Hi all,
I am new here and excited to learn. I recently was given my grandpa's (then uncle's) 1950 Chevrolet 3600 pickup. For the most part it is all original. I just bought new bias ply tires and had some other minor work done to it. The truck has been sitting in a barn for 36 years, at least. Drives well. Photo below.
My issue is the general direction in which to take this project. I know it's personal, but this isn't exactly a truck I dug out of a grove somewhere. It has a history.
I want to keep it stock but am encountering some difficulties with.....for starters, the rear axle replacement. If I cannot locate what I need and then need to go to plan B with other axle modifications, then what about the wheels? If I have to get different rims, I worry it will lose it's authenticity. And it snowballs from there, for example....into paint. Is it odd to repaint a truck and leave the original old bed that my grandpa preserved by soaking in oil? (I want to keep the bed as-is.) Or the windows (I was told if I have it painted I need to replace the windows and the chrome.) and the list goes on. I realize these are common restoration questions. Part of me says Grandpa liked it this way...old and dinged and faded... so leave it! But I cannot drive 45mph where I live (Grandpa lived on a farm and I live in the suburbs) and hence the snowball I just chronicled above. PS: I need to outsource all the labor.
My objective is to determine (a) how to maintain the flavor of grandpa's truck, while (b) addressing any issues of rot/decay, and (c) ensuring it is super-reliable. BECAUSE.... I want to enjoy this vehicle without being stuck on the side of a road somewhere. Maybe I cannot accomplish (b) without a full restoration. I don't know....
Anyway, as I told my dad.... I always see MEN driving these old pickup trucks...never women. But I would like to change that.
I'm very thankful for this site to assist in my research. (Though I guarantee I'm driving my dad nuts.)
Thanks,
Sara
Last edited by grossie73; 10/06/2017 2:24 AM.
