Honestly it depends on how you’ll use it. I can’t imagine daily driving a 1938 anything, let alone a 1.5 ton!! It’s got no AC, probably no heater, windshield wipers... maybe. It doesn’t just lack in suspension and tires, it lacks a lot of things really. It can be done though... you’ll just have to drive it differently and more carefully than you would a modern truck. Now if you mean by daily driving just to work and back and you only live 5 miles from work and you take a backroad, shouldn’t have many problems. But downtown city stop and go traffic with a crashbox? Its possible, but I sure as heck wouldn’t want to do that!! I think to make it a good DD you’ll have to modernize some things. You can do it piecemeal one thing at a time. I’d start with brakes!!! I’m all for originality but the single reservoir original system leaves no room for error... one tiny leak and you haven’t checked it for a week and then you need to stop in a hurry and the pedal goes soft... no thanks. Tires are important too, but remember before radials everyone drive on bias. They do handle different than a radial but it’s something you can get used to. I have Daily driven a jeep for years before with super swamper bias tires... I never got into an accident because of them. I’d say if money is too tight to upgrade the rims and tires then just get some cheap bias tires and run them for a while as you save for the radials and new rims. That’s what I’m doing. Engine as long as your on flat ground and not going up mountains should be ok for a bit. When you do change the engine you’d want to change out the crashbox for something better too.
My to do list for my 1940 is like this: brakes, like new used set of bias tires, wiring harness, turn signals brake lights, third row suburban seat with integrated seatbelts, then drive it as is a bit. Then a phase two where I’ll replace the engine trans and regear the axle (5.43). That will be a big project basically replacing the entire driveline. Not sure what motor I’ll go with yet I have a 261 but it’s stuck, the original 216 Babbitt still runs great but for me going to town means going over a 7% grade mountain!!! There is a longer scenic route around the mountain that the 216 would do in the short term.
Anyway mine is for fun and puttering around hauling hay fence panels lumber, etc. it will do big truck duties occasionally but they will all be lightweight compared to what the truck was originally designed for.
If you truly want a DD that does it all and does it well, you may want to look into a chassi swap or keep your current frame and chassis and upgrade things as necessary. You don’t have to do it all at once, but you do want to put the safety items first ahead of the comfort things, although a heater in the winter would become a safety issue if the windows can’t defrost..
And I don’t see the need to 4 link that massive rear axle. I’m normal driving conditions it should not be wheel hopping or anything else like that.
Last edited by Tony292; 11/23/2020 5:44 PM.
