When Tulsa, Oklahoma, glazier Jerry P. Rollins first bought this somewhat rare '45 Chevrolet 1/2-ton pickup from his friend Tom Martin in the late 1990s, he took a lot of ribbing from his brother Terry and his friends. "They said there was no way I could turn this sow's ear into a silk purse. But I knew the truck had great possibilities!"
Initially, Jerry entertained notions of building a street rod out of the old Chevy, but he had second thoughts. "When it comes to vintage Chevrolet trucks, this is what they call a Military Model. It's completely devoid of any chrome trim and rubber (remember, rubber was in short supply during WWII) in certain areas-basically, it's a pretty rare find!"
Beginning with the chassis, Jerry completely disassembled everything and had the frame sandblasted. With that done, Jerry and his buddies installed an OE-type 4.11-geared '54 GM rearend suspended with rebuilt-stock 1/2-ton springs and original hydraulic shocks (the front suspension is the same, including the brakes and steering). Wheels and tires on the old warhorse consist of a set of 16x6 two-piece steel factory rims rolling on LT215/85R16 Michelin radials. Of course, no classic Chevrolet restoration would be complete without the traditional Chevrolet script 'caps and accessory beauty rings.