The Mileage Master - 1937 Chevrolet 1/2-Ton Pickup
Chevrolet's 1937 pickups proved their worth on the open road.
More than 80 years ago, Chevrolet needed to convince buyers that its light trucks were the most dependable, capable, and economical haulers on the road. So, the company cooked up a plan to send a new 1937 Chevrolet half-ton pickup, loaded with 1,000 pounds of weight, on a 10,000-plus-mile road trip, certified by the American Automobile Association. For the driving chores, they signed on race car driver Harry Hartz--a three-time Indianapolis 500 runner-up.
On December 23, 1936, Hartz wheeled the Chevrolet truck off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan, and headed northwest across Montana, Idaho, and into Washington. He then followed the West Coast south and traversed the U.S.-Mexico border to the Gulf of Mexico. After passing through the Gulf states and North Florida, he pointed the Chevrolet up the frigid East Coast, to Maine, then headed back to Michigan through New England. Hartz arrived back where he began on February 23, 1937--mission accomplished.
Some of the highlights from the truck's two-month-long, 10,244-mile odyssey are surprising even by modern standards. During 328 hours of running time, the Chevrolet averaged 20.74 mpg and a speed of 31.18 mph. It needed only a minor repair along the way that cost 73 cents, and oil consumption was reported to be more than 7 quarts, but that included an oil change en route to keep the truck's babbitt bearings protected.
Powering this road-proven Chevrolet was the new-for-1937 216.5-cu.in. Blue Flame six--the only engine offered in the company's trucks that year. The 216 was a more robust engine than its 206.8-cu.in. predecessor. The block was two inches shorter, with full-length water jackets, and its crankshaft spun in four main bearings. The oiling system, however, was still a low-pressure arrangement that Chevrolet described as "four-way" lubrication:
The 216 had a shorter stroke than its predecessor, at 33/4 inches, versus the 4-inch swing of the 207, but a larger 31/2-inch bore than the earlier six's 35⁄16-inch openings. For extra oomph, Chevrolet boosted the compression ratio a quarter of a point from 6:1 to 6.25:1. (Later 216s would have 6.5:1 compression). The new engine was factory rated at 78 hp @ 3,200 rpm and 170 lb-ft of torque. (In passenger cars, it was rated at 85 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque.) Rounding out the powertrain on Chevrolet's half-ton trucks was a three-speed manual transmission with a floor-shift and a 4.11:1 final-drive ratio.
The engine wasn't the only new feature Chevrolet was boasting about in its 1937 haulers. Also that year, it introduced an all-steel cab with taller front and rear glass, for a better view of the road or job site. The front end was restyled to strongly resemble Chevrolet passenger cars, with a similar (but not interchangeable) grille, as well as painted headlamp pods mounted to the sides of the radiator surround.
Inside the cockpit, a bench seat was divided into two sections with adjustable cushions and backs. In pickups, the fuel filler was accessed by raising the passenger side seat cushion and unscrewing a bung on the top of the tank. For 1938, a more conventional external filler pipe was routed outside the cab on the passenger side. To further blur the lines between its cars and light trucks, Chevrolet equipped both with similarly styled and configured instruments, switchgear, etc. As the company pointed out in promotional literature: "The same easy control that is yours in a passenger car is provided for the driver of a Chevrolet truck. The instrument dials are directly in front of him. Close by his right hand are the choke, throttle, and light controls. There is even a package compartment, with lock, in the panel. Clutch and brake pedals operate at light pressures."
The instrument cluster was well appointed, for the time, with a 100-mph, AC-branded speedometer in the center, gasoline and water temperature gauges to the left, and amperes and oil pressure gauges on the right. Simple paneling disguised most metal interior surfaces, and a rubber floor mat covered the floor.
Optional creature comforts indoors included a radio, a heater, a clock, a cigarette lighter, and seat covers. Outside, buyers could pile on extras like a rear bumper, a right-hand taillamp, an outside rearview mirror, fog lamps, a spotlamp, whitewalls, and more.
The half-ton's chassis was redesigned for the 1937 model year, too, and built rugged enough for light hauling chores. The reinforced frame rails were made from 9/64-inch #1025 hot-rolled, pressed steel, measuring 2¼ by 5¾ inches. Tying the frame together were five stout crossmembers, plus there were beefed-up engine mounts, spring hangers, and steering brackets.
In the rear, there was a "Monorail" spare tire carrier that clamped the tire beneath the bed with a locking bolt, to guard against theft. The carrier was also designed to make raising and lowering the spare tire under the truck easier on the operator.
Chevrolet's 1937 1/2-ton pickups were 183 inches long, from nose to tailgate, and rode on a 112-inch wheelbase. The whole package tipped the scales at 2,945 pounds, with a 4,400-pound GVW. When it came time to test that GVW, operators had a wood-decked box at their disposal that measured 77 inches long and 451/4 inches wide inside. The 1937 model's cargo box also benefitted from a redesign that stretched it out 5 inches from earlier trucks.
To shoulder whatever load owners might pile on, Chevrolet equipped its littlest pickups with eight-leaf springs front and rear, as well as Delco hydraulic shock absorbers to help smooth out the bumps. When it was time to stop, Chevrolet's light haulers relied on 11-inch hydraulic drum brakes, borrowed from the company's passenger-car line, fitted with 13/4-inch-wide linings, front and rear.
By 1937, light-truck sales in the U.S. were heating up, thanks to their versatility and low operating costs--as demonstrated by Harry Hartz's trip around the country for less than a penny per mile. Chevrolet moved 88,867 1/2-tons that year, 64,420 of which were pickups. The 1937 redesign rolled through 1938 with some minor updates, and in 1939, Chevrolet unveiled a made-over light truck, identifiable by its more modern V-shaped windshield.
