The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs Advice on Art Deco Panels?

Hello All,
I have a quick question and I KNOW that if I ask it here all of your wisdom and sage advice will surely help me out. Now that you’re all buttered up here it goes.
I have a 1953 suburban. I have had it for a while (a few years) I Probably need to get pictures up here but that is not the question.
I bought it to restore with my boys, but man we are having a hard time getting into this truck. We have done a few others and have built a few 4x4 climbers but we are having a hard time getting energized about this ’53.
My boys and I are (well ok honestly it is more me then them) in love with the wartime flat fender Chevy’s as well as the art deco period but; I just can’t get into the advance design look, and I know that if I am going to be spending the amount of time and effort needed for this project I am going to have to get into it. So with that long back ground here is my question.
Do any of you know if there were 1 ton panels built during the art deco period and how rare they are? I know of the two in the Gallery but I am unaware if they were original 1 ton or upgraded. I like the art deco look and I would like to track a 1-ton panel down. The other (my dream option) would be to find one of the rare 1-ton military panels. But I do have a budget.
Any and all help and suggestions would be great. Thanks in advance for your help, I love “lurking” here it is one of my favorite websites.

A one-ton panel was available in (at least):
1939
1940
1941
1946

Just in case you are interested, 3/4 ton panels were also available in the above years. And, a dual-rear-wheel 4105 Panel was available in 1946.

Any Art Deco Panel/Suburban is hard to find much less anything larger than a 1/2 ton. Not many were built.

I have a 1946 1/2 half ton Suburban and sheet metal is hard to find. I would not have bought mine if the clam shell tail gate assembly and rear lower valance had not been there.

Also the LH & RH doors are different as well from pickups.

After 3 years I finally have all the parts to complete except the second and third seats and I will have them made out of bent tubing like the originals.

I love their look and the opening front windshield. Keep in mind that the mechanical parts are about the same as you have now with your 53.

Also unless you change the gearing it is still going to be a slow truck, go to a different geared rear end 3.55 or better.

Here is the real beauty of that vintage, they are so old and so rare that very few people are left that remember them so you will not get any criticism regarding what you do to it.

Thank you for your replies. I know that the era was a rarity (that is honestly some of the allure).
I guess the next step is to start keep my eyes open for one.

Thanks

P.S. anybody got a art deco 1 ton panel that they want to trade for a AD suburban

I have a 1-ton, 46 panel that I have been working on for years. I used as a daily driver and have only recently bought a modern truck, to use as a daily driver while I get my body work started. Murraydave is correct, body parts are hard to find. I think I saw a good looking 1/2 ton on Ebay that is in Minnesota. Do a search for 46 Panel. The problem I have is figuring out how to make the replacemnt body panels with the bead along the bottom. They are almost all rusted out behind the doors to the rear fenders. Other than the body parts, the mechanicals are pretty standard.

The really hard parts to find are doors,rear doors and rear valances anything else can be had in fiberglass as a last resort.