Art & Inspiration How would you "H.A.M.B." this truck?

Man .... install headlights and wipers, and drive it.
Ohhh ..... and then make it look like Custom 208 photoshopped-it

Nice Score !

 

Here.....and done

 

The black wheels and yellow hubcaps look odd. Full yellow wheels with no hubcaps, chrome hubcaps, or white hubcaps and white bumper and grill might look better.

Or if you go with commercial lettering on the door, red graphics and red wheels would be a likely commercial combination from back in the day.

 

The Chrome wheels also look good

 

OK, crazy idea: Since you’re going to repaint it eventually, why not embrace the yellow and have a little fun in the meantime? Knock down the gloss with detergent like Verde72 suggested, and then do the thing up as a Shell oil shop truck.

It could be fun with Shell oil logs on the doors and tailgate, maybe a fic***ious shop name. Larry’s Garage. Lone Jack Motors.

Here’s a rough idea. You could do better.

 

On that one simple is wonderful. I have to go with the rendition that 208Custom did on it as that is slick and not a bank breaker to do.
I have never liked those **** ugly sunvisors since I pulled the one off a 50 Chevy I bought in the 60's and stomped it and folded it up and stuck it in the trash barrel. The guys that had them in the 40's and 50's were of the same mentality as the guys who go to Auto Zone and buy flame decals and stick on port holes and call it customizing.
Not a fan of the signs on the doors for the sake of having signs on the doors either. If it relates to your business cool, if it relates to your dad's old business even better and if you can show the same sign on your grand dad's truck from the 50's now we are talking and this is cool. Plus that is something that may be a turn off to a prospective buyer.

 

Ditch the running boards, then trim the rear fenders to match.

 

Chop it!!

 

Built up this 56 Dodge about 8 years ago, (have since sold it due to no room )
I cheated here tho, to get it rolling at the height I wanted, I mounted the body on a HQ Holden ute ch***is (GM Australia)

 

How about a Caterpillar service truck.

 

Hi Lonejack just posting this to sweeten the pot a little...this was a a local cruise my way and it was a clean machine. Maybe a few things to many but well done. You have had lots of good advise already and then there's you so have fun with it...it has lots of potential.

 

There's nothing traditional about phony patina or deglossing a shiny paint job.
The chrome wheels / wide whites would be perfect, chrome the bumpers and grille.

 

REALLY, Pastel paint was hot in the 60's on West Coast,
even see lots of customs from 60's now with no NO clear coats.

 

Flat black, swamp cooler, red wheels...

 

I saw one with the same body style, maybe the same year, at a local show. It was stock appearing on the exterior. The six was detailed and it was converted to 12 volts. An alternator and a/c compressor were the only noticeable changes. Interior had comfortable looking buckets, console and under dash evaporator. It was done with obvious attention to details but seemingly without major money involved.

 

View attachment 3289273

If it were mine, I'd leave it stock height. I think it makes them look more antique and not like all the other modern cars and modern builds.

I'd try to keep the stock engine but change the transmission to one with an overdrive and I'd put a different rear end under it. If matching that engine to an overdrive transmission turned out to be too impractical, I'd forsake the HAMB doctrine and swap both the engine and transmission to something more reliable, cheap, and powerful. Like a Chevy or Ford small block. Then I wouldn't talk about the engine on here or lift my hood. That sure would sure make it a nice driver, though, compared to what it is now.

I think you're going to quickly grow tired of the slow gearing in the rear end and the anemic stock engine and transmission.

A Ford 400, after a few cheep tweaks, would also be ideal for that truck's weight.

 

Verde - Not disputing those facts at all. The OP asked for opinions. Yellow wouldn't be my choice, one of those colors I would look past on a solid car. But to scuff it to kill the gloss wouldn't be for me. Not entirely right to lump it in with simulated patina, I guess.

 

Well, I got plenty of ideas with which to work. Thanks to all whom contributed! As much as I'd like to find a Red Ram hemi, I think this will be a lobux operation. As soon as I can get it running (and stopping) I'll be in a position to make a few decision. Thanks, again!

 

From the looks of his avatar he likes Yellow.

 

Off white bumpers, grill and wheels. Lowered leave the 6 and manual trans and drive it.

Sent from my SM-N900P using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

A wit so dry it could use a dusting.


Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

My brother has a 51... I put a 318/904 in it for him. Old truck scoots now !


Sent from my LG-H343 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Made me chuckle.

 

My choice too, keep it all MoPar. Chrome reverse wheels would look good. A contrasting color on the bumpers and grill will help a bunch.

 

I agree with you, but OP claims its a bad paintjob, like a ten-footer or worth. Do it right will cost some money m and take some time. But make it flat/dull to hide overspray/runners, and install headlight. And then run it all over and all the time till you can afford paint makes sense and is Era perfect way to go.

I'm not a fan of chrome wheels on a work truck or a beater. But other then that, most of your guys is on to something.
I would drop the front, repaint steelies and grill.

Do the Cat shop truck thing, and remember to carry tools, drive it like you hate it and take care of it like it was your first girlfriend, and that will make it look like a real shop truck!
And to HAMB it up you only need to drive it and like it!!

EDIT:
this is a Cat truck paint it two tone with black tractor paint and work on the right look over time

 

OK, it's not too cool looking but I just drive mine! Just turned 10,000 original miles...

I love your truck and be sure to check out Eastwood's Project Pile-House if you haven't already, one of the coolest Pilothouse truck projects and all do-able work. Lot's of good you tube videos on it.
Matt

 

Looks like it should have had a big FOLLOW ME sign in the back like they used on the flight line

 

G***ers had to be self starting, push trucks were for altereds,dragsters and funny cars...

I read the suggestions on most of these threads, and sometimes I wonder if I am from different planet. I wouldn't have the first clue how to "hamb" something, but if I wanted to make that look like a truck that had been modifed shortly after it was new, I would drop the nose, add lancer caps and WWW's, chrome stacks behind the cab (or belly burners if you are too prone to peer pressure to go the distance) chrome the grill, and hose '56 dodge royal blue all over it. Add a poly or tall deck red ram, fill it with light blue t&r with white piping, and bobs yer uncle.

 

Seriously? I have NEVER seen a G***er being push-started (Well, not generally, and definitely not in the staging lane). I HAVE, however, seen a few trucks with push bumpers made of wood, for, you know, PUSHING vehicles that needed it, especially those trucks used by service stations back in the day, where some actual g***ers were actually built I also recall tire casings bolted to steel push bars that were like big overriders, but I always liked the wooden ones myself.

I WILL cop to the fact that personalized license frames were NOT available in the hamb era. If you wanted to take a cheap shot, THAT would have been easier pickin's...

As to how to "hamb" something, if you need a clue (which I know you really don't), just look at all the strivers on here straining to be "era correct", when examples of most these rigs never existed in reality. The paint quality, rare equipment, magnificent welding and machining using gear that the average Joe never saw, and chops and other mods that are some modern wet dream of what REALLY existed just make me smile. Not dissing the effort, which is pretty over the top in a lot of cases. but not everyone in the day was Doane Spencer, Sam Barris, or John Mazmanian.

Ten-footers with goofy paint and bubblegum welding were pretty common, and a set of chrome wheels was often the first thing purchased (after headlights and wipers, and a brake job, natch). Since the OP is going for the no-go approach, he might as well shoot for the "all show" deal, right? Let's not kid ourselves that "appearance" isn't a big deal on the HAMB.

 

This is what push trucks for. Picture from web