Rusty Fifty One

…this bad boy has gotta be worth 45-50 easy! That’s mirror polished folks.

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Progress:

The other day I was laying on the sofa sipping my post-op milkshake (periodontal surgery), half-assedly watching Last of the Mohicans and thinking about how my birthday is coming up. While drifting in and out of a hazy pill induced slumber I thought to myself… I work hard dammit! I deserve something nice! Suddenly, fully alert, I hopped on everyone’s favorite auction site and purchased an NOS cast aluminum Thickstun valve cover I’d been watching for the past week.

Fast forward a few days…
Headed out to install the raw aluminum cover, get everything pulled apart and I think to myself, “Gee, this is gonna be a bitch to clean when it gets all grimy and starts oxidizing. I should probably paint it.” So, I head back in.

The day wasn’t a total loss. Managed to install the Brake Release handle grommet.

Scored an old three wire DixCo tachometer on the ’47-55 AD Tech and Swap Meet fb page. Works great! Took it apart to clean it up and change the bulb color from green to white/clear.

Finally got the harness! Ordered it on Monday got here on Wednesday. Realized it was the wrong one, called Wednesday evening and a new one was at my door by this (Friday) afternoon.
Classic Parts in KCMO is tops in my book! “Happy Truckin’!”

Got the buckets off ebay.

Also got these little guys from the ebay too. No more forgetting!

I’m a sucker for old hand painted illustration/advertising work. As such, I tend to collect the stuff. So, I picked up some maps and other literature from around ’51.

One day I’ll get a Rt.66 road trip in.

Original 1951 Chevrolet Advanced Design Truck brochure.

Thinking ahead, summer is around the corner … So I picked up 1940-50’s Trico vacuum powered, twin blade, column mounted defog/cooling fan. …and another for a NOS Trico fan thats missing its cage.

Come spring, with all the parts I have sitting around, this truck is gonna get decked the f out!

Also got a NOS Service Record/Travel Log clip on mirror.

And found, in a box of stuff in the spare room, a 6v spotlight given to me by my former father in-law. Turns out this exact type (mine is sans the GM stamp on the handle) was offered as an accessory by dealers in the 50’s.

Its fun collecting period correct accessories but I gotta get the damn thing running and lowered asap.

Its a 1921 Protex “stop” lamp. Thought since the ol’ girl’s 6v tail lamps were so dim I should add a third brake light. It’ll get mounted in the back window off to one side or the other, not sure which yet tho. …D side probably. Need to repaint the inset area black.

Found a ’50s rear window gun rack for the vintage Derrell Strawberry Louisville Slugger that I picked up a couple weeks ago. Holes were already drilled into the inner skin around the back window so I figured, whynot.

Got a bunch of new toys in the mail over the past couple weeks.

Vintage porcelain bobble hula girl
NOS Airway illuminated compass
NOS bumpers + stainless domed bolt kit
Mint Guide 7″ yellow lens fog lamps + NOS “Fog Lite” switch
Repop Guide tail lamps
Repop Stop-Ray tail lamp brackets
’50s external sun visor
“Sleepy” Headlight visors
Speedo and Combination meter rebuild kit
Rebuilt 1bbl Rochester B carburetor
A pile of random gaskets, seals and stainless hardware

^ Notice the difference in the lenses. I went with the plastic lens on the new tail lights because they appear to let more light pass through where as the original glass lenses seem more opaque. The new lamps also take a 21cp Stop bulb instead of the original 6cp bulb.

Factory service and assembly manuals ordered.