Hey guys, I don't think that I properly introduced myself before I asked my first question. My father gave me my 52 chevy pickup when I was 16. I have been working on it for the last 3 years. Took eveything down to bare metal so I could do a comeplete restore. I am using a 383 stroker with a 2-speed powerglide hooked up to a four link 9-inch ford rear end with 393 gear. Using the mustang II front susp. with droped spindles. Learning to to everyhting myself to save $$. Thanks for reading.
Welcome and Be careful! There is one word that we don't use here. That word is "Restore". We don't want to awaken the sleeping giant who will knaw our head off if we use that word improperly. With that said, welcome, welcome, welcome! Speaking for myself, i'm a simple man and pictures and big print help! Have fun, because we do, and don't be afraid to ask what you may think is a dumb question, because there is no dumb question, just dumb answers, and i've got a gazillion of them!
Ken, I think you and I covered the "restore" thing well. I just posted about the same warning on Baroda's other thread. I reckon we know our place. I do wonder though, at what point have we failed to resotre? If I take mine back to original except I have a 235 instead of a 216 or I go with aluminum wheels because they are cheaper than reproductions and safer than the original 3 piece rims, have I drifted too far from orignal? Have I just opened a can of worms that will take this thread where no thread has gone before? Anyway, welcome BarodaAJ! It is good to hear of a young man like yourself working to learn these things instead of all the other less contructive stuff you could be into. I will help where I can. Gater
More street rodders everyday Good to see a fellow streetrodder. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm building a 50 chevy 1/2 ton, but converting to a 48 to get into more shows with it. Building a full custom truck with suicide doors, air suspension, V8, big wheels, and all the pretty stuff. Ken gave good advice on the restore word. Nate gets kinda touchy about that word when us street rodders use it and he becomes the one eyed, one horned, purple people eater and will set us back straight. But that's cool because Nate is a genius when it comes to these trucks, or cars in general. To me building these trucks yourself is what it is all about. Nothing like putting your hands on vintage tin and have other people admire it. Post lots of pics, because we're all nosey on this site.
To what point is to far. You know gater good question. To everyone out there who goes original and thinks they have restored their truck. That patch panal that you cut out and welded on, that peice you welded on wasn't on that truck when it rolled off of the assembly line now was it. Or like you guys said, going with alluminium wheels instead of the two peice steels for safety. Those weren't on their either. How about the guys that go all original except for 12v conversion. That's not original either. So who's to say that my truck won't be restored because it has a V8 and a S-10 frame under it? In my eyes my truck will be restored no matter what any body else thinks of it, because I restored it to the way that I wanted it to be. Okay enough stirring the shit, lets see everybody elses head blow off with these comments. (Don't mean any harm in this guys, just instigating a good thread, so don't try and kick me out! )
Excellent Point, Guys! Tailgater and Kevin, the "Restoration" issue will never be resolved as long as you have two people, or more, talking about it. I've read threads here and on other forums where people had very strong opinions both ways. Quick story: Dad and I rebuilt, restored, retrostored or whatever you want to call it, my '48 Chevy coupe in 1972 (picture in Member's gallery). It was all original, 216 engine, 6 volt, NOS part replacements on anything that wasn't redoable on the original car. It was a masterpiece, thanks to dad's craftsmanship. We took the car to Louisville, Kentucky and entered it in a VCCA sanctioned show and it scored 95 out of 100. I won best in class, but after the show, I cornered the judge and asked when why the car only got 95 out of 100. The reason: the grille had been reassembled with pop-rivets instead of the original type rounded rivets. I told the judge that he didn't have a clue about anything, and needless to say, we weren't invited back the following year. Point is, it doesn't make any difference what you call your truck or car, it's your's, you're proud of it, and that's all that matters!
Hey Gater! I had to laugh when i re-read the line that said: "Have i just opened a can of worms that will take this thread where no thread has gone before?" Have you forgotten your marathon thread? You already cemented your place in history on this forum!
Gater! Gater! Gater! You say restore- I say REstore- Who the What the How the Does it R-E-A-L-L-Y matter what we call it as long as we're keeping these beautiful works of art on the road? How ever you do it- breath LIFE into these rigs! (Even those butt-ugly GMCs!) Whatever we call whatever we've done will matter most to a car judge at a show. Methinks. Welcome young lad, YOU have a GREAT father! Pictures PLEASE... Big ones- my eyes fail me...
What's wrong with a butt ugly truck? Good points, Zig. Sometimes you surprise me with your insight. Butt ugly GMCs? I thought GMCs were GMs answer to drivers who wanted a stronger, more manly truck. If I am not mistaken, Dodge trucks carried the butt ugly moniker for quite a while. Even though they improved greatly in the 90s I would be inclined to give them the historical acknowledgement for the ugliest truck ever. I have a 68 Dodge D300 dump truck that is so ugly and rusty that it makes young mothers grab their children and scream. I love it! Gater
i call it re-doing it from the ground up. that can put whatever you want to do with YOUR truck under the "blanket" ________ DISABILITY INSURANCE ADVICE
Whomever pays for it , gets to choose how it's built so Hot Rods are cool too A 383 stroker is a very good SBC engine , many of our mechanics use themand surely the Slip 'N Slide , Power Glide is the very sturdyest slushbox ever made , circle track racers still use them ! . WELCOME to our little group . My '49 isn't restored and never will be until after I'm dead Patch panels do not make a vehicle not restored .
