welcome aboard! yer truck looks like a good driver as is. Enjoy it for all it is worth.

 

Thanks to all for the welcome aboard. The engine currently runs well and if I can get the overdrive working I think I'll stick with this engine and drive train for the time being. I'm in awe of the work many of you have done on your trucks and want to think long and hard before making any major changes to this truck. I have a '47 Dump Truck I used around my property for five years, then decided to do a full restoration- it's still in pieces, so I want to build some body work skills on that before starting on the '55.
-Bert

 

Welcome to the board; Looks like a very nice truck.

 

The brackets for these seem to hold up fine. This one does have a backing plate in the bed that isn't original. I had the same type on a '46 that had lasted all these years and was solid.
Also this is only holding an old 6.00 x 16 spare- pretty light. I think I have an old Firestone town & country 6.50 x 16 buried somewhere that will look nice on there if it isn't rotten. It was an original spare off an old truck we had and was never used.
-Bert

 

very nice ride and welcome to the addict help center ... where we will be your enablers for your addiction !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Really nice truck!

I don't know about the mid-50's, but on the Bonus Built trucks the webbing used between panels was a major source of rust. After it dried out it would wick moisture into the seams and hold it. If you take off your panels, clean to bare metal and get a good coating of paint on them in that area, and seal it up as best you can, it will last.