1951 Chevy Pickup 1/2-Ton

	Owned by Ralph Sauceda "Phantom1094" Bolter # 19796 Phoenix

From Ralph :

I had been searching for an Advance Design Chevrolet pickup truck for years. My Dad had a 1951 since before I was born.

I remember the highlight of my week, when I was 4 or 5, going to Dairy Queen on Sunday afternoon with Mom and Dad, me riding standing up in the middle bench seat of the '51. I remember Dad washing this truck on Sunday mornings and the gleam off of the black paint would blind you. That is when my love for the model started.

My Brother was given this truck in '82 and I was given the '68 Chevelle. Of course, I wanted the '51. Tough times made me sell the Chevelle and I purchased many projects after that -- a 1962 Chevy, a 1980 Chevy, a 1990 Chevy -- all with the intention to restore. Of course, none of them was the truck I wanted so they did not last.

This October I came across a truck on the 'net located 60 miles south of Phoenix. I made an initial offer through email and my nephew and I set out to pick it up on a Friday afternoon. Before we got there, I said to my nephew, "I hope it is not a pile of rusted junk."

When we got there, turns out there was less than 10% rust [ first day picture ]. Actually, I couldn't see any -- 'till the bed came off and the fenders revealed cab corners and fender cancer. I asked why he could not sell it and turns out, it had no title.

So a lowered my offer and took it home for pennies on the dollar. It went straight to my body man. I asked him to fix it up to driving conditions and I will do the rest. After three months at his shop, it came home and now I am starting on it. The picture above is when it arrived here, just a few days ago!

Plenty more pictures in my Photobucket album.

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