47-55.1 Before and after

[1957 Chief]

Ok folks, gonna try and describe/show a lil timeline here of when I first started the suspension mods on my 1949 truck.

A lil history... My grandfather bought this truck in 1951 and back when I was a kid we used to hunt out of it (notice spotlight ), haul trash with it and just toodle around in it. Back in 1997/98, my grandfather (and I) restored it to his liking. Soon after it was finished he died of a heart attack. After he died the truck sat in their heated/cooled shop. I would drive it as often as I could, but a few years later it became harder because 9/11 happened, my son was born and I was going to school to get my degree. In 2003 my grandmother sold the truck without telling anyone. I found out when I got a call from my cousin and my grandmother wouldnt tell anyone who she sold it to. Needless to say this caused alot of pain with the family and with me. My grandfather pretty much raised me and I knew that truck in and out (I even had a 1953 truck in high school.) As time went on I realized that the truck was gone and I would most likely never see it again. In 2013/2014 I started looking for a 1949 again. My son was getting to the age where he was interested in tinkering with these trucks. I turned down many a trucks looking for the right one.
In 2015 I was deployed to Afghanistan and I was at the USO just looking around on craigslist. Well low and behold I found the truck. When I got back from the deployment I went down and picked the truck up. First time I opened the door I made a comment to my wife that it still smelled like the my grandfather. When I got it home, It sat in my trailer for about 2 months before I really started messing with it. I was still mad about the whole situation and in my mind I still thought I had lost the truck. When I finally started to work on the truck I realized that the PO basically put gas in it and drove it. Absolutely zero routine maintenance was done on it the whole time he had it. I had alot of work to do.

So the first pic is of when I unloaded it from my trailer. Thats pretty much how it was when my granddad had it. Stock height and all that.

Second pic is of the truck after I put a 3-inch drop axle under it, 3 inch Posie's super slider springs, 3 inch drop blocks under the rear, new shackles/bushings/shocks and all new brakes.

Third pic is with the wheels painted blood red and with a borg-warner r10 overdrive under it.

Fourth pic is with new wheels/tires and a 4-inch drop axle up front and a factory 1949 panel van swaybar and new halogen headlights.

I try and drive the truck once a week, if not more, and I enjoy the heck out of it. The paint isnt perfect because my grand dad painted it in a barn..and thats the way it will stay.