Stovebolt.com Forums Welcome! Welcome Centre Inherited a 1953 3100

Good idea. I am kinda of the mind to spruce up the engine amd engine compartmemt, followed by cleanimg up the interior. As for the exterior, I will probably just pressure wash it and leave it as is for now. I just don't have the time for big plans and you are right, I would probably tear it appart amd then lose interest.

Today, I got the master cylinder imstalled and took the rear wheels off to check the condition of things. I don't want to have to replace all the brake stuff just yet, I just want it to drive so I can bring it home.

I found that the left rear brake drum is cracked which was a bummer. It appears to have been driven that way for some time.

Anyway, tomorrow I plan on having my daughter help me bleed the brakes. Should be a good learnimg experence for a 10 year old. And with luck, it should at least stop after that, I hope!

It has been an interesting experience to try and figure out what the original hubcap and inner grill color would have been. I have yet to come to a true conclusion but I brought home what I believe to be the original hubcaps with the hope that they may hold clues as to their original colors. I love a good mystery!

helitack, you can find out about the hub caps and colors ect by asking those questions in the Paint and Body forum. Guys there know their stuff.
....but a hint is that during the Korean war there was a lot of "black out" on stuff. Meaning that bumper were painted and not chrome. Practically all the chrome disappeared somewhat, during that time.

top of the grill bars, the hubcaps and bumpers are thistle/anvil gray in color.
Here is a correct finely restored 53.
http://www.oldchevytrucks.com/blog/index.php/2000/11/1953-chevrolet/

Welcome to the forum, helitack- very nice truck & it sounds like you're on the right track. The "heirloom factor" is definitely a neat touch. Your story sounds very familiar; so familiar to mine, in fact, I don't hesitate to suggest you take a look-see to make sure everything's oiling properly...nine years is a lot of sitting. It's cheaper to check before you think you need to is what I'm getting at.

Good luck & be sure to keep your daughter as involved as possible !

Brad

Alvin,

Sorry for the delay in getting in here (am working on Andy's story now). Your advice was good. I don't know why PB puts all those choices for sharing links - none of them work here.

I find the easiest is like you said ... get the picture or album up in a window or tab. Copy the url from the address and then just use the links button that comes with the Full Reply Screen. The first box you'll fill out is the url; the next box is what you want to call the image (My truck, my 1953, my beater, etc.). When I'm editing a bunch and worried about messing something up (haha), I usually just copy the url in the box and then type "xxx" in the second box. I'll go back later and put in the name. It's usually because I have forgotten what the picture actually is (front passenger, rear view, head on, etc.). I try to put a good description to go with the image link. I helps (me) remember if I have already looked at the picture!

Should have Andy's truck story in there soon. Welcome to the site Andy. Cool story to have with Grandpa's truck. One of many ... do a search and you'll see -- we've got Dads and sons and daughters and grandkids. Always neat.

Peggy M

Edit - well, that was easier than I thought! Got Andy's story done. You've read most of it here already. Hope to get a few more details from him.

Thanks for the thoughts on the hubcaps and grill colors. Nearly everything I have read agrees that the colors were thistle gray. But then I read one thing where it was said to have been anvil gray. another thing that causes confusion is that so many trucks of the same color green, that I see in photos, have the yellowish cream color on the grill and the stripe around the cab. Then, the stock bumper we found in the attic of the chicken house is the same cream yellow color. That bumper was removed long before my grandpa ever had the grill and the pinstripe painted. then, to makes things even weirder, the backs of the original wheels are the same color!
It's not all that important and I really like thistle gray better than yellow anyway, but I am just used to finding a definitive answer online and I haven't got that yet.


Last time I posted, I mentioned that I was going to have my daughter help me bleed the brakes now that I finally got the new master cylinder installed. Well, we went there and i filled the MC with fluid and pimped the pedal and was rewarded with a very solid pedal feel. I removed the right rear wheel and attempted to open the bleeder but it just didn't work. It was rusted solid and I didn't want to risk breaking it because I really do not want to replace the wheel cylinders immediately.

So, plan B. Put the wheel back on, fire it up and give my daughter her first ride in the truck, around the yard and see if the brakes work well enough without bleeding.

Astoundingly, the truck fired up instantly and ran well. I have been starting it with the air cleaner off and this time it was on, but uncovered. I went to put the lid on it and it seemed to over choke the motor. It started to die and gas began pouring out of the carb. Of course, with this unique design, when gas runs out of the carb, it runs down on to a nice, hot exhaust manifold. I decided to postpone my daughters first ride to save her from the indignity of having to recount how she got to ride in her daddy's new truck, right before having to bail out and watch it burn to the ground.

Oddly, a lot of the gas seemed to be pouring right out of what turns out to be the vacuum advance line! I took the carb off and brought it home and found that the floats were extremely maladjusted, probably due to my mishandling the last time I opened it up. Hopefully that fixes the issue.

Anyway, I have added more photos to the album so take a look if you get a chance! 1953 Chevy 3100

Helitack, here is a link that may be interesting to you to read over.
http://www.1954advance-design.com/
We have some really great guys here who have a lot of documentation on stuff and you'll find them and read their stuff as you visit here. Much to learn and we all took baby steps at first. There is also some on line manuals, as well as master parts book numbers. It will take a little time so don't be so critical on yourself. I'm still learning every time I come here.

You'll find the answers to most of your questions in the garage forums. You have a nice truck.

(the bleeder screws can be a pain) had one the other day that I had to take the wheel cylinder off, heat it in a vice till its HOT and squirted some Kroil (penetrating oil) on it while it was hot to suck the oil done into the threads. Then, instead of using a wrench, even a line wrench, which will spread open under pressure, us a big pair of Channel locks that you can grip and twist as hard as you want to and it'll come out. I've only had to drill out maybe two in my lifetime. Good luck, see you around the garage.

1953 hub caps were Thistle Gray
1953 bumpers were Anvil Gray
http://www.1954advance-design.com/chev-specs/1953-Chevrolet-t-col.jpg

Stovebolt.com Tech Tip: Advance-Design Paint Colors

Here is the GM 1953 Chevrolet Truck Specifications Manual (it is a large PDF file).

Thanks for the info. Now, that website you gave has me wanting a Suburban! Beautiful truck on the front page of that site.

I will probably replace the wheel cylinders fairly soon on the truck once I get it home from where it currently sits but I may try some of your methods for bleeder removal in the mean time, especially if it won't stop the way it is now.

I have yet to explore this site a whole lot but will have to meander over to the garage section as well as the paint section. What a great place this is!

Thanks for more information on the colors. It makes me happy every time I see confirmation of the grays as being the proper colors, mostly because I am not a fan of the cream and yellowish color that is currently on it.