The Stovebolt Site Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Do It Yourself (DITY) Gallery 1957 3600 with 8' flat bed dump, should run today*

About 25 years ago I had a '57 1/2 ton V8 I used as a daily driver.
My brother needed a truck to carry his camper as he was working for the carnival and always on the road.
I foolishly let my brother have my truck, he soon sold it and bought a larger truck.

In the in last couple of decades prices for decent 57's have gone nuts, so it's taken me many years to replace my old truck.

1/2 tons in decent shape are scarce and overpriced, but I got this one-ton 3600 with virtually no rust and only very minor damage to the passenger fender for $1,200.

All the glass is cracked, needs some trim and wiring, but it does have a 1969 255 HP 350" V8.

It also has an electrically operated 8' flat dump bed, cool for me as I want to use the truck to carry some of my smaller cars to the body shop.
I will mount a winch to the front of the bed, and angle it for easier loading.

Biggest issue with this truck right now is wiring and the wheels/tires.

I have two dually 17.5" wheels that are not on the truck but came with it.
It is sitting on single wheel type rims.
The rear are OK, the front sit out too far and rub the fender arches.

So I have to figure out what to do for wheels.
I'm thinking of going to fat singles in the rear, but I still have to find some front wheels with a correct off-set.
I will also need a spare that can be used at either end.

What is out there without spending silly money, or having a size that cannot be gotten if needed during a long drive?

What is a 3600, exactly?
So far I do not see any of this model shown in this forum.

I will add some pics later.

Got it to run.

Needs a complete tune-up and fresh gas.
Need to repair the exhaust system too.

Dash wiring is pretty bad, I see complete rewiring in my future.

Since the dump bed runs off an electric-hydraulic pump I think I will put in a second battery and isolator.

I've finally got my '57 3600 dump bed cleaned up enough that I can put up some pics.

http://www.specialinterestarms.com/100_6946.jpg
Front 3/4 view

http://www.specialinterestarms.com/100_6948.jpg
Rear view

http://www.specialinterestarms.com/100_6949.jpg
Got the engine partially cleaned up, replaced some ugly stock tin and air cleaner.
Also removed the mechanical fan, put on headers.
You may notice a fuse block and relays added to the fire-wall, the electrical system is well protected.
Nothing gets power unless the key is on.

http://www.specialinterestarms.com/100_6950.jpg
This is my electric fan set-up.
It started as a kit intended for a modern car from Summit Racing.
I turned the fan shroud side-ways, made some brackets and used the original radiator mount bolts to hold it in place.
It fits like it was made for the truck!

Got this '57 just before I signed up here.

It will remain mostly stock, except for the drive train, which was changed to a V8 before I got it.

My '57 had been abused and let sit, but at least it did not rust here in Nevada.

Came to me with a 350 already in it.
Turns out to be a 1969 Heigh-Perf. 4V car engine, rated at 270 HP, it appears to have been rebuilt.
Compression is pretty high in all cylinders, high enough that I suspect some 10.5-1 or even 11-1 pistons are in it.
I threw out the stock intake and quadra-puke carb.
Put a new Edelbrock performer RPM and 650 CFM carb with electric choke in it's place.

The old cast iron exhaust were cracked, I had a nice set of block huggers laying around and they fit pretty well with just a hint of a dimple required to clear the steering box.

Eventually I think I am going to put in a five speed OD trans, I need to be able to make long trips.

I finally got turn signals, brake lights, dash lights and ALTERNATOR/Amp gauge working properly.
Now I just need for my Cibie E series halogen lights with the "City Light" option to show up!
The City lights will be wired to the old parking light circuit, the old parking lights are now my front turn signals.

Today's major task was removing over 600 lb. of diamond plate steel from the bed!
The entire bed had been welded over, a "Headache rack", wider and taller than the cab, with a tiny little window opening, made the truck impossible to back up safely.

This was originally a dually truck, I changed out the front hubs to single and rebuilt the brakes.
I'm running a fat single rear tire.

I tried the dump bed today, IT WORKS!
Power up, but just a bleed for down.

Still have to replace ALL the glass, but she's nearly ready to drive.

....simply put, I like it and wish I had a dump like it.