47-59 Possible 1951 purchase with pics

[joallen001]

I am planning to go look at this truck sometime this week. I have learned a lot on this forum but I figured it was time to make a post to get some feedback before making a commitment. The first two pics on the lift are from about a year ago. The truck has set in his yard since then. From what I have been told it runs and drives fine. He said the first thing he would do to it was update the frontend and brakes. Motor is freshly rebuilt and a new fuel tank in the bed. I have not seen any of the interior.

I am completely new to restoring a truck but it is something I have always wanted to do. Last year I seen him driving the truck and told him if he ever wanted to get rid of it let me know. So here we are! I have no idea what a good price is or what to look for other than rust. The last we talked he wanted around 12k for it. This seems reasonable but then again I have seen a few on marketplace complete for 30-40k. If the 51 is just to old and hard to source parts I’m also a fan of late 60’s and early 70’s.

[joallen001]

A few more pics. I also remember him saying he put some kind of coating on the frame to prevent rust. He called it something but I can’t remember what it was.

[mr48chev]

It has a few hickups but in today's market is probably worth close to 12k.

The truck started out as a 3600 3/4 ton that has had the frame shortened. You can see that with the rear springs outside the rails and the shortened longbed sides. That's not a deal breaker though.

It still has the I beam axle, what look like aftermarket front springs with disk brakes and a power steering conversion.

There is some rust along the bottom edge of the back of the cab that will need some attention in the future. Blue circle on image. The red circles show where the frame was shortened. I'd want to know what they did to reinforce the frame when they welded it.

New exhaust is good but you will probably want to run it out from under the truck after you drive it a ways.

Engine wise it is just a nice engine unless he has documentation that shows what was done to it and when. Rebuilt 8-10 years ago with unknown miles is just a decent used engine.

The inner fenders look like they were cut for a subframe swap at one time. That is why they have the big openings at the bottom edge. Meaning that the front end had a life before it was on that truck.

I'm not sure what is up with the wiper motor on the firewall as it was up under the dash originally.

From there it is how it looks to you when you go look at it and either you like it enough to make an offer or it just doesn't spin your wheels when you see it in person.

I'd offer what I felt wouldn't offend but could be a starting point for negotations. Meaning be prepared to pay 12 but don't plan on paying 12 and either find out if there is a branch of the bank you deal with close to where he is or take plenty of backup.

[leegreen]

Welcome to the forum

The big thing I see is the steering box has been moved from behind to in front of the axle but the axle shackles are still in front (I think, hard to see) It will have bad bump steer and maybe why it is sitting.

The trans crossmember looks neatly made, but is not nearly as substantial as the original, the frame may flex at the front cab mounts.

The running boards were shortened or pieced together from 2 pairs by overlapping them, bodged bodywork makes me wonder what is under the primer. The rear cab corners look like they might have been replaced. I'd pay close attention to the condition of the lower door pillars, the cowl near and behind front fenders, the inner kick panels, floor, floor seams.... areas that are harder to repair and lead to cab off major work. Also look at the cab seem under rear window, all around the windshield, around gutters.

Parking brake does not appear to be hooked up
Are there big fat spacers between rear wheels and axle?
speedo cable may be laying on exhaust
heater not hooked up
something weird with wiper motor location and no wiper arms. Motor must be very close to cowl vent and may get in the way

The headlights are fugly

agree with mr48, price is in the range you would expect from what we see +/- 30% or so. running and tarted up a bit without any major changes it would probably sell for more. Status of paperwork to license and drive maters quite a bit.

[vintovka]

Been seeing a real increase in project AD's. The cost of completing these has about doubled in last 2 years and sales of complete ones are unpredictable. I would take a hard look around and research both current costs and potential value before jumping in.

[joallen001]

I greatly appreciate these comments. I think I’m gonna avoid this one for now. I wasn’t expecting y’all to see so many issues with just those few pictures. I am completely new to this so this is probably more than I want to take on.

In my mind I see some very nice tricks and I keep telling myself it would be easier just to buy one that’s complete. It’s gonna cost way more to restore that in comparison to just purchasing. Then I worry about buying a clean truck and finding out later it has a lot of issues that got covered up.

I am thankful y’all took the time to look at the photos and comment. I’m a little ocd and tend to over think things. I’m definitely a perfectionist. Not many 51’s around but I also like some of the 67-72’s. Maybe I just need to do some research on the forums and look for the years that would work best.

