Any suggestions on a book that covers restoration of old vehicles? We have a 57 Dodge half ton pickup that needs attention, and just bought another 57 and a 55 for parts. Between the three of them I think we can get one and maybe two good trucks, but taking it down to the frame is not something I've ever done and I don't want to learn by trial and error.
Pete
Books I can't help you with, but advice I can.
take LOTS of pictures!!!! You WILL need them later
Lable everything!
Get a marker, and a lot of ziplock bags
Get any info you can on the truck. Pictures. books, manuals, etc
Plan to spend alot more money then you think
Plan to spend a lot more time then you think
Don,t try to restore a car, or truck you are driving. It will not work.
Tis is just a start. Mostly enjoy! And remember, anyone can sign there name, and buy a new car. It takes someone specal to build there own.[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
Paul Bradway
s1120 is so right with his advice. I am always in too much of a hurry to take the time I should to sort, bag and label parts. My partner was the savior here. We restored a 1930 Model A Coupe and had a wonderful time doing it. Sure there were times when frustration set in but the end product was well worth it.
As for books, doing a Model A there are several good ones but you will have to search out information on your trucks. I would start at Hemmings Motor News out of Bennington, Vt. They have many parts listed from private sellers and also supply houses. It is a must have for a restorer. The subscription is cheap compared to the information contained. The time spent up front finding good suppliers is so very important. We found a wonderful supply for all Ford parts just a hour away. They ship all over the country but we would have our want list and drive up there. They were wonderful with all the tech help and standing at the counter we learned a lot and avoided time consuming errors.
As far as taking it down to the frame that is the easy job. Finding the parts and putting all back together is the hard part. We stripped all the metal by sand blasting and immediately primed it. Don't strip it then let it sit around until you get enough to make painting worth whiled. Strip and prime as you go then you will have a better base for your final finishes. We did most of our tear down outside the shop area. We had a parking area and we would roll the chassis outside. Take the parts off and clean them before they were put away in the shop. That way the grease and dirt was not all over the place. When we started reassembly the shop was clean. I have done other restorations in a dirty shop and all you do is make more work and turn out a poor product.
My best advice to you is when in doubt replace or rebuild. Our big mistake was not rebuilding the transmission. It looked good but their were some minor wear makes on the gears. We decided that it was OK and put it in the car that way. Our first run down the road told us we had made the wrong decision. There was noise coming from the transmission. So now we had to pull the torque tube and remove and rebuild the transmission.
Tim and Paul -- Thanks for some excellent advice! I've printed both responses out so I can have them in front of me as I go.
We have a running 57 p/u now, so there is no pressure to get things done in a hurry. Unfortunately, the 55 and 57 we bought for parts were already torn apart by the previous owner. He labeled nothing and took no notes or pics, so I'm really starting from a bad position. The 57 is just a pile of body parts, most in great shape. The 55 is a cab and bed on a frame; the front end and engine are in piles in the garage. It also came with the front of a Dodge school bus which is an exact match for the 55 and in great shape.
My big pre-delivery decision is this: I have a choice of two of the following three engines: a slant six with auto tranny that is presently running in a Dart, a 318 V8 with auto tranny under a tarp in the side yard, and a 251 flathead six with a HD four speed manual that was recently running in the bus, but hasn't been started for a few months. I'm leaning toward the slant just because it runs and those engines are indestructible, but am not sure which of the others to take. Any advice there?
Thanks again! Pete
OK motor choices, now hears one I can wrap my mind around.[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] My hart says to go with the flat head, my insanaty says pick up an old Chrysler, Dodge, or Desoto hemi.[img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img] I would stay away from the slant six. They are a good motor, but a little weak. Plus I think it would look kind of cobled together in an old truck. The 318 would be a good choice[It is a modern 318 right, not a poly318[old style, had dist in front, new style had dist in rear] Any one I would rebuild it first. So ask youself how you will be using it. Just tooling around on nice weekends? I would go with the flat head. Daly driver? I would go with the 318. I would pass on the slant six.
Paul Bradway
I agree, stay away from the slant six. They won't pull the skin off rice pudding.
If this is going to be a daily driver, I would agree to go with the 318. Experience tells me to tear it down and make sure it and the tranny are right.
The flat head would be fun to have in the truck but what would you lose in HP. An auto tranny is usually easier to install too.
I was raised with the V8 and have always used them in our fun cars. I would have a hard time showing off a slant six.
My son just looked over my shoulder and reminded me that you should look to up grade the front end to make driving more enjoyable. That can be a lot of work and money but if you plan to drive this a lot it is well worth it.
You have got us talking about building another car.
Good luck,
Tim
Here is one vote for the straight six with 4 speed. Previously I have gone on record as super pro for auto but a straight six with a 4 spd just seems to be so much "in period" for this vintage truck. I had friends in highschool driving six cylinder trucks as well as a USAF buddy with straight six truck with manual tranny. It just seems to fit.
If you don't have a digital camera, get one and take a gazillion pix of various stages of dissasembly. A video camera would be a good idea as well. Don't skimp on the baggies! Use ziplock and not the thinnest cheapest junk at Wally World. Scribble a note to tuck into the baggy. If you video, scribble a consecutive ID number on scrap of paper and include it in the bag and tell "the camera" what the number is and what the parts are for, and anything special about what you had to do to get them off (order of dissasembly or whatever). May sound like overkill now but I GUARANTEEEEEEEE it won't seem excessive later when you try to put the random piles of junk together and make a working vehicle out of them. Unless of course you could have taught the Rain Man how to count toothpicks, then nevermind.
Good luck,
Patrick
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
This truck, like my wife's 57, will not be a daily driver, but will be rolled out a few times each week for cruising and occasionally for picking up bales of hay or supplies for the farm -- maximum of 100 mile round trips but more likely half of that.
I like the 318 as it's easier to find parts for and is as bulletproof as the Ford 289. But the flathead -- even though it's the size that came with the 1 ton trucks -- coupled with that four on the floor, is awfully appealing.
Gawd, what a choice! I thought about going with IFS, but that's too far from stock for my taste.
Pete
<font color="red"> But the flathead -- even though it's the size that came with the 1 ton trucks -- coupled with that four on the floor, is awfully appealing.
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Yup, that is what I would go with. It's just right. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] But that old style Hemi still keeps popping in my mind. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/cool.gif[/img]
Paul Bradway
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