Franken build

[split]

Okay, let's say you have access to a warehouse of 47-55.5 truck parts. There is all the parts to build any year truck. But you can only have enough parts, any parts, to build one truck for free.

What would you build?

For example, you might use the cab from a '50 to get the cowl vent and floor shifter, or cab from 54 to get the once piece front windshield, doors from a '54 to get the split windows and push button handles, bed from a 47-53 to get the slopping bed, frame from a 54, Drive train from a '54-55, gauges from a '51, grill from a '47, some GMC, some Chevy... etc.

You will never sell the resulting truck, its simply for your pleasure.

What would you build?

[47 Fasttoys]

OK I'll bite. assuming I can use no modern parts and I'm not limited to 1/2 ton and I can do needed modifications to make different parts fit I'll go with this set up: Cab and front clip, '52 COE...Engine "55 261CID...Transmission 4 speed from '55 for the open tube drive shaft...Frame '55 3100 1/2 ton...Bed, 3/4 ton bed from as it would fill the extra space due to the short COE cab. '47 Wheels and tires...19.5s from the 1 1/2 ton and up with hubs to match. Wait a minute, I'm building something like this already except with modern drive train.
Rob

[split]

Interesting, I had not thought of the COE option. I was thinking more of the standard cab.
I have never actually been in a AD COE. I'll need to check that out at the next car show.
For my purposes, the COE is probably just too tall.

[mr48chev]

That was you stopped out in front of the place looking at my stock pile eh?
There is a good rundown here on the year to year changes.
http://www.adchevy.com/info/yeartoyearchanges/

I'm thinking that 47 was the only one that wasn't available with a column shift 3 speed as my 48 came with one when I bought it.

As far as I know I don't have a push button door on the place out of about 12 doors I have so that's out.

Cab= the best 47/53 cab you can pick out of the group rust and dent wise. Personally I prefer the ones with the side vent on the drivers side but that isn't an absolute must do deal if there was a better one in the mix.
47/50 doors for the one piece door glass
up to 53 bed with the angled sides.
50/53 frame for the tube shocks already installed.


54 235 for the pressure oiling

My truck is already pretty much a mix like that. I think that the left front fender and left rear fender may be the only two parts that were on the truck when I originally bought it. Everything else has been changed at least once and sometimes twice.
The frame is from a 54, the cab came off a neighbor's longbed 3/4 ton that I bought for 50.00 in 1980 My buddy has the back part of the box off that one on his truck. I have the bed that came with his truck.
The right front fender got changed in Texas when I got in a pretty bad wreck with the truck that tweaked the cab pretty good but I didn't know it at the time.
The grill took five grills from various Texas wrecking yards to put together in 1973. Good bar here and good bar there to make a complete grill.
The front bumper was the best one I had at the time and it got taken to the chrome shop along with the grill bars and bullnose off the hood in 1981.
The hood was off one of the trucks I bought in the early 80's and was the best fitting one of the bunch. It went to Bremerton Wa to be louvered in 1981 or 2
The front axle is off the same 54 that the frame came from and it has 54 Car brakes and hubs. The engine, trans and rear end don't count as they don't fit the original question's perimeters.

I think most guys end up doing pretty much as I did if they start piecing a truck together to replace bad parts. They might start with a 52 but end up with a mix of years of parts before they are done just because those are the best available parts for the price that they can come up with.