1953 Chevy Truck
I bought this truck from a friend for $1000.00. He had purchased it a couple of years ago and didn't realize how these old vehicles can nickle-and-dime you to death. I helped him do a lot of mechanical work on it the last two years, but it spun a rod bearing and he has had enough of it. He gave me this outstanding price (a price I couldn't refuse) because I'm his friend and now I have begun to fix it up. This truck has had over $9000.00 invested in it by my friend and by the previous owner before him.Mechanically it only needs a $600.00 engine rebuild and a new wiring harness. Cosmetically it needs paint, two small rust holes need patching, and a little chrome here and there (door handles, fender trim, etc.) The truck came with all of the window gaskets necessary to replace the glass, door rubber, and side window channels - this is $250.00 in parts. The truck is actually running, but as you can imagine, the spun bearing is very noisy. I'll update when I start work on it.
I moved to Port Arthur and rebuilt the engine in November 1999. I then took the Truck to West Orange-Stark High School to be painted in December 1999. I got the truck back April 2001 (yes, high schools take a while- its a teaching environment) and I'm finishing it right now. This truck is a Father's Day gift for my dad - he still thinks the truck is under a tree rusting away. See Below for the 'After" pics.
Well, Father's Day came and went, the truck is not done yet. I did present it to my dad and the surprise was complete. I hope to finish it by the end of summer.
I presented the completed truck to my father on October 22, 2001. He was like a kid at Christmas. He keeps it in the garage and drives it on nice days.
Updated November 3, 2003