Projects Great foundation to start with. My 1952 Chevy truck.

Has original frame w/straight axle front end. In a couple of weeks the 6 cyl and Muncie 4 speed will be replaced with a built 350 sbc and 350t trans. New tires and steelies going on also.

 

Nice truck!

 

Wish my 50 was that straight, at least the rust is straight!

 

Bueno, join the AD group

 

That is a nice one to start with. Keep us posted on the progress.

 

From experience, when you redo the front suspension plan on including power steering. It is ceap and makes it a lot more fun to drive.
Nice truck, it should be a great project.
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Great truck ya got there.
Is this a build thread? I'm subscribed...

We picked up a 53 couple weeks back. A crusty field truck that sat out for over a decade. Not near as nice as yours but we have plans...

 

Looks like a pretty nice truck! I have always liked the AD's. Maybe I can check it out in person when we have the Hot Rod Hundred in St. Louis in October.

 

95 k miles on a '49 1/2 ton dd/only vehicle, '56 235, Fentons, dual Edelbrock 2X2.

 

Getting the 5.7L and auto trans set yesterday, swapping out the rearend and then installing a modern fuse box/wiring harness this week.

 

I like your work, I like your truck, I like good six shooters too.

But it doesn't hurt to have a good trad looking SBC in a AD truck.

Was the six shooter dead, or don't you feel love for a six'er?

Keep the pics comming. [emoji4]

 

The six is going to a new home and will be well utilized.I was going to have to replace the trans anyway and had the opportunity for a great deal to The new drivetrain that going in will better suit us for highway driving and taking it to shows.

 

Damn voice text cut me off. LOL. Anyway, the whole drivetrain was pretty shot and needed to be upgraded.

 

I miss my 50. 327 4 speed. Didn't need power steering. Nice truck.

 

...I like AD's, yours looks real decent,...I've had dozens of em over the years,...here's one of em from way back...

 

My truck has been at this guy's shop for over two months. It went in to have an engine, trans and rearend swap. I'm $8000 in to it and they still don't have it completed and are telling me it's going to cost even more money to finish it.

 

Sorry to hear that. Always have with an agreed price before starting. Also a time line of when work will be completed.

 

Just an example: The guy is claiming 20 hours of labor was involved in swapping the rearend. Taking a stock rearend out and putting an S10 one back in. 20 hours.

 

Get your truck out of there fast!!! Surely U have some friends that can recommend some one more competent!!!

 

A good friend is bringing his flatbed out to take it to his shop this week.

 

This shop is also claiming 24 hours of labor costs for a "wiring harness". I never authorized such a thing and the guy told me that he had only replaced a few old wires going to the engine. I will not recommend that anyone use Sparks Speed Shop in Bethalto, IL after the experience I have had with them.

 

Not defending the shop----I don't know them. HOWEVER----20 hours to swap out an AD rear end and installing an S10 isn't THAT far out of line, especially when you consider the time to remove the original closed drive shaft rear end, brake lines, (are they the original AD lines, how rusty, how brittle?) the time to align or modify the brackets from the new rear end to the old springs. The welding time for the new rear end brackets (usually tack the brackets to check alignment, then carefully weld them so that you don't warp/damage the axle tubes). Condition (or replacement) of shackles? lowering blocks? What about the custom length drive shaft, was that included in the swap?----- 24 hours to install a complete wiring harness is NOT out of line. You said in the beginning you were having a modern fuse box and wiring harness put in. It's a lot of time consuming work to disconnect, pull out ALL of the original wires. The process of preparing to install a new harness, determining where to mount the fuse panel (so its accessible with out having to move 3 things to get to it) LAYING out and ROUTING ALL the wires, cutting, connecting, testing, wire tying, and completing the wiring system does take a lot time.------- Was the engine compartment detailed and painted by you or the shop doing the work on the truck?-------Also, what is the shops hourly rate for custom work (unless this is the kind of fabrication and installation work they normally do, it's custom work). Shop rates, not regulated by insurance work, can be all over the map.---- I'm certainly not criticizing your decision to pull the truck out of the shop it was in, nor am I defending that shop. It's just another point of view. BILL RINALDI

 

Brake lines were already there and were brand new, not the original ones. Drive shaft was from another vehicle and wasn't anything custom. As far as the wiring- he only replaced a few wires to the engine compartment. It was NOT a new wiring harness. He did not put in a new fuse panel or anything else. I rewired my entire '64 Chevy truck by myself in a total of 7 hours. I've swapped a rearend in my own driveway, by myself, in less than a day. I had one swapped on my '64 in less than 4 hours at a shop.

 

After reading a few more details you certainly do have a good reason to move the truck, also you've established the fact that your not new at what it takes to put a modified together. As I said in my reply, it was not a criticism but an observation. BILL RINALDI

 

I appreciate your comments and advice, Bill. I'll be glad when this headache is over.

 

Here's what Sparks Speed Shop considers to be "quality, custom work". The rearend that he told me was in and finished so they could move on to the rest of the work. 20 hours of labor he billed for this crap.