Thanks for the positive feedback! I have posted a few pictures for the guys that were asking for them. One more question, Because this is my first hotrod I didn't know how tuff the frame is in these older trucks. I boxed the middle secton of the frame because the didn't know how it would hold up to 400+ HP. Just wondering if it is overkill or a good way to keep the frame from twisting.
Okay guys I'm sorry..... Didn't really mean any thing by it I promise. All my life I've never heard a fixed up car called anything but restored until I got on here. I thought I was just allaberating on gater's post about how far is to far for it to not be called restored. I was just pointing out the fact that we all do things a little different I guess and the perception of restored is in the eye of the beholder, or at least it is to me. I didn't mean to sound rude at all on my post, just thought I'd stir up a little shit and see everyone else's opinion on the subject. Are you kidding though, I don't think that anybody has ever ripped on me for what I'm doing to my truck, hell I thought I was pretty well respected in my opinion on here. I also don't get offended very easily at all if some one did. I'm really not a serious kind of guy, I take everything a little litely, and sometimes my dry humor can come across a little rude, but really don't mean anything by it. Plus I give all the credit to those who know original stuff cause I sure don't. Nate, you and a few others are genuises to me with all the old stuff. I only chime in when it's a street rod question cause that's all I know. So if it was rude then sorry really didn't mean to ruffle any feathers. Really am looking forward to you coming out this spring. It's gonna be a good time. Thanks for checking up on me. I think I'll post this on the forum so everybody doesn't think I'm a prick now. Maybe they'll just see I was being mischevious. This is an email that I sent to Ken, thought I'd put it on here so everybody knows I'm not pissed off, but just being mishevious.
No apologies needed here! Hey Kevin, I may have "read" something into your post last night, but it just sounded to me like you weren't a happy camper! I like happy campers. Right now, however, i'm not too pleased with little brother Zig! The nerve of him calling GMC pickups butt-ugly! But then again, opinions are like a$$holes, everyone has one, some just stink worse than others!
Naw I'm fine I promise. When I'm camping I'm always happy. Now Tab on the other hand, she can't stand it. About those GMC's. They do look a little different but I wouldn't call them ugly. Zig never put your ride down. They're all beautiful in our eyes.
Ok I have been away a few days. First tread I read is this one. Feel's like back at home. Some Good Points, Some Weird Points, Some Nate points-(I agree patch panels are not a issue) Some Length points. Welcome Bla what ever his name is to the group. Crazy what we can be but always fun. Kevin I agree with some of your points but ha I will personally stick with my "old" 54' original driveline, 235 cui engine & Yes still 6 volt system to boot. But I do Love looking at the Hot Rodded trucks just not my cup of tea-(Note: Plug for our British friend ) Thanks Nate for looking the other way on the boy's "restored" wording. No need to add fuel to this already lit flame. Thanks for joining the group Bla what ever his name is. All opinions are welcome and picked on. We are a equal abuser forum here. Just watch what you put on your BBQ that will get the boys on your case.
6 volt rules! Hey, Steve, you're running 6 volt? That's way too cool. What kind of battery do you have? All I see nowadays are the ones that look like 3 Budweiser tallboys straped together! That's certainly not acceptible on a restored vehicle according to VCCA!
Yup Ken still running the 6 volt. A little slow sometimes on the cranking but works Great overall. I am just using a standard Napa 6 volt battery. Only cost $38.00 good deal also. Anyway screw what VCCA thinks only person judging my truck is myself anyway. Only show I ever went to was a local show the start of this fall. Was a lot of fun did have the truck judged only scored a 71 out of 100 but the head judge was nice and went over things I could work on. I joined the club and will support other events this year seems like a nice bunch with a lot of neat old cars involved
Ah- to be that far along with your project that you can drive it to the show... I might just put something in here for fun. Like calling GMCs "butt ugly". Or "rattle-rattle" But when it comes to a GMC, it's kinda like some women you might know. You come up on the back side and think to yourself, "Niiiiiiiiiiiiiccccceeee...." You come up along side her and you think, "Oh yes!" Then you pass her and steal a glance back at the last thing that matters and then you see that smile! You quickly look away hoping you didn't make eye contact- but you know you had- and move on thinging, "Dang! Dang-Dang-Dang! Rats-and-DOUBLE rats!!!! " You'll never see a Chevy truck get a GM grilleeeK, but people have been known to turn a GM into a Chevy . That's why I'm ALWAYS thrilled when I see a GM on this site! Thoughts from a proud, but "slightly disturbed" GM owner.
