Been using the search feature a bit, and have been scrolling old posts. Gotta love the 'net.... My brand new Dodge 4-door was stolen, ran through the mountain bike trails, then through the mud pits, before being torched completely to the ground. Here'a tip. Make sure the "GAP insurance" you get covers the vehicle when its not usable though recovered. I owe $22,900 and Allstate is giving me $17,400. A friend was feeling sorry for me, and offered a 79 Dodge Power Wagon 4x4 360, Dana 44 and 60, 727 Auto trans. so I could pull my Bobcat around, cause Wifey's 4-Runner aint doin it, and the base 88 Toyota Beach Truck can't either. 500 clams. Seeing how I'll be making payment for about a year and half on a truck I aint got, I figured with another 500, I could make that work for a while. We have motorcycles too. Power Wagon is into me for an extra 300 so far, but will probably do. BONUS- Doug showed me a cd with a few pics of the Power Wagon and one of this old truck. After deciding I would buy the Dodge, he asks if my son would like the old truck..... I replied he might but knew it was out of his price range. Doug says No it isn't, A hundred bucks. Says its a 51 Chev with the original motor.... No bed, but two complete extra sets of front fenders with inners? On the floor manual trans, original seat. I haven't pulled it home yet so details are yet to be determined. Five window. No door glass. no master cylinder.... I've always wanted one of these for a daily driver, and can't think of a better way to teach a youngin how it works. Carb, Distrubutor, motor, brakes. I'm certainly not into hot rods, or full blown retorations. (wouldn't be in the budget) I intend to make it a daily driver for my son. Mechanically quite sound, appearance be dammed. As some biker firends say- chrome won't get you home. Wife has an 85 and I have an 83, Ironhead Sportsters, which we ride, and shine the seats with our asses. (She has a Buell XB 9 Lightning too.) These have tons o' rust, but have never left anyone stranded. I rebuilt mine, motor trans and chassis two years ago- no paint used. We live on the beach, so everyting we have either rusts or corrodes....... Once we get it home we'll make a list of missing parts, and an order of action on getting it running, moving and stopping. At that point, I'll be tapping you fine folks for advice and such. I'm kind of hip to the straight six as my Aluminum step vans had some variation of the sort..... Here's the first? It aint got a lick of paint on it. Seems REAL solid, no through holes that I've found. What is practical for preserving the metal? I'm leaning towards Scotchbrite pads, Ospho, and bedliner (or Rust-o-leum) with a roller. (Sacrilage? Are there guys grabbing their chests out there?) I appreciate your help, more than you know. GeeVee
Whatever lights your fire! We seem to have a large selection of guys on here, ones who paint, polish,and chrome to an inch of original. Ones who drop in small blocks and dump it in the weeds. Ones who even swap the whole chassis and running gear, and there are those legends (like myself) who leave it be and get it up and running stone stock and scabby. So we seem to live and let live on here and help where we can and just appreciate the fact that one of these trucks has been saved and wont be a roof panel for a new Toyota! Welcome to the fold fella
New Owner GeeVee, DO NOT ACCEPT THE CHECK OR SIGN ANYTHING FROM ALLSTATE WITHOUT A HUGE FIGHT--- You do not have to settle for their offer! CAll me at 406 721-3000 (business hours Mountain time)and I may be able to help you. I work for LLoyds of London and am not trying to sell you anything-- we deal only in large property risks. Allstate will screw everybody they can so you need to fight. Glenn
Gee Vee ; Pay attention to what Glenn's telling you as Allstate is under the gun right now for cheating customers , the Gov't. is hauling them into court so they might be forced to settle youe up better to save face... Congrats on the '51 , use any fish oil based paint like Rustoleum in pint cans and be sure to slurp it down into cracks etc. , clean as best you can before painting but get to it quickly before it rusts further . I post up " make run " or " engine make run " a while back , find that , follow the easy instructions not skipping any steps and then go for it , plenty of cheap used parts out there from our Hot Rodder freinds..... This will be great for your son and you .
Welcome, GeeVee! I can vouch for what a great job 3M paint removing discs do! They fit in a drill and take stuff down to bare metal without much effort. I then use etching primer and whatever over that. Don't worry about how you apply your paint~ that's up to you. rattle-rattle Sounds like a heck of a way to end up with one of these, but you've got it, so enjoy it! I, for one, can attest to what a great father/son bonding thing these old trucks can turn into.
Thanks Thuis far, I appreciate the responses to my venting, still can't get over being ripped off. I took Glen up on his offer and appreciate it, nice guy from over the phone...
