51' 3100 build in PA New to Site

[daverod]

Love old pics.

[99 to Life]

7-22-13 Hiatus over, wow been a while. Been mad busy with life. So I been working on a ton of fencing and gates etc, to confine my guard dog and so people can't see my projects. I snagged a 1 ton 52' panel truck, ok shape, needs cosmetic stuff and I still have to fire it up. Once I do that, I plan on putting updated brakes on it, new wiring harness, 12v conversion then the cosmetic stuff. Right now I just use it for storing parts while I'll slowly work on it. My other garage that will house my 49' build is almost done. This 52' fastback, you can see I'm painting with chassis safer, tacking it all back together, painting a door logo on it, throw some whites under it, gonna light up the inside with red or blue and keep it in front of my fence for yard art, should look like a real tail dragger can't wait.

I put a new dist in my truck and had to get a new throttle cable, truck runs alot better now. going to get alignment soon, can't wait for that, well over due.

lastly went to a carshow a few days ago, it is a real small town carnival thing and they do a little car show, so pretty narrow minded people. Last year I had a bad taste in my mouth and this year kinda same thing, my girl
overheard someone say "did they tow that thing in here" and some young kids called my truck a ratrod, crap like that just makes me not want to go to the small shows. But whatever, everyday I drive my truck I get people telling me how much they like it, its almost annoying too. So here is a pic of me, my ex bro-inlaw and my buddy kevin. the 53' chevy is pretty much stock and the 53' studebaker has a 427 in it, done up nice, kevin also has the nice 54' custom hardtop belair I posted on the previous page. Nice to have a few friends that have cars. jeeesh, it's like pulling teeth having a get together or a cruise with some folks.

[Sssingo]

Good work! Quite a collection of rides you have. I shall enjoy watching the progress on all of them in this post
Posted via Mobile Device

[99 to Life]

Sssingo, thanks man. I have 12 cars and trucks from the late 40's to mid 50's and 1 63' truck I'm gathering parts for. One is my 51' I built from scratch, the other running one is my all original 54' chevy dump truck. The rest are super projects and some might not take too much to get running and driving but are still projects. Majority of my stuff is AD trucks and parts for them. I have plans for my 52', 49' AD's, 53' belair and now my new panel addition. I also want to do a COE with a flatbed, as I have an awesome dually frame off of a dodge camper that would be a good candidate for it. I almost bought a 46' body the other day but it sold, so I'll def do some 30's and 40's stuff at some point. Been really wanting to build a salt flats style roaster with flathead too. My problem is nooo time to work on them and too many ideas for them. But I atleast put alot of effort into saving them from the scrapyards and now getting roofs over them to preserve them. Someday this stuff is gonna dry up real bad and if I can help the cause by preserving as much as I can, years from now it will worth it even more. Your burb is on my list too, I neeeeeed one of those.

[Bubba54]

Just checked out your thread. Allot of nice work, truck looks great !

Shawn

[99 to Life]

bubba54, thanks man. Starting a couple more threads by end of summer. I have lots of pics and some progress, just wanna get some more bulk stuff done, its just little details like metal work and rebuilding engine.

[chevyboy73]

i love your truck! it has great patina! those turn signals don't do anything for me. not my truck though! looking forward for more!

BTW do you have a build thread for your 55?

[99 to Life]

chevyboy, thanks, those turnsignals are keystones I made from scratch, which is the state of PA's motto, the keystone state. I love keystones and incorporate them in many of my businesses designs. Safe to say no one has these turnsignals.

the 55.1 series I don't have a build for cause its on the back burner. The cab is a 5 window though which is cool, I'm becoming less attached to it though. I like split windows better.

[chevyboy73]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

the 55.1 series I don't have a build for cause its on the back burner. The cab is a 5 window though which is cool, I'm becoming less attached to it though. I like split windows better.

55.1s have a special place in my heart for some reason, I love them to death. The one in my profile picture is a truck my dad did themed to my grandparent's farm. (My grandpa has a 50) too bad I couldn't get it from ya. Hahaha in my dreams!
Posted via Mobile Device

[Russell Ashley]

" my girl
overheard someone say "did they tow that thing in here" and some young kids called my truck a ratrod"

Don't let talk like that bother you. Nine people probably walked by and thought how cool it is and then the one-out-of-ten person who isn't in to old cars and doesn't "get" patina came by and made that comment. Those kids who called your truck a ratrod might have been paying it a compliment as the term "ratrod" has become the definition of any old vehicle that doesn't have shiney paint in some peoples mind.

[99 to Life]

chevyboy, yeah I thought about trading or selling it, but watch I try and find another 55.1 with 5 windows and I'll never find one.

Russell, yeah I hear you, I don't care what people thing so much cause I like being different and alot of folks have nooo idea what kinda money is into this and most other trucks. I know the kids where prolly pumped to see the truck and for sure ratrod has been tossed around like pennies. Anyway, I'v just had my fair share of narrow minded people in the skateboard industry and getting into customs, rods, originals etc and most cars shows, I almost don't care to go because I don't want to deal with people. It just irritates me when people have something to say aloud that isn't positive. Most stuff I see others have isn't my cup a tea, but I don't dog them cause I know what it takes to work on this stuff and even when I feel someone destroyed a great vehicle I just worry about my own things, cause I got way more to worry about than what others are doing.
This is an art in my mind.

