my new truck is here

[Ron 1]

  my truck arrived 2/24/11 
i bought it off the inter net from  Montana and had it shipped to michigan
it is a 1953 willys pick up  three speed trans (stick) 4 cyl. 134 hurricane motor   and it has some rust
but for a 57 year old truck this is a real gem   i am not good with the computer thing so i will have jane post pics. i am not sure of the restore yet as to what motor it will get or keep the 134 or 327 chevy    i might do a spring over conversion  and 35 in. tire or just leave it stock and go show truck  it is going to be drove that is all i know at this point.
there are many dents and some bent up fenders  but the good thing is that back then the trucks were built with real metal i believe that i can straighten must if not all of the metal parts 
all fenders and body pannels are bolted on and the bolts are really in good shape  i can not beleive that the lack of salt from the winter months  has treated this ol truck so good

[Lloyd Smale]

now thats a cool truck! I guess if it were mine as much as it would be fun with a chev motor or better yet putting the whole thing on something like a blazer chassis id have to restore it as is. There aint many of them around anymore and to find a solid one like that is sure rare and what youd loose in fun factor would be more then made up in cool factor having it original. I still remembe when i was young a buddys dad bought him a real nice one for a first vehicle. It was comical as he put an radio and 8 track player in it and going down the road the tire and gear wine made it impossible he hear it even cranked up. His had a flat head 6cly in it and wide open going down the road 60mph was about it But it sure was an animal in the woods. Thanks for the trip down memory lane and good luck with the project.

[Ron 1]

well the last 12 years that the truck has sat did not do it any favors the motor is froze solid
the pistons are marked .060 so it has been rebuilt at some point  i cleaned about 1 cup of rust and scale  out of each  the cylinders  and it is soaking i have it in my mind that it is going to be put back to a stock truck  now to get the oil pan off and see if i can drive the pistons up and out.  i wire brushed the upper cylinders and believe it or not they cleaned up good i can not find any pitting that i can snag with my finger nail. as long as the crank is good  she can be saved and will run again
as far as the bent up fenders a small bottle jack some steel plate and a 3# hammer and a come a long the metal is forming back to its original shape(they sure used good metal back then) it is some thick stuff and hard to form but i am sure it will be worth it in the end. in one of my jeep parts books i see that i can still get every part in the motor but the crank but that can be turned if not real bad there is oil in the pan so i am hopping it to can be saved
i had a thought of a cool paint job for it lightly sand and 3-4 coats of clear  and let her age show.
but i have to much welding to do on the body to do that so it will probably be the original green
any input or ideas? the tires will be 31 in. ground hogs something with some real tread.                  rw                                                                                         

[Ron 1]

  the 8# hammer a peace of oak limb wood    ok two peaces   the pistons are out
now if i can just get the rings loose    man  i gotta get some pics of this ... any one seen
a crank that old the weight part is bolted on to the crank shaft..

i want to drive this truck this year..    the 4th of july  that would be cool..
  maybe even possible 
      oh and any thought on a good set of buckets chrysler/gmc/or even ford seats  if they are comfy       
               rw   

[Ron 1]

  well the block to the 134 is junk there is some pitting in the no.2 cyl that is bad enough that the rings catch in them and will probably break the rings. i am looking for another 134 hurricane motor
if i do not find one i will have no choice but to do the 327 
rw

[Buckskins & Black Powder]

my brother had a '59

Keep it original. That 4cyl may not have the horse powder but you throw it into low and that mother will climb a mountain darn near straight up.

Just have the block sleeved, its no biggy.

[Bugflipper]

Nice truck there Ron. You may want to look into electrolysis. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8vT2mdXBs8&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBPGn595goY Will save you a ton just reusing the old parts that would have had to been thrown away. I redo 60's scouts and can get them back to original with very little money using it. I have done blocks with it as well.
To get those stubborn bolts to break loose try half auto tranny fluid to half mineral spirits in a squirt bottle. Much cheaper and better than the liquid wrench stuff you buy at the store.

[Winter Hawk]

Rust Buster for those frozen nuts & bolts.  It's available at A/C & refrigeration supply houses, also on line if you Google it.  It's truly amazing stuff.  Just a drop and wait a minute, then be prepared to be amazed!

-WH-

[ratdog]

nice prodject i have seen a few around here. i was at the car wash a while back a guy pulled up in a 47 willy's restored pretty dam neat good luck finding parts fun.