[mr48chev]

That torched apron was probably cut because it was in the way when someone without the right equipment was pulling the engine and couldn't lift it high enough.

I've been given a few of these trucks over the years because guys knew that I worked on them and had mine and I have bought several for as little as 25.00 with title an some of them were real hack jobs. Scabbed on flat bar for motor mounts, frames hacked up to clear odd ball engines, scabbed on subframe on one that had a weld crack when we put the truck on a lift to see what it looked like from the bottom side.

My own body work on my cab done in 1980 gives Martinsr's a run for it's money on the back cab corners that have rust spots showing though where the bondo has lifted now. That was the result of a severe lack of patience and always being in a hurry back then.

In the 50's, 60's and 70's it was the norm to cut off a piece of metal with the torch and then maybe hit it a few licks with the grinder before welding it on you project. It was also common to take the torch to something that was in the way but might not show after it was back together because it was in the way. Add to that some of the trucks we are building now have been sitting since way back when when someone jerked the engine out to put it in something else and they weren't kind to the truck when they pulled it out.