1941 was the first year of a new look for the Chevrolet pickup, using a split-grille front end design popularized by the 1939 Dodge truck. Chevrolet came out with an all-new truck in 1947 following World War II. This truck used as a "business sign" was found in eastern North Carolina. (Photo by Jim Meachen)

It's time to consider car doors. A Christmas gift, perhaps? All cars all have them — even the Jeeps of the world where an owner can actually remove the doors for short drives. But what happens if you need a replacement door after a nasty "fender bender?" Or you need to replace one while restoring a car. Perhaps you scour a salvage yard such as this one in Arizona. (Photo by Jim Prueter)

This 1947 or 1948 Chevrolet Thriftmaster pickup was spotted sinking into the ground in a front yard near Austin, Texas. The pickup was completely redesigned in 1947 and carried the Thriftmaster or Loadmaster emblems through the early part of 1949. The designations were dropped in 1949 in favor of numbers that designated cargo capacity: 3100 on half-ton, 3600 on three-quarter ton and 3800 on one ton. (Photos by Jim Meachen)

Studebaker wasted little time after WW II answering the peacetime call for new haulers. South Bend's 2R series of trucks rolled out as 1949 models looking decades more advanced than the trucks they replaced — the dowdy but historically significant M series. Thy were built through 1954. This early 1950s model was found resting comfortably among other retired nameplates. (Photo by Jim Prueter)

This circa 1980 Datsun pickup lives among other relics in an Arizona salvage yard. Pickups have grown over the years and this nearly 45-year-old truck would be considered a subcompact in today's world. (Photo by Jim Prueter)

This early 1960s rear-engine Chevrolet Corvair two-door has been robbed of its powerplant at an Arizona salvage yard. The Corvair was built from 1960 through 1969 in two generations. Total production was 1.8 million. The missing engine was probably a 2.3-liter air-cooled six cylinder. (Photo by Jim Prueter)

This 1969 Ford might still have some life as a work truck. When this picture was snapped, it was in at least temporary retirement on the side of a road in North Carolina. (Photo by Ralph Gable)

This 1953 Ford sedan has found a retirement home among other relics in an Arizona salvage year. Ford was riding high in the 1950s, alternating with Chevrolet for the title as best-selling nameplate. Ford was number 2 in 1953, but rebounded into the top position in 1954. The standard-sized Ford was all new in 1952 and with only cosmetic changes through 1954, when it was totally redesigned. (Photo by Jim Prueter)

Many people have photographed this 1941 Studebaker pickup at a Route 66 museum in Victorville, Calif. Since the truck ended up in Victorville, the driver must have "busted" about 100 miles short of his goal of reaching the end of the road and the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica. The 1941 truck was the first of the so-called M-series trucks built though 1952. (Photo by Ted Biederman)

This circa 1977 Chevrolet C-10 pickup was discovered in a rusted condition next to a boarded-up service station in eastern North Carolina. The 1977 model was part of the third generation manufactured from 1973 to 1991. It could be ordered with a variety os 6-cylinder and 8-cylinder engines and 3-and 4-speed automatic transmissions. A manual shifter was also offered. (Photo by Jim Meachen)