APRIL 2010 OLD TIME TRUCKS
A NEW “NUT” JOINS THE CLUB
By Old Truck Nuts John & Shirley Sponholtz
When Dayton, Maryland resident Bill Marlow bought this 1946 Chevrolet two-ton cabover it was brown – rust brown. In the “for sale” ad, the owner said that the truck just needed finishing, so Bill struck a deal and had the truck shipped home from Indiana. Disassembly began and before long Bill had the truck in a thousand pieces. With plenty of help and advice from the “tribal elders” at a website devoted to antique Chevrolet and GMC trucks (www.stovebolt.com), Bill was able to turn a rust bucket into a show piece. He said, “It took gallons of WD-40, plenty of skinned knuckles, and three years of time.” The paint scheme was his idea but, aside from that, the truck has been restored to mostly original condition. It has a four-speed 235 engine, a two-speed vacuum operated rear-end, a GVW of 16,000 pounds, and sits on a 158-inch wheelbase. The day he started the engine, pushed in the clutch, put it in gear, and drove the truck out of the garage for the first time was the thrill of his life. Looking at the final product, it is hard to believe that Bill had never attempted anything like this before. However, the bug has bitten him, and he is ready to start on another old truck restoration – a 1972 GMC 9500. He’s now, like so many of us out there, a “certified” old truck nut! Welcome to the club, Bill!