VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans 1946 Chevy Pickup - Keroppi!

Yes, I believe I will find that out.

“Brino You are right about the "done it myself" feeling. At this stage the only work on my 38 that I didnt do is the engine machining and conrod babbiting and at the moment I am in the process of a total rewire.”

Tony,

Thanks for the note. Like you the only things I didn’t do on my ’36 PU when I restored it in the early 1970s were the engine cylinder boring, bearing pouring, glass cutting and chrome plating.

I can tell from the tools that Alan owns that he’s not intimidated by a project like that ’46 PU and may benefit from those few who can actually say “I did it myself” and be telling the truth. To most of these guys “I did it myself means” I bought a hulk and hauled it “myself” from the engine shop to the transmission shop to the differential shop to the wood shop to the body shop to the paint shop and finally to the upholstery shop on a rented trailer rather than paying a towing company to haul it around for me.

It’s not common but once in a blue moon a nugget of knowledge from a real do-it-yourselfer surfaces on these forums. In my case it was on the Stovebolt forum where somebody knew exactly how to put 3.55 gears in my restored ’36 Chevy PU. For over 40 years of asking around in VCCA I was told “That can’t be done because your rear end is spiral bevel and the 3.55 gear set was in hypoid rear ends.”

The guy on the Stovebolt forum knew that my ’36 PU rear axle has the same track as a ’37 Chevy car rear axle and the 3.55 gears will fit any rear axle from ’37 to ’54. That knowledge motivated me to dive into that project and it is described in this article posted on this forum by somebody else because I was no longer a VCCA member. The completed and installed 3.55 '37 Chevy car rear axle is unrecognizable from original unless someone crawls under the PU and recognizes the hypoid configuration center section casting.

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/334876/1936-chevy-3-55-rear-gear-conversion.html

And you are so right about the thrill of winning on one’s own skills rather than the corpulence of one’s bank account. I found that out at the 1976 VCCA National Meet judged show at Colorado Springs. Forty two years later I still like to look at my ’36 and relive that day.

Ray W

I would think you can send for a new Calif Title without ordering plates at the same time. They can tell you what type of plate is required so you can look for the item(s) while you are going over the truck to make sure all is OK to drive .

Good luck with your new toy.

Dick

You are spot on there Ray.

Alan

It seems that you do in fact need a commercial plate for a truck.

Alan

I got the paperwork for Keroppi today.

I had mentioned the serial number. The DP indicates that it is a second design 1946. That means it had a chrome grille and hub caps plus a few mechcanical up-grades.he following F = made in May of 1946.The low numbers after tha t indicate it was one of the first off the line of the second style trucks and would be just after the long GM strike in 1946.

Thanks.

I forgot to add the 14 indicates that it was assembled at the Baltimore, MD plant.

Just to prepare you for the first drive. The truck will have a small feeling cab, losts of noise in general, steer and brake hard, feel slow and ride stiff....nothing like a truck of the '70.s, 80's or 90's.

Yes, am aware of a 40s truck, it is what I wanted.

I need to know the same thing about the weight. I'm headed to NC from KS to pick up my 46 Next week. My Truck weighes 6000 lbs with a GCVW of 13,500 ...my trailer is 2500 so I have 5000 to play with

The curb weight of the truck would be under 3200 pounds.


The shipping weight was more like 2950 pounds with no extras or liquids.

Thanks for all the great info Chev Nut

Alan, have you got your pickup yet?

Yes.

Alan,
Would love to hear a full report when you get a chance....and see some pics

I posted some pics over on Stovebolt. I honestly haven't got that warm of a welcome here.

I'm working to get it weighed and registered.

Alan

Keroppi's engine stamp, which I've deduced puts it to '55-'62 235.

Yor 3836848 head casting number indicates the HEAD would be from a 1956-1962 235 engine.
The engine number, stamped on the ledge behind the distributor will m tell what the engine was removed from.
If it was from any truck it would have solid valve lifters. If from a car would have had hydraulic valver lifters.
The lifter oiling system was changed in 1958.
While changes were minor would be good to know the original origins of that engine.For that you would need to post the STAMPED number.

Having the ground path from the battery to the starter the shortest, which the fewest connections is the best. The starter is by far the greatest draw on the battery. Having the maximum current or least resistance in that circuit will give the starter the maximum power. Next are the headlights and horn in power draw. Most other electrical items take very little power in comparison but all require a good ground!

Here's a site that might be useful: Old ONline Chevy Manuals

Cheers, Dean

Classic Car Wiring is a good place to get a colored wiring diagram and the are laminated. I have one for my 48 and 46.
Cost around $20.00. Well worth it in my opinion.

https://www.classiccarwiring.com/chevytruck/

Dean,

I had the passenger car of the same year, I think I didn't realize they had the truck wiring there.

Saw RayW's beautiful truck! Nice!

Congratulations Alan! Let the fun begin!