1955 CHEVY TRUCK

FACTORY TASK FORCE PICKUP RETROFITTED WITH ALL MODERN DRIVETRAIN AND V8 POWER

NAPCO 4 WHEEL DRIVE CONVERSION MODIFIED TO MODERNIZED TRIBUTE LEVEL

Many pictures and videos

Most of of my listings have very involved descriptions going into great detail with pages of written text and numerous pictures. Even after doing all that I usually get asked questions that are covered in the description, so this time I am going to only put up a brief description - you can get me your phone number and I can go over anything you may have questions on.

This description will still be far better than many of the 20 or 30 word listings commonly seen for vintage cars with asking prices of more than new cars.....here it is:

All pictures and videos from December 2013

This 1955 Chevrolet Pickup is a running and driving truck, but is being sold at a discounted price of about 1/2 to 1/3 of what the really nice ones go for because I consider it a fixer upper.

Still, with that being said, I have received more attention driving this old truck around town recently than I have ever gotten with any of my Muscle Cars and Sports Cars - and I have owned many and still own several including multiple trophy winning examples - so it is safe to say I know old vehicles very well.

Everywhere this truck goes people love it and want to know about it. It actually seemed as though it would be sold in parking lots numerous times without even trying. It is a very fun old truck. This thing is like 7 1/2 feet tall and almost 60 years old so you know it gets the looks

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All of the expensive and labor intensive hard work of re-bodying a frame, retrofitting modern drivetrain, retrofitting modern electrical system and more has already been done on this old truck - in fact it was done about 30 years ago and consequently shows a little age.

It is in pretty darn good shape as it sits, and it runs, drives steers brakes and rides well, but as with all cars there may be a few things you would like to change and if that is the case you will be able to do that with not too much effort and expense from the level of completeness the truck is at

The truck has a pretty solid body and it is a far cry better than most of the total basket cases that are advertised as "project trucks" but are in reality completely disassembled wrecks missing many of their parts and needing not only body repair on every single panel surface, but also interiors and drivetrains completely redone. I am calling this truck a fixer upper because it needs attention in a few cosmetic areas

I want to be perfectly clear that the buyer will need to make repairs on this truck to make it perfect and that the buyer can't come back and say "You didn't tell me that". I am listing major things that I have found, but I have not flipped the truck upside down or X-rayed it, so I cannot say for certain. I have gone to great lengths to provide details and video proof of condition - most ebay ads have about 30 words of description and a few standard template pictures for you to make a determination from. I feel I have done quite a bit more than that.

If a person bought a disassembled truck supplied as a hollow shell in the driveway, and boxes of parts, like many of them seen for sale, they would have a far LESS degree of certainty of what works and what doesn't or what is even there let alone what is even useable out of what is there - at least this one is running and driving - and it doesn't even look that bad

The fact is you cannot find a nearly 60 year old truck this nice that runs this strong for what I am asking, let alone a 4 Wheel Drive one with proof of driveability, performance and operation so whatever else that might need to be done will just have to be accepted and understood

Overall the trucks body is probably a good '6 footer'. A body man might be more critical, but most of the 'car people' observers seem to think it is pretty good. It has a 25+ year old bodywork and paint job that has flaws and has been maintained over the years by touch ups and spot repairs so you will be able to find evidence of this which you may not detect in these photos -

The camera is not magic though, so the truck does look like it does in these pictures, but the finer points of detail do not completely resolve. There are videos showing a walkaround and lots of pictures to give the buyer an indication of the metal - I am sure there is fill all throughout these areas, but it is not a basket case.

There are however several aspects of the truck that were done "back in the day" before repair panels were available, like the lower cab corners, so they were 'old school fabbed' as well as other aspects of the restoration that were done the way it was done in the late 70s early 80s

The paint still has shine and reflects, but it is an older paint job - the truck would be an fairly easy repaint to higher standards. In order to get these old bodies to line up there has to be a skim coat of filler and it is there on this truck - even brand new Chinese panels require a skim coat to get them lined up at the doors and the fenders so unless you are a bodyman trying to impress another bodyman this truck is up to many peoples standards.

