I saw a stock bench seat, at least the seat part, standing on end outside the cab in the second picture.

 

I think you have to answer some questions first. What are my skills like? do i have the tools ,welder grinders etc. Will i tire of working on this a year from now? do I have a son of age that would want to bond with his dad over this truck? If you feel you are missing a passion in your life this just might be the boost you needed.

 

It's an early - mid 70's 472 or 500 Caddy.

 

Here is what mine looked like before I started. I was looking for a shop to have the metal work done, but was convinced by members of this forum to do the work myself.





It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be!

 

I started with a truck about that shape. It was a 5 year project that I enjoyed immensely. If I had the energy and the time I'd do it again but arthritis and old age has done me in...

 

Many personal questions and goals to answer first but I ( with 30+years of autobody ) am amazed at what some on here have tackled and done well at with the vast amount of help and encouragement found on here . Your truck is in far nicer shape than lots so if you feel it's too much for you I have no doubt that some one would be overjoyed to have such a solid start and you would still have the satisfaction of knowing that you did save it .

 

You have a truck that appears to have a body in better shape than my 1956 F500 when I got it. I had gaping holes all over! My floor was collapsed, both doors rotted out, both cowl panels rotted out, both interior and exterior fenders shot, hood shoot, roof shot and both rear corners shot. If your motor is indeed seized then a replacement Y-Block should only be a few hundred on craigslist. If you're lucky you might find one attached to a good transmission. I spent $5200 in parts on my truck (the tires alone were $1500) and one year of calculated, hard labor to finish my project. You CAN get this truck on the road and absolutely love it for about the same if you are diligent and practice patience. Not to toot my own horn but I am proof of that.

Before and after:

 

If it has a title, keep it, build it, love it, drive it, and enjoy the process you will not be disappointed. looks as sound as most new projects. Oh yeah, welcome to FTE the best darn site on the web when it comes to these old beauties and us old guys that bring them back to life (some better than others) but they are all very nice eager to help kind of guys.

 

I would not build it (I say that in jest anymore I like them running and do little things to them) . I say that since I am older now ten years ago I started one like that and it was fun. The first thing that I would do is dismantle it and have it blasted then you can tell if it is what you want to tackle. Its the trip not the destination .Good Luck on what ever you decide. I love what these guys do on here It is nice to read and look.

 

As already stated the truck looks to be in solid condition. Do an inventory on what you don't have, then put a cost to acquire the parts in order to get it road worthy.

I think the key is whether you have the "passion" to see it running. I know I enjoyed every challenge I encountered to get mine on the road. There is definitely more info on this site than you will need to complete the project. It took me 8 1/2 years to get mine on the road but this site is the place to be if you are looking for enablers.

Its only money and time.

 

Looks solid for something sitting outdoors untouched for years. At least I don't see any rust through in the pictures. I think if you got it to the stage of media blasted to remove all the rust and sealed with something like an epoxy primer it would seem like a completely different truck and not seem so daunting of a task. You have to break projects like these down into stages. It will get overwhelming if all you see is the entire truck to be restored instead of individual parts or subassemblies of it.

From the looks of the area you won't have to worry about neighbors complaining of paint odors or overspray.

 

If you choose to build this beautiful truck your all ready ahead. Looks pretty solid when cleaned up. It'll make you happy and keep you busy.

 

I agree . . . that truck looks restorable to me. Better than some that we have seen. Will the engine turn by hand? It all depends upon your levels of skill and desire.

I'm not sure what parts you priced out but I don't think that there is much difference in parts prices. Also I would think that the '75 has more parts. Obtaining the parts you need for you '53 is not difficult but the best sources are on the web for most parts not local parts stores..

 

You could just try what was said earlier and do a little work yourself for a dirty daily, but it won't win shows--or your wifes heart.

 

Your '53 isn't a whole lot worse than my '56 was. Just about everything on mine had some sort of dent or rust spot in it except the hood & the bed. And with a little patience and of course a lot of elbow grease, anything's possible. Since August, I've found 3 good rust free fenders, one door and a better cab for less than $1000 combined on Craigslist or in one of the nearby small towns. And there is no way I'll have $25K to $30K in it unless I have someone else do all the work & I feel there's no need to spend $10K on a paint job when Maaco will do it nice for $1500 as I'm doing this for me and not to win any trophies.