Project "Popeye"
 

My diligence has paid off...it's exactly what I was looking for; clean title, original-ish paint, decent body and pretty much unmolested. The previous owner stored it in a garage for 19 years which stopped the rust monster but not the mice. I found a small amount of rust in the driver floorboard and some small holes in each cab corner and the bed has a couple issues but nothing unexpected. The doors, front clip and the cab are in great shape. I didn't poke around too long because I knew it wouldn't last at his price so we came to terms and I'm picking it up next Saturday.

My vision includes preserving the body, MII front end, 4-link/c-notch rear, 5.3L/700R4, steelies and wide whites, wiring, gauges, seat and maybe some weatherstripping and such then drive her wheels off! We have a baby due in March and I'm finishing a Harley project, so nothing will happen for a couple of months. But when the bike sells and the homelife settles down game on! Here are some cell phone pics:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4034/...68c7d531b1.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/...330254a3f3.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2779/...8e30f054bc.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2732/...e9c65fa81e.jpg

Re: Snagged one...!
 

nice find. great start to a fun project

Re: Snagged one...!
 

looks like a 52 or a 50
nice
what did you pay for it?
GT

Re: Snagged one...!
 

I wish any of the three that i bought would have been in that good of shape. You look to have a great starting point and i am anxious to see this take shape. Good luck!!!!

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Title says it's a '50. I didn't study the trim tag, not sure if you can date it with that? As far as the price, he wanted $1100 we agreed at $900 which I figured was what he had in mind. Now if my dear old Grandpa was still around we probably would have went home with the truck and a new set of tires or something for just the change in his ashtray and a couple of fishing stories. Legendary wheeler and dealer he was! :lol:

thanks!

Okay, I just got sentimental thinking about my Grandpa, he always loved these trucks and he wanted me to have one. He gave me a die-cast model of a '48 that sits in my office. Lots of people called him Popeye because he was short and had huge forearms. So the truck now has a name - "POPEYE".

Re: Snagged one...!
 

That looks like a great start! Be careful cleaning up the mouse poop, that stuff is bad for you.

Re: Snagged one...!
 

sweet, looking forward to the Build AKA POPEYE !

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Looks solid, and you got a great deal on it to boot. I'm looking forward to seeing this truck come to life. Good luck.

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Great deal. Looks like a solid truck.

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Sweet....

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Word, this is a great find. I absolutely love pics of these in a stranded original state of position. Your cell takes awesome pics. I am very happy you got such a good deal, it is
such a good feeling.

Also 52's to my knowledge didn't have the series number under the emblem because they were cutting back on metal during the war. So yeah if the title says 50' that sounds
right. Also a 52 would have vent windows, assumning these parts aren't replacements.

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Nice find! How much you find it for, if you dont mind me asking..

Re: Snagged one...!
 

he said 900

Re: Snagged one...!
 

I ran the trim tag last night from a link on Stovebolt and the serial # identifies it as a 1/2 ton 116" wheelbase built in Baltimore in May 1950. So I have a good trim tag AND title. Sweet.

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Nice an a nice price these days. Sounds like you have some good plans for it too.

Re: Snagged one...!
 

yeah, i slacked on reading.. sorry.

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Nice find, i agree, that will be a sweet way to get the truck built, love wide whites

Re: Snagged one...!
 

I want to paint the dash, firewall, wheels and maybe roof with some kind of metalflake blue, like marina blue with some silver flake or maybe darker. And maybe a blue mexican blanket seat. That would be it for color. Something like this scheme but of course with the black exterior:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Z0t3lOg3-1...Q-L_detail.jpg

What do you think?

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Drool!!!!!!

Re: Snagged one...!
 

awesome, i love it

Re: Snagged one...!
 

hey, your pretty close to me. (couple hours)

anyways why, may i ask, are you going with the 700r4 instead of the 4l60e or even 4l80e? i assume when you say 5.3l that your talking about a late model LM7 instead of a carbed 327 sbc. if not, then disreguard my post :)

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Great find and best yet, a great price.

Re: Snagged one...!
 

I like the 700R4's for the cable driven speedo and cores are cheap. I have a 5.3L (LM7) drive-by-cable ready to go, but maybe I'll carb it and relocate the coil packs, dunno? It would be sweet with a finned valve cover, three duece sbc look though. If I could figure out how to mate a three duece intake to one...hmmm?

