevy bow tie. I'm sure I'll need it with the enhanced performance resulting from my Buzzard radiator cap.
Tonight I picked up my Model 631A Delco radio from my friend Richard. He replaced capacitors, installed a solid state vibrator and fitted a plug which will allow me to play some period correct tunes from an external device.
I'm trying to find the thread about adding photos. If I can't figure it out I will ask Sam to do it for me.

Mike

Mike
I seem to remember you were doing a semi trailer combination or are you making it a quick change tipper/trailer unit?
Tony

I still have the Fruehauf Semi Trailer but I couldn't resist the opportunity to get a factory flat bed. I can change back to my 5th wheel in about an hour, using my fork lift. The farm dump bed is an unfinished project, separate from the genuine Chevy platform bed I have on it now. I would put the hoist under the Chevy bed if that farm bed wasn't so darned cool. The old hardware is neat as can be. I'm finding the truck to be more useful with the bed. I drive it more for errands and hauling jobs.

Mike

Let's try this. Wow, It worked.

Yes the trailer would be a restriction as a general run about but either the dump bed or the 1 in the pic makes more places accessable.
Tony

Here is a photo of my truck helping to rescue a 1928 Fruehauf trailer from long term storage in Mid Missouri. The new owner of the Fruehauf, Randy Shelton, from near Detroit, is behind the wheel of my truck. He was surprised that I let him drive to get the Fruehauf and to tow it back to my shop for loading.
The trailer is 14 feet long and has cast wheels and solid rubber tires. I had known about the trailer for many years and always thought it was much older. The newest patent number was issued in 1928.

Is there much if any difference between the 5th wheel on your truck compared to the modern 5th wheel?
I would guess the modern version has a larger pin so would not be able to swap trailers.
Tony

Tony there is no difference, my dad could back up to a new trailer that was just built today and hook up and drive off. The hight of the fifth wheel would would be low compared to modern trucks but the pin and fifth wheel are the same.

Here is another pic of my truck and the '28 Fruehauf. It shows the trailer a little better. The other two are My Dad in the drivers seat of his 1946 COE, probably for the last time and me at the wheel, taking it back to the barn after Pop had made a Fathers Day lap or two around the hay field. This was several years ago. My Dad bought the truck in December 1950. I have gathered some restoration stuff for it but I don't know if I will get to it.

Mike and Sam
That is interesting that the 5th wheel has remained standard through the years which would mean add a air compressor and controls and start interstate hauling. That would cause a stir amongst the big boys.
Tony

Sam,

Did you put the bottom 1/2 of the fan shroud on also? A guy with a '37 told me he had only the upper 1/2 and using that alone didn't improve the cooling at all. The upper 1/2 installs easily. As I recall I had to remove the fan, water pump and generator to squeeze in the bottom 1/2. The 2 1/2s together do noticeably improve cooling on hot days in stopped or slow traffic.

Ray W

We only have the top half. I have your drawings but I haven't gotten ambitious enough to make the parts.

Mike

Yeah, isn't it amazing how the projects keep piling up Mike? I was ready to make the upper 1/2 that I needed and at that exact moment one came along. When you get both 1/2 mounted you'll be surprised how they fit together. The fit is not like a modern shroud, but it does work.

Ray W

I think I finally have the hang of posting photos. Here is one of my truck showing off the new BLING (known as the Buzzard) and another one sporting the factory platform bed I got from Pete34 in NY.

Mike

Nice! I really like your truck. Be handy to have around too...