I found a 1948 Chevy truck in a field where its been sitting for about 20 years. The truck was in pieces no frame parts were all over the place but it had an ownership. I paid $100.00 for the truck, i took it home and put the body on a 87 chevy half tonne 305 4-speed. I have been working on this truck for about 6 months, but no i'm wondering if it should of just went to the wrecking yard. The truck will definitly never be show or straight, but my son and I are still working on it and just wondering what u think heres some before and where we are so far pictures
Heck yeah keep working on it and make it fun. Nothing better than driving something you have saved from the dump. If nothing else what you learn on this project can move onto the next one when you find a better body. Have fun and enjoy.
Damn dude, it's a 100 dollar truck, you can't hurt it... Keep fooling with it, it will keep you and your kid out of trouble for a good long time. If you don't know what to do, ask us we are here to help. (Well, that and a few other things...) If you get to the point that you want to get rid of it, give it to someone else, don't smash it. Crushing an old car is bad ju-ju. Good luck, -Abone.
Looks like a great start to a cool beater truck...wish my father had been cool enough to do shit like that with me, instead of getting drunk every night.
hell yah a c note for a truck , paint it with a roller and have a blast with it , if anything you are spending time with your kid and thats worth more than anything
Keep working on it. Shop trucks don't need to perfect. Get your skills sharpened on this one for the nice rod. If you need help and encouragement, join us here.......... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=132
Actually, It's a $95.81(US dollars) truck at current conversion rates Does it really matter that "The truck will definitely never be show or straight"? When you take it out for the first drive,I guarantee you'll BOTH have huge smiles! Good Luck!
Normally the more expensive the project the nicer shape it is in, the opposite is usually applicable as well. You picked up a project for almost nothing and have lots of room to make it better, with a little cash and labor. Only you can decide if it should have gone to the wrecking yard. I’ve seen guys start with less and make good looking cars/trucks out of them. You should be commended using something like this as a father/son project; it’s a great way to teach him about cars. I always remember the saying “speed costs money, how fast do you want to go”. Something similar is also applicable here, how nice do you want it to look will be determined by how much money and time you put into it.
Hell yes save it.....they only made the 48 for one year...then they switched to a 49. No really I'd save it!!
most decent drivers can fetch a few grand, and still need a bunch of work, so you're way ahead of the game... perfect trucks bother me anyway, they have far better uses than to "show"... so, keep at it , drive it, and enjoy!!
NO question at all i would "save" it.. The buy in price was more than right, and there are so many way's to build an A/D truck that can be very low in cost.....even many of the aftermarket parts are cheap...
Keep going.... My daily driver started as a $125 dollar truck in BAD shape. I made a 4x4 f-1 out of it and love driving it!!!!! None of the body panels are strait and it took a lot of welding to get the thing solid but it is an old truck that I continue to beat on and don't feel bad about it (I even 4-wheel the thing).
Looks good from what I can see in the photos. I like old trucks that can still be used as trucks. Henrietta the '38 Ford pickup knows that she's a truck and gets used like a truck, hauls the garbage off every Saturday morning, she has no delusions of being a show vehicle. I showed Henrietta the pictures of your truck, and she gave an approving horn honk. We were all new to this stuff at one time, don't hesitate to ask questions, we'll help any way we can. The AD Chevy pickups have attractive styling. Parts availability is good since Chevy built basically the same truck with mostly minor changes for 9 years, and they are popular enough that all major body parts and even complete cabs are being reproduced. You probably couldn't pick a better truck to learn on.
The beauty of a pickup project is that everything unbolts. Make it a safe driver, straighten out the cab and get it sealed & in primer so at least it's one color. A project that you can drive will hold your interest a lot easier than one in 5000 pieces. From there on in when you stumble onto better fenders,doors or whatever at the swaps, just remove the beatup old parts and put on the nice stuff you get. The bedsides can be bought new. Looks like a fun project, keep chippin' away at it and you'll get there.
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