The truck runs pretty darn good - I have included several videos of it in operation and a walk around idling. It sounds very strong and it moves out far better than an original truck. It handles far better too - zero body lean in turns and good dampening on smother roads.

It will go down the highway and keep up with fast paced modern traffic - that is impossible with the original trucks - I know because I have owned several and this one is by far more capable.

The truck has Energy Suspension Poly Graphite cab to frame bushings and has large front and rear swaybars. I would put a poly kit everywhere if I were keeping it. It has heavy duty rear springs.

It has huge 15 X10 American Racing Ventura wheels with BFG all terrain's which helps with the road handling ability. The tires have good tread but are cracked everywhere from age, which is a shame because they are balanced perfectly, hold air with no leaks and have zero wobble. They just aged from storage. Plan on replacing them.

Dana 44 front axle with lockouts and a GM 12 Bolt rear axle with a NP203 Transfer case and a Turbo 350 transmission - all function fine with brand new clean fluids - the fluids we drained were clear as well. I may have pictures of the inside of the diffs somewhere - I will upload them if I can find them.

The engine is a newer 350 Chevy of the "GM 5.7 L" family which is a one piece rear main sell 4 bolt main block according to GM tech. It has a Quadrajet carb and iron intake - and aluminum one comes as a bonus part. HEI ignition, and has Thrush Turbo mufflers with pipes all the way out to behind the rear wheels - it sounds excellent and runs strong - no bogs, hesitations, flat spots or any issues - see the videos

It has started up ice cold on single digit temperature weather days and idles on it own and will drive away cold like that without bogging - The Quadrajet is operating on the original thermostatic heat riser choke and it still works like that! I considered putting a newer carb on it, but have resisted because of this - not many will do that.

The trucks has been retrofitted with power disc brakes, power steering, 12 volt modern electrical with solid state alternator, HEI ignition. An Alpine stereo and 2 power amplifiers are included, but are not installed

Headlights, high beams, turn signals, brake lights, dash lights all work as well as the charging system. The horn and windshield wipers do not work at this time, but everything is there and should be repairable - I haven't even tried - the windshield wiper arms are now on the vehicle - they are not shown in these images

Fuel tank is now rear mounted and completely out of the cab. Filler is on the passenger side rear stepside fender. Bed is mounted higher for body line matchup and tire clearance - I have had many of these truck owners say they were doing theirs that way after seeing mine. They also wanted to use the front bumper that was on this one too and asked about the type

Rear bed wood is still under the metal floor in the bed - I personally like the wood and would go over the metal floor with a wood kit or remove the metal bed floor and put a wood kit down if I were keeping it.

Inside the bed walls are decent, but will need to be worked - not replaced, but detailed

It was a St. Louis plant built truck bought and used on an Illinois farm for its first 25 years or so, and was claimed to be a real Napco conversion by the previous owner. The front fenders were original V8 fenders so I don't know about that. The original donor truck might have been a Napco, but there are parts from several trucks on here - There is however a hole in the dash where the Spicer PTO knob would have been, and it has an ancient looking plug in it.

The story about it being a farm truck and modified in the fashion a handy farmer would do it makes sense, and the timeline makes sense as well.

I am calling it a Napco tribute or replica vehicle. And no offense to the original Napco guys, but this one will do highway speeds and handle turns - not run out of RPMs before you even get to the end of the on ramp to the interstate ;-)

It will shoot good rooster tails from all four corners as well and dig right through and climb even with these tires. No way any claim could be made that an original antique truck could wheel with this one.

