Thread: 1951 Chev truck

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Originally Posted by iceburgh

Nice part of hot rodding is you get to do what you want and not give a chit what other people think.
So unless it is your truck or your money nobody really cares what you think

Bingo!


That's what this hobby is all about!

My wife say's if he wants purple polka dots, let him have them, it's his truck!
(Please don't use purple polka dots)

Pat

People do care what other people think. Is'nt that the reason for forums. This is a place where friendly people exchange information about hot rods.

Thank you Don

Originally Posted by Don Meyer

People do care what other people think. Is'nt that the reason for forums. This is a place where friendly people exchange information about hot rods.

Thank you Don

Yes it is, It's where you get help with things and talk hot rods and have fun!
Not to tell you how it should look, If I want to run fenders on my car I will, and I don't care what any one else has to say about it! I like them, So don't, tell me not to run them, It's my choice as to if I think it will look good to me! not anyone elses.
Now you can tell me I'm doing it wrong, or it's not safe, or the way I'm doing it is wrong, etc, But you can tell someone to do it different, because it's not the way one person or most the people do it!

Tell Dave S to do "his" car "your" way and not his! How far do you think it'll go! Hell Tell him to put a chevy in his and not a ford!
He'll tell you to jump off a bridge! It's his choice, not the forums.

I had people at our flying club tell me that I could not fly my new plane at the flying field because it was to loud! Not one person had heard it yet! I said BS, I started it put the sound meter on it, and came in way under the 84 DBs we have to be. I had built my own smoke muffler, and after that, they wanted me to make them the same one! I told them how to do it themselfs!


Pat

Since sgo70 asked for opinions I played devil's advocate and it got some discussion flowing. Actually a tight stock truck is unusual rather than the norm these days. The truck pictured is a survivor, all there and in running condition. There's plenty trucks of that era to be found without engines, interiors and in need of attention to get back where they belong- on the street.

I say why tear up an running stocker just to prove you can stick a crate motor some corporation built, lower it like every other one out there and scavange a pair of funky bucket seat and a cheezy console with some tilt wheel like everybody else? My statement of going radical is simply for the sake of extreme if you want something to stand out. Seriously, otherwise the truck I described in the beginning of this paragraph is the Clone Ranger of every one we see at every event.

Everybody that actually did innovative work on their trucks is what it is great. My point is if you're gonna get innovative please do so to the max. Don't build another "formula" truck a described by tearing up a nice running original.

I've gotten weary of seeing people "do what they want with their own vehicles" because what they do is too often simple cloning. Sorry but I see way too many vehicles that don't deserve a second glance because they are formulated. Use some friggin imagination instead of running with the pack.

The whole reason to build a ride used to be have something unique. In the last 10 years every twerp who stumbled off the pickle boat believes he "needs" a hot rod instead of his Honda Civic. It's just a status thing now to have a "30s-something" roadster or coupe replica that is as standard in construction as the Honda is. There's too many dorks owning these repro turdwagons that shouldn't. They haven't got any insight to the history of the custom, hotrod or what a modified cars is.

I can go to a cruise and see a dozen 32-34 Fords with 8 using the exact same uninspiring gray cloth interior all with Chevy motors painted in black, red or yellow. I mean WTF, what's the point? No one is expressing themselves anymore. They're just joining the status quo.

A lot of you lived in the 50s and 60s like me and can confirm that folks putting together rides were more varied that today's. There were trends sure but not formulas like today. The whole idea was to be different instead of conform- the message owners/builders have lost today.

It's sad. I miss the variety. Great designer/builders whether aftermarket customizers or factory men have always stood apart from the crowd and their work has illustrated that. So when sgo70 asked about the truck I say do it justice or leave it alone casue we got too many same old ones out there.

That's a lot more input than I ever expected. I really appreciate the different views and opinions, it gives me something more to think about than having one person say "do it this way", even though in the end that might be what I want. I'm pretty new to this hobby, I've been working on my own cars and trucks my whole life cause I couldn't afford to pay anyone else, I've built a couple of choppers too, but there is so much more to know when it comes to this. Some of you have brought up great suggestions that I would have never thought of, and that's why I post on this forum, friendly advise without the ridicule (sometimes).
When I first started my '27 T I was thinking to build a Rat Rod cause I didn't really know any better one way or another. I got lucky and stumbled upon this and a couple of other websites that gave me a whole new perspective of what you can do. So maybe I'm kinda sticking up for the "formula" builders that just maybe didn't know what else could be done.(I don't want this reference to offend anyone )

So for now keep it coming and I'll park it in my driveway, cover it up and finish my car.

Sean

Well I went and bought it today thanks again for all the support, and once again I hope I didn't offend anyone in that last post especially Twitch cause I think that's where I got that "formula" quote from. I think I'm gonna sit on it for a while and really plan out what I want to do, of course I'll keep running my ideas by you guys before I make any cuts. It needs a new floor and the engine and tranny work but I was told it was geared quite low. Might have to do something about the rear axle also. Here are some more pictures, the only rust was on the drivers side beltline that I'll have to fix. If you scroll down a bit there are 4 more pictures, this is from a local website run by Rod the guy I bought the truck off. Check it out:

http://www.vintagerods.ca/showthread.php?t=205

Sean

as I said before, the rear end is likely a 2spd and being a 1 ton it almost certinly has a 4spd w/ the granny 1st gear.. oh, the rear end/ drive shaft is torque tube, getting a higher gear may be impossible, if you were going to maintain it as a 1 ton ( I would ) as the higher geared 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton rears won't fit the 1 ton. you could get a newer open driveshaft rear, and adapt a later model trans and get all the stuff from a '55-'63 car or truck that had a 235 to hook it up.. it would be a powerglide if you were to go auto.

I think only the 1/2tons had a closed driveshaft that year but not positive.

" no telling whats in it now "
T L

that would certinly make it easier if it was an open driveshaft.

I'd like to give it an automatic trans. and I think an open driveshaft would be good, so I guess I need a new rear axle do I?? Would that engine still be ok with the powerglide, is it a bolt on or do I have to get creative?? I also found a 1/2 ton frame for $250. I'm gonna have to decide how far to go with this, gonna have to save some money .

Sean

The powerglide will bolt up with the factory bellhousing adaptor, there pretty easy to find and if you get the powerglide from a car that had/ has a 235, it should come with it. might have to make a trans x member for a powerglide to put it in the truck, but the factory X member might work as I think in the cars, powerglide/ 3spd both used the same crossmember, which would mean they both mount the same.

I have a stock '51 Fleetline w/ a 235/ powerglide.

Just throwing ideas around, but I have a SBC with a 383 kit and AFR heads and such gonna be a big motor. It's attached to a turbo400. I was gonna put this in my Model T but was wondering how hard it would be to put in my truck??

Sean

Very easy to do. All you need is motor mounts and a transmission cross member. Figure out your front suspension and steering before you do the motor. You may need to shift the motor to the right a little for steering clearance.

Originally Posted by sgo70

Just throwing ideas around, but I have a SBC with a 383 kit and AFR heads and such gonna be a big motor. It's attached to a turbo400. I was gonna put this in my Model T but was wondering how hard it would be to put in my truck??

Sean

pretty easy. lots of places sell the brackets to bolt them up. trans crossmember is likely available from an aftermarket source..

I also forgot, that truck should be 6v if it is still original, you might want to upgrade to 12v. dosn't take much.

www.streetrodhq.com

the mount kit you need is CP-1160