1951 Chevy Truck

Ok...I need all the help I can get...My son tore his truck down to the frame so we could completely restore it...sand it, paint, rebuild motor etc...my husband was supposed to help him, then I caught him cheating and we got divorced...so now I have a truck in a million pieces...we will get it together with my brothers help, but he restored a ford and he's only done one truck...ok...first, the frame is a mess...I need any input and help you can give me on the entire truck...here's my plan

1. swap out the frame or repair this frame
  it's half original and half a camaro frame but it's really jacked up...bad welding, crooked, etc

2.  once the frame is ok...rebuild motor (350 4 bolt main) and transmission

3.  sand, repair and paint...we're doing that now since we're at a stand still on the frame...it takes time to do it right    

4.  looking at the gas tank in the bed instead of behind the seat and putting the battery back where it was originally

5.  motor, transmission and brakes will be new

6.  wood back in the truck bed

7.  needs new seats and a lot in the interior

i know it's a big project, but this is my son's dream and I have to finish this for him...his Dad is gone and now his step dad has bailed on him too...the biggest hurdle for me is the frame...any thoughts and input is greatly appreciated!  

LOOKS LIKE YOU GOT AN IDEA OF WHAT NEEDS DONE,YOU DONT NEED ANY MORE IDEAS AT THIS POINT. JUMPIN THERE AND TRY TO GET ER DONE.ELBOW GREASE IS ALL IT TAKES, ALONG W/ A LITTLE ROOM AND SOME TOOLS.  

i have a 86 chevy c 10 its in a little rough shape(rust) but its all there and i have a lot of parts for it. if your son cant find a frame for it i can trade my truck for your truck. cause i have a frame for that 51 truck, but i have big plans for that too. parts are hard to find and it sounds like you got some parts i need.
But i do have a tip for you, that frame needs to be stright and strong or it will never feel right when your cruzin down the road.  

Pick up one of those assembly manuals on Ebay.  there is more information in there than anyplace else when it comes to building your truck.  the frame swap depends on your skills (as does the restoration)  there are kits out there that help with frame swaps and from what I've read some of them are fantastic, but a little pricy for me.  I have two original chassis trucks and two swapped chassis trucks.  If you want a daily driver that you can buy parts for at the local auto store then change the chassis.  If you want original and have a good frame to start with then thats great too.  I've driven a few with the Camaro front clips and I'd rather have the full chassis versions  
07 GMC crew diesel
53 3100 original
53 3100 rat
51 3100 streetrod
49 F1 panel

thanks...that's some good info...he wants an everyday ride so i think i'll check out the full chassis and the conversion kits...i've been looking at them...thanks again!  

Hi. I am brand-spankin new to Classic Trucks.  I am getting ready to begin my 1951 chevy truck project.  Read ur article about ur son's truck and it broke my heart.  I have been searching for alot of info on front clips, and swaps.   Recently, I read an article about not clipping at all.   Instead, find an chevy s10 truck at ur local junkyard.  I think it has to be a 1980's truck.  "not xtra cab"  then use the whole frame.  The 51 truck should fit right on it with a conversion kit. The kits cost about 1,400.00 or so. well worth the money.  this will save u time and money.  I read u can use the tilt column, pwr brake boostr, wiring harness, fuel tank, and all pedals, possibly the seats also.  oh do not use s10 blazer! You can also use the rear-end of a 4 wheel drv s10.  Here's where you get the conversion kits:    www.e-zchassisswaps.com     good luck.  rizzo  

You might want to check out  www.ad-engineering.com   They have some nice conversion kits for using the S-10 chassis with the 47-54 Chevy trucks.  My hat's off to you for helping your son with his dream project. The best of luck to you both.  

Here is my input but it is only worth what you are paying for it.  Having done a 1954 chevy truck from the ground up I have been over what you need to do.  Bear in mind that some projects are best not started.  If you do not have the means/tools to do alot of the work yourself it may be better (Cheaper/Quicker) to buy another truck that is running.  These projects take a significant amount of cash to complete.  These projects are easy to start but hard to finish.  That being said here are my suggestions/input.

