Hi all! I have used these forums from time to time to plan out what I'm doing with my 1952 half ton, but the project always got side tracked. Committed to putting some time and money into it now, so thought I would join to help keep the stoke up! Recently selling a rental property at a good profit and freeing up some cash for the project doesn't hurt either.
Origin story:
I started younger than most when I convinced my grandfather to pull the old 52 chev half ton out from behind the chicken coup where it had sat for 14 years undriven. I was 15 at the time. Ironically, I had shot the windows out of it with a pellet gun years before. I worked with my grandfather to get it running again (valve job on the engine mainly) and started to try do my own body work. After a couple of years, my father enlisted the help of a semi retired body shop owner, and working with him we eventually got it painted before my grade 12 high school car show where I won best truck. Not long after the truck experienced overheating problems, and wouldn't drive much more than around the block. University followed and a move from SK to AB and the truck took another long rest on my parents driveway for 19 years.
About 8 or 9 years ago, I finally hauled the truck back to AB and pulled the engine to try figure out what was wrong. Water jacket was filled with crud up to the bottom of the frost plug. Pulled it apart for an acid bath, and never got it fully back together. However, discovered what I thought was a 235, was a 216. There are some differences in Canada with the head in those years that makes identification difficult. By this time, my grandfather had passed, and the farm was no longer. I realized that the old 52 Chev 3 ton (I think it was a 3 ton) had a 235 in it. I went a pulled that engine to rebuild for my half ton. So here I sit 7 years later with two engines sitting behind the truck in the garage. Time to change that!
Now I'm 48, 33 years after my grandfather and I first pulled the truck out of the bush and have so far had a 25 year career as an Engineer. Itching to put a half a lifetimes worth of problem solving experience into the project I started before I had those skills. I have the heart of the old grain truck we used to ride in the back of as kids during harvest that I intend to sup up 50's style (which it seems no one does anymore) and excited to see where this goes. We have a car show up hear in High River Alberta with up to 2500 vehicles in it. No matter how many 50's hoods I look under, I haven't seen a straight 6 with duel carbs, headers, or even any chrome.
Couple pictures below of the truck and today's work with my kids on the engine. Glad to meet you all!
