So, the other day, I decided it was time to roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty with a real classic, a 1938 Chevy pickup truck. It’s been sitting in my garage for ages, and I figured, “Why not?” I mean, I’ve always been into old cars, and this one’s a beauty, even with all the rust and dust.
First things first, I took a good look at the fuel system. You know, see how much gas was left and what kind of shape it was in. Turns out, it was pretty gunked up. This was a big moment, had to decide if I wanted to just get it running or go full restoration mode. It got me thinking about the history of these trucks. Did you know that Chevy started making these things way back in 1918? They called it the Model 490 Light Delivery Chassis. Pretty cool, right?
Anyway, I’m no expert on these old Chevys, so I asked around. There’s a whole bunch of folks online who are really into this stuff. They gave me some solid advice. There was this one guy who told me about how rare the Cameo model is. Only a few thousand made! That made me think twice about how I wanted to approach this project.
I spent some time reading up on restoration tips. You wouldn’t believe the stuff people are doing with these trucks. Some are restoring them to look exactly like they did back in the day, and others are turning them into these crazy custom jobs. There are even stories about guys finding parts in the most random places.
I decided to inspect the truck more closely. Needed to figure out what parts were missing or too far gone. There are these specialty shops that sell classic truck parts. It’s a whole world out there! I also found out that there are events where people show off their restored trucks. Maybe one day, I’ll take mine to one of those.
Then, I made a list. A list of all the parts I needed. From what I gathered, some folks prefer to stick with a certain brand, like Ford or Chevy. But me, I’m open to whatever works best. I even heard about a guy who used parts from Jegs and RockAuto for his ’75 Chevy. I might check those out.
I also thought about taking the truck to a custom shop. They can do some amazing things, but it’s not cheap. Plus, I kind of like the idea of doing most of the work myself. It’s more satisfying that way, you know?
Almost everything on this truck was either beat up or missing. I mean it is not that hard to image that this truck basically needed a complete overhaul. It’s like building a new truck but with that old-school body.
I looked up some info on past Chevy trucks. They had some cool models, like the 1935 and 1937 pickups, and even a 1940 flatbed. Finding the right glass for these old trucks can be a pain, though. I heard someone say something about finding a good place to get glass, but I can’t remember where.
Removed some old part and welded a new panel. I even got rid of that drip rail, which is apparently a thing people do when they’re customizing these trucks. It was a ton of work. I shaped the new section on the plannishing.
Here are some of the things that I did during the restoration process:
- Inspected the truck to find out which parts were needed.
- Researched and sourced parts from specialized dealers.
- Determined the type of truck that I wanted to restore.
- Refinished or replaced almost everything on the truck.
- Removed the drip rail and welded a new panel section.
So, that’s where I’m at with it. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun. I’m learning a ton, and I’m getting to bring a piece of history back to life. It’s not just about the truck, it’s about the journey, right? Who knows, maybe one day I’ll write a whole blog about it, with pictures and everything. For now, though, I’m just taking it one step at a time. And I’ve got to say, it feels pretty awesome to be doing this.
