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1946 Chevrolet 2 Ton Stake Bed Watermelon Truck 2 Speed Rear End 235 Engine Nice

Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Condition: Used
Make: Chevrolet
Model: 2 Ton Stakebed
Year: 1946
Mileage: 6061
VIN: 53G122P
Engine size: 235
Drive type: RWD
Vehicle Title: Rebuilt, Rebuildable & Reconstructed

1946 Chevrolet 2 Ton Stakebed Description

I bought this truck when I was 17, my first vehicle. It already had a 1953 235 in it, which I rebuilt. (An old timer who came over just told me it was from a Powerglide, and a great engine). Then I put a canvas on top and a pot bellied stove in back, and traveled in it as a Gipsy for several years (last photo). I put a 2 speed vacuum rear end on it out in Tucson, which helped in the Rockies. Took the overload springs off at that time (still have them, never hauled anything heavy enough, plus lots of spare parts). Put 6K miles on it since rebuild, then it's been sitting inside my warehouse for the last 35+ years. Body in very good shape I would say, a little rust at the bottom of the doors as usual, and floorboards a bit funky. Has a dent in one fender, and I can't find the seat back yet. Solid rust free running boards. Kids threw rocks thru my warehouse window and broke the windshield glass, rear window, and one door window. All flat glass anyway, easy to replace. I was going to restore it this year, and bought a nice 6V battery which I have kept well charged, bought all the lenses for the cab and the bed, headlights, etc. Tires miraculously have held air all these years, and have good tread left. Also have 4 extra rear wheels and tires I am going to sell. I put the battery in recently and it cranked fine, no frozen engine. I drove into where she sits 35 years ago, garaged, not sitting out in a cornfield. I found some old car wax and waxed up one of the doors and it shined up like new. Think this would be a very nice restoration project for someone. In Atlanta, Georgia. You must pick her up. If you want to hear a bit of my story about this truck, read on...

This is a 1946 Chevy 2 ton watermelon truck. Her name is the Gipsy Owl. I bought her when I was 17, it was my first vehicle. She was sitting in an Esso gas station up in Oysterbay New York, and we barely made it back to my home. She used to haul watermelons from Eastern Long Island to NYC for 20 years. Gipsy already had a 1953 235 engine put in it, not the original flathead 216. I rebuilt that 235 engine, it was the first time I ever rebuilt an engine. Then I put some bows across the top of the wood stake sides and put a canvas over it to make a covered wagon. I had a potbelly stove in the back, had a loft to sleep on, and I traveled around the US as a gipsy. I built musical instruments and repaired them, and I am a musician, so I had my fiddles with me and mandolins and guitars and played in various bands, and winning several fiddle contests. As I wandered through the US, I collected many license plates in all the states I visited, and as it got colder I started nailing the license plates between the slats in the sides of the truck, because the wind would blow in under the canvas in the cold. If you look you’ll see a few of those plates still left up there. The whole stake sides are oak. The last place it was licensed was Wyoming, as you can see from the bucking bronco. By the time I got out west, even that 235 was not enough for the Rocky Mountains, so I bought and installed a two speed rear end in Tucson all by myself. I almost got killed when I had it up on concrete blocks and one broke and I was pinned underneath, but obviously survived. It is a vacuum takeoff rear end, and gives you four more gears. That also brought it up from 1.5 ton to 2. I traveled for several years until finally coming back home to New York and finding my parents were getting divorced and selling the house, so I towed one of my Morris Minors with Gipsy, and moved down to Atlanta. Once here I didn’t drive the truck that much, I rented it out for a couple of movies like Greased Lightening with Richard Pryor, etc. But then it has sat here for 35 years in the back of this warehouse. Vandals used to throw rocks at the building’s windows and break my outside windows and then also break the windows of my cars. But the glass is all flat glass so it’s easy to repair. I was going to restore her last year, and bought a 6V battery, which I keep well charged. I also bought a lot of the specialty bulbs and lenses for this truck, and also bought a very rare expensive crank for the front windshield (which I will only sell separately). This car also has a front hand crank starter that you can do manually, but you gotta watch out because it will hit you in the face and knock you out if you’re not careful. There are also giant tires on split rings that are dangerous from what I’ve heard. But I’ve never had any problem with them. This is my first love, and whoever buys it better love her as much as I do. BTW you prolly already know this, but she has no synchros, so you must double clutch to change gears. It’s a shitload of fun to drive. Even back in the 70’s as I traveled, every passing truck driver would honk or wanna stop and see her. Whoever buys her can hear a lot more stories about my adventures with this incredible vehicle if they want. It is a magical truck with very good mojo, and if you take good care of her she will bring you a lot of joy in your life. But I will most likely cry when she sells…
NOTE: THE LISTING DOES NOT HAVE AN OPTION UNDER 'TITLE' FOR 'NO TITLE'. I REGISTERED THIS TRUCK IN NY AND WY AND NEITHER OF THEM REQUIRED A TITLE, AS DOES GEORGIA. I WENT DOWN TO THE TITLE OFFICE HERE AND THEY SAID THEY DO NOT DO TITLES FOR VEHICLES THAT OLD, AND THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED. THEY TOLD ME THAT STATES THAT REQUIRE TITLES USUALLY HAVE WAYS TO GET SOME FORM OF TITLE. I DO HAVE THE LAST TWO REGISTRATIONS FROM WYOMING. I HAVE ALSO CAREFULLY RESEARCHED THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE AND THESE TRUCKS DID NOT COME WITH VIN NUMBERS, THEY USED THE ENGINE NUMBER BACK THEN. BUT THIS DOES NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL ENGINE, SO WHEN I REGISTERED IT IN WY, THEY USED THE NEW ENGINE NUMBER AS VIN.

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