The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk age old question restore OR update? NEED ADVISE GUYS.

Iron horse,I dont think so.My truck is fairly well streetrodded,not hacked.perfect originality is impossible.I like them all,the ones restored to original,(as much as possible)and I also like the updated,streetrodded ones.If mine is hacked it sure gets a lot of oohs and aahs at the shows.With all the time and hard work I have invested in mine,and oh yeah the money too,I dont appreciate being called a hacker.You do it your way,if you do,and I will do it my way.

if yo want a driver update it with the old look, you can run a 250 motor, t5 trans and a open drive rearend. but dont forget to run a booster and master under the frame and a 6lug disc brake kit so you can stop it.

john romero,a very good point.I see a lot of hopped up old Chevys,fords etc.with bigger motors,etc.A lot of them are still using the original brake system.Make em go like hell then you cant stop them.Doesnt make much sense.

Man, That would be a difficult decision, The truck looks to me like it's pretty darn complete.

When I first got my truck I was dead set on rodding it with a V8, even though I thought the engine was the original 228 and the truck was a little rarer than most, but after seeing these old school inlines I started to change my mind.

Right now it has a 216 from a '41 Chevy, it runs, so for now I'll drive it as is.
Next spring I'll put my V8 in it(Because the 216 probably won't last long, it sat for 9 years with a crankcase full of rainwater)then I'll start looking for an inline that suits my taste for old school rods.

I've decided to enjoy the truck, no matter what anyone else thinks. I'll know when the truck is right by the way it makes me feel when I'm looking out that tiny windsheild!

I'm with Steve OldSub on this one. These trucks were sold as working trucks. I bet most of them didn't keep their off-the-showroom look more than a coupla years. I bet most of them spent 75% of their time on pitted gravel roads or in the fields, and I bet a trip of over ten miles was rare. But there is the rub - dbone you probably won't be using your truck this way so the decision is yours. But to me it seems more honest to the truck if you don't try to make it into something that it was never meant to be. Me, I don't even want to paint mine. It's a good running driver. I can throw whatever I want into the bed - it can stand in the rain with the windows open. I'll probably add a few dings instead of removing them. It'll do 50-55 as is, and its kind of relaxing to creep along like that and not feel like I have to hurry. I'd like to believe that I will be doing the same kind of repairs that the original owner would have resorted to. We'll see how long that lasts!

Its an age old answer-it is yours do as you wish...and be happy...
I like Hot rods..they are cool..and there is no investment(By definition of investment) In old truck restoration..added up you will find a huge loss in money...not a gain...in most cases..not all but most...
But hey howard hughes blew big bucks building aircraft and he didnt care...and we enjoy what we do when we build Hot rods or whatever...
I cannot drive a 216 or a 235...i would only end up redlining the engine until it blew up...I cant drive that slow...
I know what i want and what i like..the choice is yours...as it is your money not theirs...
I would advise like others have that if you change the power plant that you also upgrade the safety features...without good modern brakes...you might possibly have an accident and injury/worse can occur..
Eiher way we all look 4ward to progress pics!..

Might as well toss in my $.02. EVERYBODY IS RIGHT about their choices for their own particular vehicle. However, times have changed on the American highway. Unless you've been marooned on some desert island you're acutely aware that the highways are not what they were in the "good old days".

You may feel that driving around in a well restored vehicle with 40-50's technology is just your cup-o-tea. However, the majority of vehicles on today's highways can maintain highway speeds, stop quickly with great brakes and ABS, penetrate the dark with good lighting and signal their intentions with turnsignals, offer some personal protection with air bags, 3 point seat belts, collapsible steering columns and reinforced fuel cells.

It all boils down to personal responsiblity. If you are a true purist and insist on "keeping her original" I hope you enjoy admiring your vehicle in the garage or on the trailer as you tow it to the shows. However, if you think you can put your "back to original" 40-50's vehicle on the road and constitute anything but a hazard, you're only kidding yourself. It's your responsibility to "know your vehicles limitations". A driver's license and tag give you the priviledge to use the highways but common sense and personal responsibility should dictate how you choose to impact (or not) those that also share that same space.

