Unending patience

[mcdarrunt]

A young man brought a truck by the shop to be clear coated over the original company paint scheme. It was unusual in having a Duramax diesel in an AD but we see engine swaps of every description so that didn't grab my attention. What DID impress me was he said when he started to remove the three layers of paint he spotted the "Coca-Cola" lettering and wanted to save it if possible. He the switched to EIGHT HUNDRED grit and sanded or better yet, WORE off the three layers of paint. Said each door took 20 hours to preserve the Coke script. Not me!

 

 

[TerryB]

Ah youth!  We loose patience as we age.  Nice save of original paint.

[Restorer32]

Saved the paint, screwed up the rest of the truck.

[TerryB]

Like I said, youth!  

[JACK M]

Clear coat over patina?

A complete waste of time in my opinion.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

1 hour ago, Restorer32 said:

Saved the paint, screwed up the rest of the truck.

 

 You don't know that!  Might have been a cab only. Rest of the original MIGHT have been gone. In which case a transplant onto what ever was available. A very usable work truck.

 

  Ben

[capngrog]

2 hours ago, Restorer32 said:

Saved the paint, screwed up the rest of the truck.

 

I dunno, I like the truck (my opinion).  Of the few details we can see in the photos, the work, in the engine compartment for example, seems to be done quite well.

 

Cheers,

Grog

[auburnseeker]

I'm sure it isn't the last remaining original 3600 54 or 55 Chevy out there that it was built from.  As a 3600 there was little chance of it being restored anyways. 

Edited July 9, 2018 by auburnseeker (see edit history)

[R W Burgess]

Hot rodders, they do things differently and enjoy it. ?

[Matt Harwood]

Put me in the "like it" column. That truck is getting used and driven and seen. In stock form, it would be worth virtually nothing and nobody would ever undertake a restoration. Instead, there's a cool old truck running around being a truck and I'd guess that in its current form, it's worth more than if it still had a Stovebolt in it with gears that only permit a maximum speed of 28 MPH. That truck will attract more attention than a restored one just about anywhere.

[1912Staver]

I doubt there is much 1954 left other than the cab and front clip. Looks like a much later chassis , probably including frame. Nothing wrong with that, but at what point does it cease being a 1954 Chevy and become a 1998 or so Chevy 1 ton with a transplanted / backdated body?

 

Greg in Canada

Edited July 9, 2018 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[John S.]

In reading the comments on this young man's truck, it's funny, to think that we often  worry about the  direction  of the hobby. for the future, and when a car or truck like this comes along, out come the complaints, and and shaking of fist, on how could he do this to this truck!!!!  Well, I really appreciate what this fellow has done with his Chevy. He took a truck, that probably nobody wanted and got it back on the road, and is having fun to boot. He put his heart and soul into it, and I think it's great. The sad part is that if he gets negative responses, the antique hobby will lose  him forever.  Many members of our hobby , started out as hot rodders, or nosed and decked a car or two. Many members still own hot rods and customs. Go to Hershey, and see all of the rods and customs in the flea market for sale. How many Antique Dealers have Hot Rods, or Customs in their inventory?  Nothing wrong with it. Bring him in, there is  room for everybody.

[1912Staver]

I am not running down what he has done with the truck. If you want something that can be  used on a daily basis this truck is much more versatile than a close to stock 1954 Chevy. However other than appearance related parts most of looks to be  much newer than 1954. 

 

Greg in Canada

[capngrog]

2 hours ago, 1912Staver said:

I doubt there is much 1954 left other than the cab and front clip. Looks like a much later chassis , probably including frame. Nothing wrong with that, but at what point does it cease being a 1954 Chevy and become a 1998 or so Chevy 1 ton with a transplanted / backdated body?

 

Greg in Canada

 

That's a good question.  In the State of Florida, the make, model & year goes with the body of the vehicle.  For example, in the photo below, the grey vehicle in front is titled and registered as a 1952 Crosley pickup truck; however, it is really a 1962 Corvette with a Crosley pickup truck mounted on it.  Of course, the blue vehicle in the photo is a stock 1950 Crosley station wagon.  As can be seen, the pickup truck has strayed far from its Crosley roots.  By the way, although they vary radically in their characteristics, both vehicles are a blast to drive.

 

The photo is attached below.

