52 Customline Chassis Number

[steve the ford guy]

US 54 had a completely different chassis to the 52-53. It's closer to a 55 US model than a 53 model. Years ago I installed a 312 into a 52 model using a modified 292 truck oil pan and 54 Y block side mounts.

Can't argue with that. The Australian 54 had kingpins and was same as 52-53 as far as I can see. Our Mainline Utes in these years had an X member similar to a convertible but weren't exactly the same X member as the USA made X member. Good chassis to use under a Cusso if building a convertible from a sedan with a crunched roof.

[Harv]

VicRoads seems incredibly strict. Thinking out loud, would an option be to register it in another state (to provide evidence of prior rego) and then transfer rego to Victoria? Not sure if that would even be legal, but can't say I've had as much drama registering in NSW or Qld.

Cheers,
Harv

[FRANK BASILE]

VicRoads seems incredibly strict. Thinking out loud, would an option be to register it in another state (to provide evidence of prior rego) and then transfer rego to Victoria? Not sure if that would even be legal, but can't say I've had as much drama registering in NSW or Qld.

Cheers,
Harv

It is about getting around bureaucratic stupidity here Harv and the resultant frustration just to get a vehicle that is honestly purchased and was once clearly registered on the road again. Rather than be seen as criminal activity just to get around a problem the bureaucrats cause. I can give a good example from personal experience back in 09. A vehicle breaks down on a highway, blown head gasket and was RACV towed to depot. Owner decided not to repair and signed owner ship of the vehicle over to the depot/workshop and was handed back the plates. Vehicle had 4 months registration left. I purchased the vehicle from the depot. Got a receipt and the original sign over receipt as proof of their ownership. I fixed the head gasket issue and some other minor jobs like light body damage to a qtr panel and then go to VicRoads for an unregistered permit to drive for RWC inspection . Could not get one because VicRoads told me "vehicle is registered ,where are the plates?". Due to "privacy reasons" I could not get from VicRoads or the RACV the contact for the still registered owner to cancel and return plates. I try again a week later to a different customer service operator who gets a supervisor, they puzzle over it, and once again got the privacy bit, I try again later still same, by this time 2 months of reg was left and they tell me to wait 2 months until expiry and then get a permit . Stuff that for a joke. I made slimline plates that looked real with the correct rego number ,that would pass any random rego check by a following highway patrol vehicle or camera recognition site , booked for a RWC appointment and drove, got a RWC . Then made a booking for registration paid the booking fee. Few days later Removed my plates and drove to the initial registration bay [you are allowed to drive unreg to an appointment for rego]. After all of the number checking
the bloke tells me the vehicle is still registered where are the plates?. "Really"? I asked. Told him how I got the vehicle, showed the legal paper trail of my ownership and no mention of previous visits to VicRoads. "The the previous registered owner clown did not cancel" . Guess what? . This bloke consults his colleague next to him, and gets told " no probs we can cancel". Something they had the power to do all along during my frustrated visits.

[Harv]

Know the feeling.

Bought an FB Holden that had been in storage for a decade. Owner had put it back on the road after doing the normal brakes-and-bits freshen up. He had the original plates in storage, so put the car onto new NSW plates. Sold me both the car and the plates in storage. I fronted to the RTA with him to collect the plates and transfer rego. The RTA person was happy to transfer rego, but would not put the original plates onto the car. If he had put the plates onto the car then sold it to me, then no problem. Because he sold it to me then put the plates on it, no deal. Suggested we cancel the sale and put the plates on first, but RTA not happy - now we now the car was sold with those plates, cannot go back. Original 1962 plates destroyed. Only way to get original plate numbers back onto car was to have plates reissued, at a $110/year fee.

Cheers,
Harv

[FRANK BASILE]

I seem to remember similar here in Vic. If you take car off the road and it had original plates, as long as you kept paying the annual fee the plates were ok. Once rego expires and then subsequently cancelled automatically after 3 months the plates are dead and belong to VicRoads. If you subsequently purchase the vehicle or indeed even if the original owner puts it back on the road. The plates can be re issued under the Custom Plates scheme as "prev issue". I think the fee was $495 when I last looked some time back. Plates purchased under the custom plate scheme can be held on retention once purchased and you "own the rights" . You can sell that right to another person. I have a couple of 66 Mustangs. Coupe and convertible. Convertible on club plates, coupe on full rego has Victorian regional plates I purchased back in the early 90,s now on what is the 4th vehicle I have them on. On retention I have brand new plates in the old "Victorian Garden State" cream back ground green letters series issued in the 80,s .

[chop_shop]

If you have the sellers name and address you might get the cars rego plate number from asking around motor insurers. Hope you upgrade to a Y block drivetrain instead of the standard 8BA, unsure if they're an easy fit in 52-54 local models as the Australian chassis are different.

i asked the Vicroads lady to check via his name/address, but i dont think he ever had this car in his name, was a incomplete partially started rebuild /resto (for the second/third time by the looks of it)

The flathead was long gone (the car did come with one but it was sieized and im sure not the right year so it was sold a long time ago)

i have test fitted my spare EFI windsor setup motor/4 speed auto, and have a complete Damaged (rear ended) 1997 NL fairlane V8 to strip for the proper running gear, which hopefully will happen shortly

US 54 had a completely different chassis to the 52-53. It's closer to a 55 US model than a 53 model. Years ago I installed a 312 into a 52 model using a modified 292 truck oil pan and 54 Y block side mounts.

Can't argue with that. The Australian 54 had kingpins and was same as 52-53 as far as I can see. Our Mainline Utes in these years had an X member similar to a convertible but weren't exactly the same X member as the USA made X member. Good chassis to use under a Cusso if building a convertible from a sedan with a crunched roof.

the crunched roof is 50+% punched back out, the front window frame is pretty close now, and the big dents in roof are partially out, dealing with the creases and puckers from the stretching caused by dent currently.
will probably need some assistance from a sheetmetal master to get it sorted, as im thinking about running the car bare metal !...

[steve the ford guy]

My 52's roof


Rear quarter

Rear door

Same door rusted framework

Original eBay listing photo

Old dodgy repairs underneath.

[steve the ford guy]

As delivered after slipping a cheap used box trailer axle under it for transporting

Stripping down underway, suspension was missing, front cross member was damaged as were many other parts of the car. I'm convinced a tree had fallen on it while it was sitting outside on acreage as someone's parts car.

After three years of searching I found a seller parting out a 53.
Bought a front chassis cut, a roof and a quarter panel.

Fitted the suspension pieces, then realised I was better off to move away from the city. Somewhere on acreage with more space to work..

Pictured during the BIG move. Now able to roll and steer it.

Please post pictures everyone, makes it a much better forum than just reading volumes of blah blah blah comments