57 Chevy Panel Van

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Congrats on the new ride glad everything panned out for ya..

[57ToyBox]

Can anybody decode my VIN# for me ???

[mr48chev]

Congrats on the new to you panel. I had a 57 with a more than stout 327 in 1973/74 when I lived in Texas.

I rather belive that someone has swapped in the Chev grill or maybe the whole Chev nose minus the hood. That was a pretty common low buck repair back when tri 5 chevs were more common in the wrecking yards than GMC's.

[GRIMSS]

try this site www.oldgmctrucks.com to decode vin on gmc's.

[57ToyBox]

Originally Posted by GRIMSS

try this site www.oldgmctrucks.com to decode vin on gmc's.

Thanks Jared
That just doesn't seem to apply to my serial number.. There's no letters in
my ser #

Ezekiel seems to have a pretty good theory
even thow it says my truck is an early 58

83105608643
8: Year 1958
31: Series
05: Model
6: 6 cylinder engine
08643: Vehicle number

[GRIMSS]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Thanks Jared
That just doesn't seem to apply to my serial number.. There's no letters in
my ser #

Ezekiel seems to have a pretty good theory
even thow it says my truck is an early 58

83105608643
8: Year 1958
31: Series
05: Model
6: 6 cylinder engine
08643: Vehicle number

There's also a page on that site that has the Canadian # break down.

http://www.oldgmctrucks.com/page0185.html

[57ToyBox]

Originally Posted by GRIMSS

There's also a page on that site that has the Canadian # break down.

http://www.oldgmctrucks.com/page0185.html

Oh crap !!! I missed that !!! I'll go back to your link and try it again..

[57ToyBox]

Today was my first day with MY truck
This was almost like getting a law passed... It just seem to take for ever.
but I finally got the ownership in my hand with a receipt.

So today I went out to get more acquainted with my new truck
I thought ah!! While I'm here, I'll just start cleaning it out a bit..

Well 5 hrs later, my wife called... "Are you coming home for supper? "
Ooops

I took the green carpet out of the whole truck to see how many holes I was going to have to buy replacement panels for.
Actually wasn't as bad as I expected. I gave a garter snake an eviction.




On to the back.
After I unloaded the truck of.. of .. well.. tons of garbage.. plastic, a mattress an old ripped tarp.. etc.
I wanted to get a look at the floor in the cargo area. Found signs of mice but didn't see any though... No wonder that damn garter snake was so big.





After I got the floor all cleaned up... and BTW I was very happy how the floor in the back has held up over time.
Still gonna get some replacement metal straps and maybe some replacement hardwood.

[57ToyBox]

Now I had to take that black diamond tuck upholstery down... holy 1970s LOL
Right now.. the smell is almost unbearable. combination of musty, mold, mouse turds and mouse... well I'm sure you get the idea.. It's all mouse by products. Yuck !!!!
Down comes the upholstery.... Surprise!!!! another mouse house.










Well it cleaned up real good. and I'm real happy with the condition of the interior

[dennis57]

Looks like it's cleaning up nice.

[GRIMSS]

It's cool to sit back and look at them after you get them cleaned out for the first time.

Looking good.

[BIG CHEVY 3600]

Nice looking project. I drove one like it in the mid 60s as a delivery boy. Back then we called them "panel trucks".

[Bigblue29]

Very cool! The mouse house cleaning is not a fun project- but it always looks sooo much better when done! haha Nice truck.

[50MOTORHEAD]

I live in farm country. There is no such thing as an old car that has sat for a while and DOESN'T have mice (out my way). It's sickening some times. Plastic gloves and I have had a few that I even wore a vent. mask!
I'd pressure wash the inside of the back and scrub it down with 'simple-green'.That will make it a lot more enjoyable to work on.
The last 'mouse-stink-mobile' that I bought was SO bad,I parked it outside of my buildings ,,picked it to the bone and SCRAPPED it. I tried everything to get rid of the smell but failed.
Your old truck sure looks better now!-Keith

[bensimmons_05]

Awesome man! This this is gonna be sweet!

Please tell me your gonna put a new matress in the back..

shagwagon supreme!

[57ToyBox]

Originally Posted by 50MOTORHEAD

I live in farm country. There is no such thing as an old car that has sat for a while and DOESN'T have mice (out my way). It's sickening some times. Plastic gloves and I have had a few that I even wore a vent. mask!
I'd pressure wash the inside of the back and scrub it down with 'simple-green'.That will make it a lot more enjoyable to work on.
The last 'mouse-stink-mobile' that I bought was SO bad,I parked it outside of my buildings ,,picked it to the bone and SCRAPPED it. I tried everything to get rid of the smell but failed.
Your old truck sure looks better now!-Keith

I've cleaned up a few old used cars b4 but nothing as bad as this... Wish I talked to you Keith b4 I dove into this head first.. As I got into it, then I went to go find a pair of gloves. If I could have bought a Mask for $100 I would have. I vivsited the truck again today.. It still Smells like Mouse piss.
That plywood floor is going to be history now.

Originally Posted by bensimmons_05

Awesome man! This this is gonna be sweet!

Please tell me your gonna put a new matress in the back..

shagwagon supreme!

A Shaggin Wagon LOL Sorry to disappoint buddy.. She's gonna be a light duty work truck and a weekend cruiser

[57ToyBox]

After this past Sunday interior truck clean out and rodent eviction, today was dedicated to the legal aspect of the truck.
After jumping through the MTO /DOT hoops, the truck is officially mine

I asked if they would change my ownership from a 1957 GMC to a 1957 Chevrolet. He said if I go to an Classic Car Club and get one of the club's officials to write a letter stating that the truck IS a Chevrolet and not a GMC.
Then they will update my ownership.

I just need to find an official from a Classic Car Club willing to do this for me.
This way the truck and the ownership will be true and correct.

[renegade6]

Vinegar water or bleach water will help get rid of the smell.

[ezekiel]

Vinegar/Water 50% mix to neutralize the ammonia in the mouse piss.

Generous amounts of baking soda to take care of the smell.

Works like a charm on cat piss. Damn cats!

[57ToyBox]

Originally Posted by ezekiel

Vinegar/Water 50% mix to neutralize the ammonia in the mouse piss.

Generous amounts of baking soda to take care of the smell.

Works like a charm on cat piss. Damn cats!

HaHaHa Sounds like experience speaking LOL I once had a cat like that. The kids still think it escaped out the front door.

Well I think I'm gonna do one better.... Get rid of the mice and replace the plywood floor.

[57ToyBox]

QUESTION : What would these access panel be for?? I haven't opened one
yet, so I don't know what there for. 3 on each side.
3" long by about 2" high

[GRIMSS]

You might check on the plywood replacement before you cut that one out. Some say Sheets that large are hard to come by.

Not sure on those panels but on the burb I cut up 2 of them had the recoils for the tailgate cables.

[Bigblue29]

I am confused on the plywood floor... I see you have bed slats in the back of the truck... are you talking about the floor up front?

[57ToyBox]

Thanks for the heads up Grimss.. I'll look into a replacement sheet B4 I start tearing in to this one.

Luke
I was surpriced to see that the cargo area is made up of a big peice of plywood with those metal slats mounted on to of the plywood.

I was expecting to see a similar floor as the pick up truck box. I'm wondering if I can make a fleet side box floor fit ???

[Bigblue29]

If thats the case you could hide a seem in the plywood under one of the metal strips and no one would be the wiser!