Project "Popeye"

[LEEVON]

My diligence has paid off...it's exactly what I was looking for; clean title, original-ish paint, decent body and pretty much unmolested. The previous owner stored it in a garage for 19 years which stopped the rust monster but not the mice. I found a small amount of rust in the driver floorboard and some small holes in each cab corner and the bed has a couple issues but nothing unexpected. The doors, front clip and the cab are in great shape. I didn't poke around too long because I knew it wouldn't last at his price so we came to terms and I'm picking it up next Saturday.

My vision includes preserving the body, MII front end, 4-link/c-notch rear, 5.3L/700R4, steelies and wide whites, wiring, gauges, seat and maybe some weatherstripping and such then drive her wheels off! We have a baby due in March and I'm finishing a Harley project, so nothing will happen for a couple of months. But when the bike sells and the homelife settles down game on! Here are some cell phone pics:

[britnjc]

nice find. great start to a fun project

[mylow53]

looks like a 52 or a 50
nice
what did you pay for it?
GT

[806em55]

I wish any of the three that i bought would have been in that good of shape. You look to have a great starting point and i am anxious to see this take shape. Good luck!!!!

[LEEVON]

Originally Posted by mylow53

looks like a 52 or a 50
nice
what did you pay for it?
GT

Title says it's a '50. I didn't study the trim tag, not sure if you can date it with that? As far as the price, he wanted $1100 we agreed at $900 which I figured was what he had in mind. Now if my dear old Grandpa was still around we probably would have went home with the truck and a new set of tires or something for just the change in his ashtray and a couple of fishing stories. Legendary wheeler and dealer he was!

Originally Posted by 806em55

I wish any of the three that i bought would have been in that good of shape. You look to have a great starting point and i am anxious to see this take shape. Good luck!!!!

thanks!

Okay, I just got sentimental thinking about my Grandpa, he always loved these trucks and he wanted me to have one. He gave me a die-cast model of a '48 that sits in my office. Lots of people called him Popeye because he was short and had huge forearms. So the truck now has a name - "POPEYE".

[terd ferguson]

That looks like a great start! Be careful cleaning up the mouse poop, that stuff is bad for you.

[my67chevytruck]

sweet, looking forward to the Build AKA POPEYE !

[sgtusmc]

Looks solid, and you got a great deal on it to boot. I'm looking forward to seeing this truck come to life. Good luck.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

Great deal. Looks like a solid truck.

[283 Man]

Sweet....

[99 to Life]

Word, this is a great find. I absolutely love pics of these in a stranded original state of position. Your cell takes awesome pics. I am very happy you got such a good deal, it is
such a good feeling.

Also 52's to my knowledge didn't have the series number under the emblem because they were cutting back on metal during the war. So yeah if the title says 50' that sounds
right. Also a 52 would have vent windows, assumning these parts aren't replacements.

[xJoey Dubsx]

Nice find! How much you find it for, if you dont mind me asking..

[99 to Life]

he said 900

[LEEVON]

I ran the trim tag last night from a link on Stovebolt and the serial # identifies it as a 1/2 ton 116" wheelbase built in Baltimore in May 1950. So I have a good trim tag AND title. Sweet.

[mr48chev]

Nice an a nice price these days. Sounds like you have some good plans for it too.

[xJoey Dubsx]

Originally Posted by 99 to Life

he said 900

yeah, i slacked on reading.. sorry.

[nuke1]

Nice find, i agree, that will be a sweet way to get the truck built, love wide whites

[LEEVON]

I want to paint the dash, firewall, wheels and maybe roof with some kind of metalflake blue, like marina blue with some silver flake or maybe darker. And maybe a blue mexican blanket seat. That would be it for color. Something like this scheme but of course with the black exterior:



What do you think?

[nuke1]

Drool!!!!!!

[67cheby]

awesome, i love it

[blackdiesel]

hey, your pretty close to me. (couple hours)

anyways why, may i ask, are you going with the 700r4 instead of the 4l60e or even 4l80e? i assume when you say 5.3l that your talking about a late model LM7 instead of a carbed 327 sbc. if not, then disreguard my post

[CAL 58 GMC]

Great find and best yet, a great price.

[LEEVON]

Originally Posted by blackdiesel

hey, your pretty close to me. (couple hours)

anyways why, may i ask, are you going with the 700r4 instead of the 4l60e or even 4l80e? i assume when you say 5.3l that your talking about a late model LM7 instead of a carbed 327 sbc. if not, then disreguard my post

I like the 700R4's for the cable driven speedo and cores are cheap. I have a 5.3L (LM7) drive-by-cable ready to go, but maybe I'll carb it and relocate the coil packs, dunno? It would be sweet with a finned valve cover, three duece sbc look though. If I could figure out how to mate a three duece intake to one...hmmm?

I'm not too picky, for instance if I found a great rear end cheap that has say 3.08 gears, then I'd just throw a TH 350 in there.

[53GMC]

Looks like a great truck to start the project with...good luck!!

[blackdiesel]

Originally Posted by LEEVON

I like the 700R4's for the cable driven speedo and cores are cheap. I have a 5.3L (LM7) drive-by-cable ready to go, but maybe I'll carb it and relocate the coil packs, dunno? It would be sweet with a finned valve cover, three duece sbc look though. If I could figure out how to mate a three duece intake to one...hmmm?

I'm not too picky, for instance if I found a great rear end cheap that has say 3.08 gears, then I'd just throw a TH 350 in there.

alright. i was just wondering. i have a new rebuilt 700r4 in my '57 and a 4l60e in my '38 and the computer controlled tranny is FAR FAR FAR superior. always shifts when it needs to, doesnt hunt between drive and overdrive around 45 mph. dosnt rob as much power. just a great tranny. love them. i have a 5.3 lm7 + 4l60e going into my pickup shortly