Early 50's Delivery Truck...

[SRD art]

Hey guys-

I do hot rod art and take a bunch of stuff to car shows to set up a vendor booth. Usually I unload my stuff and then put the car in the show while I'm there all day. I've been using my tricked out 79 Olds Cutlass Station wagon to haul it all but have outgrown it and bought a 77 Suburban to use instead. This fall I'm entering the colision repair / street rod building program at the local college and need a pre 60's project to work on. I was tooling around yesterday in a more rural part of our area and saw the coolest truck, rough and rusty but cool nonetheless tucked back in someone's yard. The house is up for sale and I plan on seeing if I can help them clean the yard up . It looks like a mini UPS truck with a Chevy early 50's front clip. From driving by it looks just like this Stude, only it has a folding side entrance door like a school bus and of course the Chevy front end. Something like this would make an awesome booth junk hauler and mobile art studio for cruise nights.

Can anybody tell me more about this or what it's officially called? I'd like to research it more before I go and ask if I can buy it. I Googled 1950's Chevy work van but I didn't come up with anything except for the Stude. Any insight is much appreciated. Thanks!

[NONHOG]

How about an AD short bus ? check out BBEEP's
I'd suspect you could always add an old box (think sixties U-haul) and add it to a cab/frame ?
thats all I got Good luck !

[OrrieG]

Home delivery milk truck is what we called them in the 50's. I remember a plumber in the neighbor hood having one too with a big vice on the back and pipe rack on the drivers side. Passenger (curb) side had a sliding door. It was painted orange with black trim with his name on the side, can't remember that. My dad was a carpenter at the time and used him for his plumbing.

[SRD art]

I found this photo labeled as a milk truck. Only photo I could find. This is exactly what this truck I found looks like, only it's all rust colored and looks like it may be pretty rough. I'm not fond of the roof line and windsheild shapes, however for the purpose I need it would be perfect. I have a spare Nova subframe and 10 bolt rear to give it an easy drop, updated suspension and "narrowed rear" for bigger tires. Maybe black with red rally wheels and police caps with my logo on the side. Art coming soon...

Don't know if it could be for sale yet, I'll post up if I can get my hands on it.

[OrrieG]

The seat probably sits pretty high, almost like a bar stool. I remember the see the milkman when I was doing my morning paper route. Because he was standing to get into the back and out the side door the windshield had to be pretty vertical. Getting in and out of the seat was more of a side ways motion than in a regular truck. Current UPS trucks are set up the same.

[Dan Bowles]

Does it have the '54 front clip like that one? That's cool! I don't have one of those...yet.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

I think a lot of those were built by Boyertown (not sure about the spelling.) And one thing I remember about them is the seat. They could actually be folded back and you could drive them standing up. I think that function was used when just moving the truck from one house to the house next door.

[yote1234]

.... milk truck....