1. Frame - If it has a subframe from a 2nd generation camaro (front steer) it probably can be made to work with some new welding.  Can you send a picture or two of what you have now?  The camaro sub-frame is really too wide for the 51 truck but others have used it.  The trick is to not install it too low or you can have tire/fender clearance issues.  The pics can help out here to see what you have.  If need be you can probably find another frame and start over.  Sub-frames are fine but they do require some thought when installing to ensure they are safe and properly aligned.  I tack welded my sub-frame in place and then hired a welder to stick weld it up.  Expect to pay between $200 and $300 for that service unless you have a welder in the family or who owes you a favor.  The other suspension options are to use the original suspension (if you get another frame) or an IFS kit (with a new frame) which will run about $1,600 plus additional costs for steering components and installation.  It is starting to add up here.

2.  Rebuilding the motor and the trans is a good way to go. It will teach your son everything he needs to know about the motor which can only help in later.  However there are costs involved here that need to be run.  Block prep, bore & hone - $225, new pistons (hypereutic flat top)- $150, New rod/main bearings - $40, cam bearings and freeze plugs - $40, install pistons on rods - $40, piston ring set (cast moly coated - $40, prep crankshaft - $65, timing set (coyles) - $40, rebuild heads - $180, gasket set - $65, oil pump - $20, camshaft kit with lifters - $200, intake manifold and carb - $450, water pump - $20, fuel pump - $20, distributor (HEI Mallory) - $150, plug wires - $65, miscellaneous (paint/hoses/plugs/filters/etc - $70.  So for about $1,880 you have your motor.  You can always reuse stuff but in the long run it is better to go new in my experience.

For the transmission I assume it is a TH350.  The cost to rebuild my last TH350 ran about $400 plus another $150 for the converter.  

You might want to compare these costs to the cost of buying remanufactured units from local suppliers or neighborhood auto parts stores.

3. Paint and body can take alot of time and material/cost to get it right.  I welded, ground, hammered, primered, sanded, primered, sanded, (repeat several times) to get all the panels straight enough to warrant paint.  This took the longest.  The thing I learned is once a panel is ready for paint it has an adverse tendency to take up more room than is available.  The best option in my opinion is to do any sheet metal repair now, hit it with some epoxy primer and let it sit until the chassis/engine is completed.

The costs involved in a basic base coat/clear coat do it yourself paint job in your garage (entirely possible - but watch out for fumes and ignition sources), epoxy primer/reducer/activator - $150 - $200 (you do not need PPG products to get a good result), sand paper - $200, sanding block set - $65, sandable primer, two gallons/reducer/activator - $300, base coat (2 gallons at least are needed for a truck inside and out) - $500, Clear coat/activator (1 gallon)- $150. So materials alone can run $1,400 or more (less if you go with Acrylic Urethane).  You could always do the body work yourself and then have a local shop shot it for you.

4. I used a gas tank from Tanks, Inc. It is 16 gallons and cost about $215 with free shipping.  There are several outfits in the magazines that offer this.  You need to consider though what instruments/gauges you will use as the tank sending unit has to be matched to the fuel gauge.  Check out TPI for inexpensive and adequate gauges.  I would not recommend Dolphin Gauges (personal experience).  The battery is fine in the original location under the floor.  You will need new cables though.

5.  This was covered in #2 mostly but one element you will need to address is the radiator.  The original radiator will NOT cool a V8 effectively.  There are replacements available that fit exactly like the original and include a transmission cooler.  The one I used was made by Walker and is their Desert Cooler three row model.  Expect to pay about $450 for the new radiator.  There really are no other radiators from other cars/trucks that work well in these trucks.  You can make anything work but you also want it to look and function well.

6. Bed wood and strip kits are available from many sources for these trucks and run about $210 for the wood (pine), $50 for the strips (bare steel), and bolt kits for $20 and mounting blocks for anther $20.  The costs go up is you want oak or stainless steel strips/bolts.

7. The interior is another area that adds up.  The seat can be replaced with a more modern unit.  I used the rear seat from a 92 GMC minivan with very good success.  It also included seat belts.  It did require modification though to mount it to the floor.  Many of the parts vendors have what you need for the rest of the interior such as headliner, door handles, glass, weatherstripping, knobs, trim, insulation, carpet, etc.  I would leave this part of the project to the very end though.  One thing you will also need to address is the wiring.  There are several suppliers but I used a harness from EZ-wire and found it adequate.  This will need to be installed after paint but before interior.

There are many ways to save money on these projects and I may have missed something or over-estimated some of the costs but this is from my experience. Your results may vary.

I do wish you success on this project and am here to help if need be.  At this point you might want to add all these costs up and then add 25% to it to arrive at a forecast total cost.  The time you spend with your son on this though will be priceless. If you do start it, do not quite - Show him that he needs to finish it.

Good luck and send those frame pics in.