New Beater
 

My old truck died so I needed a new replacement. Still have my new(er) Dodge so something different was an option. My wife actually found it. Paid and got title last night, picking up this weekend.

It has half the miles of the truck being replaced. (82,400)
It's a one ton.
It's a Chevy.
6 cylinder, manual transmission








































Slightly older than the truck it's replacing. It's a 51 Chevy 5 window, one ton, 9' box. It's in really good shape. No dents to speak of, all glass intact, interior is better than fair. All it needs are some new brake lines and I'm driving it just like it is. Shiny paint is not required.

all your cars are so interesting lol

WTF? You are living a dream Sir!
I want (at some point) an old Bobbed Duece as my occasional use pick up.
But that Chevy you got there is a nice one.

Stein - Is it a coincidence that I made this post the same day you made this post?

How did Mrs. Stein come across it?

Bah! I waffled hard on this M35 that is posted on my local forum for $6500. It's only an hour away. In the end, too expensive for something that drinks diesel at a rate of 6-8 mpg. Plus, I'd still have to bob it.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360271520

Here's his FS thread. He comes to shooting days at my range whenever I host them.

starcityracing.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=53053

Very coincidental indeed!

The guy's wife works at the same hospital as my wife and posted a simple flyer. She called me and told me to call him. Don't kid yourself, it's really hers. She's the one that has been asking for a 5 window for a couple of years. Most have been overpriced or restored. This was the first that was clean, original and priced right.

I like your styles, Mr. and Mrs. Stein. I'm just going to assume your name is John Stein, by the way. I'm also going to assume you literally have your own shooting range that is on your personal island.

Do not correct me if any of the above is factually incorrect. It makes for a much cooler storyline.

Yup, lot's of money to be spent there, but $6500 is a reasonable price for one in that kind of shape. One day...one day...cut and weld!

Nice. I had a '52 5 window project with my dad for a few years. We never got as far as paint, but we rebuilt the carb, replaced the entire wiring harness, and made new bed boards out of purple heart. The most fun I had was throwing it in 1st and driving from the running board up a steep hill.

P.S. Although you already have plenty of mechanical ability, Wheeler Dealers has a early 50's chevy pickup episode, if you need some ideas. They keep there's fairly stock though, and I'm not sure you know what that means...

Hummm I wonder of the '51 will have issues towing the Miata to the track... being only a 6 cylinder???? lol!

Sweet find!

I love the rustic look on trucks like these!

Yeah, there is a local guy that has been trying to sell a 2JZ + Trans with ECU and Tweak'ed Performance harness For a while. He finally had it SPF the day I got this. Would have been sweet in this truck.

FS - 2JZ + tweak'd harness - StarCity Racing

That said, It's likely staying pretty much stock. As long as the babbit bearing motor holds up it's staying. If it goes, likely a simple 350TBI swap. Just add a bell housing and the existing SM420 trans will be fine.

Home.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1360462729

Replaced sieve that was masquerading as a fuel line last night, trickled a bit of gas in the carb and it fired right up. Nice smooth idle, good oil pressure, no ticking or knocking. Very happy.

I need to unsubscribe from this thread.

I now have visions of this truck with a GM LQ9 6.0L and EFI swap with a wood-paneled bed doing burnouts in my head...

Very neat.

I had a '51 Dodge in high school, first "car" actually. Straight-6, 3spd with a "granny gear". Used it to haul my mower around for the first year I had my license.

Mom took it to the store one day when it started to rain on her way back...and she slid it into someone at a red light...destroying the the 3 huge chrome grill bars and front fenders, rendering it not worth messing with anymore.

Good luck with the old beast.

Man, you build some cool stuff. Next time I'm out at my grandparent's in Columbus, I'll have to see about swinging by.

No problem, anytime.

Wife helped me bleed brakes, drove around section, came home, took wife for her first ride around section, let her drive it, went to town, got gas, brake was dragging.

A guy came out and he tweaked carb and set points. It runs better. He helped me bleed brakes again. Rear wheels stopped dragging. Front wheels are locked up. We adjusted left brake and that one no longer drags. Right adjuster was bound up so it's sitting with one locked wheel.

Oh, and changed oil. Drained it but only a quart came out. Got under there with the dipstick and started poking in the drain hole and the thick water-infused oil would rope out like it was taking a dump. Poked the drain hole for 10 minutes to finally get all of the old gooey oil out.

Filled up with a quart of ATF and 10W30. I'll drain it again in 50 miles.

Finally last night I decided that the wheel cylinder was a sacrificial part, bore down on the adjuster and it came free. Got it backed off, removed drum and the return spring fell out in three pieces. Pistons are stuck in the wheel cylinder bore so they wouldn't retract.

Ordered two new wheel cylinders and return springs. Shoes and drums look perfect, which is good because drums for a one ton are really hard to find. Hopefully parts show up before the weekend.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1361282180

Mrs. Stein is really okay with the idea of not painting the truck?

Absolutely. She knows it's a beater. You have to realize we both grew up on working farms. She's been around vehicles of this caliber her whole early life. She's driven tractors and grain trucks. She drove this one like the last time she drove a stick was last week instead of several years ago.