I'm not too picky, for instance if I found a great rear end cheap that has say 3.08 gears, then I'd just throw a TH 350 in there.

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Looks like a great truck to start the project with...good luck!!

Re: Snagged one...!
 

alright. i was just wondering. i have a new rebuilt 700r4 in my '57 and a 4l60e in my '38 and the computer controlled tranny is FAR FAR FAR superior. always shifts when it needs to, doesnt hunt between drive and overdrive around 45 mph. dosnt rob as much power. just a great tranny. love them. i have a 5.3 lm7 + 4l60e going into my pickup shortly

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Looks to be a nice find. Good luck with her.

Re: Snagged one...!
 

That's good information I do like the way the new ones shift and the old TV cable can be a pain for sure. What are you doing for the speedo, electric gauge or cable x box? I guess if I'm gonna change out gauges it really doesn't matter. Got any pics of your rides?

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Probably going with the gauges like this. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1955-...Q5fAccessories

i have my original rebuilt when i built my truck the first time (03 or 04)
grandpas 57 bel air 2dr hardtop. my 57 3100. dads 56 bel air 2dr sedan
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...l02/Car035.jpg
my '38
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...2/IMG_6684.jpg
my '57
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...esel02/011.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...el02/013-1.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...esel02/017.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...esel02/019.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...2/IMG_5953.jpg
dads '57
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...el02/010-1.jpg
grandpas '57 (horrible pic, didnt have the keys to pull it outside)
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/j...esel02/007.jpg

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Congrats on the find! Can't wait to see more of this one!

Re: Snagged one...!
 

nice rides blackdiesel! I guess as Hank Jr. would say "it's a fam-ly tradition" :lol:

I've been following your 2wd swap / build. Looking good.

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Thanks! yea we have an old peice of steel or two that we like to drive around. Every few months i get a real bad itch to go work on a project. I need to find a less expensive hobby :lol:

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Well for inspiration I picked up this serape from Ebay for the seat:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2485/...926c8fcc29.jpg

Re: Snagged one...!
 

We made time to go retreive the truck today, it is not local but 1.5 hours away so we made a day of it. It was muddy and cold and of course a real pain but above all fun.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/...6b12323886.jpg
Dad and my boy:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/...5ddb488e13.jpg
Pretty solid overall:
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/...dcd42767e4.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/...2bc624ab0f.jpg

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Looks like a keeper.
What are your plans for it?

Re: Snagged one...!
 

That thing is sweet. Some of the best times I spent with my old man or my son were road trips to look at or drag home some cool treasure.... Very nice...

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Chassis build; MII, 4-link, 10 bolt, bags w/ manual valves, 5.3L...5 speed??? As-is exterior with new trim, glass & rubber, freshened up interior, steel wheels, wide whites, strategic metal flake and pinstriping. That's what's in my head right now. The plan could change a bit the challenge is going to be not going overboard.

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Looks like a good solid foundation to start with. Im sure you will have fun building it. I know that I had fun building mine and the reward is driving it

Project "Popeye"
 

Well I guess it's time to turn this into a build thread since I couldn't fight the urge to tear into it. This thread may be painfully slow but hopefully not boring. Since I got the truck I have cleaned it out, scrapped the original drivetrain and started gathering parts. My frame has seen better days and I found one nearby cheap so it now resides in my garage which is a good jump in motivation. So far the plan is:

Suspension/chassis
-Air ride IFS (type TBD) with power rack
-4 link rear end w/ bags over axle, c-notch
-camaro drum brake 10 bolt rear end, 3.42-ish ratio
-under floor power disc/drum booster, all new brake lines
-blast, prime and paint chassis

Drivetrain
-5.3L, 212/218 cam, carbureted, w/ coil pack relocation and finned aluminum valve covers
-NP 833 4 speed manual O/D transmission
-stock fuel tank location

Body/paint
-original black paint
-light rust repair in the floorboards and cab corners
-holes in firewall filled
-painted dash and firewall
-rough hewn bed wood and old beer crate in bed
-tasteful door logos and pinstriping
-new glass and rubber
-steel wheels and whitewall tires

Interior
-functional heater, radio, wipers, and gauges
-blue and black mexican blanket on the original seat
-new wiring

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2788/...1bf1ba6a_b.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/...d6519762_b.jpg

Re: Snagged one...!
 

Great looking truck. I like the blue serape.

Re: Snagged one...!
 

nice looking truck dude