I stumbled upon this truck at a swap meet. It turns out that the seller was a man that I knew years ago. I always had respect for his work.
Erwin bought this truck as an uncompleted restoration. It was a very solid truck to begin with. It was built in Atlanta, GA. Supposedly, it spent time in South Dakota. It is very solid and straight.
The body and paint are superb. The paint is a base coat-clear coat version of the Mariner Blue from 1949. The box is like new. The glass has all been replaced and all the gaskets and weather-stripping is new. The bed is new, as is all the tailgate hardware. The lights and wiring are new. The bumpers are new.
The engine bay looks very correct. However, the engine is a 1956 235 cubic inch. Much better! It was overhauled and nicely detailed. All wires, belts, hoses and ignition was new. There is a alternator to support the 12 volt conversion. The exhaust manifold was properly split. The dual exhaust system is correctly manderal bent. I believe it is stainless steel.
The transmission is from a mid-60’s GM car. It is synchronized. What a treat! The rear axle is from a 1963 Pontic Lemans. It has 3.23 gears and a positraction unit. The speedometer seems to be right on. The odometer is right at 100 miles.
The interior was all replaced. Everything looks better then when new! Turn signals were added. All features function properly, as do the gauges and lights. The door locks with the key.
The braking system is all new. There is a new dual master cylinder. The front brakes are now disc. The wheels are five lug with 225/75/15 radials. This ride is great due to the radial tires and new tube type shocks in place of the lever action.
Great effort was made to keep this truck appearing as original. But when you drive it, you will notice the wonderful improvements. It will run at 80 mph with ease. It stops well. What a pleasure!
Erwin finished up the restoration. It has only been driven 100 miles since. You are going to be very impressed with every aspect of this truck. I certainly am. I cant believe I was so fortunate to discover it!
