Topic: 1952 willys pickup

[SamsonJR]

Hey guys, so I Just got home from a nice week off work with my Fiance. We went to My Mom's vacation house up in Vermont, then took a trip to Niagara Falls "The Canadian side". It was awesome trip. About 5 years ago I picked up a '52 Willys pickup for 100 bucks. Right now it's more of a lawn decoration then anything, but I took a whole bunch of pictures wile in VT, thought you all might like to see! Just have to figure out the best method of posting them all, there on a digital camera lol This is my project to work on wile on vacation! It's never going to be a amazing show truck, just something else to drive around wile in the mountains. So, any suggestions on how to post a lot of pictures at once?

[neale_rs]

Photobucket works well.  Looking forward to the pics.

[sharpxmen]

i watched a show on discovery yesterday (just a bit of it, can't remember the name) and they clear coated a truck with the rust and old paint under it (they scuffed it well prior to that) - i thought it was a great idea, not sure how well will last but for sure it gives it character

[Jeffy]

Photobucket or Picasa/Google.

[SamsonJR]

Ok, I think I have gotten the pictures up, I created a Photobucket account, here's the link, Hope you guys like! http://s1362.photobucket.com/user/samsonjr1/library/

[neale_rs]

Cool!  Quite a project to take on.

[sharpxmen]

I think you should put the cabin on a new frame, YJ might be too short but worth considering - would save a ton of time and money and just focus on restoring the sheetmetal (sandblast, fix the holes and paint) and see if you can save the instruments and panel.

[Jeffy]

The frame looks like toast.  I know a guy who put a cab on a Chevy frame.

[chardrc]

 You have some work ahead of you with that frame. Had about the opposite situation 10 years ago, Had a solid frame and bed with full drive train but no cab (solid it for lack of a cab we could buy to compete the truck)... I wonder how an s10 frame would work so the frame isn't too long for the bed and cab and isn't way too wide...

[aw12345]

Just built a new frame out of rectangular tubing, easier, quicker, stronger. Copy all the bends of the original frame and you are golden

[SamsonJR]

hey guys, yeah frame is shot, a wile back I was reading about what frames would work to replace, if I remember correctly a Ford ranger or s10 were the closest to what it has. Right now I'm going to focus on getting it running. I have the carb off, and need to rebuild it, and will most likely set up a electric fuel pump. I cleaned up the points and have spark up to the distributor, so new cap and rotor, wires plugs and what not. The motor is a 200ci ford, I think a '66 because that's what it says on the engine tag. I'm not really sure what i'm going to end up doing with the truck, ideally I would replace everything and have something nice, but I'm not sure if it's worth dropping a lot of time and money into. What I thought was neat is the rear is a Dana 53, A white elephant but cool all the same

[sharpxmen]

personally I wouldn't even bother with that engine, just get a rolling chassis and drop the cab on it, you'll be better spending the money on restoring the cabin imo. I mean yeah, would be nice if you get it all original but it will cost a lot to get it in decent shape.

[Jeffy]

Yeah, I'd nix the engine idea unless you want to tinker with it.  There are better engines as well.  A Dana 53 isn't that rare.  The reason you don't see them more often is because parts are non-existent.  I think they're 10 spline axles as well.

Here's a picture of my friend's Willy on a C-10 regular cab short bed chassis.  I think he could have reigned in his width a bit if he got negative offset wheels.



Here's another one on a similar short bed Chevy chassis.  You can read about what he did here: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/3805815/1957-willys-pickup/