The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 1956 Chevy 6100 Restoration Dilemma

So I am having a moral dilemma on the restoration of my truck. Back story of the truck is here if you want to read about it. I have been tinkering with it over the last few years, got it running, rebuilt the brake system and got the hoist to lift the bed. I have decided that since I am still young (42) I want to do a complete overhaul of the truck. I plan on ditching the dump box and install a flat bed with removable sides, while keeping the dump bed hoist. Basically a frame off restoration but not to show quality. All fresh paint, rebuilt motor and transmission, new tires, new wiring, the whole nine yards. I want this truck to start and stop reliably and want to drive it once or twice a week during the warm months and use it to get hay, straw and get animal food from the farm store.

But, in order to get it to that spot it is going to need A LOT of body work. I'm not too concerned with the chassis and drivetrain, it's all pretty pretty solid and all there, with exception of some rear leaf spring brackets. My main concern is the body tons of rust and missing metal in all the usual spots. The rear cab corners are gone, passenger side looks to have been hit as it's pushed in. The front fenders eyebrows are toast. The cab steps are barely hanging on and the front cab corners are partially missing and both door bottoms are blown out. Also most of the glass is cracked.

I'm thinking of buying another truck with better sheet metal and replacing all of my bad metal or possibly even doing a complete cab swap. I am not confident with body work and don't really have the desire to get good at it. I think I could save a ton of time and labor going this route. Also my truck needs a new set of leaf springs and new spring shackles. I have seen trucks with no titles for a few hundred dollars to old grain trucks at auction selling up to $5,000.

Here is what I am looking at for new parts:

Rear Leaf Springs - $1,500-$2,400
New Rims - $1,700
New Glass - $800
Patch Panels - $500

My main question is when does one truck stop being a truck and then become a different truck? If you know what I mean.

The truck has sentimental value, otherwise I would just dump it and get something cleaner to restore.

Any opinions?

There are a lot of low mileage farm trucks that go through auction. A lot of them have been a shed except during the harvest. If you really don't have body skills you would probably get frustrated before you eve finish the project. I would start with the mechanicals like getting the engine running well and the brakes working well. You definitely need a parts truck or two if you have place to keep them. Almost any cab you find will have rusted out rear corners, but that is an easy fix. If nothing else you can hire someone to fix just that. I would look for a farm truck or maybe even a fire truck with a stuck engine and no title, but has a good cab. I watch Auctiontime and Craigslist. I still can't resist a bargain.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/e1g65WUksiDnawsX7

As far as I am concerned, the only way to fix a rust bucket is to replace the cab and front clip if necessary.

When I was traveling through Wyoming and Montana on the way to help my brother move back to Tennessee from Portland Oregon, I was amazed at the number of good looking big bolts parked in barns and sheds alongside major highways. Most of them looked like the hadn't been run in decades. If you're up for a summer road trip, and willing to arrange transportation for a barn find, it's pretty likely you can find a good donor truck out in the northwest. Pickups and midsize trucks will have the same basic cab as the bigger rigs- - - - -front fenders and running boards, and a few other pieces of sheet metal will probably be unique to the big rigs.
Jerry

Before reading the back story:
It is a dilemma. Fixing motors and drive train, new wiring, glass, springs, patches will still be the same truck. New cab and take off dump bed. Not the same truck. A new cab will change the VIN. It all boils down to the price of sentimental value.

After reading the back story:
The page no longer has more pics. So can't advise how to proceed. Can't assess the rust. As a guess, the idea of buying a donor truck may be the best and cheapest idea. I am pretty sure you can find one with low mileage and low use. Which means a good body, good springs, good glass, good rims and etc . All in one purchase. You do live in snow country, which has rust galore. However, many of those trucks were in a shed or under a cover and never traveled salty roads. Find one. Take your time for the right one. Then you will decide and design the way to "restore" the truck. Swapping and repairing. You MUST do the patching and welding yourself. It has to be easier on a big truck than the pick ups. Better access, higher up work angles. After you do a patch or two, you will get the hang of it. You will be good at it. It's not that hard. Having two trucks side by side while repairing is a great advantage and will save a lot of time. Just prepare a good work area with dry ground, electricity, chairs, tools...

"I am not confident with body work and don't really have the desire to get good at it." Change this attitude or don't bother. You have Stovebolt to help you at every step. I don't do "body work" either, but I sure have done a lot of patch panels, weld, grind, skim bondo......a little dent repair. Not the hours of sanding, primer, sand, primer, sand, primer stuff. You don't need to do that either.

EDIT: Was still typing, then saw the post above mine. Bottom line is crenwelge, HRL and I are saying the same thing.

Why bring it back to its original day it rolled out of the factory? It's old, it earned its right to look the way it does based off of the one picture in your back story that I see. I vote patching what you absolutely have to do structurally and leave the rest. I am not a body and paint kind of guy either. I have a 52 willys truck that I've built, it's not rusted out but has rust and is pieced together from about a dozen trucks. We could call it a rat rod and I love the way it looks.

Thanks for the replies. I have been on the look out for a decent parts truck. There seem to be a lot in the Kansas and surrounding states.

If the body was in a little better condition I would probably just leave it but the drivers door barely latches and passengers side doesn't latch at all.

I think my plan of attack will be tear it all down and redo the chassis and drive train, while keeping an eye out for a parts vehicle, mainly for the the front fenders and doors. I think I have decided I will keep the cab and replace most of the other metal if I can. Patching the rear corners and steps shouldn't be that bad.

I've put reproduction door on two of my Task Force trucks and been happy with the outcome and felt I was money ahead as you can't get much body work done for the cost of the new door.

Remember when looking for fenders the 1957's are different, so you want 1955-2 or 1956, 4000 or 6000 series only.

Also, everything about the cab is the same for 1/2 thru 2-1/2 ton other than the transmission floor opening/cover. This includes hoods and inner fenders.

Mike B

just a thought, i think that if you are gonna replace the whole front clip and bed, that's really not the same truck at that point, and if the truck has sentimental value, i would just do what is necessary to get it in serviceable condition.

I am capable of doing body work and installing patch panels, but I feel like I don't need the practice. I have found quite a few old fire trucks with stuck motors with good sheet metal for less than the cost of a few patch panels. Here is the last one I bought and it is one of the nicer ones I have bought.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7X8nasanoQnLyr7VA

There is a YOUTUBE guy in Kansas who calls his channel "Adventures Made From Scratch" His in the scrap business and gets quite a few big truck. He will save parts if he knows he has customer for them. I think he is a decent judge of good/bad. You can contact him through his channel.

Mike

DougH6100 You must not be as cheap as most bolters,all new stuff will overvalue your truck!! When I saw how our real spring shop worked over used spring leaves I then understood why you fix em!! They re-arched them always cold made new u-bolts truck then acted new!!