I love to see a cruise of old restos putting down the road in a little pack at 40-45 mph. Hopefully, I'll see them in time so I can adjust my position and speed so I don't interfer with their fun and hope that the others around me can do the same safely. The sad thing is that a lot of today's drivers are so intent on getting from point A to B at mach speed, that they depend on their insurance agent to keep their vehicles running.

So what's the answer? It's your call! But if you're headed for the wide-open-road it should be your responsibility that your vehicle does not constitute a "rolling roadblock" and put the safety of those that share the pavement at undo peril.

"That's my story and I'm sticking to it."

Fla54Chevy3100,

I certainly see your point, especially living here in Florida; as you do. There's nothing like a Q-Tip doing 50 MPH on I95 to make things get even more interesting. That being said...

One of my favorite books is "Blue Highways" by William Least Heat Moon. Heat Moon cronicles his circuitous route through the back roads (Blue Highways) of America in 1981. He relished the small forgotten towns and could tell the type of fertilizer a guy used by looking at his cap. Granted, its going to be a bit tougher finding those blue highways now, and the small forgotten towns have mostly been made non-descript by golden arches and Walmarts.

My long time dream has been to put the '41 back on the road and make it a mission to find what remains of old America by sasheying and dos si doing down what old roads I can find. The only "updates" I am doing to the '41 is putting in the 3:55 rear, full pressure oiling 235, either a super-duper 6v alternator from 5th Avenue or upgrade to 12v, tighten up the steering a bit, and install a blinker system. While none of the forgoing updates will seriously distract from the original look of the '41 they will add some aspect of safety and reliability.

Will I drive it on I95 or other super-highways? You bet. Although I'm spending a fair chunk of change putting the truck in near show quality, it's still going to remain a driver. I'm not too worried about a ding, scrach, rain or hell; I want other folks to enjoy the truck to, not just show attendees.

Will I drive it on A1A? Oh yeah! One of my coined phrases was GGA. What's a GGA you ask? It's "Good God Almighty" which is what I used say, when cruising down A1A in the '41(loose steering and all), and seeing a beautiful young beach girl, in a skimpy bikini, peddling her bike in the center lane no less. Now, you tell me which is the greater danger, or creates the most undo peril on the road.

"If you can't make up your mind, build one of each. Then you can have the best of both worlds."

Builder - I'm envious as heck of your "collection"! After an ugly and very messy divorce I was left with very little. One of the things I managed to salvage was my '37 pickup. I had to store it for years until I got back on my feet.

I had a street rod in mind when I originally purchased it, and during the years that all I could do was dream about it I never changed my mind. I'm finally putting it together and doing it the way I want.

If money, space, and desire were no object I would like a bone-stock restoration as well (actually, I know of a '36 Buick 4-door sedan that has been garaged for its entire life and all original that I hope to one day convince the owner to sell ;'}

I'm fairly certain that the truck I end up with will be scoffed at by the purists on either side of the divide - I don't GAS. I intend to drive it and I intend to ENJOY IT!

Just a thought - if you're going camping, fishing, etc it might be a good idea to have 12v for the trailer/boat you're towing around. Also, didn't they have dash-fans in those days? Recently there was a very nice 40 Chevy Sedan Delivery that had a dash-mounted fan. I don't think that's an unreasonable era-correct modification. It was once explained to me that switching to 12v was "smart" and a safety thing (not sure what they were referring to). When I was driving my truck back from California I broke down. AAA asked me if it was 6 or 12v for a boot. He said they would need a different vehicle for the 6v. Who would really notice if it was 6 or 12 anyways?

I don't think a tastefully modified early truck will be scoffed at by anyone credible. The only truck I don't like is a perfect trailer queen of either type, which never gets to work. It's like putting those idiotic 24" (or whatever) wheels on an SUV.

Just an opinion, you understand. Mine.

Never seen a swb 51 chevy pickup ..
never the less ...i like stock old trucks .......I just don't want to drive one !! My self i like to get on down the road to the show are where ever iam going.. mine was bone stock one time just not what wanted ...butof course not ever one wants the same thing and thats what makes it fun !!
I drive mine to shows road rash and all no ramp truck towing are what ever ........

Personally, I would update. But "to each his own".

Must have been talkin about jumping it off...cant do a 6 with a 12V or itll cause problems...6 goes with 6 and if you cant find another 6 to jump it,,you cant do much at all- being that 6 v is rare it is wiser to switch to 12 v...