1948 Chevy 1/2-Ton

Owned by Mike Doak "Tony Soprano" Bolter # 21370 Lee’s Summit, Missouri

From Mike :

Here is my 1948 Chevy half-ton truck. We owned a farm in between Stover and Cole Camp, Missouri. We were young boys then and helped Ed Balke, the original owner of the truck with labor on his farm. My twin brother, Mitch Doak, begged the farmer to sell him the truck if he ever wanted to get rid of it.

Eventually, when the farmer got too old and retired. he called my brother and sold him the truck for $300. It sat in our Father’s basement for about 30 years and we tinkered with it from time to time.

My twin eventually got around to seriously restoring it about five years ago. We found a 1955 Chevy engine and had it rebuilt. Then my brother gradually restored the rest of the truck.

It was in great shape to begin with. Ed Balke, the original owner, was always excellent with maintaining machinery. He had a new bed put in and later a neighbor painted it red from the original blue. At the time, Busch Beer was doing a lot of beer commercials featuring the old trucks exactly like this one.

My twin brother, Mitch, passed away in 2007 from ALS. It is my goal to keep the truck as a remembrance of him, my Father and our farm that we have since sold. I have the goal of making it drivable. I plan on getting Mustang 2 front end to put disc brakes on it. I have found a 1948 Chevy auto rear end and have it being put on as we speak. I have converted it over to 12 volts. I am having a little trouble with the 12 volt conversion. I have put a resistor on it to keep from burning out the points. I have to do a bypass to start the truck. What do I have to do to make it more drivable? Put in a condenser and coil so it is easy to start and not burn out the points? I have an alternator on it now.

I think they are the most beautiful trucks Chevrolet ever designed!

Please ask me for any more information if needed.

Thank you,

Mike Doak

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