Hi folks!
I'm excited. I finally found the 'right truck at the right price' and hauled her home yesterday. It's a 1950 3/4 ton Chevrolet 5 window Deluxe. It's in pretty solid condition, but it's missing the engine and transmission. Very little rust, but it has some in the typical problem areas: one cab corner, the floorboards near the cowl panels, and the cowl panels themselves.
You can see a photo of the new truck
here.
My plans are to keep the truck appearing stock, while increasing creature comfort and driveability. I want this truck to be a daily driver. It's going to be a clone to a truck from my Grandpa's / Uncle's / Dad's service station. You can see a photo of the Sinclair truck
here.
I'm going to dig around on here a bit to see if I can find some opinions, but in case anyone would like to share them here:
How 'bad' is the ride on a stock solid front axle? I want to decide ahead of time what the front suspension is going to be before I dig into the truck.
I also want to decide on a power train. I'd like to stick with a 6-cylinder engine, but would prefer something later with insert bearings and full oil pressure.
I want to have a manual transmission, but need to decide on an earlier model versus a later model. I don't really have a preference (at this point) on column or floor shift. Pro's and con's to each? I want to be able to get out on the open road with this truck, highway speeds will be a must.
As for the rear axle, I'm open to suggestion. I understand that an 80's model S-10 rear end will work, and that it has the same dimensions as the stock unit. I would prefer something with the open driveline versus the torque tube. Ideas?
The truck I bought is a 3/4 long bed, and my Grandpa's service station truck was a 1/2 ton short bed. I may be interested in a 1/2 ton frame.
Thank you all for any input you may have!
Damon
