1952 Project 1433

[NeoJuice]

Hello Everyone.

I've been a long time lerker here as everyone else starts out. So I decided to start my own build thread to help me along the way with questions and answers I might need from this awesome truck community.

I know there are a couple Edmonton & Alberta guys on the forum which would be cool to connect with. Off the top of my head is "84blaze","Thesilverfox" &
"Dave836"

I purchased the truck on Nov 5, 2016 from a local guy who was working on this truck for what he said was 10 years and just lost interest in building it. I
paid $8000 for the truck which I thought was a fair deal. I'm going to try and keep it a budget build around $10-12K if possible. All I want from this truck
is something cool for cruising around in on nice summer days and to tinker with in the garage.

It was kind of an odd time to be purchasing a truck. We are in the process of building a new house with a 24x24 garage and also on one side it has a tandem. So basically a three car garage which will give me plenty of room for working on the truck. The new house wont be ready until December or January so the truck is sitting in storage until we move into the new house. My wife didn't want it sitting in our existing two car garage as we are trying to sell our existing house. So its currently under a truck cover(came with truck) under partially covered storage until Jan or Feb when I can get it out.

Here are the specs of the truck.

Engine: Fresh rebuilt chevrolet 350 with .030" bore over and mild cam. Has a 700r4 corvette servo, Stage 2 shift kit, Beast sun shell 3000 Stall converter &
B&M Unimatic Shifter.

Body: 1953 Chevrolet 1 ton model 1433 sitting on a original 1/2 ton sand blasted and painted frame. The cab has no rust or rot and a solid floor with no
holes (except factory floor holes) with some really nice exterior patina. It has a nicely matched patina GMC box on it & Auto Meter Gauges inside the truck.

Suspension: Total Cost Involved Coil-Spring Mustang II front suspension in the front w/manual steering rack with a underfloor mounted break booster. A Total Cost Involved Parabolic Leaf Spring Rear Suspension in the rear. The seller said it has a 77 Trans AM posi rear end with disk breaks but I'm pretty sure it's a 79(Still trying to find more details on that once i get the truck in it's new home).

This is a rough mental checklist I'm creating before I can actually get it into my new garage and see what else it needs.

-Install TCI front sway bar.
-Install Drive Shaft (previous owner is finding me one)
-Install other drivers side rear shock (I have it)
-Rear disk break parts on Trans Am Posi Rear End(calipers/pads/rotors etc etc)
-Rear break lines run to master cylinder.
-Front break hoses/lines.
-Parking break cables (hope to connect to floor OEM pedal in cab)
-Minor wiring (headlight, alternator, electric fan)
-Proper floor mount & hook up steering linkage & column. (Still have to figure this out, might change it out for an ididit column, I also have multiple
universal joints and rods for the steering that came with the truck).
-Find original bench seat & frame if possible
-Purchase Fuel gauge and wire it up to behind seat tank.
-Install Seat belts
-Cut larger hole in floor for break pedal.
-Remove & sell the Tri-Power setup w/braided gas lines & fuel log
-Sell the additional Holley manifold and edelbrock carburetor which came with the truck for a more reliable 350 manifold and new carburetor. (might just
a rebuild kit for the edelbrok not sure yet)
-Exhaust system
-Swap out painted grill for original chrome rusted patina grill. Possibly sell the grill that's currently installed in the truck
-Sell additional front bumper splash apron.
-Get Chevrolet tailgate and sell GMC tailgate(possibly)
-Get a proper Gas pedal and linkage to Carb.
-Sell the rims & tires to get something a little better. Tires are apparently brand new.

So here are the pictures. I'm dying because I want to start work on it but I have to wait until the new year. I'm probably going to have tons of questions
during this build so I hope it can also help others out as well. Also there might be a bit of delay in posts since I'm not starting on this project until the new year.

Thank you for reading my post.

[lv2tri2]

That is beautiful, you did good.

[fisherman420]

You've got a good head start, stance looks good!

[Zoomin]

Why are you pitching the 3 carb setup?

Truck looks like a great start for your plans.

[NeoJuice]

Originally Posted by lv2tri2

That is beautiful, you did good.

