Over the weekend I found a 1953 Chevy 5-window truck with a "factory"
wrecker bed on it. The truck is basically original with minimal rust on it
(some at the seems and in the floor but basically solid) and looks to be
either a 3/4 ton or 1 ton (8 lug wheels and double rear springs) with a 6
cylinder motor and, I would guess, a 4-speed. The body is straight. Its
painted a faded orange over the original red (even over the chrome grill).
The wrecker bed and winch look to be in good shape, even the cable isn't
all rusted up. The wrecker boom isn't one of these fancy hydraulic units
you see now - its made out of heavy duty angle iron, with manually adjusted
(pull the bolts out of a hole and put them in a different one), that is
curved on e the end where the pullet mounts. Apparently the truck runs and
drives (at least it did two years ago) and the power take-off (activated
with a big knob on the dash) works fine. Supposedly the truck was sold new
with this wrecker bed on it. I spoke to the guy who has it on the phone
and he said that the engine is tired but he is including a GMC 5-window
parts truck (about the same year and a 3/4 or 1 ton) with it that has a
good engine. It has newer back tires on it (on newer non-split steel rims)
with old front tires on the original split rims, but two extra tires on
newer non-spit steel rims are included. It includes all the old straps
etc. that you need to hook up to a car and tow it (assuming the car has a
chrome bumper since the straps would chew up a painted plastic one (I could
tow my '39 Chevy to the cruise nights!!). There is also a title to it.
Its really an interesting and unique old truck that looks good (even my
wife thinks that it looks "cute"). The guy is asking $1,500 for the truck
(which includes the '50 GMC parts truck) - do you think that it is worth
that?? I'm selling my '48 and '50 Dodge pickups so my with is thinking
about this wrecker since it isn't "just another pickup". I offered him
$1,100, which he is considering but he said that is what he paid for the
wrecker two years ago - he was going to restore it but just doesn't have
the time. Thanks for your input, I think it is a good price but I don't
know for sure.
Kevin Brown
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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