1929-1936 “Stovebolt”
BY 1929, Chevy started making some major changes to its line of trucks, with the transition to the new
“stove bolt”
194-cubic-inch inline-six engine design, as well as a closed-cab design. Up until now, all Chevy trucks had been roadsters with optional folding tops. Beginning in 1931, the company also began offering solid-sided beds, making this the first time an actual pickup was available from the factory. Another major change was that steel disc wheels now replaced the wood-spoked wheels, adding strength and reliability to the evolving platform. Although no one knew it at the time, similarly styled solid wheels would become a popular customizing choice decades later! In general, however, the trucks themselves are often stripped down and built as traditional hot rods, with the crustiest among the ending up as rat rods.