Hi all, been a member for a while with my '55 second series 1/2 ton, but today I brought home my first Big Bolt.
It's either a '55, '56 or '57 (with earlier grille).
Because it's a Canadian truck, VIN decoders are useless, as are series designations.
It has a 14,000 lb. GVW, 153" wheelbase with duals and a single speed rear diff.
It has 10 bolt, 3 piece, 20" wheels (fortunately not Widow Makers) utilizing 5 bolts on the front with worn out tires that still hold air.
As it is a Canadian truck, the fender emblems say 1500, and the VIN tag says it's a Model 1543. The tag also says the engine serial is T118187.
It had a rotted out grain box on it that I removed before I towed it home. It has a PTO twin cylinder "Jones" hoist that is obviously newer.
I bought it primarily for the engine and transmission to put in my other '55. It only has 90,000 miles on it and the last license plate is 1971, so it was just used on the farm after that.
Engine is a pre-'58 V-8, either a 265 or 283 2 barrel.
It has front motor mounts and staggered valve covers but it also has a canister oil filter on the block, but I thought 265s didn't have them. It also has a remote, non GM "oil cleaner" (that's what it says on top), mounted to the driver's inner fender, that is still hooked up.
When I looked at the truck a month ago I pulled a valve cover to get the casting numbers and it was super clean inside, no sludge whatsoever. I have since lost the paper that I wrote the head casting number and the block number from the machined pad in front or the passenger head. I looked them up online at the time but as they were Canadian numbers for the block, they didn't come up.
The heads however, said "Made In Canada" and the number came up for a '57 283. The head casting number was followed by "HC". High compression?
There was no way to see the block casting number on the driver's side looking down above the oil filter, it was just too tight, tucked under the firewall. I'm going to find out what it is tomorrow in the light, using mirrors or whatever. If I have to, I'll cut a hole under the dash to read it.
Like |I said, I bought it for the period correct V-8 and Muncie SM420 with PTO, but once I removed the grain box, it was like a whole different truck. It's pretty cool. Maybe I'll put the 235 out of my other truck in it and make a Rat Rod car hauler out of it.
The 235 has an Offy intake with dual Holley-Weber 2 barrels on it, Corvette Blue Flame Six cam, Fenton cast iron headers and HEI distributor.
The VIN is: 51543629722.
Does anyone know what this truck actually is?
