Hot Rods What's It Take To Rod This Truck?

Just my opinion, but I would try to leave it a stock as I could get away with. Every hot rodder needs a parts runner / tow rig. Having it be a 3/4 ton long box just means you can drag more hot rod parts home. A 600 horsepower engine would be way more fun in a lighter car anyways.

I would pull it out, clean it up, and see if it turns over. Even if you have to free it up it is pretty exciting bringing a dead engine back to life, even more so if it was grandpa's. There should be enough parts out there to bring it back to life. If an engine swap is required, the international SV (266, 304, 345, and 392) engines are plenty good for work truck duty. Outside of some oiling and cam bearing failures they are pretty bulletproof as long as you keep the rpms reasonable. I drive my mystery junkyard 304 in anger all the time and in pulls around 10,000 lbs just fine. Otherwise people do engine swaps all the time. A nailhead would be really cool in a vintage work truck if you could afford to find / build one.

As for the rest of it, go through brakes (disc swap on what's there maybe ?), Otherwise I would rock the drums as long as I could find the parts for it. You could always swap in a Dana 60 or similar in the back for more parts availability if needed. Maybe lower it a couple inches on leaf springs, you should be able to do it my modifying the springs you already have. For tires if you can find some radials that have a squared off shoulder it will help pull off the old school work truck vibe. I would do bias ply...but they do suck sometimes, especially on a grooved out road. Maybe clean up turn singnals, bumpers, and mirrors too. If done right you could pull off a push truck look. Lastly and most importantly, keep it a manual. Your grandpa rowed gears in that thing for years I assume, keeping it that way just adds a connection that is hard to replicate or even explain properly.

I might be crazy, but just remember once you cut it up too far it will never really be grandpa's truck again. Either way you go I'm sure you will have fun with it.

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https://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=24129

Just some more food for thought.

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Excellent advise!! That’s exactly what I would do! Bones

 

I'd leave the truck just as it sits with the old paint, stock rims, stake sides, etc. I'd go though all the mechanicals, maybe upgrade to discs and drive it stock for awhile. You can do all this on a budget as it will only cost you parts if you do all the work yourself (maybe some help from friends and Uncle?). This should allow you to keep your other high horsepower car.
Putt around in this for awhile. You may like it. If not, sell off the other car and start building out the truck. Love the idea of painting the family farm name/city on the doors-or at least the stake sides.

 

Nail head sounds good!

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Nrowles, was on I-44 today, most of the day , delivering a Columbia rear end, and was thinking of your truck. International made a very large six cylinder engine for big trucks in that era, around 450-500 cubic inches. They were called Red and Black Diamonds , if I remember correctly. That would be an awesome engine for your binder if it would fit. You’ve got a lot of room under your hood , but as I recall , they are fairly large physically. Would be a cool sleeper, binder in a binder. Bones

 

Thanks for all the input. Will consider it all. I suppose what I'm struggling with is that I didn't want two old vehicles. After we got the Mustang with manual steering and brakes my wife wanted to get her own but more modern and I shot her down because I didn't want the upkeep and the room it would take up in the garage. Bottom line is that I will probably end up keeping the truck as original as possible and keeping both vehicles. I was just pondering a way to only have one but keep the one that I will never let go due to sentimental reasons and also have the thrill of power. I think this is a very cool old truck but I wouldn't be doing it if it weren't for sentimental reasons.