· Power Disc Brakes
· Power Steering
· Polyurethane Body Bushings
· American Racing Ventura 6 Lug Wheels, Center Caps and Lugnuts
· BF Goodrich All Terrain Tires - older, but recent balance
· Modern Form Factor Front & Rear Bumper Mounts - will accept winch bumpers
· All new fluids - clean as honey in the Transfer Case, Diffs and Engine Crankcase
· Recent Transmission Service - operates perfectly
· Many new parts from antique truck vendors
· Vintage Italian Dino Steering Wheel
· Tilt Steering Column
· Never issued 1955 Manufactures Year License Plate

All pictures and videos from December 2013. We installed several new parts since these photos - the windshield wiper arms, the Chevrolet block letters on the tailgate, and many other parts - a short list of parts and some pics is included later on this page, but basically several thousand dollars to Jim Carter, Tuckers, Ecklers, Harmons, etc.

The truck does not have any shorts that drain the battery.

The truck does not smell like a 'stored' car - no mold or rodent smell

The truck does not overheat, smoke or leak oil. All fluids are clean

It doesn't even rattle that much on smooth roads. The loudest rattles I notice are with the windows down only as they are slightly lose in the channels

Clear MO title. Tilted as a 1955 Chevy Pickup. Original Chevy VIN tag on door pillar is readable

I have a never issued 1955 MO manufactures year license plate still in its envelope from the DMV if a Missouri buyer wants to register it that way.

The following will be multiple angle walkaround shots. Also videos at the bottom of the page.

Let the pictures be your guide and be considered part of the description of this truck

The truck looks pretty darn nice - the front hood emblem is very nice and the side spears and V8 callouts are a little pitted.

The truck comes with an original GM very nice 57-58 hood emblem. I have seen those go for up to $300 by themselves on ebay

The paint still has a shine and could probably be buffed out.

I have been overly critical of everything in this listing because I want to make sure a buyer is well aware of the negatives more than concentrating on the positives and candy coating everything like 90% of the listings typically seem to do

The body panel lineup is fairly hard to achieve on these trucks as many will tell you and this one is pretty nice - even with it being a twisting 4 Wheeler it is still respectably even and straight. This truck looks good, it is just a little "rough around the edges"

Another shot for perspective - passengers side looks the same - see below

Very nice looking truck

Frame off build was done about 30-35 years ago and it still looks decent. The truck was obviously well taken care of

A few inside shots - Overall it looks pretty decent, but it is not up to my level of acceptance. Like the body it has a 25+ year old bodywork and paint job that has flaws and has been maintained over the years by touch ups and spot repairs so you will be able to find evidence of this which you may not detect in these photos -

Again, the camera is not magic though, so the interior does look like it does in these pictures, but the finer points of detail do not completely resolve.

All in all I like the look and the colors of the interior if it were fresh. The main problems I have with it are the area where the stereo would go have been filled and has splits in the fill. The same with the area where the rear view mirror used to be has failing fill. There are a few rust bubbles above the rear window.

I could have easily fixed all these areas and not even mentioned them, but for the price I am asking for this truck it will be on the buyer to take it from here

I can go over this and anything else with a buyer on the phone in detail

Speedo is a working unit, but is not hooked up - It will need service and be lubed and an adapter box to drop the number of drive cable rpms significantly. There is a reducer box on the transfer case, but it is not the right one -

The factory water temp sender is coiled up behind the cluster and is not cut. The instrument movements themselves seem to be functional, although only the gas gauge moves as they are currently wired, and there is another Stewart Warner gas gauge, so I am not sure on that

There are aftermarket instruments including 2 vintage Stewart Warner units that have become high priced collectible gauges

The very expensive Deluxe Heater controls are there in higher grade condition, and are rebuilt with new levers - these controls are expensive. Period.

The deluxe heater box, defroster and blower are there, but it is on permanent recirculate as it is not tied into the cowl at this time - it is blocked off and this could be easily adapted to work. The blower squirrel fan itself has been modified to accept a higher powered modern motor and this is all intact. The fan is turned on by a toggle switch, but the factory heater control resistor block and speed switch is there and ohms out, so it could be hooked up.