[vintovka]

Wise choice. Seeing many money pits being offered as cost of parts and labor has gone rapidly from acceptable to unthinkable in last 24 months (with no sign of abating.) Many folks have paid way to much for a "starter truck" only to realize they cannot afford to complete it. Even bone stock restorations may leave you with a vehicle that cannot safely compete on the road with new vehicles. With the help of others we could put together a guide/checklist "sticky" to assist newbies and divert disaster. If i had to do it over again i would still pick a 5 window Chev or GMC on a nice donor chassis with 80's or newer running gear like a 5.7 "l" engine 700r4 or newer trans, disc brakes, all new wire, exhaust out the back, all led lighting. power steering, electric wipers, 4 core radiator ect. Comments????

[dsraven]

since it is your first project and you haven't really got a clue about what to look for I suggest looking for something without primer or fresh paint. that way you can see what is actually there for rust, steel, holes etc. lots of builds are pretty sketchy under the primer, always been that way. when I was a kid I bought my first truck from a guy who said he was a body man and the truck was in primer ready for paint. I couldn't afford paint right away so I drove it for a month or 2 like that. it started to show rust in the primer and when I got looking there were holes filled with window screen and filled with bondo, everywhere. the good part is I learned how to gas weld with steel from an old fridge door that was donated and a coat hanger for welding rod. lol.
all good advice here, really pay attention to the back sides of panels and such. look underneath at an upward angle, check the cab corners from the inside, etc.

[Rickysnickers]

Originally Posted by vintovka

With the help of others we could put together a guide/checklist "sticky" to assist newbies and divert disaster.

I think this is a very good idea. If someone wants to start a new thread, once complete or close to, I can close it and put it at the top. I can always add more to it if there are more suggestions that come in.

[joallen001]

Originally Posted by Rickysnickers

I think this is a very good idea. If someone wants to start a new thread, once complete or close to, I can close it and put it at the top. I can always add more to it if there are more suggestions that come in.

This is definitely a good idea for people like myself! I did some searches on the forum before making the post. Mostly what I gathered was to take a flashlight and have a magnet on hand. I build homes and checklists are my go to for staying on the right track. I am sure many others could benefit from a guide/checklist.

[vintovka]

Just saw a local disaster in the making. Its sad that many are down to trying to turn a 36 or 3800 into a short bed 3100. This especially where rust damage will eat up time and money in enormous amounts. Also seen where junk yards put ADs inside buildings or enclosure due to theft.

[mr48chev]

I have to believe that you may be wise to pass on that one, It has some nice pieces on it but possible sketchy work as far as shortening the frame and as Dsraven said, fresh primer often hides a few sins.

One thing is that when you put the axle on top of the spring of a 3600 you have as you can see if you look close around 1 inch of clearance between the axle and the frame. Meaning every time it hits a bump the axle hits the frame.

That would mean that you would have to remove the box and modify/notch the frame for clearance before you drove it any distance. A cooler and two lawn chairs in the back would almost overload it.

That, the frame looking butt welded with no reinforcement, the sketchy shortening of the running boards and a few other short cuts are issues that make one want to pass.

I've got a 54 frame under my 48 and it isn't all that low but I didn't notch the frame and the axle beat on the frame enough on the left side to actually break the frame. That is one reason why I am building a new frame.

[dsraven]

it would be a good starting point for someone who has been around the block and knows what works and what will need to be redone. since the frame is the foundation, and it has a problem, you would need to take the whole truck apart and start from the ground up. there are some good parts and things done ok but you gotta know the difference when you start off. you could start with a whole different frame and build it like you want it with the parts that are there and add to them but the price would have to reflect that, you would need a large work and storage area, some tools to get the job done and lots of time to post stuff on here so we could help you walk through it. oh yeah, did I mention time and money? lol.

[dsraven]

there is something to be said about buying a finished truck compared to building a truck. building costs more, and you never know the final till it's done, but you know what you have. buying has a definite price but there is an unknown about what you actually have unless you get to see it during the build process or the builder took before, during and after pics of the process and you see invoices for the parts. I have seen a few silk purses that started out looking like a pigs ear. some were done well and some not so much. a finished build with some hours and miles on it is sometimes the way to go compared to a freshly done build. you can see what time will tell with regards to fit and finish, rust starting to show at seams or edges, parts that don't work well, tires that rub, suspension snubbers that are worn out from bottoming, doors that don't close properly anymore, etc etc

[mr48chev]

There are plenty of "unfinished" but really decent trucks around the country for sale. This one has a lot of nice parts but way too many sketchy short cuts. It's a project that a guy could buy for 5 or 6 K, take home and blow it apart and fix the things that need fixing and build a pretty decent truck out of it. It's not a 12K truck that a guy can buy, fix a few litle things and go cruising in.

I think we have hashed this one over enough but it does serve as a lesson to look beyond the nifty stuff to the nitty gritty of the actual truck.