 

Cheers,

Grog

 

 

 

 

 

[R Walling]

18 hours ago, JACK M said:

Clear coat over patina?

A complete waste of time in my opinion.

 

 Jack, I think that the truck brings back memories and makes me feel good.

 I have many cars, some stock, some modified, they all bring pleasure to many.

Is my 55 Ford a waste of time because I have a 302 in it?

[Restorer32]

Well, he worked hard to save the Coca Cola lettering.  Why?  Did he appreciate the history of the truck as evidenced by that lettering?  Were it mine I would have kept the whole truck as it was but he has every right to do with it as he pleases.  Before he started the truck was, presumably, an interesting example of a period commercial vehicle, underpowered and poorly geared. Now what is it?   A collection of mismatched parts with interesting logos on the doors?  Is it more usable now?  Yes.  Was a small but interesting piece of transportation history destroyed ? Again, yes. Will it be preserved in its current configuration 10, 20, 30 years from now? Unlikely.

[auburnseeker]

I bet if you see what he started with,  It was a farm truck,  as many get repurposed to or a dump truck.  Whatever the original body on the back was probably long gone, I wouldn't be surprised if some other version of the 6 had been transplanted in as the original probably got worn out in the first 10 years of it's life, especially being a delivery truck.  I wouldn't be surprised if the original frame had been cut and shortened.  It had layers of paint over the original he stated so it wasn't a pristine all original beverage truck from the 50's any more or some perfectly preserved fire truck with 10KMI on the clock. 

 

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

17 minutes ago, Restorer32 said:

Well, he worked hard to save the Coca Cola lettering.  Why?  Did he appreciate the history of the truck as evidenced by that lettering?  Were it mine I would have kept the whole truck as it was but he has every right to do with it as he pleases.  Before he started the truck was, presumably, an interesting example of a period commercial vehicle, underpowered and poorly geared. Now what is it?   A collection of mismatched parts with interesting logos on the doors?  Is it more usable now?  Yes.  Was a small but interesting piece of transportation history destroyed ? Again, yes. Will it be preserved in its current configuration 10, 20, 30 years from now? Unlikely.

 

 Believe you are outnumbered on this one, sir. ?

 

  Ben

[padgett]

I appreciate what he did and is every bit a hot/rat rod. Cool piece of history on a more usable chassis. (Of course I was building resto-mods before the term existed).

[Restorer32]

Don't get me wrong. We do a bit of street rod work ourselves. At the moment we are doing a '34 Ford 4 Door that our customer found minus a drive train. Powering it will be a '48 Lincoln 12 with a Wiends blower. It's just that in the case of the truck we are discussing I think it is a shame. You all are assuming the truck was junk when he started. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. As always, just my opinion.

[Graham Man]

I agree the truck was most likely gone from the road forever.  I would like to see him match the back paint to the front of the truck.  Making the new paint look old is not that big of deal, a wood stake bed sides would look great.  The fact he saved the original paint is awesome.  I am not a hot rod fan, but I would stop an look at this truck.

[JACK M]

2 hours ago, Roger Walling said:

 

 Jack, I think that the truck brings back memories and makes me feel good.

 I have many cars, some stock, some modified, they all bring pleasure to many.

Is my 55 Ford a waste of time because I have a 302 in it?

 

Now you are comparing apples to intake manifolds.

 

My point is that I think clear over patina looks tacky to me.

These patinaed vehicles lasted what, 60 years without clear coat. Do you think it is going to make the rig last longer with that stuff over the finish. Not likely.

I see clear coats on practically new vehicles that look like crap. And I doubt putting it over rust is going to last long.

I have many cars and trucks as well, the question you ask is the same as does this Hemi belong in my 28 Dodge?  (nothing to do with the finish of the car).

This original paint car has lasted 90 years so far. I suspect that it will outlast me.

 

Edited July 10, 2018 by JACK M (see edit history)

[JACK M]

19 hours ago, 1912Staver said:

but at what point does it cease being a 1954 Chevy and become a 1998 or so Chevy 1 ton with a transplanted / backdated body?

 

Greg in Canada

 

It was explained to me that the establishment wants the registration to be what the vehicle looks like. This looks like an old Chevy. (and I like it by the way)

This is why the kits these days are registered as say a Model T even though there are no Ford parts on your typical fiberglass Bucket T.

