After completing my older son's Pontiac Phoenix it was now time to customize a vehicle for my younger son. After considering many options, my youngest son went with customizing an old truck. What type of truck was not concerning, we only knew that when we saw one, we would know it was right.
So the search began, we spent many days looking in the paper and the internet, and one day construction was beginning on our front road. Not long afterward we found ourselves detoured down a road just around the corner from our home, and low and behold, we found a 1953 GMC pickup setting under a tree. We stopped the car and immediately inquired about the old truck and a few days later we brought it home. The truck was in great shape. The bed was removed and the ole 6 cylinder was partially disassembled, but that did not matter to us, we had plans on installing a V-8 and customizing it anyway.
Soon after receiving it we contemplated how we were going to beef up the front suspension to handle the torque and weight of a V-8. We were also concerned about the steering capabilities and were really needing to do an upgrade there as well. In searching the Hot Rod magazines and many other internet options, we found that many people would graph a Camaro or Monte Carlo front clip on the old pickup frame, however the cost of a front clip and the thought of stilling having three-quarters of the old frame still under the truck was not very appealing.
I then wondered if there might be a complete frame swap we could do and found a company called AD-Engineering out of Sonoma, CA advertising a kit that would allow an S-10 frame to fit nicely under the old truck body. After reviewing this thought for a month or so, we decided to take the plunge and purchase the kit. After receiving the kit, we found it to be very well made and the directions were also quite accurate.
Not long after, we found the perfect S-10 pickup; would you believe around the corner from where we live again, and we too purchased it for $200.00.
My youngest son and I started tearing both vehicles down, keeping the things we needed from both vehicles in one area and placing the things we didn't in another.
Once the"Not needed" pile was complete we immediately called a salvage yard to come pick up the junk and they in turn gave us $100.00 for it. Not bad, a 50% return on our S-10 investment!
In addition, once we removed the old frame, engine and tranny from the '53 Jimmy we too sold it for another 50% percent return on that investiment!
So far we've completed installing the kit on the S-10 frame and succesfully fit the old '53 body on it. All of the seams lined up and everything fit real nice. We also installed a small block Chevy in it, but not just any old small block, it's a 350, four-bolt main out of a Corvette.
We now removed everything from the S-10 frame and are now continuing with the customizing portions of the project.
Check out the photos:
New look for the GMC front grill
New rear look as well.
New rear look as well.
Let's not forget the engine.
