The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk How long did it take you to resto - rebuild

I purchased my truck about a month ago, I have the s-10 frame. I have the body panels removed and the cab ready to lift off. The motor and trans. Are all but removed also. My s-10 swap kit was ordered. The plan is to remove the old brackets from the frame next week.

I took my 37 apart in 76 and did not hit the road untill 2000,I will never do another frame off again.

WOW !!!

I did my frame off on my 1957 3100 starting 2007. I finished it in September 2010. I enjoyed it. Just one big puzzle. I have already started my 2nd project. Take your time and I hear an average of 2000 hours is about what it takes...
Good luck...my advise is photo, bag, and mark everything you do. Because years later you will not recall how things go on!

I brought my '37 home in Jan 2009. Plan was to do a rolling restoration but now leaning toward taking it down to the frame and working my way back. Fixing one thing only to have another often times mating part go bad if preventing any road time so might as well jump in head first. How much time will be based on how much $

I bought my truck in 1990 and got it on the road in 2008.

Bought my 38 in 1988 got it on the road 1989 or 90. took it off the road about 1995, not back on road yet. 48 6100 bought in 2010 not on road yet. 48 3800 bought around 1990 on road same year sold couple years later. 54 4100 bought about 2007 traded last year.

I agree, one BIG jigsaw puzzle.

Bought the 37 in May 1994...drove it for the first time June 2000

Bought the 52 Panel in Sept 2005. Drove it for the first time Thursday eveing 10June 2011

... I said "drove" not finished. However the panel is "almost".

Just over 20 in the 37. (Should have crushed it)
Just over 17 in the 52 and counting. (should have crushed it)

Say what you want but it depends on what you start with.

I bought my truck in 2000 just for something to have fun with. Next thing ya know I was in the middle of my first ever frame off resto. Took about 3 years to get it on the road and presentable but it is still not done! I was single and working for my rent then. The 59 GMC 860 I am working on now was a whole lot further on when I got it and I am already a year and 4 months into it and have a long way to go. Oh yea, married with a mortgage makes a difference too! I will say the first one was a blast and a very rewarding experience.

I bought mine as a driver in 1983 and drove it regularly and had some minor things done, Ifs and open drive shaft and trans with a nova rear end done in the first 5 years. after that i drove it until June 2006 and them put it in the shop for two years. i had most of the work done by some one else.

Drove my truck the first four summers working on it during the week and going to car shows with it on the weekend. Even though it isn't a show truck it got me on the field rather than parking three blocks away.
I made the mistake of tearing the front clip off, the engine and trans out 18 months ago and still taint gonna have it back together this year. No problem doing a frame up if you can avoid all the household chores, family events, don’t have any other hobbies and have a ton of money to throw at it. You will also need to have people to share a lot of the work with you. Other wise I would take it a step at a time and drive it in between. When you get ready to park it for the winter and all you have left to do is pull the cab and have the paint work done then you may be able to get it all back together in time for the next spring season.
I only know one guy that has started on a frame off restoration and finished it in a year, but he’s just a kid and still has lots of energy, right Peter???
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I did the majority of the work in one winter.Course I am always thinkiong of ways to improve it.Mine was a street rod set up,which I like very much.

I started mine in Sep 2006 and finished in April of this year. Did it all myself still adding it all up but at least 10k. Figure twice as much, and twice as long as you planned. I worked on it most days so I could see progress. These last 2 months driving it make it all worth while! I grin everytime I fire it up.

I would say 10yrs. Started to take engine out for rebuild and when I finished the truck was in a million pieces. With interuptions ( kid, grandkids, huricane Katrina, work, houshold etc.). It took 1yr after retirement before I actually had it licensed and on the street legally to drive.I love it, the grandkids love it. Thats all that matters, it was a long time coming and a LOT of $$$. However I'm still smiling, and when I see the smile on the grandsons faces it makes all the hard work worth it.

I purchased the ’53 back in early ’90. It’s still not finished, but I am hoping to be done this year. Yes it was a frame off.

The ’65 I purchased last January and was driving it in the fall. No it was not a frame off. I’m still tinkering with it. I don’t think it will ever be “DONE”.

The ’66 was supposed to be a daily driver while I finished the ’53 and then get restored. Seems I’m spending all my time keeping it going and no time on the ’53 lately

After reading some of these posts, I don't feel so bad that mine "only" took 6 years!

18 years and counting....

take your time estimate and multiply by 3. take your money estimate and multiply by 4 and you may be close.

My 53 had the cab mounted and engine installed and wired into an s-10 frame, then I decided I did not like the radiator/steering interference and have went the route of '53 frame, modified cab, and a suspension redo. currently working on 3 years calendar time or about 80 hours total.

Six years & counting. Does anyone ever really finish??

