Frandee Gold

Today found and purchased a 1953 Chevrolet 1 ton truck which has the same rear axle as my 53 Frandee Model D. I now have two of the elusive 14" brake drums, hard to find, most are the 12". I needed one to replace a poor condition one on the Frandee, this will leave me with a spare.

This truck was just 5 miles from my house, sometimes the gold is just under your nose. Now I can sell the rest of the truck.

Very happy here in Idaho, doesn't take much to make me happy.

Or you could fit that cab onto a newer truck, a 53 pulling a 53 would be a sight to see. It increases life expectancy when there are endless projects to do, can’t die until you finish!

Just never know when and where you will find goodies....

Good deal

Having a 53 Pull rig would be cool....

A late model chassis with an LS engine......

Snowy Rivers said:

Just never know when and where you will find goodies....

Good deal

Having a 53 Pull rig would be cool....

A late model chassis with an LS engine......

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Good idea except for the LS engine. Not a known good pulling choice IMHO..

A simple tired and true 502 big block would be a better more reliable choice for a heavy duty cycle engine...

Regards, Kirk

I agree on the "Pulling Choice"

If ya like gassers the Big block chevies are pretty decent.

Cummins diesel will gitterdone.....

The LS has/is coming into it's own as a "swap engine" for hot rods.....

But ya can't beat a big thumper for yarding stuff around.

I have not really gotten any feelings about the LS engines as such....we have an 07 Avalanche with the 5.3 in it...

The 5.3 is fine for the Avy, but is gutless unless you wind it up.

The 6.0 is better, but even though the power and torque are good, they are high in the RPM band

The older 454 made only 230 hp but 385 ft/lb of torque at 1500 Rpm

(These numbers are a stock 1995 Suburban K2500 4X4 )

The mouse motors are whizzy)

But, that 53 Cab would look way cool up top of a much later Chevy GMT400 chassis....

Maybe a 1993 to 1995 (Pre OBD2 STUFF)


Just prattling

Think I will just sell the cab, I have plenty of projects in line to be restored. 1 Tucker and 2 Thiokols, plus another secret I am trying to purchase, and you never know what other vintage cat may be found.

GMoose said:

Think I will just sell the cab, I have plenty of projects in line to be restored. 1 Tucker and 2 Thiokols, plus another secret I am trying to purchase, and you never know what other vintage cat may be found.

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ah retirement, sure looks like a full time job...

good luck with the kristi/jeep purchase, just guessing here

how much for the what is left of the chevy truck?

Pontoon Princess said:

ah retirement, sure looks like a full time job...

good luck with the kristi/jeep purchase, just guessing here

how much for the what is left of the chevy truck?

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Nope, not a Kristi/Jeep, a Tucker. However, it most likely will not be sold, but I can wait, maybe someday, got plenty of projects for that retirement that is just 6 months away. Plus I already have one Tucker, that may be enough.

I paid $200 for the Chevy, pulled the rear end out yesterday and am planning to advertise the remainder of the truck for the same money. It is scrap to me, if anyone here wants it they can just have it, but they have to come and get it in a timely manner. Still has the straight 6 engine and transmission.

Looks like the truck has found a new home, going going gone.

love the going going gone phrase.....

Found some more Frandee Gold this week and got it hauled home after 680 miles round trip. The engine in my Frandee is a straight 6 Ford 254 flathead M series which was also installed in the F6 trucks. These trucks also had the H series engine, the 226. I found two F6's with the H series engines last fall, was bummed when they were not the correct engines. But then my friend found an F6 with the elusive M series 254, complete with a transmission and PTO, still in the truck. Bonus, the cab had the after market Arvin heater installed, the exact same model my Frandee has. Now I have a spare engine, transmission, and heater, you never know when something might happen, especially since I tend to get a little carried away with that flathead sometimes. Anyway, quite excited about the find, now just need to pull the engine and store, then probably rebuild someday. BTW the way you can identify this engine is by the 8MTH cast into the block and head, the 226 has 1HA, 7HA, or 0HA cast numbers.