Vehicle Description
1949 Chevrolet 4400 Series 1.5 Ton Stake Body Truck
Beginning in 1948 Chevrolet trucks were completely redesigned.
Surprisingly, it was the trucks, not the cars, which led the
corporation into the "modern" world of post war automotive design.
The styling was a total break from the previous trucks, with even
the bumper being changed. Rounded fenders had the headlights as
integral units, with the parking lights recessed into the grille.
The grille itself was a painted unit consisting of five heavy
horizontal bars, extending laterally to within a few inches of the
headlights. And there were more updates as well. Thanks
totrucksplanet.com
For consignment, a 1949 Chevrolet 4400 Series 1.5 ton truck that
was purchased new by our consignor's great grandfather who used it
on the farm. It was sold out of the family and then years later
tracked down by the consignor's father in 2001 who took the next 10
years to fully restore the truck. We live for stories like this and
are honored to represent this awesome truck in our Hallowed
Halls.
Exterior
Beautiful blue paint covers the cab of the truck which had to be
one of the largest vehicles in 1949. It's certainly one of the
tallest. The gleaming paint is accented with a white bumper, silver
grille inserts and brightwork that includes headlight rings, door
handles, stainless trimmings, and stamped Chevrolet plate on the
nose. Cab lights crown the vertical, two piece fixed windshield.
Vent louvers are located on the right side of the cowl, while a
vent panel is on the left. Wipers are on the windshield cowl rather
than on the header as in previous generations. The wood bed and
staked sidewalls are show quality. As utilitarian as this truck can
be, we'd hesitate to put anything back there! The massive frame has
extra taillights and gigantic rear mud flaps create a clean look in
the back. 20-inch black wheels hoist the truck upwards with dual
wheels on the rear axle. As the truck has mostly been stored since
restoration was completed, we were hard pressed to find any flaws
on the exterior.
Interior
Painted bronze slatted door panels are topped with a brown vinyl
section that houses the window crank and door actuator. The simple
bench seat is covered in smooth black vinyl. The rear wall, and
dash are painted in the period bronze hue, all looking pristine.
The steering wheel has a patina we're guessing was left
intentionally because it was likely worn by the hands of the great
grandfather. A speedometer in an art deco font is flanked by a
clever gauge package of four readouts formed around a circle. The
faces of the gauges also look unrestored. A robust metal grille in
the center which would serve as a speaker grille if this hauler
wasn't a radio delete truck, and the glove box has continuity in
the grille pattern. The floor mounted shifter is tall and meets the
rubber floor mat that covers the entire floor. The headliner and
visors are a dark saddle brown melamine and in fine shape.
Drivetrain
The hood opens "alligator" style which was new in 1948. Inside, a
235.5ci inline six-cylinder engine is in place and this was
exclusively a truck engine at the time. It was rated at 90
horsepower and is fed by a 1-barrel carburetor. A 4-speed manual
transmission sends the spin across town to the rear wheels and 4.56
gears. The olive green engine and the rest of the engine bay is
spotless. Drum brakes are equipped front and back.
Undercarriage
The massive black frame and just about everything else underneath
is painted satin black. It's very clean, perhaps just some surface
dust and dirt but nothing an hour of detailing couldn't perfect.
The single exhaust has surface rust and trails the length of the
truck to meet a muffler and then immediately dumps downward under
the bed. The front leaf springs show just a bit of rust on the
edges and the rear massive multi leaf springs look great.
Drive-Ability
I don't think CDL's existed in 1949 and that's good because I don't
have one! We turned the 6 cylinders over and off we went onto the
test loop where we won't be asked to parallel park this giant. The
engine runs well, showing not much speed, but plenty of torque to
get the six wheels moving. It's quite a perch and has a very
commanding view of the road. We broke early and with space to check
things out, and everything worked as it should save for the horn
relay clicking but no tooting heard when prompted.
Show truck, museum piece, parade vehicle, collection addition.
There's so much potential with this beauty and it's a lot of
vehicle for the money. It's essentially a one family truck with a
few years in the hands of another steward. We have plenty of post
war vehicles at the mall but not many have a known history and
story like this one. Are you ready to write the next chapter?
14SKL1087
14-Baltimore, MD Assy Plant
SK-1949 Series 4400
L-December Build
1087-Sequential Unit Number
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collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
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