The featured item is a 1946 Chevrolet 6400 series, stake body truck, with a hydraulic bed hoist.  This heavy duty 2 ton utility cab and chassis has been meticulously restored to perfection.

The original owner, Emil Heimos of Lemay, Missouri utilized the truck for his sheep farming operations at Montadale Farms.  Heimos purchased the truck from Big Four Chevrolet, located at 2400 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, on November 14, 1946.  The new truck replaced his smaller and out dated 1929 Chevrolet.  Heimos' eldest son Norman applied for the new vehicle from the U. S. Government upon his return from serving in World War II.  Servicemen were given favorable considerations for almost unavailable new vehicles at the time.  Norman Heimos claims “the Chevrolet truck was the first new truck delivered in South County after the war”.  On January 17, 1947 Heimos had  grain sides and stock rack installed by the Steelweld Equipment Company, Inc. for the total sum of $385.20 this included a 5% Federal excise tax and a 2% State sales tax (click here to see the original invoice).

The Load Master engine is a straight six with 235.5 cubic inches, 192 foot pounds of torque and 30.5 horsepower.  A four speed transmission with provision for power takeoff and a two speed rear end; with high and a low.  This PW series truck has a 160 inch wheelbase and is 259 inches in length.  It is 88 inches wide and 78" tall.  The maximum gross vehicle weight is 15,000 pounds.  The front suspension consists of a nine leaf front spring, with a 640 pound per inch deflection rate.  The rear has a 10 leaf main plus a six leaf helper, and a deflection rate of 2300 lbs. per in.  The tires are 750 by 20-10 ply (8 ply came standard) and were single in the front and dual in the rear.

The original base price of the truck was $1564.60.  With options the total came to: $2506.33, which included a $3.50 state & title license fee and a $49.08 sales tax (Click here for an original scan of the invoice). The options on this truck included, 10 ply tires, heater/defroster, right hand windshield wiper (left hand wiper came standard), matched horns, fog lights, oil filter, Lubertone, anti-freeze, and hoist & body.  The hoist and body created the ability to raise the front of the bed up to dump a load, similar to a dump truck.  The hoist a Speedlift type 7-DL, serial number 10154 was manufactured by Daybrook Hydraulic Corporation, Bowling Green, Ohio.

Today the truck is used as a promotional vehicle for Nu Way Concrete Forms, Inc. in St. Louis, Missouri, and is on permanent display at the Antique Warehouse.  When the truck was restored the grain sides and stock rack were omitted and replaced by wooden stake sides made of oak.

Below are a few images of the truck as looks it today.  If you click on any of these images you will be taken to the index page, where you can view larger images.