1951 Chevy Truck Five-Window - Orange Destiny

Comin' home. That's what Johnny Edmundson figures is the fate of his '51 five-window. We're talking fate in the good sense of the word, not the end of the line or the demise of a brightly colored Chevy. Johnny figures he is at least the fifth owner of the truck, as far as he can trace back. The possible second owner bought the truck in 1980. This man, Barry Grandil, had a truck like it in high school, and when he found this rust-free specimen from his home state of Arizona, he jumped all over it.

Barry drove the bone-stock, original old truck around for more than a few years until the straight-six started to show its age. At that point, he decided he'd better have it rebuilt. Logic, or some twisted form of it, got the best of Barry, and a full resto was underway. With the help of his two sons, Tyler and Steve, they spent the next seven years whittling away at the project.

The most noticeable thing about the otherwise stock pickup is the built 235 inline-six. Barry had the six-cylinder wizard, Patrick Dykes of Patrick's Antique Cars & Trucks in Casa Grande, Arizona, freshen up and tweak the Stovebolt, starting with a 0.060-inch overbore, cleaning up the crank, adding a new oil pump, sticking in a Howard M4F cam, and balancing the whole spinning assembly. Under the unmistakable polished Wayne valve cover is a beefed-up stock head that was milled 0.040 inch, with new seats installed, along with 261 Chevy high-pressure springs, chilled iron lifters, and TRW tubular pushrods that bounce off a rebuilt rocker shaft assembly. On one side of the six, we find a polished Offenhauser dual single-barrel intake that mounts a pair of Rochesters. Below that, the six belches its unique sound through a set of split Fenton cast-iron headers. On the right side of the motor, a matching Wayne pushrod cover seals up the side of the block and doubles as a nice backdrop for the dual-point distributor.

The rest of the chassis and the remainder of the 3100 series truck is stock, but it has been gone through by the family trio. The Grandils also took care of the bodywork in preparation of painting the Chevy in Omaha Orange, which led to the main reason its current owner bought the truck. It seems Johnny is proud of his Tennessee heritage. The '51 apparently shares the color with the 1951 Tennessee National Champs, as well as the state-issued '51 license plate, which also happens to be shaped in the likeness of the volunteer state. Yes, it does seem like destiny for Johnny to have the Chevy stabled in his garage, as well as to drive it as proud as he can be in the "Big Orange" country that surrounds his Sweetwater, Tennessee, home.

Facts & Figures
Johnny Edmundson
Sweetwater, TN
1951 Chevy