1955-57 LCF Chevy

[Dieselwrencher]

I found a decent deal on what I believe to be a 56 LCF Chevy. I have had no real luck finding parts for it. Does anyone have any leads on some sheet metal for these? The RH fender is pretty rough. I'm wondering if I can use a pick up nose and splice on the LCF fender? Will the lower door patch panels from a pick up door work? This one is a 5700 with the different body line in the door. I haven't purchased it yet. I'm trying to decide how bad I really want it.

[Dieselwrencher]

Nothing huh?

[bigrigpardo]

got any pics of it?

[Dieselwrencher]

Here a few. Poor truck is really rough. My thoughts are to buy it and build a crew cab and stick it on a newer frame, maybe even from a class 8 truck. But parts for this body style of truck are scarce around here.

[bigrigpardo]

they are probably scarce all over but if you aren't in a rush and I doubt it because you always have crazy projects on the table. buy it cheap stick it in the yard and when he timing is right **** falls in our laps. I laugh at people that just open there checkbook and buy stuff from the first guy. my projects take a while but between me doing the work and shopping around for good used stuff I save tonnage. it really is a cool truck. maybe a 6bt car hauler???

[_Ogre]

i believe dieselwrencher has a bit of bertha-itis

if you haven't posted this over in the big rig thread, you might ask there
if the fender is not rusted thin they are made of pretty thick material that can be reshaped

like bigrigpardo says ''when he timing is right **** falls in our laps.''
i'd only buy it if it was cheap cheap cheap

[Dieselwrencher]

Thanks guys. It is cheap, cheap, cheap. But it is really rough. A friend of mine has it. I didn't even know he had it. It was setting in a tree grove and a tree fell over the box and you couldn't see it. He took over his family farm and I guess they used to have around 500 old cars and trucks. Its down to under 40 or so now. He has an International Loadstar 1600, a 56 or 57 3800 I think, and about 3-4 48ish Fords that are 1.5 ton or bigger. He also has a 42ish chevy school bus, and a 46-48 Ford school bus. His prices on stuff have went way up on the complete trucks. I think he was trying to cash in on that big truck show that came through here a couple weeks ago.

If I do get it, who knows what order in the project line it could fall into. Haha I do have a case of the big bertha-itis. I have had for a while. I had a 54 COE that I probably shouldn't have sold. I also found a 46 Chevy project on CL yesterday on a mid 70s crew cab drw chassis. I really don't need more projects though. I went to look at the 71 Challenger I purchased from this guy last fall and happened to see the medium duty trucks he was digging out of the grove. When you see stuff like that, you can't just walk away. Well I can't any way. Haha

[paulspickupparts]

It may be a bit of a chore to find the fender but you never know . You can use part of a door repair panel until it meets the curve and then you will have to fabricate something. A 55 lcf fender will not work . Pretty sure it has to be 56 or 57 only. The fender flare is shallower on a 55 . They are neat but LCF trucks do not have the following that the COE trucks do. Not yet anyway but once more them are built they will catch on. Good luck.

[mr48chev]

There is a reasonably decent still in the faded old paint one sitting at a trucking company close to where I live. I think at one time they planned to restore it and paint it company colors as they did an AD truck they have. I'll see if I can get a photo in the next couple of days if I remember my camera.

[buggy5872]

That fender is toast. I buy the sheet metal for these trucks when I see it. They are around but just takes some patients. I do not have any extra passenger fenders in my stash to help you out. Sections of Inner door patches will work. Outer of the door has the rocker molded to it. Not hard to make a patch if you have a metal brake. If it is cheap....buy it.

[buggy5872]

Also, if you find a fender 56 and 57 have the same fender, 55 fender is different. All doors 55-59 are the same.

[_Ogre]

is this truck considered a lcf or coe?
imo it's coe

[Dieselwrencher]

From everything I've read, the COE term stopped with the last of the 54 COE's. In 55 they called them LCF. I could be wrong though.

[buggy5872]

55 second series and up are all LCF.

[_Ogre]

interesting. noted and corrected in my ogre brain