Wife's 48

[8man]

We have a '48 5 window pickup I picked up for my wife. We have been going to car shows for years and she decided that between a '69 Chevelle and a 5 window truck, she was a truck girl. I bought the '48 in pieces. The PO had started the rebuild, got sick and sold it. I bought from the second guy who wanted to do it, but got sidetracked with his other project. It appears to have most of the parts, including a new tailgate, bed front, bed support rails, and other new sheet metal repair parts. The frame was cut and the front clip from a '79 Firebird was fabbed onto the back part of the frame. I don't like the look of that work, and was very excited to see the article on using an S10 frame.

So tomorrow I'm going to look at an S10 frame that has been "stripped" (or so says the mechanic who has it) for a 54 truck conversion. The guy has a restoration shop and he started this for a client who decided to just quit the project, and now the shop owner is getting rid of it.

I'm going to have a LOT of questions as this goes on, but the first question is "are the body parts interchangeable" between the '48 and the '54. He will sell me the S10 frame with the cab, inner and outer front fenders, bed sides and some "in bad shape rear fenders" all for cheaper than I can find an S10.

He has removed the S10 cab supports, and that is ok and even if he gouged the frame or something it can still be repaired - right?

I like the doors from the '48 since they don't have the vent window to rebuild. Will they fit the '54 cab (if it is in better shape than the '48).

I know this was a long read for a first post, but I just found this site yesterday (9/18/17) and just arranged to go look at the S10 frame and pieces tomorrow (9/20/17). So any help is appreciated.

I promise pictures will be posted as I move forward, as well as more questions.

Thanks,
Robert

[mongocanfly]

first off welcome...
now for your body parts...

front fenders and grill for a 47-53 are different from the 54-55.1 (5bar grill vs bullnose grill)..

obviously the 47-53 windshield is different than 54-55.1 ( 2 piece windshield vs 1 piece windshield)...

the cabs 47-53 and 54-55.1 are different....(because of windshield)

and the bedsides are different 47-53 and 54-55.1 ( flat top vs angled bedsides)..

doors should interchange. ..

your 48 front sheetmetal as well as the 48 doors will fit the 54 cab..

there's lots of good reading here on the s10 swap..joedoh as well as skymangs and others have layed out the build process very well

[8man]

Mongocanfly, thanks for the quick reply, and I'm really glad to have found this site. I have already read the Skymangs and Joedoh threads. They both did excellent jobs, and I'll be going back to them again and again.

Now for my more detailed questions after looking at your response.

I like the 54 cab with the one piece windshield, but she likes the grill on the on the 48. So if I got this right, I can use the 48 grill on the 54 fenders, or I can put the 48 front fenders and grill on the 54 cab. Either way it works for what we want.

The doors interchange, and that means I can use whichever of the 2 sets of doors are in the best shape. So maybe I can get by with minimal sheet metal work.

I like the 54 bed, and may go with that if the front bed piece, tailgate, tailgate hinges, and bed frame supports will work with the 54 bed, because they are all new in the box and the 54 bed has none.

Now I hope the frame is as good as presented.

[mongocanfly]

48 grill won't fit the 54 fenders...youll need to stick with the 48 fenders for the 48 grill...bed parts should all interchange

[Russell Ashley]

"she decided that between a '69 Chevelle and a 5 window truck, she was a truck girl."

Sounds like she's a keeper, LOL. Keep us posted on your build, you know we love pics.

[8man]

Yeah, after 37 years I think she's a keeper too. I have headers on my current project because she saw some on a car at a show and said "you need some of those shiny things".

Pictures will start this weekend. Picking up parts from the 48 and going to look at and probably buy the S10 frame with the 54 cab.

[OutlawDrifter]

You have been given good info above. Hussey also has a good build thread, I used mounts similar to his and used his measurements for setting my cab in place.

Mine isn't as detailed, but also on an S10 frame with an LS engine.

[joedoh]

doors wont interchange without an adapter striker for the door jamb.

you are from texas so I will say this, get your REGISTRATION DONE BEFORE STARTING WORK. you will be in for a very unpleasant surprise if you wait till the truck is done.

