The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk '50 3600 resto plan of attack- advice PLEASE?

ok, so i picked up a '50 3600, pretty much all original exept for 12v conversion. the main selling point for me was the sheet metal, which is in GREAT condition,(only 1 cab corner, the cab floor, and the bed/stakes are crappy.)

what i ulitimately want: sweet daily highway driver, not a full resto/rod.
- lower gearing on rear end (for highway)
- S10 5spead manual tranny (if needed for highway)
- some sort of upgraded suspension
- upgraded brakes
- she needs a new wiring harness.

i wanted to start with a disc brake conversion, but found out my 3/4 ton 8 lug wheel/axle setup wont allow it without major work. this sad news from a reliable brake/axle hot rod shop.

so it got me thinking, should i just hand this baby off, get my dollars back, or charge ahead?

i figure maybe i could find another that someone else has already mod'ed up? maybe they put in a 350ci, auto trans, discs, camero/S10/nova front end, etc? even if the body is crap?

or do i keep what i got, do a powered/drilled/vented drum brake setup, forgo the suspension upgrade, and then tackle gearing/tranny/electrical?

given that i want a highway driver, but not necesarily a resto rod, i guess what i am asking boils down to this:
is it better to start farther away from my goals mechanically with a beautiful body, or start with a better mechanical set up and a body which may need more work?

Welcome to the Stovebolt Page. I too have a 50 3600 pickup, my second one. I tend to lean toward original equipment or period-correct speed-up goodies. There is another guy on here that's doing a disc brake upgrade on a 51 3/4-ton. Do a search of this site for disc brakes. Lots of info on here too about T5 swaps, upgraded susp., everything you asked about. My suggestion would be to get what you got running/driving and enjoy as-is for awhile til you gather info and then decide. Others will probably chime in. Good luck.

Frank is right. Drive it for a while and keep visiting this forum. You will decide what you want before long. I have a 51 3600 too and have decided to upgrade for comfort and safety. The low gear rear end wouldn't work for me at 70 mph on the highway. My first 51 was a 3100 and I kept it original except for 12 volt upgrade. This time I wanted a v8 with auto tranny and all disc brakes. Welcome to the bolt. Send pictures...

Hey Kidd; Welcome to the 'bolt!! You're asking all the right questions, and this is the place to get the right answers. It's good you're not just tearing into this project without having a clear goal in mind. I also like the idea of making it drivable, then make a change here and there to make it more to your liking. This way you won't break the budget right away, and your fun-factor will be much higher. Good luck, and have fun!!