Thank you.

[NeoJuice]

Originally Posted by fisherman420

You've got a good head start, stance looks good!

The stance might change a little since the suspension isn't even broken in yet and settled. So it might turn out to be a little lower which I want. Might even add some blocks to the rear to lower it a little more. Once I get some miles on it I'll see how the stance is.

[northern 49]

I'd say that's a pretty good buy. I looked at that truck several times on kijiji. I kinda wish I could have bought it but I don't have room for two. I am also in Alberta, down in Medicine Hat. I will be fallowing along for sure.

[NeoJuice]

Originally Posted by Zoomin

Why are you pitching the 3 carb setup?

Truck looks like a great start for your plans.

I'm ditching the 3 carb setup because the previous owner put all three of the same carbs on the engine and it doesn't run properly. The two outer carbs are not the proper carbs and would need to be rebuilt properly. See attached links.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Roches...age,41655.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF6AGb9glSs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylgbfNPBp-4

Since this is a budget build it would be easier to swap the manifold and put on a 4 barrel carb then to spend all that money on trying to fix the tri-power. I want something turn key and reliable. I'm sure if I can sell all the extra parts I should be able to get the needed parts.

To answer your other question. I want a patina rat rod on the outside and the interior will be done and nice on the inside.

Thank you for reading my post.

[NeoJuice]

Originally Posted by northern 49

I'd say that's a pretty good buy. I looked at that truck several times on kijiji. I kinda wish I could have bought it but I don't have room for two. I am also in Alberta, down in Medicine Hat. I will be fallowing along for sure.

Thank you for the following. Like I said I might not be posting to much until me and the wife move into the new house but I cant wait to start working on it.

The thing is with the truck, all the hard work has been done. Its just a lot of little stuff that needs to be scratched off the list. I hope to have it on the road by spring and maybe if I get enough miles on it maybe the radium car show this coming Sept. But that is yet to be determined. I hope to have the support of this great forum and people to help me along the way.

I even had a 220V outlet put in the garage on its own 50AMP breaker for a welder if I need it. At this time I don't have a welder but incase I needed one I have an outlet there.

[jkeating1]

I'm curious--the 1953 Chevy truck order guide lists all the truck model numbers in 3, 4, 5, & 6 thousand series numbers, except for the sedan delivery based on the passenger car chassis. Yours and others I've seen on here have the 1430, or 1433 designation. Is that unique to Canadian-marketed trucks?

[northern 49]

Originally Posted by jkeating1

I'm curious--the 1953 Chevy truck order guide lists all the truck model numbers in 3, 4, 5, & 6 thousand series numbers, except for the sedan delivery based on the passenger car chassis. Yours and others I've seen on here have the 1430, or 1433 designation. Is that unique to Canadian-marketed trucks?

Yes this unique to Canadian models. The 1300 series would be equivalent to the 3100 series in the US. 1400 series to the 4000 series etc. My truck is also a 1433 (one ton cab and chassis single rear wheels) but it is just cab and front clip on a 1300 chassis. The heavier trucks are plentiful here In Alberta and Saskatchewan. I swear every farm had one or more.

[Advanced Design]

Hey Neo, welcome. That is a good looking truck and I too think it was a good buy. Like you said a lot of the hard work is done.

Good luck with the move into the new house. I will be tagging along for updates.

[NeoJuice]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Hey Neo, welcome. That is a good looking truck and I too think it was a good buy. Like you said a lot of the hard work is done.

Good luck with the move into the new house. I will be tagging along for updates.

Thank you. I hope to have the truck in my new garage by end of January or beginning of Feb. My storage is only until Feb 5th so I hope I don't have to extend it any further then that.

[NeoJuice]

Originally Posted by northern 49

Yes this unique to Canadian models. The 1300 series would be equivalent to the 3100 series in the US. 1400 series to the 4000 series etc. My truck is also a 1433 (one ton cab and chassis single rear wheels) but it is just cab and front clip on a 1300 chassis. The heavier trucks are plentiful here In Alberta and Saskatchewan. I swear every farm had one or more.