All the cables are new for the heater controls. The heater core shutoff valve is stuck, but a new on is included

A vintage Italian Dino Steering Wheel from back when they made high end products is installed on a GM tilt column. The column sits a little low on the dash but this could be changed - as long as you don't require "Big Boy Friendly" special modifications you should be fine as it sits ;-)

The brake and gas pedals feel fine. The brakes work great. The gas pedal is canted a little, but heating and bending the rod to the pedal would be easy. It never bothered me. These trucks never had massive leg room, so research this if you are super tall

All in all sitting in the truck and driving it feels fine. The bench seat sits right and looks okay with the cover - it could easily be reupholstered or you could source a couple of leather bucket seats for almost nothing these days if you wanted to. There are no seat belts installed, but I have a set on vintage GM units that are included

Carpet is pretty decent, and a mixture of the original fiber soundproofing is still in there along with newer jute and rubber automotive based insulation. The truck does not smell like a 'stored' car - no mold or rodent smell

The headlights work, highbeams, turn signals brake lights, flashers, etc. The dash lights all work. The horn does not work, but the horn button in the steering wheel is good and it is a modern column, so I assume the wiring and contacts are good or easily serviced. I have not spent any time on it.

The windshield wiper mechanism is intact, but I would convert the vacuum unit to electric.

The drivers side vent window is new, and after seeing how perfect it looks compared to the other flat glass I would replace them all - the laminations are cloudy at the bases - the windshield and back window are decent however - not really worn too bad at all.

A brand new complete soft seal kit is included for the buy it now price and it needs to be put in there - the current seals are original and hard or missing

The lower door hinge area o these trucks is a problem. Not just for this truck, but for ALL of them. Even the desert stored ones go bad - not from rot, but from stress fractures

This one needs attention in that area. The doors lined up well and closed nicely, but have started to droop. Passengers side in the door is the worst, and drivers side on the body. I think we have used to doors more in the last few months than the previous owner did in years, so we made the problem worse. That is one of the main things I consider to be in the 'fixer upper' category.

Also the cab steps have been repaired in the past. They are solid, but not correct. I have 2 brand new replacement panels I am including in the sale - I was going to dig into these areas first thing when I got it, but did not have the time. I am not selling the truck because I can't fix these things, but rather for the reasons of available time to complete this thing once I start. I just don't have the time these days and don't see getting around to it in 2014 either.

A shot of the excellent condition Deluxe Heater controls (they are expensive) and the Deluxe Heater box and the Napco warnings and instructions

A shot of the worst part of the cab - the lower hinge that was not done correctly last time whoever did it as described above. I have replacement sheet metal for the cab steps that is included

Shot from passengers side showing replacement sheet metal just sitting in place

And the drivers

Headliner looks decent

I am being very critical of the truck as I have mentioned earlier - the truck looks decent, but there are certain things that need attention, as with many if not MOST ALL older vehicles

Inside the door jams it is just a little 'rough around the edges'. Guys will take a bead blaster or a sand blaster and just shoot these areas till they smooth out nowadays regardless of how much metal thickness they remove in the process. This one has NOT had that done to it, and the attention to detail was not there for whoever did it. This can all be worked out without a total redo, but it will be up to the next owner.

That or just fix the few things that need to be fixed and drive it like it is - seriously, you could easily do that - I am just making sure the buyer is aware

One of my favorite features of these old trucks is that rearward slanting A Pillar. I look at that picture and it is just so nostalgic and rewarding....

Block letters on tailgate

A small portion of the recent parts purchased for the truck - some installed some provided for the buyer.

An Alpine Stereo with 2 Power Amplifiers is included on the side, the replacement cab steps, another original OEM Chevy hood emblem for a 1957-58 Task Force pickup in excellent shape (I have seen those go for $300 on ebay by themselves), some literature, a never issued 1955 truck License plate and envelope from the DMV, some pare heater components, new soft seals, etc...

