well ok, not really in a barn but it was beside a shed. 1949 1-ton pickup. i don't know if ever i saw a 1 ton pickup but for sure not a 5 window custom cab, thats one fancy farmer. those are the longest running boards ever, and check out the curved panels between the bed and running boards... damn they're big. so, what to do? 1. fix it and drive it for its rarity... 4:56 gears and all. 2. put cab and clip on 1/2 ton frame and find a short bed and boards. 3. swap the pickup bed for a more common flat bed and short boards.
A 1-ton pickup is a nice attention-getter so build it as what it is with a more streetable drivetrain. They should be saved when they're found as very few have survived.
I think I'd be different and leave it stock bed length. You don't see many like that, and it's got a pretty classy, brawny profile. Why spend a bunch of time and money to make it short, just like everyone else's?
leave the body as is, well after fixing it and paint...get a full pressure stovebolt and a T5 for the OD and leave the rest alone
thanks for all the suggestions to restore. but the thought of driving a low geared big truck with babbits and granny just isn't what i want to do. i'm swinging towards going half ton chassis and finding a half ton bed thats decent and upgrading the drivetrain to do a little highway time. either way its the same amount of work. my way i will end up with more driver friendly ride. anybody wanting a 9' pickup bed and 1 ton chassis, let me know. heres a couple of more pics to show that theres a lot of work ahead of me.
Not all that rare around here. NO FLATBED! I'd at least go with a different set of gears. I had one of those once and it would only do about 50 and sucked gas bad! You will need those higher gears. Tom