Fantasy Build

[Steve@OldSub.com]

I'm currently layed up going through cancer treatment and will probably not see the inside of my shop for another 45 to 60 days. Then once I do get in I may not be able to work more than a few hours each week as I recover.

That is my reality today and meanwhile I've been sitting in a recliner thinking through the projects I'd be building if I were home and healthy. And describing one of those is what this project thread is about.

My wife wants a stock looking hot rod truck. Since I do '47 to '54 she is stuck with one of those. I have a strong bias toward the '54/'55 1st GMC but she likes the earlier Chevy grill better, so I'm doing a '47 to '53 for her. I have a 5-window cab from a '49 or '50 1-ton I parted out a few years ago, so I'll use that cab.

The 1-ton frame is gone even if I wanted to use it on this project, so I'm going to use a '52 GMC Suburban frame. Using this frame will mean removing the extra Suburban/panel body brackets and it will also mean swapping the GMC front crossmember for a Chevy crossmember.

My current thought is that I'll rebuild the stock front axle and springs, and I'll put a 5-lug disk kit and power steering kit on it. Out back I'll use an S-10 4x4 rear axle I already have along with one of the spring mount kits for 3-inch axles.

I'll also order up engine and transmission crossmembers to mount a small block and automatic, choosing between several tired small blocks I have to refresh one of them and mount it ahead of a TH350.

I have a collection of rusty fenders and will pick through the pile for the best pair front and rear to mount on this truck. I have the bed sides, tailgate and front from a '49 3100 but no cross sills, so I may build my own to mount the bed.

My wife is short so I think buckets seat make the most sense in something she will drive and others will ride it. I have a very ratty set of C4 Corvette buckets that will need recovering before she will use them, but with those as the anchor I think I'll do a spartan interior around them.

I don't have an appropriate set of wheels and tires for what I've described. I think the best answer is probably to order a set of artillery wheels I've seen a number of vendors offer and buy tires to suit.

What am I forgetting? I suspect I'm going to find the rear lowered dramatically by my approach and will either need to raise it or lower the front.

I do need to purchase a bunch of parts to make this happen, but they are all standard vendor things so I'm not worried about them. The parts that are old truck stuff I think all exists in my junk pile.

This is months from being more than something I think about, but I'd appreciate any feedback on the proposed build. Maybe when I actually start the project it will move much faster as a result!