Rusty Fifty One

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.

Finally got out and started gutting the cab of superfluous wiring and whatnot, and decided to take a stab at fixing the speedometer after pulling the dead AM radio. It’s a frickin 60 year old, brittle, cloth covered rats nest under the dash.

Looks like theres more body rot than I first suspected … In addition to the inner and outer cowls, and the inner and outter cab corners, it looks like I’ll probably have replace /patch both sides of the floor and the and the cowl to cowl plates below the door hinges.
I’m torn at this point… not sure if I should gut it and begin a full restoration or just get it cleaned out and keep it running, replacing only what really needs replacing.
I’m leaning toward the latter just because I’d like to use it for a few years til I put it outta commission for up to several years while it’s undergoing a full restoration.

Thought this was kinda cool … its the date that’s stamped in the back of the speedometer.

There’s no VIN on the truck, didn’t have em back then unless your particular state issued a series, but the body number says my truck came from the St. Louis plant and rolled off the line in August of 1951.

Also took some BlueMagic chrome polish to the dash paint. I figured it was a mild enough abrasive/polish that it might just work to get the rust/oxidation/60yrs of dust off … it did.
I also bleached the last 60 years of ass grime outta the vinyl seat cover and fixed the speedometer. It works but the needle was dry and warped and the tip broke off, so I ordered a load of parts to refinish the gauges.

…and while I was ordering those parts, I came across a matching 1947-51 oil bath air cleaner that I’m going to gut so I can run a paper or oiled fiber filter (K&N) but keep the original look. There’s nothing wrong with the one I have now but I think oil vapor gets sucked into the engine and causes it to smoke when it idles.