Picked up this truck last week for a song. Long road ahead but it's planned to be a project for my two year old son and I. I've wanted one for a long time and finally found one in my price range. It was originally a Nevada truck purchased by an outfit out of Bob's Oasis in Nevada as a tow rig. The bed was destroyed and altered a ton so I passed on taking that with the purchase. It's got an inline 6 (assuming it's not original since I'm sure this truck saw some hard miles) backed with the 4 speed on the floor tranny. All the glass is busted out of it but so far it looks like the metal is all in pretty good shape minus lots of dents and dings. I'm thinking that it's a long bed since the frame rails measured a hair over 7' to the end of the cab but I'm still researching to figure out how to proceed with getting bed components. I'm tentatively planning a built LM7 5.3 small block with either a single or twin turbos (kinda a FI nut) but haven't decided on the tranny yet. I've also been looking at suspension conversion options but I'm unsure which avenue to pursue yet but sufficed to say I'll be changing out the stock goods for something able to handle some power. This is my first classic vehicle build so I'm a bit overwhelmed by the learning curve but this isn't my first vehicle build so at least I've got that going. I'm open to suggestions/comments!
A 3/4-ton would have a long bed. The old suspension would handle power and weight, but probably not speed or comfort.
That's what I was thinking on the bed, thanks for confirming for me! I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that it was a 3/4 ton (wasnt sure at first) since I read that the frame is a bit beefier than the 1/2 ton frame. Anyone know who carries the bedsides, fenders, and side steps for a long bed? I've got a LMC truck catalog on order but I didn't notice if they offer long bed parts...
I'm building a 1950 1/2 ton, so I'm interested in how this project turns out. I remember hearing that a company called Mar-K makes bedsides for these AD trucks; might want to look into them. All my original panels are pretty straight, so fortunately I didn't have to look for new ones. LMC is usually the go-to for replacement panels though. I think the fenders are the same for long and short beds, but I can't say for sure. There's a '52 3600 longbox a few miles from my college campus, and the fenders look the same. If nothing else, check out the Stovebolt Forums. They specialize in trucks like ours. The have a section in the Tech Tips that shows you how to make your own bedsides. It doesn't look that difficult. This is my first street rod too. I've built two others for other people, but never had one for myself. It really is time consuming. Between school, work, and other things, my truck has been collecting a lot of dust. As per suspension upgrades, I used a Mustang II front suspension setup with a parallel rear-leaf kit in the back. If you have any questions about fabricating/installing those, I'll be glad to help.
Cool man, I'll definitely be hitting you up once I really dive in to this think cuz I'm sure I'll have questions! Thanks for the links BTW, I'm checking out the stovebolt bedsides article right now. I'm thinking at this point that I will be shortening the frame to make it work with short bed pieces (easier to find and less expensive). I'm also thinking that once I get the truck stripped down to the bare frame and the front suspension decided on, I'll box the frame as much as possible to help out with strength. Slowly putting a plan together, I need to start writing things down!
Anyone have experience with Mar-K products? I really like the detailed description and apparent quality of their stuff but I'm hoping someone on here has experience with their parts to shed some real world perspective...
I've purchased 2 beds from MAR K and they are top notch made in USA product.They fit and assemble with no issues, you wil like their stuff. Good luck with your project, and be sure to look at the AD truckers here.
Made in USA eh? Now THAT is a rarity these days. I'll gladly pay a little extra to support them continuing to keep their business here! Thanks Mastadon!
I'm installing a v8 in my 50 chevy 1/2 ton right now, join the ad truck page im in there, also others can help you out with any questions. Good luck on your build my50chevy
Found the AD truckers group and joined. I'll be maintaining this thread as the primary build thread and trying to post questions over on the AD board. Thanks for the heads-up!
3/4 ton and 1/2 ton use the same front springs, and 1/2 ton axles are a bolt in if you want to go that route either dropped or not. Easy way to get disc brake kits. the frames are slightly heavier than 1/2 tons but are virtually identical otherwise, they are very different from the rear of the cab back. There are quite a few who have shortened the frames to use the 1/2 ton bed. The tech thread will be a great resource for you in the ad group. Nice to see another 3600 getting done- I will be watching this thread. Jim
Thanks Jim, I'm checking out the wealth of knowledge that is the AD truckers section! There's sure a lot to absorb! As far as the axles, brakes, and ride height goes, I'd like disks all around since I have little experience working with drums (not that I couldnt learn but I'm a creature of habit). For ride height, I'd like to make it aggressive but functional. I plan on making a hefty investment into building this truck so I don't think I'll be loading the bed with fresh cut timber but it would be nice to be able to toss gear into the bed if I need to. That brings me to my next thought. Considering these trucks originally came with wood beds, I'm thinking that I want to go with metal for the bed for functionality and less possibility of damaging the wood if I do use the bed. Anyone got experience/suggestions for a metal bed surface?
If I were to go with a metal bed, I'd probably just use regular bed liner. Base/clear or single stage paint will both scratch if you plan on really using the bed. You could try mixing some base coat with the bed liner to give it some color. Personally, I'm just replacing the wood in my truck with a good, dense oak bed. I'll likely use SPI UC on it to give it a bit of shine. Wood should be plenty resilient for tools, bags, or boxes that would go in the bed. Blue pine is quite pretty and is squishy enough that it doesn't really scratch. Oak is hard enough that it won't dent easily. (Judging by my two worktables I made in high school) Just my two cents. If you have your heart set on a metal bed, you might look into a rubberized bed mat. Never used one in a hot rod before, but my buddy has an '05 Dodge Ram with one that we use and abuse just about every weekend in college. I think Truxedo makes them. Local custom shop should carry them. They're basically thin, rubber mats that just lay over the bed. You take them out when you're done with them. They take all the scratches so your bed doesn't. That could be an option if you only need to use the bed occasionally. Just take the mat out when you don't need it (they weigh like 20 pounds).
So I'm hoping someone here can help. When I got the truck, all I got was a bill of sale. No title. So, I did some investigating with the Nevada DMV records department and there are no historic records for title or registration in Nevada. I was told that back in the day a title was not required and I know that the truck used to be a tow truck for pop's oasis garage in jean Nevada based on the old painted writing on the doors and the toasted off AAA sticker remnants. I've contacted a local towing outfit and they said they could get me a title for $300 but I'm trying to figure out how to do this on my own. Plus I'd have to drag the truck to their lot and leave it there for 45 to 60 days. Anyone have a similar experience? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
The Jalopy Journal
