I got my 53 one ton in 1978 for free. A friend had purchased it to get the engine and vacuum wipers for an old Chevy sedan he was fixing. I said "that's just the sort of thing I'm going to need when I move to Missouri" and he said "it's yours"! I bought a wreck of a 1963 Biscayne for $200, and swapped the engine into the truck, got the wiper motor to fit (somehow), and swapped it all over to 12 volt. Ended up driving it for three years, until it would no longer pass safety inspection (bad king pins).
All in all the best deal I ever made!
Tim
I am currently digging back in to a 1953 3800 (one ton) with a nine foot bed. I've owned it since 1979, and drove it until 1982 (or so). My wife got me involved in restoring it back in 2002, got the body removed and the frame redone, then things came up. Now I am retired and starting again. If anyone is interested I have photos on Imagur ( https://timwhiteblues.imgur.com/ ). I live way back in the woods in the Ozarks on 40 acres at the end of a 2 1/2 mile private road.
