Overgrown towmater resurrection

[bigtim44]

Started picking away at the 55 Chevy 5400 low cab forward. Here's what I found on the HAMB about a year ago.It came with no engine and no brakes.
It takes up a lot of room so I decided it needs to run and drive. Instead of being a giant paperweight.
Here's what I started with.

[bigtim44]

Started by unbolting the front clip to make things easier for the engine install.


And the low mile 350 that's I cleaned up and painted machine grey ,put a fresh clutch on there as well before dropping it in.

[bigtim44]

Motor bolted up .

[Advanced Design]

Very cool truck!

[flashed]

I love old tow trucks and your is no exception ,that thing is nice and solid .

[Kim57]

Very cool truck.
Kim

[bigtim44]

Thanks!
It should be fun to bomb around the doors when I get it running here soon.

[ChuckDriver]

Way cool!

[Katrina/10]

Like!

[mikec4193]

Hey Bigtim

I bet that truck if it could talk would tell us a lot of cool old stories...some sad and some happy...love the finish on it...reminds me of my youth when they was what all the garages had at least one of these sitting next to the building.

Love it...

MikeC

[bajabob]

Very Cool

[Dan in Pasadena]

Neat truck, love it.

I'm sure it's just me but with the whole doghouse removed like that and the uber clean, freshly sprayed engine I'd have HAD to at least given the whole front of the frame and firewall a severe cleaning/sanding and painted the frame black and the firewall in a yellow to match. Sorry, NOT criticizing, just saying.

What are your plans for her?

[bigtim44]

Yup it will get tidied up under the hood before the front clip goes on for the last time. Right now it will get a temporary wiring setup to start the motor , so I can pull it in and out of my shop. Its a pig to move right now !

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Neat truck, love it.

I'm sure it's just me but with the whole doghouse removed like that and the uber clean, freshly sprayed engine I'd have HAD to at least given the whole front of the frame and firewall a severe cleaning/sanding and painted the frame black and the firewall in a yellow to match. Sorry, NOT criticizing, just saying.

What are your plans for her?

[bigtim44]

I found some full length ceramic coated headers that fit the truck, should tidy things up and make it sound pretty good.

[Kim57]

Nice headers.
Kim

[Dan in Pasadena]

Yeah, those look niiice.

Of course, being the anal retentive that I am those nice new shiny headers only make my OCD disorder bark louder, lol.

Glad to hear you'll doll up the front end a bit.

[bigtim44]

Worn hinge pins, what a pain in the ass, I've forgotten how long it takes to do hinges. 4 hours this afternoon to get the doors off and get 3 hinges completely removed from the truck and the doors, still have the upper passenger hinge to take off the passenger door. Heat then impact driver on some of the screws, drill out the center on some then heat and impact.
I'll get the other hinge off then its down to the machine shop to get some new bushings and pins.

[Az. Hank]

That is an awesome truck. The "smallblock" looks tiny in there.

[flashed]

Is that a 2 ton truck ,I know very little about the bigger ones ?

[bigtim44]

Yup, its plated for 16,000lbs GVW. Big old two speed rear axle under it.

Originally Posted by flashed

Is that a 2 ton truck ,I know very little about the bigger ones ?

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by Az. Hank

That is an awesome truck. The "smallblock" looks tiny in there.

You've heard of BBC's and SBC's?
This is the uber rare TBC, Tiny Block Chevy