Technical Information Page Added

I've started a separate page for technical information which will have information on 1953 Chevy 3100's.  Currently, it has a spec sheet with dimensions and weights and a series of wiring diagrams.  I'll add more as I come across them.

Video Bar Added

Added the video bar on the right tonight.  I've only got a couple of videos right now, but plan on taking more as I go through the process.  I've got a several more to add, but will do those later.

Picture slideshow

Added the slideshow today.  Some of these pics are already in a post, most are not.  I'll add other picture folders as I figure out how to do it.

Getting my feet wet....

When I decided to do this project, I had no experience at restoring anything.  I had experience doing woodworking and doing home maintenance projects, but nothing automotive.  So it was a leap of faith that I could learn it as I went along.  When the truck arrived, I wanted to dive in, but knew that I couldn't do that until I had assembled a basic shop.  So, to feel like I was doing something, while saving money to assemble the shop, I decided to work on something small. Just see what I could do. The project that I choose was the air cleaner assembly that came on the truck plus a second air cleaner assembly that I found on one of my junkyard adventures.

I figured that this would be a straightforward sand it down, prime and paint job.  I also decided that I would not even try to repair minor dents or dings, as these were badges of honor after 60+ years of service.  So with that in mind here's how it went:


The following pics are of the base of the junkyard piece after using the Dremel with one of the sanding attachments.  Unfortunately, at the time I did not take any real before pics, but these are shortly after starting to show the differences.  You can also see from the dates in the pics, that I started the process a while ago and was slow to pick up steam.

These are of the lid of the junkyard piece in various states of progress.

Done sanding and rust removed.  Rust removal included a soak in Evap-O-Rust, which worked really well in areas where the Dremel couldn't reach.  On to a high build primer.

Done priming and a heat resistant gloss black paint. (Note: The lighting was different for the lid primer pics, which is why the colors look different.  The same primer was used on both sides.)

Reproduction decal applied.

Completed units.

Someday, I hope to have dual carbs installed on the engine with these air cleaner assemblies on top.  For now, they are done.

Replacement Engine

The engine that came in the truck supposedly ran, but was misfiring on a cylinder.  When I removed the pushrod cover, I discovered why it was "misfiring"...

As you can see, the lifter and pushrod on cylinders 1 and 6 are rusted together and/or rusted to the block.  The water got in through the breather holes Chevy built into the valve cover and drained down through the oil passages until it pooled around the lifters and pushrods.

I decided that instead of trying to rebuild this engine, I would look for a junkyard engine that might be in better shape.

After several trips to the junkyard, I found a 1961 Impala with a Chevy inline 6 235, which is a direct bolt in replacement.  I was able to turn the motor by hand, so I knew it wasn't seized.  I bought it and the cast iron powerglide that was attached to it.  Here is the 235 as it sat in the Impala:

Although this engine will be a bolt on replacement, there are some differences that I will have to deal with.  First, the truck is set up for a 6 volt electrical system.  The Impala was set up for a 12 volt electrical system.  Both systems used generators and both systems are negative ground systems.  So I have the choice of taking the currently installed 6v generator and installing it onto the replacement engine or I can change out the fuses and light bulbs in the truck to 12v and add voltage reducers for the gauges, heater and fuel tank sender (or replace them with 12v versions) or I could change the generator to an alternator and make the bulb/fuse/reducer changes.

We'll cover that decision in the engine revival posts....

The Gray Ghost

This is the Gray Ghost the day that she came home.

It Begins

Hello,

This blog is about my 1953 Chevy 3100 pickup truck.  Currently, it is not running.  However, I have plans for making it a running truck.  I do not plan on restoring the truck right now, just making it safe to drive an enjoy.  Here I am with the truck:

I hope to track the progress that I'm making in getting the truck back onto the road.  Along the way I'll be posting pictures of everything with before and after shots, so that you can see what has happened.  So far, I've done a few things.  The biggest thing is to salvage a Chevy 235 engine from a 1961 Chevy Impala.  It was not running when I salvaged it, but it does run now.  I'll post an entire entry on the engine.  Currently, I am replacing the entire braking system.  That will also be a separate entry.

So for now, as I figure out how to work this site and get my info and pics together, that's all.