The Urban Lumber Company is one of those undertakings that makes you think: “why didn’t someone think of this before?” Well, maybe they have, but not so successfully, at least not here. Seth San Filippo was a young woodworker and skateboarder, and decided that old trees being cut down in the urban area had great potential. Now he has a complete facility for processing all kinds of salvaged timber, as well as a big showroom downtown full of superb creations made out of them. And he has this old Chevy truck out front. Turns out working on old Chevys is one of his hobbies. Figures. Makes a perfect combination.
A full CC on the Advanced Design Chevy truck is here. And if you’re into old logging trucks, there’s this CC on a 1937 International.
It has a 5-window cab yet! IMO one of the most handsome pickup trucks ever. In 1951 my grandfather bought a Chevy 3100 5-window Deluxe. My father had just turned 15 (legal to drive in Texas with certain provisions at the time) and my grandparents told him he could have unlimited use of the truck with the caveat that he had to make all deliveries and fetch supplies for the drugstore they owned.
The truck was still in service when I arrived a decade later. Unfortunately, it was sold a few years later when my grandfather died. Still I remember riding with him in the truck on some of his own errands.
By that time my father was also a pharmacist and was left to run the store while Papa and I made the occasional donut run or some such. My mother claimed her father-in-laws driving “style” gave her many anxious moments especially when I was his passenger. In the cause of family harmony though she held her tongue and gave her rosary a good work out.
About 15 years ago I brought home a 1953 5-window. It had been the previous owner’s “fishin’ truck” – ‘nuf said about its condition though it did run and pass Texas’ lienient safety inspection. My wife had a hissy but I got to keep it because my 7-year-old son fell in love with it. 🙂 We would also cruise to the donut shop and use it for other errands my sedan was ill-fitted to perform after I installed seat belts (not required by the state since it did not have them originally but by my childrens’ mother).
I sold the truck after a few years when we moved to a different house which did not have a large shed and workshop where I could park it but I’ll always have fond memories of driving it. It had no radio but I would frequently hear the Quincy Jones tune “The Beater” (theme song from Sanford and Son) emanating from somewhere in the cab – perhaps from the middle of my head. 🙂
Maybe you’d like this, my ode to my favorite truck: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1951-chevrolet-pickup-americas-and-my-favorite-truck/
Thanks for putting me onto your article, Paul. I must have missed it last year.
Both trucks had engine swaps. My grandfather was not a car guy. He was born in rural Louisiana in 1897 and his first vehicle had one horsepower (literally). It was a Studebaker buggy I was told. Anyway he fried the original 216 cu. in. 6 one day not realizing that a reading of “0” on the oil guage was indeed a very bad thing. My father was pretty upset with my grandfather but dropping a low mileage 235 from a Bel Air into the engine bay made every thing all right.
By the act of an unknown previous owner my 1953 was the recepient of a early 60’s small block V8 and the 4-speed transmission that came with it (probably) but still had the original rear end. I never checked the engine code to determine its displacement but with its 4-barrel Rochester it had plenty of power – too much in fact for the brakes.
I also had plenty of proof that there is a right way and a wrong way to swap a V8 into a Chevy truck of that era. Moving the steering box to the outside of the frame rail was probably not a good idea for example. I guess that is why so many V8 conversions for that vehicle use a Mustang II front end.
Too bad you had to sell the truck. Neat story though!
Well, I’ve got my Comanche pickup now. Working AC, radio, power steering, and modern disk brakes all add up to some consolation and the Jeep is handsome in its own right.
Love the bark edged dropside thats cool
There are some exquisite claro walnut slabs available at the Urban Lumber site. Now that’s more exciting than an old Chevy! (YMMV.)
I haven’t seen that big a hunk of cedar in a long time.