One of the things that we’re constantly reminded of is that more “old stuff” has survived than any of us can probably conceive of. Honestly, think of all the auctions, eBay ads, Hemmings ads, Craigslist ads, RacingJunk ads, local newspaper ads, etc that list old cars and parts. The sheer number of old vehicles that still exist in some sort of running order is amazing. That being said, there are examples that stand a little taller than others in this category and I have always felt that so-called “working trucks” are one of those examples. Why? Simply put, these weren’t things that people bought for fun, they were bought to work, have a life span, and get retired. From dump trucks to wreckers and big rigs, these are the draft horses of the automotive world and more often than not their glue factory was a smelter….but not the truck we see in this ad.

Having lived its life in dry Montana, this 1937 Chevy is in amazing condition. Yes the paint is faded and there are blotches of rust in the paint job, but the floors and structural pieces of the machine are about as good as one could possibly hope for a vehicle like this. Hell, look at Craig’s Blazer which was built in 1979 and has infinitely more rust than this big, lumbering, love letter to the working past! All the glass is intact, the seller claims that the inline six engine ran when it was parked which we believe because those Stovebolts are some of the most reliable chuggers of all time, the interior is in decent shape and there are very few pieces missing. Of those missing pieces, the bumper is one. We don’t know if the truck had a typical thin chrome bumper like most trucks had in the 1930s or if a push style unit was added as this truck was obviously used for moving cars around. The existing bumper bracket is VERY substantial, so something tells us this thing had a big bumper on it.

The wrecker unit is a Holmes that is period correct for the truck so this chassis and wrecker unit have probably been together since the beginning. The wrecker is missing one of its booms but both spools of cable are there and that boom could be fabricated with a welder. We think we may actually be able to see a piece of the second boom sticking out the back of the bed in one of the photos so it may be with the truck. The spotlight on the roof is so cool I can hardly stand it.

Unlike most other stuff, we’d blow this truck completely apart and paint it back to the original gleaming red and white scheme. This old truck is pretty dignified looking if you ask me and it would be the belle of the ball with fresh paint and shiny pieces on it. The old Chevrolet Service logo on the doors alone would be worth the price of admission.

This big old wrecker probably runs out of breath at like 52mph….with the clutch in, downhill, being pushed by the wind, but it deserves the same treatment that any muscle car or other classic would get. Trucks like this are historic reminders of where we came from and they honor days gone by. Boy do I wish I had the scratch and the space to own this one!

Thanks for the tip, Craig!

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE PHOTOS AND HIT THE LINK FOR THE HEMMINGS AD AND LOTS MORE PHOTOS –

HEMMINGS LINK: 1937 CHEVY WRECKER