This summer we had some great weather up here in the PNW, so I decided the truck had sat long enough dormant and decided to do some body work and put some paint on her. I worked out so many dents in the back of the cab and bed. The front sheet metal was surprising in great shape for it living on a farm most of its life. I replaced the drivers side cab floor other than that all the sheet metal/bed and tailgate is original. No onto assembly.
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
Pic of the overhead dolly and chain hoist. I lifted the body over the engine and frame and set it down ,fairly easy operation with the help of the other half.
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
Thank you Dave, it is not a premier restoration but I have done it all myself this time, I don't have the checkbook I once had when I was working and now retired. More time than money,lol. I have done many chevies over the last 40 years, but no other has brought as much fun and satisfaction.
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
I think the whole process is a lot more interesting when there is a limit on money. My restoration is not premier either- my truck wants to be a truck. I want to drive it, park it anywhere, and not obsess about someone running a shopping cart into it. The next guy can leave it parked in a garage after I'm dead and gone. Hopefully it'll be worn out all over again by then.
~ Dave 1950 Chevrolet 3600 3/4-ton with 261 engine & T5 Transmission
Dave, what color did you paint Pugsley (50 3/4 ton)? I like it a lot.
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
It's just Brown...there was no other name for it in the paint code book. I chose brown because I like the way it goes with black and chrome, and I never see any brown AD trucks. I might end up painting the fenders black though. If you want the code, I can get off the paint store invoice... I think browns are interesting because they change a lot under different light.
~ Dave 1950 Chevrolet 3600 3/4-ton with 261 engine & T5 Transmission
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
Funny you said that Mark, I got off my behind earlier this year because of what I saw others doing on their trucks. It seems to keep everyone's momentum up.
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
Thank you Dave. The bumpers will match the hubcaps and grill bars that I got from Jim Carter truck. It is the anvil gray that supposedly matches for Korean War Era trucks (52-53) It is an alkyd paint that I sprayed on. http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/cart/product.asp?prodid=PT131&i=20009|||||
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
Thank you all for the welcome. Seems like it is hardly almost 5 years gone by and my project is done. I have to say I have really enjoyed the restoration, I have done other chevies but this one was different because I had more time now than money so I did everything, with exception of grinding the hydraulic cam back to solid specs. Now, I look forward to loving and maintaining her. I guess we kind of bonded through the process of all the frame cleaning and knuckle busting. This forum has been a wonderful source of people and information. I really enjoy getting online and loosing an hour or so a day reading. Steve
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
Very Nice, Steve. Hopefully mine will look similar when I eventually get it done. Omaha Orange was what the Alaska Road Commission trucks were, and was a common color for municipalities, and other government agencies when they bought trucks back in the day. Does yours have a government heritage? I rented an old Washington State DOT truck in Yakutat Alaska back in the 80's, and they were also orange. Not sure the exact color or even what the make of the truck was, but suspect it was a '70's vintage Chevy. Kevin
Last edited by klhansen; 12/17/20178:38 PM.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Omaha Orange only looks right on an AD! BEAUTIFUL JOB ON THE TRUCK DUDE. It is guys like you who make me sick. Just like how listening to Hendrix, Clapton, and Jimmy Page makes me want to burn my guitar. I'm talking about details like the outer grill bars painted body color, for one example. Carl
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
Thank you Kevin, the old girl was originally copper tone in color then it was repainted yellow. I wasn’t fond of the color original color but for the sake or originality, I tried to replicate the copper tone but couldn’t find a suitable match that I was happy with. So the second option was to paint it Omaha orange and make it like the shop truck that we had at my first job when I was sixteen. So it became Omaha orange and will get it’s union 76 door decals after Christmas. I have more cut and buffing to do.
Carl, thank you for your comments, I totally get with what you are saying, I wanted a period correct (Korean War). Sure it would have had a prettier face with a chrome grill, but I managed to keep all the sheet metal original and once I had the grill bars straight again then the rest of the time spent on the body was worth it. I bet I spent the good part of a month or two with a hammer and dolly, everyday I would be out there for an hour or two each day to keep forward progress in fear of stagnation. Not perfect by any means but for me, an amateur , it turned out pretty good.