[oldman3]

[QUOTE=8man;8043317]I like the 54 bed, and may go with that if the front bed piece, tailgate, tailgate hinges, and bed frame supports will work with the 54 bed, because they are all new in the box and the 54 bed has none./QUOTE]

54 and 55 lst series beds, are completly different that the 47-53 beds, nothing will exchange. Rear fenders can be used. Here are a couple pics for visual difference. Hope this helps...Jim

Pic 1 Here's a 54 bed mounted on a stock 50 frame (mine) which required some modifications.
Pic 2 Tailgate and how it mounts to the uprights, with flat top on bed sides.
Pic 3 Old rusty bed, but you can see the shorter front panel and the sloped bed sides.
Pic 4 Different mounting style for the tailgate on the 47-53.

Another note the splash arpron between the bed and running boards are also different. 54-55 short height and 47-53 taller height.

[lv2tri2]

I'm interested in your build. I'm working with a parts combination of similar years.

[mongocanfly]

joedoh thanks...I forgot about the door strikers being different. ..

jim thanks. ..for straightening me out on the bed....I was thinking front panel was same..I knew the sides were different...but I also thought tailgate was the same..

[8man]

Thanks guys. After looking at the truck yesterday, I'm going to go get it Friday. It has doors, bed sides, p

Since I have a 48 with a 79 Firebird front end and a 54 sitting on a S10, I think I'm going to do 2 builds. The 54 is going to be for Laura. She's already named it "Farm Truck", ok she likes trucks, so give her a break if she's not so original on names. The 48 I think I'll take it to a point and then see if I can find someone to buy it. I'm not going to work on both at once, I'll do the 54 first.

Turned out the guy who has the 54 actually builds these trucks and was working on 4 others when I got there yesterday. He doesn't do paint or finish out, just the frame, cab and bed combination. He mounts the engine and transmission so the body sits right for your use. Anyway, he's going to check out the 48 frame and make sure it's good before I start on it.

Pics of the 54 this weekend I hope.

Another of many "not so inspired questions" - What does it mean when you refer to these trucks as AD?

[OutlawDrifter]

Originally Posted by 8man

Another of many "not so inspired questions" - What does it mean when you refer to these trucks as AD?

Advanced Design. Name given by GM to the platform. Next round was TF, Task Force.

[8man]

Well, I picked up the S10 frame with the 54 cab (it has some bondo on the back under the two windows, and will probably need a lower cab corner on the driver's side) the bed sides (they are in excellent condition), as well as the front fenders, inner fenders, doors, rear fenders (which are in excellent shape except for some rust through on the tails) and S10 brake unit. Here are some pictures.

These two are of the frame. S10 standard cab, long bed. The shop owner has cut off the frame supports on the frame.
IMG_1735 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

IMG_1731 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

It has two good AD fenders and inner fenders.
IMG_1730 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

The inside was customized by a PO, see the 4 gauge holes in the dash and the floor shifter. George said the gauges were a saleable commodity if I didn't want them.

IMG_1732 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

The doors are rough

IMG_1733 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

The shop owner uses 4x4 by 3/8" tubing to make his body/frame supports.
They are definitely strong enough.

IMG_1734 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

Ok, you can see this truck was licensed in Texas through 1/31/17.

IMG_1735 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

Now to get the 48 and all it's stuff in the same place to see what I've got to work with.

Laura likes the custom dash and the floor shifter, and she wants an "old school" motor. That means a carb with points and condenser. Oh well. Also, she says forest green with black fenders and the dark oak bed rails and floor. I kinda like that color scheme too.

[joedoh]

that door has a drop handle, its probably a 51 at the latest.

abandoned projects make great starting points, usually haha

[8man]

Joe, that's funny because I didn't even look at the doors except for the vent windows. In George's defense, he didn't say they were 54 doors, he said "they were the doors for that truck".

They are so rusted out, I'm just using them for the parts. I may practice on them before I do the other doors.

