Hello guys! Okey it's time for me to start a build-thread. Im going to post up some pics on the progress, if someone is intrested. Im normaly into Volkswagens and have restored many from the pan up since I was 17yrs old. So this will be completly diffrent construction to work with, cool, im very excited. So Im happy from all help and advices I can get from you guys! Many stupid questions to come! Today I have just started my resto on the 49' Chevy pickup. Imported from North Carolina to Sweden in Januari this year. The plan is to first of all get it running and get everything work again (lights, brakes etc) So I can get it saftety inspected and registerd in the Swedish car register. It has no numberplates now. After that is done, im going to start taken it a part to the bare frame, sand blast and mount new parts. Lowering it, whitewall tires etc. Maybe a V8 and a powerglide too. But I will still keep the patina look on the outside and have it nice and shiny on the chassis and know that everything is safe underneith. Here are some picture from today, many more to come next time! The car arriving in Florida from NC. Soon going to the docks/shipping. Picking it up from a loooong trip. North Carolina to Florida, over the sea to Gothenburg in Sweden and then to Karlstad where I live. Cool It's coold! But hopefully all the poison spiders in the truck is frozen to death. Me and the truck,,, Finally some time for the Chevy to get some love after a hard life on a farm in N.C. Some of the springs was broken off. But Im going to put in a complete 3100 frontend I have bought from a friend. So I can lower it and get 6 lug boltpattern. Now is the question what rearend will be best to use, that has 6 lug??? Camaro have 5 lug. Any ideas? Frontend out!
Wow the rear drums on a 3600 is BEEFY! Rearend Mostly original paint. I looked under the bed and saw these small wood pieces stuck under here and there. Why? :S Next time im going to remove the gastank, mastercylinder and brakelines etc. /Martin Here comes a picture on my VW Type2 Samba Deluxe 1966 21 window that I just finished the restoration on:
Love the van, man! Use the rear out of a Colorado pickup. 3.73 ratio, same 6 lug pattern as the front. Of course, you _can_ swap to a five lug front once you get that 1/2 ton axle under it... Your truck looks similar to mine when I started. Mine just has the more manly mug! If you can get your van to look that good, you'll have a slick/sweet looking truck, too!
Thanks for the answers guys! Zig: What year of Colorado axle can I use? How do I change the 3100 frontend to 5 lug? Are they repro new front drums in diffrent patterns or just discbrakes?
Got some more done this morning. Pulled out the seat, gastank and cleaned it from all old gas and crap. Cleaned the carburator, mounted new gaslines and filter. Also removed the hillbilly taillights! The gastank looked very nice, and had a new senderunit too. Good! Clean gastank back in the truck Wow! What a difference in look... have to order som original taillights tho!
2007 on up? I think I checked the 2007/2008 model. Newer would work as well, as I doubt they have changed the rear end. You would only want this if you were sticking with 6 lug hubs. If you are going to five lugs on the front, then you'll need a five lug rear end, of which the choices GREATLY expand. You're really going to town there! We see you are taking lots of pictures, but don't forget mundane shots of pipe routing, throttle linkage, stuff like that. Also, how it comes apart. I did a step-by-step of the dismantle of my front end so I'll stand half a chance of putting it back together without many problems...
Okey Zig! Thanks for the info, great. It would be better with 5 lug bolt pattern then, like you said, MUCH easier to find rearaxles and also wheels etc. But now Im going to mount the complete frontend from a 3100 on my truck, can I change drums to 5 lug pattern or must I buy a discbrake kit, or how do I do to get 5 lug in the front? It has 6 lug now.
I know you can get 5 lug conversion kits from many manufacturers. Our host sells them. There is also another way that may be cheaper. It involves finding hubs that fit, changing something with the spindle, getting 5 lug hubs from a donor... Try a search on this site. It's been covered in great detail. While you're at it, you will be upgrading you mc to a dual mc. Now you get to decide if you want to leave it under the cab, or go firewall mount. Decissions, decissions!
So there you go, Martin~ you want 5 lug front hubs? Get some from a 54 passenger car as Big Tim said. That kind of quick info is why I love this site!
Välkommen! Välkommen Martin! And here I thought my truck had an interesting history as it bounced around the south starting in Alabama until I found it sitting in the back of a barn for 20 years! I like your plan. I now wish I had spent limited time and money on getting mine road ready and left the aesthetics for much later. It has been more than 6 years and still I am not driving it and I really liked the natural patina it had when I found it. I would not worry about any of those hairy spiders from NC – they were probably snacks for the mice while being transported across the pond. I am sure that the folks on this forum will have your answers as you progress and I also recommend the ‘search this forum’ tool (from the 1947-54 page) for prior questions/responses. Congratulations! Pictures are great – keep ‘em coming. Ironically, I hope my truck ends up in North Carolina one day soon, and with me in it! - gypsy
