Tell me what to do!
 

so my neighbor gave me a 1948 international kb2 pickup for free and im not sure what to do with it. i dont want to spend alot of money on it but ill throw down the dough for something thats worth it. since im kinda undecided what to do with it i thought it would be cool to see what other people would want to do with it then mabey i can do it. as of right now i took the starter off and hooked it up to the battery and it worked then i hooked it up and it didnt work. WHAT? so then i had a mad dash to get my 55 going for school and got it done so its time to GET R DONE

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1283916656


http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1283916656

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/a...1&d=1283916656

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

Can't ell ya what to do, that's a decision that you have to make

But, I see a ton of potential there if you have the time, money, & inclination.

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

well what im looking for mainly is ideas or tech tricks. also im full of time(weekends) cause im working at the stupid ford dealership after school where they try to turn me against chevy(dont worry it wont happen EVER) and i got lots of inclination to do whatever on it. but not alot of cash

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

OMG, that is soooooooooo frickin' cool!!!

Figure out some affordable modern suspension/brakes, get the motor running, if it's toast, toss a tree fiddy in it, Mexican seat blanket... soooooooo cool.

Then someday, turn her into the beauty she deserves to be.

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

First I'd get it out of the weeds :lol: Then I'd check those wires sounds like power isn't getting to that starter.

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

i take that giant sports bottle out of the truck for ya

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

Hmm
An s-10 swap might be an economical solution
very cool
T

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

dont spend a cent on it until you are sure you have or can get a clear title for it

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

I agree with the two comments above......






Once you have the title of it I would clean it all out and see where you stand as far as to what it needs just to be driveable then upgrade as you go. It will make one hell of a shop theme truck...

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

lol you can always give it to me!! that is a cool truck after you get title to it then id worry about what to do with it

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

^For sure!

This is exactly what I was thinking, with one addition -- whatever you do, don't paint it!!! :thumbs:

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

Is it a 4WD. My Grandad drove one like that until the mid 70's

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

As good looking rig as any other(that vintage). maybe more so because its more unique.
Title, get'er running/moving/stopping as cheap as possible then go for the major plan. (if need be)

my 2cents.

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

From what can be seen the sheet metal looks reasonably decent and I’ve always loved this body style. I like the small round windows and the shape of the doors with the high sills. To decide whether it’s even worth keeping/fixing at all, inspect everything inside and out looking for the amount and severity of rust. If rust is extensive, it could end up costing a fortune to repair unless you can do the work yourself.

If this is your first truck project, I’d suggest trying to get it to run and stop, and a new wiring harness should be high up on the list for a truck that has been sitting out unprotected from the elements. Bugs, rodents and corrosion can play havoc with the old cloth covered wiring, and just one high amperage short can burn your project to the ground.

While I find this style of truck very desirable cosmetically, original parts (particularly sheet metal) may be very difficult to find in good condition. In some product lines chassis parts in these early models remained in service for decades, so those might easier to come up with. Keeping it relatively stock will likely be less challenging, because little aftermarket support is available for Internationals, Dodges, and Studebakers of this era. A friend once had a 1956 Dodge truck that had gone through many owners (and he sold it as well), because finding parts became overwhelming.

If you just want to fix it up and have fun with it I’d say go for it, it can be great fun and an opportunity to learn how restoring a vehicle works. Just don’t expect to get rich if you ever decide to sell all your hard work. Restoring it to dead stock on a very small budget (perhaps with mostly used parts), will probably provide the highest return. As an investment, the potential value will not be as good as something more popular. It’s very easy to spend $20k on a Chevy/GMC or a Ford and have it end up worth half that much. Off brands are even harder hit, because you need to find a unique and interested buyer.

I don’t mean to be discouraging as I’ve enjoyed owning some off beat cars over the years, but each was a learning experience when it came time to move on.

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

thanks fo the replies. i got it home and got a new title from my neighbor that had it back in the 60s and was still the registered owner. i got it home a while ago and after asking about 12 people to take the sprayer for free i finally got rid of it and got 10 bucks for it by another neighbor that gave me his 66 chevy 4x4 stepside. itll need a new floor, and theres a piece missing off the left rear fender(rusted away or tore off). ill post up some more pics when i get done working at the furd shop. also i like the thought of the s10 swap but i have a limit of 3 vehicles at home at a time and i dont really want to go that indepth. i needs a new radiator, brake slave cylinder, floor, and some other stuff. later

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

Well, a title is a good start!:metal:

I'd get it under cover asap, and start looking at the things that make it move.

Pull out the spark plugs and add a few spoon fulls of Marvel Oil or diesel to each cylinder to help loosen any stuck rings.

Make sure the water pump spins freely, generator too.

Find out for certain if it is a + or - ground system.

Do a little investigating into whether or not you can pre lube the motor before trying to turn it over.

Find your local International dealer and see if wheel bearings/seals, king pins, and any steering/brake service parts are available in the system. As mentioned above, a TON of these parts were used for many decades and are sometimes still on hand. What ever you do, DO NOT toss old bearings and seals. You may need them for comparison shopping against possible interchange parts under different makes/names.


As for cool factor ideas? :devil: Twin turbo Navistar 7.3 with an Road Ranger tranny is a good place to start.......heh heh heh....

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

good deal for you that thing is really cool

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

That would make a hell of a Rat Rod! I'd make sure all the cancer is taken care of first. Pull the front end, and drop a 5.3L and 4l60E in it. That with a decent rear end, steel wheels with a "rat rod" style. If the bed is wood, replace and make it useable. Brake upgraded as much as possible. Suspension....well, what ever to make it safe and reliable. Then drive it.....

6-8k would be my guess to get it rolling, and reliable. If your lucky and can scrounge.

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

ok 6-8 grand is way too much. i know that you got to throw money into it to make it safe but lets be rational. im thinking 2-3(not all at once im making 7.35 an hour:) it has an aftermarket knox bed with wood. also i have put oil in the cylinders, thanks. well i borrowed a 6 volt battery from the junkyard that he said the negative terminal was positive but my batt charger will only charge it on the positive to positive terminal. so is he wrong or am i stupid (you can be honest) :lol:

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

You might be surprised how much you can do with adapting and making parts for that thing.

The floor could be done in any shop class with a sheet metal brake and a bead roller. It might take some trial and error, but it can be done.

Also, there are specialty suppliers of old and obsolete parts who may be able to help....Kanter lists IHC..... let's see what we can find.;)

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

6-8k would pretty much be a finished rat rod that you could drive across the country.

If you have a shop class near by that would like to take your rust issues on as a project, that could save you some money. If you went with a LS swap, 5.3L motors/trans can be had for 1200-1500 complete. But if you want to build what you have, then you could do it cheaper.

Either way, 2k should get it rolling, and driveable. Just make sure it can stop just as good as it can go.

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

Maybe look up Bisio Motors in Portland Oregon? I don't know if they still exist.

http://www.binderbooks.com/
http://oldihc.org/main/
http://www.nealstruckparts.com/

Maybe those folks can help.

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

thanks dave ill check those out in a bit( im suppost to be doing my homework:lol: one thing i forgot to say is that that junkyard has some stripped internationals and some complete ones. ive called him 3 times about the parts but he keeps forgetting(busy guy) and he wont part the complete ones and he wont sell them or any other complete vehicles. ill get some other pics up as soon as i can. later

Re: Tell me what to do!
 

My buddy has one very similar to that, except a 2-ton flat-bed. It's just yard art right now, though.