I bought a 54 Chevy 3100 and am not sure what to do first. The truck runs and has all the parts but I would like to do a complete restoration.
Any directional help appreciated.
Richard
My first suggestion would be to make it roadworthy and drive it. See how you like driving an old stock truck.
Brakes are the first thing to inspect and repair, the repair would be needed in the restoration anyway.
Just familiarizing yourself with the truck will help you decide which direction to go. Since you admit that you are not very handy, I think that a restoration would be too much for you at this time. I would think that after driving it awhile, you would rethink the restoration and make it a nice driver.
As stated before, buy a few books on your truck. Read through the many great tips found in the Tech tip section,
TAKE AN INVENTORY OF WHAT IS MISSING AND WHAT NEEDS WORK ON YOUR TRUCK.
I feel that is an important point that needs to be made, otherwise you have no benchmarks in achieving your goals. If you just start taking it apart, most likely it will never be put back together!
Areas that need special attention:
BRAKES -Don't scrimp here, this is not the place to cut corners! Check all of the brake lines, master cylinder, brake cylinders and brake shoes. Don't forget the parking brake!
TIRES - Another important safety concern. Look for dryrot, wear, road damage and replace where needed.
FUEL TANK AND SYSTEM - Flush out the gas system if it has been sitting for any length of time. Check the fuel hoses and filter. Make sure your fuel gauge works correctly! This may prevent you from walking home.
LIGHTS/ELECTRICAL - Check the wiring under the dash for problems/bad splices etc. Make sure that you have a solid ground from the engine to the frame, this will make your lighting system brighter.
FRONT SUSPENSION - Check for loose steering, tire wobble and any other poor handling conditions. Replace king pins if necessary, get the front end aligned. Change the shocks, they probably haven't been changed in years.
ENGINE - Do a complete tune-up and inspect the engine for oil leaks. replace valve cover gasket after inspecting the rocker assembly for sludge and adjustment of the lifters. Always clean any area that you touch, it makes it that much easier to work on the next time.
As you can see from this list, maintenance is a lot of work and restoration is even harder. So as I stated, start with learning your truck and do the necessary maintenance and then decide if you want to go further.
But most of all enjoy it. I wish I had listened to myself before I started my restoration project!
