T.C.
Contributor
Hello all,
So, I'll start off here. Way back in the 70's some guy in South Dakota bought a used '58 Dodge, drove it to Ft. Carson, met a girl, drove them both back to SD after getting married, and parked his great truck in a garage because he needed a family car, because he had a son on the way. Fast forward 30 years or so, and that truck is there as my parents prepare to move.
I don't want to see it sold. I think it has great potential to be restored. It's a great truck, allegedly still runs, and besides some rust and apparently a cracked frame my dad fish-plated together with 1/4" steel (which to me seems like a fix that'll outlast the frame), it seems in good shape.
But hey; what do I know. I'm not a car guy. I'm not much of a mechanic unless it's a cranky M1 tank. But I know hand tools, and how to bonk myself on the head with a crescent wrench (and more importantly how to select the right tool to avoid head-bonking).
So my questions: How easy are these trucks to fix and restore? Pretty expensive? Best left to professionals? I don't have a garage, as the Army likes to make me move. I don't know what could be wrong with it; what are some common problems? I know that paint and upholstery is something I'd have to have done, but what are the possibilities in your all's collective wisdom of working on this myself? I know nothing about restoring vehicles- but I do learn quick.
I'm open to any questions, sadly I don't have pictures. What's your recommendation?
Thanks for your time!
So, I'll start off here. Way back in the 70's some guy in South Dakota bought a used '58 Dodge, drove it to Ft. Carson, met a girl, drove them both back to SD after getting married, and parked his great truck in a garage because he needed a family car, because he had a son on the way. Fast forward 30 years or so, and that truck is there as my parents prepare to move.
I don't want to see it sold. I think it has great potential to be restored. It's a great truck, allegedly still runs, and besides some rust and apparently a cracked frame my dad fish-plated together with 1/4" steel (which to me seems like a fix that'll outlast the frame), it seems in good shape.
But hey; what do I know. I'm not a car guy. I'm not much of a mechanic unless it's a cranky M1 tank. But I know hand tools, and how to bonk myself on the head with a crescent wrench (and more importantly how to select the right tool to avoid head-bonking).
So my questions: How easy are these trucks to fix and restore? Pretty expensive? Best left to professionals? I don't have a garage, as the Army likes to make me move. I don't know what could be wrong with it; what are some common problems? I know that paint and upholstery is something I'd have to have done, but what are the possibilities in your all's collective wisdom of working on this myself? I know nothing about restoring vehicles- but I do learn quick.
I'm open to any questions, sadly I don't have pictures. What's your recommendation?
Thanks for your time!