[99 to Life]

7-30-13 WOW, I feel all the pain now on uploading photos, totally totally is going to take the wind out of my sails for my new builds. Use to be able to post 8-10" wide photos so you can see something, now I just had to make these 7" and compress the jpeg file, so its not really the width but the overall size they allow. Don't want to sound ungreatfull but big down grade.

So I logged over 150 miles this weekend, went to a car show. didn't want to go because I have soo much work to finish up, but I'm glad I did. Met someone that is really wanting a truck, so I'm gonna help her find one. Also ran into a guy that has been working on a 39' chevy truck, looking real sweet. He gave me a lead on a 46' chevy truck and a 40' ford he thinks. So I'll be looking into those.

The pics are the long awaited and overdue alignment. no one around could do it, so I had to drive up to Erie to have it done, that was over 100 miles round trip there. But I used 4.5" of gas out of my 11.5" tank, so my math is saying 1.4" equals one gallon of gas in my tank cause I have a 16 gallon tank at 11.5" tall. So I used 4.5" and got 105 miles say. So unless my math is off, which I been through this before (thought I get 15-16mgp sound right). But if I'm measuring 4.5" and 1.4" is one gallon I divide them and get 3.23 gallons of gas used to go 105 miles thats saying 30mpg or so, don't sound right. So if I take 11.5" and divide it by 4.5", I know 4.5" gets me about 100 miles, so 11.5/4.5 = 2.5. So 100 miles x's 2.5 is 262 miles per tank, divided by 16 gallons yields 16.4 mpg. So I dunno why I'm getting two diff sets of numbers, I do this every time. Anyway my heads about to explode. So this shop has been around since 1918 I think, def cool guys and only charged me 88 bucks. Caster was way out on drivers side, then they buttoned up the toe. So hopefully no more killing my white walls on my driver side. Though I have been doing alot more burnouts lately hee hee! Truck drives a bit better now.

[chevyboy73]

hey man looking through your thread again because i really like your truck! Earlier this year i went to World Of Wheels in Milwaukee and Gene W was there chopping a VW bug with a local car club. it was cool seeing him to work and he's a big inspiration to my dad. He's a really nice guy and does great work. I hope your having fun with your truck!

[99 to Life]

chevyboy73, thanks I appreciate it. Yeah been driving my truck alot since my daily went down, so I gotta get that buttoned back up soon. Drove it down here to pittsburgh 100 miles, where my shop is. I got her retuned and aligned, so its running pretty good. Though it did get a little hotter than usual in this city traffic, I'm gonna have to check my fluid and make sure it's burped again. Ever since I added more anitfreeze it has ran hotter. But average I'm at 185-190, hot is like 210-215. Makes it a pain sometimes to start when I see the temp climb that high after I shut it down. Other than that, I got a fussy pass side caliber or line, it wants to stick the slightest bit, so I gotta change those. I'm getting last (recalculation of 16.7 mpg) I'm gonna check it out today since I drove alot of interstate, hoping for a little more. I'll post a couple pics later.

Yeah I met Gene, cool guy for sure, can't believe he is still doing what he's doing. We need true grit originals like him and or some real spawns of these guys to keep hotrodding alive. He was at the Pittsburgh WOW last year. I'm hoping to attend that again and I really wanna make the detroit one. I wish he was on them every year.

[99 to Life]

8-15-13

Had my daughter in the truck for the first time. She isn't even six months yet. Wasn't a long drive. My daily is getting some work done to it, so I just decided to take my 51' back to pittsburgh and work on my daily when I got back. I drove 110 miles one way and used 4.5" of gas, so that equates to 17.6 mpg and it was really hot out, so I think on a cool day highway I could be pushing 18+. Truck ran great, having a little caliper issue on the pass side I got to address, that and I think I'm running a little much antifreeze as temps where getting over 210 in serious traffic, use to never do that since I added more antifreeze. It ran 185* on way back. My drag racing friend says his car runs 15* cooler with straight water. Anyway been driving the truck quite a bit and unfortunately it rained really hard for two days and then a little another day, can't wait to get her back out of the elements but I'v had no choice.

Should be getting my other builds up later this month.

[KINETIC51]

Awesome pictures. Really enjoy seeing pics of your truck and progress. I can't wait to drive around with my girls in the 51. I have a really long way to go but I am excited about the journey to get there.
Posted via Mobile Device

[99 to Life]

Kinetic51, just subscribed to your build. Good luck and feel free to ask anything. I think this is the best pound for pound site on support, no drama and a wealth of knowledge. Love your truck, glad you enjoy my pics.

[av8tr33337]

Truck looks great. Any drive, short or long is a good thing. Can't wait till I get to that point.

[xpickup]

Great pictures Henry. Love the patina. That is great that you took your daughter. I can not wait for the other builds.

Shannon
Posted via Mobile Device

[jbclassix]

LINK

[iowaboynca]

LOL...i had to second your nomination!

[99 to Life]

jb, thanks man glad you like the truck. I like lifted trucks too, grew up half my life in the country and that is where all my most all my projects are, on dirt roads. So I can relate to lifted trucks, pulling trucks, diesels you name it.

[av8tr33337]

Hey I checked out your Coffee and Customs web page. very cool. Now I'm reading though your entire build again.

[99 to Life]

bartman, thanks glad you like the site. Would like to get an actual shop going in the next couple years or so. Gotta get a house first. I'v learned so much in the past 4 years. This build is something I'm proud of because of my resources at the time, but all my other builds will def be in depth.

[48ChevBagged]

I just found your build thread. Love your truck and all of the cool rides you have picked up along the way. Cant wait to see more builds.