Finally found an "almost" rust-free '51 Stude 1/2-ton pickup, right here in Ohio. It was brought here from Cal. in '75 & has been sitting in a pole barn ever since. Has had one repaint since it left the factory, & is 100% original. Gonna pick it up 2 days from now. The guy is gettin' up there in age, & needs it gone, the property where it is stored is being sold. I got a very good deal on it, especially considering how solid it is! I'm really excited about this thing!! I plan to build an every day driver that will appear as if it was put together around 1960. No late-model parts! Want to run a 322" Nailhead with a stick trans (either 3 or 4 speed). Eventually want a 3-deuce setup, duals & glasspacks. These trucks are lightweights, so it should move out fine, even with a good-running stock 322. Don't have pics yet, will post them later.
Thanks guys! Picking it up tomorrow. Will get some decent pics outside before I put it away. Rust-free (or almost rust-free) vehicles this old do not exist in Ohio, unless they were brought here from some other part of the country. Studebakerdave, really like your truck! I AM going to have fun with this!!
Here's a couple of pics while it was still on the trailer. Minor glitch with the Calif. title but nothing that can't be dealt with. Anxious to get going on this. Only piece of sheetmetal I need is a new grille, which were the same from '49 - '53. Got a factory parts manual & a factory shop manual with the truck, also some other parts.
sweeet....like the nailhead idea as well.....that looks to have the factory rear bumper....those bring some good money....just saying (2x4 setup?) lwf
Like I said, I want to keep this totally 'old school' as if it was put together around '60. Today the Mrs. & I were at a large antique mall, I found an *old* Hurst 3-speed shifter for $29.50. Does anyone remember the "yoyo" or "barrel" knobs that Hurst used around 1960? They had orange lucite ends held on by a phillips screw in the middle. I remember them clearly, haven't seen one in years. Now I gotta find one of them knobs!
Stillrunners, yes, that's the factory rear bumper. Have a good front one too, also a NOS gravel pan. Prob. need to replace the grill, its bent up & pushed in at the bottom. Might go to with '54 - '56-style grille....
Got real lucky & scored a 322 Nailhead (called them Nail-valve motors back in the day), out of a '56 Super hardtop that was being parted out. Actually heard it run. Motor is (almost) complete, for $500. Gonna go thru the motor before running it, prob. a total rebuild. It appears to have around 110K miles on it. I'm very excited to have this engine for my truck! Now I need a stick bellhousing / clutch setup... would really like to run a Cad / LaSalle tranny if I could find one of them!
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