[joallen001]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

There are plenty of "unfinished" but really decent trucks around the country for sale. This one has a lot of nice parts but way too many sketchy short cuts. It's a project that a guy could buy for 5 or 6 K, take home and blow it apart and fix the things that need fixing and build a pretty decent truck out of it. It's not a 12K truck that a guy can buy, fix a few litle things and go cruising in.

I think we have hashed this one over enough but it does serve as a lesson to look beyond the nifty stuff to the nitty gritty of the actual truck.

I completely agree. For now I am going to continue the search thanks to all of the comments!

[mongocanfly]

If I were in your shoes, and you don't mind a road trip or 2, out west is gonna be your best bet for finding good trucks with less rust..but be prepared to pay for that luxury..
Fixing rust isnt cheap, paying someone else to fix it is astronomical..
I'm about 20 miles from you so I know whats around here is not the best to pick from..and don't be scared to buy several to build one..
For instance, the bed on mine was a complete rusted disaster..I wound up with all new bed parts for mine...
If money is/was no object , they do make brand new body's for the AD trucks

[joallen001]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

If I were in your shoes, and you don't mind a road trip or 2, out west is gonna be your best bet for finding good trucks with less rust..but be prepared to pay for that luxury..
Fixing rust isnt cheap, paying someone else to fix it is astronomical..
I'm about 20 miles from you so I know whats around here is not the best to pick from..and don't be scared to buy several to build one..
For instance, the bed on mine was a complete rusted disaster..I wound up with all new bed parts for mine...
If money is/was no object , they do make brand new body's for the AD trucks

I definitely don’t mind a road trip. I have been watching marketplace and very few decent ones pop up in our area. I see a lot of options on bring a trailer but that’s tough if can’t see it in person. Seems like they do a pretty good job with posting pictures. I’m in Harvest. If you ever come across anything please let me know!

[mr48chev]

Usually about this time of year "been there, done that, marked it off the list" rides start showing up for sale. Meaning that the guy who bought the fairly decent AD truck a year or so ago, hit the shows with it over the past season, has lost interest and is now moving on to the next thing that catches his attention has it for sale.
Most of the guys on here know that I am no fan ot the "patina look" with worn out shabby looking paint but having a nicely done chassis and decent interior. That original worn out paint doesn't tell many lies though. To me it doesn't add value like a lot of sellers think it does but you know what you are getting as it isn't hidden under fresh primer or cheap paint.

[JDarby]

You could make an offer on the body, it looks good!
The sky is the limit after that!
Just my .02

[vintovka]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Usually about this time of year "been there, done that, marked it off the list" rides start showing up for sale. Meaning that the guy who bought the fairly decent AD truck a year or so ago, hit the shows with it over the past season, has lost interest and is now moving on to the next thing that catches his attention has it for sale.
Most of the guys on here know that I am no fan ot the "patina look" with worn out shabby looking paint but having a nicely done chassis and decent interior. That original worn out paint doesn't tell many lies though. To me it doesn't add value like a lot of sellers think it does but you know what you are getting as it isn't hidden under fresh primer or cheap paint.

Seems more than ever this year. Many of our car club guys are selling due to age and other costs. Not many young members coming in anymore either.

[dsraven]

yup, whats there is fixable, it is just a matter of if you want to, if you have the knowledge base, tools, shop and space to do it all in. oh yeah, the money too. lol.

[mr48chev]

The young guys are playing with cars and trucks, just not the ones we played with or still play with. Rather than sit and figure out what jets they need to change to or where they want to set the timing advance they plug in their laptop and sort though the data and dial it in with the lap top. Most Any one with an S-10 chassis under his/her AD has it there partially because the Mini truck guys did all the homework on that chassis and the parts to trick it out are available without a lot of hassle and you just spend money rather than have to think things out. Hit a tuner car event and the age level is 16 to early 30's and some of those folks cars are super quick. My nieces hubby has gotten over 1100 hp out of Toyota Celicas.

[Chopped53]

I hit up a tuner car event recently too. Not my scene but it was great to see the younger crowd fussing over cars. Went for a "spin" in a professional drift car (A Nissan Z with an LS swap). Most fun I've had in a car since I got married....

[leegreen]

Having watched my son LS swap a Camaro I don't know why anyone would put a SBC into their vehicle when they could drop in a good running LS for less money that makes more power and gets better mileage.

A $400 for a copy of HPTuners and some time figuring out the wiring harness compares pretty favorably to trying to sort out a 30+ year old carb and dizzy setup and then paying at the pump every week.

oh yeah, nostalgia. I almost forgot, must be getting old .

I like my 250 6 , but if I wanted power I'd go LS.
I'm tempted to try homebrew EFI for the 250 to see if I can get the gas mileage to suck a little less.