[8man]

Had some time to check out the 54 cab yesterday. I wanted to see what kind of "pig" I bought. Well the floor seemed good from the bottom and the top.
IMG_1764 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

But then I found the fiberglass.
IMG_1763 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

That tell tale crosshatch pattern just did not make my day. I checked it from the engine bay side and it's not visible there, just steel, so I need to get the fiberglass gone to see what problem I have there. I also found fiberglass inside the cab, below the floor level at the back two cab corners. On the outside rear cab corners I found rust and some bondo.
IMG_1760 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

I knew about this bondo from when I picked it up.
IMG_1758 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

Then I found a couple more things to make it interesting.
IMG_1759 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

IMG_1761 by Robert Moorman, on Flickr

I definitely have a "pig", just don't know if I can make a silk purse out of it.

I started looking at sheet metal parts today. I'm looking at LMC, CMW Trucks, Classic Parts and GMCPauls Truck Parts.

Since I'm new here, any direction to the better quality, price, etc. would be appreciated.

I think I can get rid of the bondo with a cupped wire brush, but HOW do you clean out the fiberglass? Media blast it? I know I've got to get it down to bare metal to figure out what I really have and whether or not it is worth trying to rebuild, given my NOOBIE skill level.

[mongocanfly]

well your dealing with the same thing everybody else is...most of the suppliers sell the parts made by the same people...so really no advantage..one is definitely better for bed parts though...mar-k all the way for bed parts..
on the fiberglass sand blast would be best. .it can be removed with a sanding disc on a angle grider but its very very messy. ..and harmful to breath..
no matter what you do you've got a lot of work ahead of you..

[dsraven]

with the look of the rot in the window area, have you looked at swapping the rear cab wall, completely? may be less work than you think compared to the time to fix the existing.
how is the roof panel in the gutter areas?
the custom dash looks like it is stock. seems like a metal man must have been around at some point.

[dsraven]

you can also buy a complete floor assembly I believe
price it all out and compare to a new cab. maybe gonna be less expense and time. it is what I would do for my truck next time around. especially when you start to count the extras like shop time with lights and compressor running, tools required, supplies like zip discs, grinding discs, steel replacement parts, welding supplies and the cost to your health doing the stuff, if not fully protected, which most of us are inadequate at doing.

[8man]

Yeah, the dash is solid and done well. I even kind of like it. The guy did good work on that.

I am looking at replacing the rear panel instead of just trying to fix "spots". I know that my metal working skill will be put to the test either way I go.

I think I should get the body media blasted and epoxy primed so I can see what I have to work with. That will get rid of the bondo and fiberglass. I think I'll have that done by others while I'm working on updating the front end.

I think the sequence will be get the front end of the frame "re-built" so I can set the body on it and adjust for height. Then I can start on the body.

[gigamanx]

Originally Posted by 8man

Laura likes the custom dash and the floor shifter, and she wants an "old school" motor. That means a carb with points and condenser. Oh well. Also, she says forest green with black fenders and the dark oak bed rails and floor. I kinda like that color scheme too.

I wish I could be that decisive on colors haha. I think I change my mind every couple of months. I have the Gennie floor shifter, so I'll let you know how that goes when its all installed and driving. I thought about the B&M which it looks like is in your picture, but the shift knob looked like a weird height for a truck. Good luck on the build!

[joedoh]

oog

rust repair is my white whale. I wish I could find a way to do it without complaining about it non stop.

[8man]

I wish I had more experience at it, but after 35 years of sitting at a desk I started the Jeep and found it to be very interesting. Although I had no rust problems on it like I have on this truck. I'll find out what I've learned and probably continue getting my doctorate in sheet metal repair. Maybe I can retire and spend days on it instead of just hours stolen here and there.

[8man]

Gigamanx, I'm interested in how your floor shifter works. You are right on the BM shifter that came in the truck. Laura kind of likes it, but just said she was thinking about a column shift. I have so much to do before that decision.

May have found some used parts close enough to drive up and look at. I'm looking forward to that road trip.