It took 16 months to get all the mechanicals and electricals properly/repaired/restored/upgraded on my '50 stovebolt and get it back on the road; and this was a running truck when I bought it.

I'm having great fun driving it, and occasionally putting it to work loaded up and towing. But as mobileortho says in the post above, projects like this are never really finished.

Too everyone that took over 12 months what was the biggest hold up parts or money or time ?

Money was tight but not THE issue. It was time! I might add that time was relative to how bad the particular part was in the beginning. The earlier/older usually means more time at least for me. But then all I ever drug home was basket cases

I used people that had other jobs and had to take time for them. i feel lucky that they got it done when they did. it took two years. the engine place took 6 months. the body man had a change of circumstance, divorce and he a took up a full time job. the fabricator had to wait on the body man to finish.

Mine took about 18 months from start to finish , I retired and the kids got Me my 52,I worked on her every day from 6 am to 4 or 5 pm every day ,I was used to getting up and working in construction so my turck became my job ,I had a ton of fun learning how to weld and fit body panels ,I did everything myself except the paint ,I found a old guy who took it on the side .I already bought a 53 3/4 ton GMC all original in MUCH better condiction than the 52 was and I'm starting on her this winter.All I can tell You is save everthing you can and do all the work yourself as much as you can anyway ,the're laws where I live about painting so I just took a chance and primered the parts and let the painter do the top coat ,I rebuilt my own trans,and engine.I will tell you it was alot of fun and I hope there are more trucks after the 53.


Pete

Life gets in the way of life. sometimes the hold-up is money, many times its time, some times it is frustration.

spent about 5 hours this weekend on the '53 along with boating, grilling, fathers day activities.

Six years and counting. Made steady progress the 1st three years but the last three I have completely stalled out. My current limiting factor is money to buy bed parts for reassymbly. Darn, Dave Ramsey! for talking me out of putting these on credit.

mine took 4 and a half years but who's counting. It was worth every minute of it. I had a ball restoring it and and it is even more fun to drive.

It depends on how much you can devote to it. I made this resto about the journey not the destination..and made a lot of friends along the way.
Good luck
RB53

I bought the 53 in 1996 and the drivetrain in 2001. Then I looked at it and thought about it until March 2009. With a well thought out plan I was done enough to register it for highway use in December 2009. Still tinkering with it but I'm driving, showing and working it when needed. I just can't imagine not having a truck any more.

Mine took 6 1/2 years, but anything short of a complete frame-off would have been very half-fast. If you are into doing everything yourself,and knowing how it was done and why, do it thoroughly. If the truck is in pretty good shape, and has not been previously 'improved' consider yourself lucky.

In the 24 years my 37 was apart it had not been touched for 10 years,my uncle who was helping me dies (self inflicted) so I lost interest and it just sat. After sitting those 10 years I figured out it would not get done by itself so I started back on it and 12 years later it was finally on the road,my problem was in those 12 years I was working on it I would find something else and work on it neglecting the 37 for awhile and when it was done start back on the 37 untill something else came along.

i bought my 49 in 1994...about 1 1/2 yrs later i grenaded it down to the last nut and bolt..was making some progress ..ifs,new 350/350 combo was doing some assembly work in a rented storage/garage ...the sodomites broke in in the wee hours.... new engine ,new tranny, my tools were all taken...about 3k all total... was given the high hard one by the insurance company....couple months later I filed for divorce....truck sat for 9 yrs.
in 2006 i started again at a much slower pace...now i pretty much have a rolling chassis....i'm gettin excited again ...I'm very pleased with the way its turned out....i'm hoping to learn how to post pics soon so i can show off one of my garage buddies who used to teach at wyotech in the street rod division has been helpin me out and hopefully we'll fire the motor in a few weeks..hes chompin at the bit to start on the body ......when i was so frustrated with the whole deal I did not forsee things turning out this nice....I'm just thankful.......Dave

They are never finished!
How long is directly determined by how much money you have.
Too much money will never be enough.
Started the restore in Dec. of 2009 and 10 months later had it up and roadworthy. Worked on it nearly 8 hours a day, 6 days a week(I'm retired, and used it as therapy after a scooter crash).
Since then I haven't driven it more than a couple hundred miles, waiting on paint(which is already bought and it's in primer)but am having a major motivational issue in getting anything else done with it right now. Maybe by Christmas this year, as right now the temps are above 100+ and I find it hard to get motivated when it's near that number at 9 in the a.m.
Just brought in a 38' Chevy sedan to park in the shop, so it'll have to get done soon or I'm gonna run out of room to get any work done.
My doctors tell me that with time, the proper medications, and good professional therapy, I'll get over the illusion of ever getting the truck "finished".
Tramp

It took about 3 months to tear my 39 down to the frame, rustproof then I slapped it back together because the wife was complaining about all the parts spread across the garage...that was in 2001, and It's been pretty much the same since then