Some literature

Inside the 1955 Chevrolet book, and below again

Never issued 55 plate

All in all it is a very decent truck. I have spent about 8-10 hours on just this description page, taking pictures, arranging video shoots, typing up the description, so I hope the buyer appreciates the effort. If you have any questions get with me on the phone - that is the only way to go into further detail

The truck is being sold as is, like all vintage vehicles everywhere, and it will be up to the buyer to verify if all modification work has been done to their satisfaction as I cannot validate any of it because I did not do it myself.

The buyer should use the pictures, description and their own best judgment to make the decision to buy the truck. For the price we are asking it is pretty much a no brainer, because knowing what I know about the cost of parts for vintage vehicles I know you could not build this truck for what we are asking even if somebody gave you a 1955 Chevy truck donor vehicle for free!

The underside looks pretty decent and has most of its 1955 metal intact with very little degradation. There is some road dirt and buildup. I have not taken a power washer to it yet, but had planned to. The same with under the hood. Under the hood looks like a 1955 truck with a Chevy 350 in it. It is not all caked with sludge, but it is not show car clean either. My next step was to clean and detail the engine, but that may be up to the new owner. I have pictures of the inside of the differentials and some underbody shots on a disc somewhere, and if I locate them before the truck sells I will modify this listing with them, but it is really just academic at this point -

Have a look at the videos -

This video shows a walk around of the truck while it is running. It demonstrates no engine noise and a nice deep exhaust note as well as gives a panning view of the body rather than just selected still shots.

Video shows the Truck on run up through first gear and demonstrates the sound of the engine intake and exhaust note. Also demonstrates no squeaks or rattles on drive by.

The 55 Chevy Truck on a roll past the camera - video demonstrates no squeaks or rattles from the body and suspension nor any engine noise like ticking or exhaust leaks on drive by

This video shows the truck accelerating into second gear

This video demonstrates the transmission functioning in automatic kickdown mode into passing gear as well as the operating sound of the engine and also giving an indication of the state of tuning including throttle response and the bog free operation of the Quadrajet Carb

You can thank ebay management for the following increasingly more strict terms of these auctions

All items are as described and as is - No excuses or stories and we expect the same from our buyers. We want you to be happy with your purchase, so please ask any questions that you need answered - look at the pictures, carefully read the description and ask any questions in advance of bidding because it is your responsibility to insure you are going to be happy with this purchase, not ours.

This is cash only sale with an immediate downpayment due via Paypal at the end of the auction. If you are not capable of doing a cash deal you will need to contact the seller PRIOR TO BIDDING to arrange other terms. The hold period on any other form of payment will be lengthy - possibly 30-40 days, so the best solution for both the buyer and the seller is a cash transaction - this bike will not be released to a person showing up on the pickup day with a cashiers check under any circumstances so forget about even trying it

This is a nearly 60 YEAR OLD highly modified, antique, vintage collector vehicle so this truck is offered "AS- IS, WHERE-IS", with no warranty or guarantee, expressed or implied, as to its condition, fitness for use or fitness for a particular purpose. Information in the description section does not insure or guarantee overall condition of the vehicle and is not intended to be comprehensive. All information provided is our understanding of the condition and history of the vehicle from what we have been able to determine through research and discovery. In no way can any positive proof or guarantee of this information be established, provided or proven by the seller or even a buyer for that matter - Based on this caveat, a purchaser or disappointed bidder shall have no recourse against the seller as this is a nearly 60 year old, modified vintage collector vehicle being sold as is - The seller reserves the right to cancel any auction. The seller will not be held liable for any such cancellation and/or closure.

Your bid is a binding agreement to buy not to come and look - According to EBAY POLICY your bid is a legal binding contract to purchase by law. Ebay continues to change their terminology on this policy, but the most recent version can be viewed here - http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/bidding-overview.html Non paying bidders can be considered in breach of contract and handled as a delinquent account by law and submitted to our collection agency for collections which may include a restocking fee, storage or holding costs, late fees and all ebay charges