The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Do It Yourself (DITY) Gallery 1953 3100 and 1953 Suburban

Ok, I have enjoyed this website so much and feel humbled by all the cool stuff that goes on. It has been almost 13 years since I bought my first project a 53 3100. I found it in an add in the Sunday Oregonian newspaper in Salem, negoiated a price, rented a trailer and brought it home. The idea was to make it a daily driver so my oldest son and I could work on it together and he could drive it during High School. Long story short I needed alot of guidence and more room to take it apart, etc.... The body wasn't in too bad of shape but needed new wiring, paint, glass, etc, and the engine needed some work. My buddy came over and we checked the compression and discovered #3 cylinder was low. So I thought it best to take the head off and see what we had. Well one thing led to another and by the time I was rewiring the truck (and looking at all the repairs that needed to be made) I thought it would be a lot easier to get at stuff without the fenders in the way, then the bed needed to be moved back to get at the cab corners, and by the time I got it ready to work on I thought what the heck lets take the cab off, engine transmission out, sand blast the frame and start from new. By now my older son has started High School, I've had a job change, time is short besides $, and the story continues... Fast forward to 2007, my oldest son has graduated from High School and College, my younger son is on his way to West Point, and the older one is thinking he wants to join the Coast Guard and be a Rescue Swimmer. Did I say I didn't find much time to work on it ... Anyway my buddy gets laid off so I thought now is the time to get things going with his experience so I hired him to get this going again. Anyway finally got it done 10 years after I bought it, both kids have graduated and one is in Sitka jumping out of helicopters, and the other is in the Army at Ft. Bragg, NC. That just leaves Mom, me and the dog at home, and the truck is pretty much done (except for some fit and finish on the hood), and then the dog decides to chase cats in heaven and I am looking for another project. Well I find a suburban for sale in Bend, my buddy and I go over and pick it up and now I'm trying to decide exactly what I want to do with it. I don't want to start tearing it apart like the pickup and have parts all over the county. I have sent a few emails to some really cool sounding guys here at Stovebolt and with their help have finally figured how to include some pictures. So here they are: 53 Chev 3100 53 Chev Suburban

Hi John. Glad you were able to post your pictures. Looking good and making me jealous!

Hey thanks, it was good to chat with you via email too, I was also glad I could figure out the picture thing. Now all I have to do is get pointed in the right direction (plan) and find some room to work.

Welcome John. You did a great job with it. That's how they're supposed to look. Have fun with it.

Leo

Welcome to the Stovebolt John. Sorry you had to wait so long but it sure looks like it was worth the wait. Nice truck.

Hey thanks for the encouragement, I can't tell you how many threads I've read and tried to figure out what would work. YOU GUYS are great.

JohnTheSurveyor, We are almost neighbors! Great looking truck. I kind of went through the same build process. Sure feels good to get it done Huh.I just have a little to go but very close, now just have to get a place to finish it. Have you decided what your next project will be? Welcome to stovebolt, sure wish I found this site before I started my project. Later Short 63' My project

Hey, yeah Prineville isn't that far away. Looks to me like there are some pretty cool trucks in the high desert. Some where I remember reading about a possible West Coast group forming, have you heard anything of that?
My dad had a 63 stepside that I learned to drive on. In learning to use a clutch picking up hay in the field with my dad and grandpa, I popped the clutch and my dad came over the top of the cab landed on the hood. Boy the air was blue... and the pickup didn't burn oil.

John, here's a pic of my future survey chariot. I've had it for a year and a half and will have it ready to start working out of in the next couple months....
THE50APEX

Hey thats pretty cool!! Did you keep it regular suspension or are you upgrading it? The panel with a side window is neat, at least people will have a harder time looking at your equipment. I decided to look for the suburban instead cause I'd have more visibility, and have some other vehicles as the main work horses. I am looking for suggestions though on suspensions, brakes, was kind of thinking 4wd but still planning and calculating costs. I will be anxious to see your results. What did you do to your truck to bring it down to bare metal? Thanks for the comment.

I used "Norton Rapid Strip" discs on my angle grinder. They cost about $10 each at HD and I'll bet I used 20 of them. I feel like they worked great.
I havent done anything except body work on it yet. It ran fine when I bought it, still has the original 216. I put new tires and shocks on it and as soon as I finish painting it I am going to address brake issues.