Customize a '57 Chevy Pickup
Customizing a classic old car or truck is a fantasy that many people of all ages entertain. The biggest question is what make and model of vehicle would you undertake? A popular choice for many auto enthusiasts is the '57 Chevy pickup. Combining the availability of reasonably priced older pickups with the ease of customizing makes the '57 Chevy pickup a great project choice. Aftermarket parts availability helps to create the popularity of this choice for customization.
Steps
- Look around for examples of classic trucks that have been customized. These range from full restorations to a full-blown custom hot rod with a 400 cubic inch engine and a 6-speed transmission, complete with a wild paint job. Decide how you want to customize your '57 Chevy truck.
- Decide how much work you want to put into it and the amount of time and money you are willing to invest. Take a serious look at the tools you have and realize you will need more than just an adjustable wrench and a screwdriver.
- You will need a wide assortment of wrenches, sockets, ratchets, air tools such as impact ratchets, and grinders along with jack stands and a floor jack that will support the truck. The more work on customization of the '57 Chevy Truck you undertake, the more specialized tools you will need.
- You will need space in a garage to store your tools and safely store the truck while you are working on it or waiting for parts.
- Fix the basic mechanical issues the truck may have. Perform upgrades and improvements that are necessary, such as fixing the brakes, upgrading the engine, realigning the front end, fixing the power steering and updating electronics.
- Repair body damage to get it ready for a customized paint job. You can chop the roof line down or lower the body, French-in the tail lights or even turn the front clip, hood and fenders into a full-tilt assembly.
- Paint the '57 Chevy truck the way you envision it to look best. Let it express your personality.
- Work on the interior once the paint work has been done. Replace the trim, carpet, bench or bucket seats and decide if you want leather, cloth or even a combination of the 2.
Tips
- With the nature of today's modern auto paints, it is best to have a professional do the custom paint job.
- The '55 to '59 Chevy truck came with a painted wood bed. The bed is easily replaceable with a stained and varnished oak bed and adds a classy look to the truck.
- Find and join a classic car club that is dedicated to your make and model of truck. You will find help in what works and what doesn't when customizing and rebuilding your '57 Chevy truck. This networking is also a great source for parts.
- You can get body, mechanical and electrical parts that are factory original, new aftermarket and used or rebuilt from parts suppliers dedicated to your make and model of truck. It pays to get on their mailing lists.
Warnings
- The '55 to '59 Chevy truck came with the fuel tank mounted inside the cab with the passengers. For safety reasons, it is best to relocate the fuel tank to an aftermarket fuel cell that fits between the axles of the truck. This is where they are mounted in modern trucks.
Things You'll Need
- 57 Chevy truck
- Full set of wrenches and sockets along with air tools
- Air compressor
- Jacks
- Jack stand
- Subscriptions to Custom truck magazines and aftermarket parts houses news letters
- Membership to a classic truck club
