Hey Christian,
I'd go for it. In fact, if you decide you don't want it...
>Might this be a 3/4 or one ton?
If it's the same length as your 3100 (116" wheelbase), it's a 3105 (1/2 ton).
If it's longer (126 1/16" wheelbase), it's a 3805 (1 ton). Or so says the
'53 restoration package.
>am I going to have some extraordinary problems finding parts and such?
With a few notable exceptions, no. The panels share sheet metal from the
seats foreward with the pickups, they use the same frames, drivelines,
running boards, gas tanks (same as 47-48 pickups), bumpers (the panel's back
bumper is the same as the front bumper), suspension, etc.
Additionally, many panel/burb specific parts are available as repros from
vendors: Bed Wood Kits, Bed Skid Strips, Cab Mount Kits, Cab to Running Board
Seals, Barn Door Seals & Hinge Seals, Headliners, Interior Cardboard Panels,
Cargo Area Oak Rails, Rear Fenders (fiberglass only, about $400 a pair),
Taillight Bracket (about $115), Taillight Lens & gaskets (they were shared
with the larger commercial trucks), Rear Valence (the metal piece between the
body & rear bumper, fiberglass, about $100), Upholstery, and rubber kits for
the barn door windows.
There are however some items a little (read extremely) more difficult to come
by: The metal part of floor under the barn doors (some guy has been haunting
the old truck pages for months looking unsuccesfully for one of these), the
curved glass for the barn doors, the barn doors themselves (about $400 apiece
in good condition when you can find them), the optional rear turn indicator
lights (they were the same as the '39 car taillights, I haven't been able to
find any), patch panels for the metal behind the rear fenders (nobody makes
them), and the optional fender speed strip trim has been mostly been snapped
up. Oh, and original seats aren't as plentiful as one would like, though a
lot of folks are happy with newer seats.
So take a good look at the rear of the panel, 'cause that's going to be the
hardest stuff to find. Check out to see if the sway bar is still there on
the front axle. A lot of them have been swiped for use on pickups, which
didn't come with them. If gone, after market sway bar kits are available.
If there's anything I've left out or got completely wrong, hopefully someone
else will jump in and correct me.
If you go ahead and get it, let me know.
Barrett Revis
Sparks, NV
'53 3105
'48 3105
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