If a cop gets a call to be on the lookout for a 1998 Chev pick up he would not be looking for this one.

 

So, if Grog robs a bank and the cops are on the lookout for his Corvette he may just get away with it.

Edited July 10, 2018 by JACK M (see edit history)

[capngrog]

1 hour ago, JACK M said:

 

Now you are comparing apples to intake manifolds.

 

My point is that I think clear over patina looks tacky to me.

These patinaed vehicles lasted what, 60 years without clear coat. Do you think it is going to make the rig last longer with that stuff over the finish. Not likely.

I see clear coats on practically new vehicles that look like crap. And I doubt putting it over rust is going to last long.

I have many cars and trucks as well, the question you ask is the same as does this Hemi belong in my 28 Dodge?  (nothing to do with the finish of the car).

This original paint car has lasted 90 years so far. I suspect that it will outlast me.

 

 

I agree with you that clear-coating over patina looks tacky; however, "patina" is an on-going natural process and requires many years of 'process' before arriving at it's present state.  It could be more simply put at:  "Rust never sleeps".  The owner of a "clear-over-patina" vehicle may want to drive it extensively (e.g., in the rain) and merely was attempting the arrest or delay the patina process.  I try to avoid rain with my "patinaed" vehicles and have not clear coated them.  I like your '28 Dodge very much (the Hemi looks right at home), but I'm having trouble spotting the "original paint" amongst all of the "patina".

 

Cheers,

Grog

[JACK M]

Easier to see the original paint in these pics.

The SBM idea didn't take long to bore me.

I have a functional windshield wiper. Living in the NW sometimes can offer unpredictable weather and I have had to use it several times.

 

 

[1912Staver]

3 hours ago, JACK M said:

 

It was explained to me that the establishment wants the registration to be what the vehicle looks like. This looks like an old Chevy. (and I like it by the way)

This is why the kits these days are registered as say a Model T even though there are no Ford parts on your typical fiberglass Bucket T.

If a cop gets a call to be on the lookout for a 1998 Chev pick up he would not be looking for this one.

 

So, if Grog robs a bank and the cops are on the lookout for his Corvette he may just get away with it.

I wasn't thinking so much in terms of title/ legal description as in the percentage in a given vehicle of original parts vs more modern substitution.  At what point is it a late 90's truck that looks older from a philosophical point of view. I like the truck in question however I doubt when driving it one has any vestige of a 1954 experience. It essentially is the truck the entire chassis/ running gear is except for the drivers view of the dash and out the windshield. Steering, ride, power delivery, braking, freeway speed , etc are all much more modern.

Greg in Canada

Edited July 10, 2018 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[JACK M]

1 minute ago, 1912Staver said:

I wasn't thinking so much in terms of title/ legal description as in the percentage in a given vehicle of original parts vs more modern substitution.  At what point is a late 90's truck that looks older from a philosophical point of view. I like the truck in question however I doubt when driving it one has any vestige of a 1954 experience. It essentially is the truck the entire chassis/ running gear is except for the drivers view of the dash and out the windshield. Steering, ride, power delivery, braking, freeway speed , etc are all much more modern.

Greg in Canada

 

I understand that and agree.

[R Walling]

JACK M,

 

 I see your point about shiny clear coat. If patina must be cc, a semi gloss finish could be better.

[Doug Novak]

TerryB... when I was 16 my older brother bought a new '66 Chevelle, Blue with the 327ci, Four Speed,  Duals, Bucket Seats and positraction. It was a very fast Chevy that could easily run with the 396 SS Chevelles. When he left for the navy for two year my Brother gave me the keys to the Chevelle. Loved that car, the only one I actually owned that compared was a '95 Z28 6 speed manual, 350.

 

As for 3 speed Manual Transmission problems, I bought new in '72 an AMC Gremlin X V8 with HD Suspension, 3 speed Manual, Posie rear. I ordered it from the factory to race it in Auto Cross in E Stock against the BMW 2002's and kicked their butts. We won 8 First Places and were the e Stock Champ racing in Maryland, Pa. and Virginia. As for the 3 speed Manual I bent the floor shift mechanism from Shifting between 1st and 2nd which meant sliding the shift from bottom left  then to the right in neutral then up to 2nd  on the top right.