Ryan's 57 pickup project

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by RyanPartridge

Future plans:

-Restore the cracks in the steering wheel and paint it.

Easy to do. Several threads on doing that here including early pics in m,y build thread. V notch the cracks with a Dremel or hand file, fill with JB Weld (in my case), Eastwood also makes a kit for this.

Originally Posted by RyanPartridge

-Rig up some speakers and some type of stereo system that's clean and hidden.

I used this:
https://www.classiccarstereos.com/secretaudio-sst.html

But if I had it to do over I'd use this instead:
https://www.retromanufacturing.com/p...t-trucks-radio

- It's so much more in keeping with the look of our trucks. Yours especially because of its style - which I love.

Originally Posted by RyanPartridge

-Replace bed wood

Personally, I'd do a truck like yours with pine but most; including me, use oak. There are places online that give you the dimensions to cut your own wood:

https://gmcpauls.com/47-72_BedWood_Info.htm

Originally Posted by RyanPartridge

-Replace the shifter stick with something taller.

I'd dispense with all the jury rigged suggestions and just get a tall Lokar shifter.

Originally Posted by RyanPartridge

-Replace smoothie wheels with a stock looking steelie and paint either black or cream

I LOVE the smoothies and baby moons on your truck. But it is YOUR truck so if you do change them may I suggest either cream or body color red with factory '55 Chevy truck caps OR '51-'52 car caps? And add narrow ribbed beauty rings. Such a classic look one our trucks. BLwck (to me) just kills the vibe on our trucks....unless the truck is black.

Originally Posted by RyanPartridge

-Paint?

If I had it to do over I'd leave mine in the Rustoleum Satin Sage Green I had it in. Why? I LOVE LOVE LOVE my red paint, BUT now I can't drive it out to dinner for example and just park it anywhere. For one thing they're too damn easy to steal and if it got a door ding I'd have a conniption. When it was in Rustoleum it never got dinged and if someting showed badly, I'd just give it a light scuff and repaint a fender or whatever. Your truck is a classic just as it sits. I REALLY like it!