Great answer Northern 49. I was wondering that myself because I was trying to google the model numbers of the trucks. I still need to find out information for

Engine
TRIM
Body serial
Paint.

My model is 1433 but I couldn't find any other details.

[jkeating1]

This is the US '53 Order Guide. If the 1400 Canadian series crosses directly with the 4000 US version, this should give you all the info.

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/doc...olet-Truck.pdf

[NeoJuice]

Originally Posted by jkeating1

This is the US '53 Order Guide. If the 1400 Canadian series crosses directly with the 4000 US version, this should give you all the info.

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/doc...olet-Truck.pdf

Thank you for the information. I believe I've looked at this guide before but didn't find any information in there from my VIN.

[jkeating1]

I didn't think about referencing it by VIN, but I doubt that Chevrolet Central Office was computerized to the extent that production options, paint codes, and so forth for a 1953 vehicle would be in a database.

If you do find it, be sure to post the source. I could use that!

[NeoJuice]

Here are some of the numbers off my VIN tag.

TRIM - 394
PAINT - 234
Body Serial - 315
Engine - XC544984

[STOCKISH]

Awesome truck man, looks like a killer start!

[jkeating1]

This is a nice puzzle! There should be a serial number located on the left front body hinge pillar with 10 digits (a letter, 2 numbers, a letter, 6 numbers. The engine number should have 7 digits (3 letters-4 numbers).

As far as the trim code and paint code, I don't have the codes assigned to them, only the available color choices. Just looking at the firewall and what paint is left on the cab etc, I would say it was built Jet Black, which would have had an Argent Silver pinstripe. Of course, the GMC bed was blue apparently.

[NeoJuice]

Originally Posted by STOCKISH

Awesome truck man, looks like a killer start!

Thank you.

[NeoJuice]

Originally Posted by jkeating1

This is a nice puzzle! There should be a serial number located on the left front body hinge pillar with 10 digits (a letter, 2 numbers, a letter, 6 numbers. The engine number should have 7 digits (3 letters-4 numbers).

As far as the trim code and paint code, I don't have the codes assigned to them, only the available color choices. Just looking at the firewall and what paint is left on the cab etc, I would say it was built Jet Black, which would have had an Argent Silver pinstripe. Of course, the GMC bed was blue apparently.

On the VIN tag were I posted the other information above I looked at my 10 digit serial number its all numbers, it has no letters LOL. Engine code is listed above.

Ya looking at the pictures closer, you are probably right that the truck was black which has turned into a bluey green on the cab to match the blue/green GMC box. Its hard to remember because it's sitting covered up in storage and just going by looking at the pictures.

[jkeating1]

My bad--that was the US serial number protocol. Yours is probably:
3--indicating 1953
1--indicating Chevrolet
4--indicating 1430
2--indicating 125 1/4" wheelbase (or 3 if it was 137"; 4 if 161")
3--indicating "cab" (as opposed to panel, suburban, or specialty eq)
The remaining numbers are the production line sequence of the truck

[NeoJuice]

Originally Posted by jkeating1

My bad--that was the US serial number protocol. Yours is probably:
3--indicating 1953
1--indicating Chevrolet
4--indicating 1430
2--indicating 125 1/4" wheelbase (or 3 if it was 137"; 4 if 161")
3--indicating "cab" (as opposed to panel, suburban, or specialty eq)
The remaining numbers are the production line sequence of the truck

Now this is interesting. My serial number starts with 21433. So that means it was a 52 Chevrolet, 1430 series, 137" wheel base, with a truck cab. I was told it was a 53 and the bill of sale says 53. I believe it hasn't been registered at all or in a forever timeline so I should be good there I hope.

[jkeating1]

It does seem to be a '52 cab and clip. The '53 designation by the previous owner may have originated from the year of the frame, if he knew it to be from a '53.

Prior to 1980 there was little or no VIN standardization, so I doubt that the registration office would even know if it was supposed to be a '52 or '53. If it was mine, I would attempt to make the registration concur with the number on the plate on the cab. (by the way--please double check the information I posted as far as what the year model is. I believe it was a credible source, but cross-check me on that).