The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1950 Chevy truck - Finally Done and Photos

I finished my truck a month ago and finally got around to posting some photos. I bought this truck in July 1977 at age 16 for $150.00 and fixed as needed until 2003 when a hit and run driver took out the front fender.

I decided to tear it down to the frame and four years later it is done. It was my first restore. I did all the work including my first attempt at body and paint. Done in the classic plastic garage booth. (Don't look too close.)

It is so weird to drive without all the noise and rattles. In fact, at first I kept dumping the clutch when coasting to a stop because I kept thinking it had died and needed to restart it.

Mariner Blue urethane with J Carter interior enamel. Upgrades include '62 261, Bendix brakes, '60 3.90 rear and 12V alternator. I thank the folks here for all the help over the years.
http://community.webshots.com/album/560337246OsfbnC

Steve O

looks great !! i get more motivated everyday seeing all these awesome trucks coming back to life.

Really really nice. good job. love it. Ron

FYI, I looked at those shots and I have to say that in real life the valve cover and the engine are the same color, (chev engine blue). But they were different brands. In the digital photos they look like two different colors, they don't in person. Kinda weird.

Very nice looking truck and you are to be highly commended for following through on your first project. I have experienced the same problems with the color renderings and it's all about lighting.

Thanks for posting the pix

Don

Nice Job.

Top Notch.

All I can say is wow! That is one beautiful truck that you put together.

Looks great!!!!

Sweet! Got me motivated even more!

Mike

Very nice. great gob!

Very Nice....

Very nice truck. Good looking paint job.

SWEET!


Is that an old glass door knob you have on your shifter? That is GREAT!

Any tips on installing one!?

nice!!


Cliff59

SUPER JOB ! CONGRATS !

Trade ya!!!!!!

Great job!!!!

Great work, Congrats.

Thanks for all the comments, I really appreciate it. When I started down the road of doing the body work and paint myself, I thought it was way too hard and over my head. But like all things, you read, ask, make mistakes, spend more money then you thought possible and eventually you learn. It isn't perfect, but maybe the next one will be. What you can't see and what really makes me happy is how great the thing runs. For everyone that has driven one of these trucks for years in various states of repair, it is a real treat to drive one where everything works. You know, the little things ... like starting every time, doors that close, and stay closed, no two pump brake system and no winter air conditioning from the rust holes...etc.

Alan, that shifter knob is an old door handle and was a gift from a friend in high school. Believe it or not it screwed right on with the same threads as the shifter.

Steve O

Thanks Steve

That is just too cool!

I'll have to keep a look-out for one!

WOW!!!! I've got a '48 in Mariner Blue that I've been working on for a loong time now, and your truck is an inspiration for me to get my butt moving and finish. What a super job you did!

Um, I could use some help.....-

Very cool truck. Nice job and congratulations.

Very nice job on your truck restoration.

A couple of things I like about your truck;

Chrome trim rings around the wheels, and the darker stained finish on the bed wood.

I used to own a 51 GMC that was almost the same color and also had trim rings around the wheels.

Looks like you have a very nice truck, good job!

great job for sure...but are they ever really done

It looks great!

Very Sweet!! Great job.

John

Great job! I love the color. I have had 2 Chevy Pickups both were mariner blue.

How did you leqarn to paint and what equipment did you use?

Looks great, looks like you are a good learner too.

Rust Bucket 53, regarding learning how to paint, I used to spray a lot of airless at a steel fab shop, but that experience actually was not good for painting auto paint. The techniques are quite different, I tended to move the gun way too fast in the beginning. But I did buy some books, spent some time at Hotrodders.com and autobody sites. I spoke to the folks at my local paint shop and I learned by doing. I have a 60 gal. 18.5 cfm compressor (a birthday gift from my awesome wife) and at first bought cheap low end spray guns. At least for me I quickly learned that I needed the help of a good gun and spent about $400.00 on a nice Devilbliss HVLP, it did make a world of difference and I wish that I hadn't wasted money on the cheap guns. I think the other thing that made a difference was the quality of the paint. I went with a Dupont single stage, it wasn't cheap but it sprayed nice. And finally, the biggest help, I put enough paint on so that I could color sand and buff the spots that didn't come out so nice, (can you say orange peel?)

Beautiful.

I think I found the color for my dad's '53.

-W

Great lookin' truck, Nifty! That is gallery material for sure!

Great lookin truck.Ya sure gotta be proud of it.

SWEET!!! :p

Steve O,

Very, very, nice work! If my 51 could talk, I'm sure it would say it would rather have a owner like Nifty 50 2 than the one it has.

Hal

Nifty 50 ,
Thanks for the tips on the paint. I used to do some equipment painting where the finish was not as critical as auto painting. I did paint one car with the sprayer at the equipment shop. Nothing too impressive.

I guess it is like many other things we do on these trucks don't skip on the tools or materials and take your time.

Thanks for sharing the pics too!
Rich

Nifty 50,
One dumb question. Did you do the body work and paint after assembly? How disyou protect the fender welts. It seems very tedious to tape them off.
Rich

WOW, great looking truck! Now get out there and drive it.

Looks even better in person I'll bet, that is one beautiful representation of a job well done!!! You have the 1951 driver's side mirror on there. The mirror was bent down or made that way at the factory to prevent the '51 vent window from smashing into it when said window was full open and the door was opened. Since your model does not have vent windows your model correct mirror is in a more upright position. Check the Stovebolt Gallery Page in the 50's to note the difference.

Nice...

Nifty 50 that is one nifty 50. Weeds

Rust bucket, the truck was painted in pieces while disassembled and then put back together.

As to getting out and driving it, I finished spraying the hood and rear fenders at about 10:OO PM on the Sunday before the 4th of July. The next morning my wife helped me bolt them on and I finished some electrical work in the cab.

By 2:00 Monday the truck was loaded up with us and the dog and we started a 500 mile round trip drive to the Washington Coast for a family 4th of July.

I drive it all the time. And it is still my pickup and is used as such. Last weekend I got several shocked looks and comments as I pulled into the yard waste recycling yard loaded to the top of cab with yard debris. I have side racks for it and I put down a sheet of plywood in the bed when hauling. But it is a truck and it will be used as a truck.