Thread: Starting to work on my 52 Chevy 1/2 Ton

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I just pulled my 1952 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup out of storage, and I want to make it kick ass! I want to put a 350 engine and manual transmission in it. I would love any advise or tips. I will post pictures later.

First Welcome to CHR...That said probably the best advise I could give you is "You don't want to do that truck" You'll get frustrated and spend a lot of money on it. Just bring it here or I could come get it and save you all that time and money.

Welcome to CHR. Best advice I can give is to spend some time now deciding exactly where you want to be when it's "done", in as much detail as you can, write it down with sketches or pictures of your "inspiration truck(s)" and estimate the costs accurately to have a budget in mind. If you want a cruiser that you can drive to events, or just drive, then you need a manual tranny with an overdrive top gear, or even top two gears if you swing a six speed. It'll be a cool truck!

Welcome Riley!!! As Roger said, plan it all out then as you start the build keep these two facts in mind;
1, It's going to take longer then you thought.
2. It's going to cost more then you thought.
Having a "theme" for the build and working with that theme from start to finish will make for a quality truck when you're done!!!!

These are great trucks with a ton of aftermarket support. You'll have lots of options to choose from on suspension and brake mods. Do some research before you tear into it and get an idea which way you want to go. Dave's absolutely right; pick a theme, line out a good plan, then take one area at a time. It'll save you you time, money, and lots of headaches!

Forgot to mention, if you're not a friend of LMC Trucks yet, I predict you will be before you're too far into your project. It's an amazing place, and the guys there bend over backwards to find what you're looking for from their stock - Chevy Truck Parts & Truck Accessories for Chevrolet Trucks from LMCTruck.com

Thanks for the replies! Here are the pictures I promised, i will post more in better quality when I can find my camera's cord. I was thinking of buying this van 82 Chevy Van Heavy Duty if it had the 350. Would I be able to use the rear end off of it?

You could use the rear end, it would be way too wide and you'd have to have it narrowed though.....