OK, been a while... Just an update on my '54 3600.
Gave the old beast some krylon touch up (where all the paint was MISSING and boiled off from the roof, hood and fenders). I thought it might help slow down the rusting process. Got my DELUXE heater built and installed (just a quick coupla hundred bucks!) it took a donor heater assembly (my original heater was a leaking, frozen re-circ type) a new blower motor (LMC) and a newly built heater core (local shop) but I installed it JUST in time for cool weather and it works fine! Found a 54 cab to rob needed parts from, $250 for the cab got me good side glass, good doors (same color too!) various interior pieces I needed. Engine (remember this old 235 was locked up tight from 10 years of sitting with a cracked head...) has been running fine and the #5 cylinder that was frozen solid and beaten free with a pine post (love my mechanic skills!) has good compression and burns fine. Been driving it every day but had to rebuild the generator and put on a new voltage regulator (ouch!). Put new heater hoses in, a on/off and push/pull type valve to run the heater and a choke cable to run the heat/defrost, plugged the firewall holes (old heater and what not) up with grommets. Re-'did' my speedo that was frozen (and I broke during disassembly) with one from my donor cab and after cleaning and reassembling with my original odometer and a new speedo cable, it works fine! Bouncy, but quiet and fine. Finding loose brackets and broken bolts and rivets here and there and sllllowly tightening and making more solid. So, it's been fun and the truck has proven pretty solid so far. Been doing some hunting out of it and now that fall is here and I have a heater, I am rip roaring ready! Will add it to the gallery when I can grab a digital camera. It's still beat up and rough but I LIKE IT!
