my Dad gave me a 53 Chevy 5 window truck for my 15th birthday, i wanted to fix it up but with the truck in PA and me in TX, then in the Navy i didnt have the time, money, room or tools to do anything with it until now. 10 years after i was given the truck my Dad calls me, leaves a message and says a guy is on his way to buy the truck and if i still want it to call him back before it's gone. I called him back just in time, the truck was already loaded up and the guy (a friend of my Dad's) was getting ready to drive away with it....for $500!!! His money was returned and the truck unloaded and my research and hunt for parts began. i did some trading and got an s10 frame, 108" wheelbase and got to work cleaning it up and cutting it apart to accomodate the 53's 115" wheelbase. here are the pictures of my progress so far, please keep in mind that im doing all of this work in a single car garage in an apartment complex so space is limited as well as how late i can be out there making a bunch of noise so my progress is kind of slow. the truck the frame i noticed the frame is "sleeved" together so stretching it seven inches shouldnt be too hard i die grinded the welds so i didnt take away too much metal or cut through at any unwanted places and the frame came right apart. i still have to remove the inner part of the sleeve and put it all back together. since this truck will be automatic and my car is manual, the gf will be driving it so she is helping build it
Im very excited to be a part of this build. Ive always wanted a classic car/truck to work on, and now we do Its going to be fun to drive around once we get everything finished!
I wish i could get the wife interested. But she ain't havin' it. The boy... well the 3 year autistic wonder just want's to play with daddy's metal shaping hammers. I guess that is a start. The truck and the Gf are definitely keepers. Good luck on the project.
Yes that is a start. I work with kids and we have a few that are autistic, I absolutely love them!! They are amazing kids. Keep showing him the tools and maybe one day he will get interested in actually building something with you!!! Oh and Thank you for the compliment
i have been spending a lot more time on the frame than i wanted to but i guess im a bit of a perfectionist and dont even want any welding splatters where they dont belong. i got the mock up engine built (yes, it is built entirely of actual engine parts i had in the garage) and the trans is in my other garage waiting on the frame to be put back together. i will probably spend most of the next 3 days in the garage getting the frame put back together and cleaned up some more, then the mock up will be lowered in, trans cross-member made, bed picked up and built and mocked up. i have a ton of work ahead of me but with cooler weather here i am not dreading spending time in the garage.
well, i went and picked up a bed from a friend. he had it left over from his build, he built a show truck and this one wasnt straight enough for him so he didnt use it. i need to do a little work to the one fender i do have and need to find a drivers side rear fender. im going to go outside and check it out today, maybe sand it down some and see if it is worse than it looks
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