Last edited by sstock; 12/18/20171:37 AM.
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
Steve! Amateur?... Bah! That's a pretty clean AD you've built there. Be proud, very proud. I hope to join you in the coming months!
It irritates how sometimes "amateurs" can pull off unbelievable results and then "professional" shops can really screw up a truck in a multitude of ways. If it was feasible I'm sure you'd have your own resto shop.
Well done.
1970 Chevrolet C10 Grandpa's -- My first truck -- In progress to shiny Follow the build in the Project Journal 1950 Chevrolet 1-Ton Dually "Ole Red Girl" In the Stovebolt Gallery More pictures here 1951 GMC 9430 1 ton dually--Shiny! | 1972 Chevrolet C20- Rusty- the puzzle box lid for the C10 | 1962 AMC Rambler American- my wife's Parts trucks- 1951 GMC 9300 | 1951-GMC 9430 | 1951- Chevrolet 1300
Steve I agree that grille is a work of art. Do you have any "before" pics of the grille? Mine is kind of trashed and my initial impression is that it's not feasible to fix. But if you hammered yours back into that shape, I may just give it a try. Kevin
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Ditto on that grill- I have been leaning towards replacing mine with a repop, but after seeing this one, I might break it down into pieces and try hammering it out.
~ Dave 1950 Chevrolet 3600 3/4-ton with 261 engine & T5 Transmission
The passenger side of the grill had been tagged and bent up two of the horizontal pieces and one of the vertical supports. four of the rivets broke from the impact but it wasn't too bad compared to some. After disassembly there are 14 pieces, and I stripped them in my glass bead cabinet. I didn't have any rust to contend with. Some of the bars needed bending to get their shape back. Mostly used a small hammer and various size punches and a small dolly to remove the small dents and dings from rocks, then filled the low spots with evercoat extreme filler . I love that stuff.I learned quickly to work the metal minimally because it will start to thin and distort then oil can if you play with it too much. It took me my patience more than any talent IMHO.
Last edited by sstock; 12/18/20173:38 PM.
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
sstock, thanks for the narrative on the grill repair- did you just use pop rivets to to re-assemble? I have seen assembly kits for the grills, but I'm not sure what's included...
~ Dave 1950 Chevrolet 3600 3/4-ton with 261 engine & T5 Transmission
Steve Thanks for the grille pix. Yours didn't look that bad. Mine has some bent vertical supports as well as a couple of rips/holes in the horizontal bars. The truck took a hit on the LF fender which had been replaced without straightening some of the underlying metal, such as the inner fender which had a nice crease in it. Both the upper and lower radiator aprons were bent pretty badly, but managed to straighten them to be acceptable (since they're not really visible). If my grille was in the shape yours was, I'd definitely persuade it back into shape, but mine - not so much. I may re-evaluate as it hasn't made it to the recycler yet. If I were to tally up the hours it would take to straighten it, a repop would be cheap (assuming i paid myself )
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
I did use the pop rivet kit, worked just dandy. Kevin, you might be able to find individual grill bar parts so dont give up easily. Sometimes the fun is in the hunt. I am going out to Ron's auto wrecking this week, they have an AD out there, I'll take a look see at the grill and report back.
1953 Chevrolet 3100 261 cu inch, sm420, 3.55 rear, torque tube still,omaha orange, still 6 volt, RPO green glass, side carrier spare, all done In the DITY Gallery Video of the 261 running
1964 GMC 1000 305 Big Block V6, sm420, the next cab off restoration
Well I pulled my grille apart and started straightening it. The upper bars are repairable, but the lower one is pretty much toast. It's got some serious cracks where the bumper brackets are as well as some rust perforations that didn't show up till I started working on it. There was about a pound of gravel sitting on top of the lower apron and against the lower bar. I guess I'll be looking for a replacement lower bar. Might be kind of scarce up here. I'll try the swap meet.
Here's some pics of the damage.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
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