The po cut the front of the frame off with a torch so he could install a smooth front valance.
He used the same torch to heat all 4 springs so the truck sat on the bump stops.
And the worst thing he did was install small block chebby
at least he didn't cut the dash with the same torch and install a radio.

 

LOL. My PO welded (more like arced some wire) a big ole' vise to the front frame horn of my 54 and installed green **** carpet in the bed of the truck using liquid nail.

 

My grandfather welded the running boards to the fenders..... He also welded the steering box to the frame. I guess that keeps everything tight and keeps the rattles away.

 

sometimes i think the worst thing the p.o. did is SELL ME THE TRUCK! its in pieces all over my pole barn and all my other cars and trucks are outside in the great north east winter.......but, it sure looks good, my mind goes crazy when i look at it and marvel over the possibilities. changed my mind a hundred times and then changed it back....i love it thanks p.o.!!!

 

I guess the absolute worst thing the PO did to my truck was to buy it in the first place. Most here would say that the worst my PO did was install a SBC and tranny. But the worst was the way he installed it. He took a piece of 1/4" steel and cut a crescent shaped profile out and welded it to the frame rails, then drilled two holes and hard-bolted it to the front of the block. After hacking the original crossmember for the trans, he took a straight piece of the same 1/4" steel, 2" wide, and drilled one hole for one bolt in the trans tail and laid it in the bottom of the frame rail. NO welds and NO bolts. It was just sitting there. And he welded a massive bumper on the back with diagonal pieces of angle iron welded to the back rail of the bed and down to the bumper. He drilled the hole for the trailer hitch about 2" off center. The wiring was something similar to spaghetti with no fuses and toggle switches that he must have found in the garbage. I have just discovered that he must have been mad one day and he destroyed the window regulator on the drivers side - I guess that is why there was no glass in it. All the bolts are gone and it is bent badly. I think I will just go ahead and put electric windows with one piece glass from Classic Haulers - they have a bolt in unit for F1's. He also covered up 6" holes in the upper front fenders where they meet the lowers with 1/2" of fiberglass and bondo.

 

Topmoo, Your transmission crossmember sounds like the one that was in my 50 when I bought it. Just a piece of 1/4 inch bent steel with holes drilled for the tailpiece and the frame rails. The bolts almost completely cut themselves out of the frame rails because the transmission bounced up and down. And, needless to say, the pinion angle changed from bump to bump in the road. This was probably the worst thing the PO did to my 50. The homeade steel metal platform that he made for a power steering rack gets an honorable mention.

 

Where do I start!! First, he welded the mustang II crossmember in backwards, the motor mounts were cold welded so no penetration, the brake lines were compression fittings, (what i was told they only go to 200psi, brake lines go up to alot more) transmission crossmember is bolted to brake booster bracket, didn't have strut rods on the mustang II stock front suspension,

 

My PO absolute worst thing had to be his capability on judging rust. Like a fool I got my truck on e-bay, talked to the owner on the phone three times before purchasing and his main comment when asked if the truck has any rust issues was some surface rust. Well the fenders, doors, bed and tail gate were unusable. Even the cab I had to replace the front floor, firewall, inner and outer rear lower corners, the center floor brace and one rocker panel.

 

Most of the wiring in my truck was lamp cord! Two conductor, brown and what wasn't was red. The dash lights were controlled by a wall switch.
The body work was done with bondo and window screen.
I rewired the truck last spring and once I get the use of my left hand back (thumb fusion) I hope to start to correct some of the body work.
Lately I just sit and stare at my cast and think I will never get into the garage again.

 

Somebody had bolted in a Volare clip with four 3/8 bolts and a few 1/8" L brackets. She had a bit of "squirm" to her if you shook the front fender. I didn't dare try to drive it.

There was the matter of the SBC engine, but I quickly found somebody to buy it. Buyer removed it so I didn't even get any Chevy cooties on my hands.

 

The PO of my 53 raised the front end, chopped the spring hangers off, rolled a Volare front end (complete with a 318 and 727 trans) under the truck and cut holes in the frame rails to drop 4 bolts through. The upper A-arms weren't attached to anything but the ball joints and they drove the truck like that I drove it as far as onto the trailer for the ride home and off
They had also cut holes in the firewall to install the hanging pedals, brake booster and steering column from the same Volare. The steering column drop was 2 pieces of water pipe and some all thread , you could swing the column from side to side at least 4'' All of the cutting was done with a gas ax, better known as a torch

 

Hey teardropty I will have you know that liquid nails is wonderful product .

 

Nice job of documenting Doc, I never did take a picture of any of the idiotic things my PO did. I wish that I had...

 

Yes Allan, it is a wonderful product but not when you are scraping **** carpet and liquid nail off bed metal. lol I didn't even mention the expanding foam holding the cab corners in place WITH chicken wire shoved into it for "structural" integrity. What made me laugh was that the PO told me it was worth an extra $500 for all the "body work" he had done to it. I would have rather had rust holes than scraping foam from the corners.

 

Well, the only thing I know about it is not driving it for 4 years.