1953 Chevy Dump Truck

I've visited this board many times over the years, but never joined up because I didn't have the time with work and all.

Now I'm retired, and a year or so ago I decided I needed some kind of project.

Someone brought this old Chevy into my son's auto repair shop to get some work done on it. It had been sitting so long with a load of dirt in the back, that a ten foot tall tree was growing in the back. We got it running and replaced the kingpins, and replaced the hydrovac with a dual master cylinder and booster. Then the customer found a newer dump truck and gave this one to my son in exchange for the bill. My son had no use for it, so a little horse trading later, it was mine.

This picture was taken right after it was dropped off at the house.

 

The first thing on the agenda was to scrub it down with detergent and scotchbrite, then knock the big dents out with a rubber mallet. Already the truck is starting to look a little better.

 

I'm not sure if this was the best decision I've ever made, but I thought the truck would look better with paint on it. In the process of brush painting it, I noticed that of all the AD trucks I've ever owned and worked on, the cab is really in great shape for it's age. The back of the cab is rust and dent free, and just a little rust down in the bottom cab corners. The floor is pretty much intact, and the doors work good after adjustment and new latches.

The fenders, grille and hood are a different story. They are pretty rough from years of abuse. I've since purchased a near perfect nose from a guy way out in Bremerton, WA. I'll put it on sometime down the road. In the meantime I'll get all the mechanical details sorted out.

 

The other thing that needed immediate attention was the interior. I replaced the original seat with a back seat from a Toyota Sienna mini-van. Comfort and luxury of fine leather for only $45 at the Pick-A-Part!

The missing door panels were replaced with ones I made from diamond plate aluminum.

 

I got to ask: Did you dump the load of dirt w/tree?


Good tinker project there.

 

Yeah, you should have cut part of that tree up and made a wood shifter knob or something out of it for your truck! Lol.

Looking good, have fun with it!

 

Oh yeah. Cut the tree down and dumped the rest at the dump.

 

Aside from being a project, the old Chevy is also a working truck. I've hauled many loads of gravel, compost and trash for my friends and myself. Everywhere we go, she's the center of attention.

 

Been there, done that. Love the old dump trucks, I had a couple.

 

Love that old Ford!