I recently picked up this truck with 106,000 miles six cylinder. It had been sitting in storage since '93. With a minor tune up it is running great. It is nearly all original but there are some things that I would like to fix. I need to know if I should fix the interior door panels, bench seat, windshield and surface rust on the bed. Will doing this affect the value? By the way, what would the value of this vehicle be in the condition it sits.
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NICE '57!! I really like the front end on that model year. I'm a newbie myself but I would think it would add to the value to fix her up. I'm interested to hear what the veterans think.

 

I wouldn't think fixing those door panels would hurt the value, nor the seat depending on what you had in mind. The bed is a different deal, what are you thinking about doing to it? If the truck doesn't sit out a lot, maybe just a nice bed mat but I wouldn't put any paint or rhino liner in that, wouldn't want to see it resurface if I was buying it. Also If the truck has been sitting that long, I would definitely go through the brakes and put all the juice parts in new.
Value? varies a lot depending on condition and region but from what I can see maybe $4000-$5000.
Nice 57 BTW, my favorite year too.

 

The truck is only worth $100. I realize you probably will be taking a large loss on it. I am prepared to offer as high as $150. Let me know where I can pick it up at. Ok seriously that is a nice looking truck. Door panels & seat definitely fix. How they affect value will be determined by what you do. Since the truck is nice original then original would be the route I would take. The bed is single wall so Rhino lining is worthless as anything that hits the sidewalls will still show dents on the outside. I would just hit it with paint (same as the truck) with proper prepping of course.

I have no idea how to get Rhino lining off a truck & am not a fan at all of it. For help with door panels, info or parts you can check here. Call Riff & tell him Steve from Indianapolis sent you. The '57-'60 are his favorite years with a soft spot for the '58.

 

what does it look like under the hood and from the underside? That tells more as to condition than some paint. It sure looks pretty nice though. I would leave the bad as is. It's a truck. this way it can be used as such without worrying about it. Having the seat redone always add value. Saddle blankets look alright on pick ups from the 70's but not really on 50's trucks. Looks like a lot of fun there!

 

Welcome to FTE. Nice truck but I don't think it is a true Custom Cab. There should be stainless steel moulding around the windshield, and it has a V8 grill without the emblem, but has a straight six motor, or the moulding was removed and the six swapped in at some point. Check the vin # on the title and the frame to see if they match. You can post your vin # and someone can decode it for you so you know what the truck came with originally. I'm not bashing the truck it is very nice, there's just a few things that don't match as original from looking at the pics.

 

thats a true custom cab, cause no one would put those original cardboard lookin door panels in a standard cab to "dress" it up!

 

The truck looks great. It is not 100% original so I would say you would add value fixing it up, maybe make it all original. The vin number suggestion is a good one. Too many things don't match up. I don't know the exact things a 57 custom cab had, but these are questions I have in addition to the V8 emblem. Is the steering wheel color correct (should it be white with a ring horn), is the gauge bezel correct, where is the stainless around the windshield, where are the radio and clock. Was the front bumper painted on the 57 custom Cab.

The truck certainly has some great potential and I really like it.

 

When you ordered the custom cab option in 57 you got fiber door panels kick panels fancier seat material thicker seat padding stainless windshield trim matched door locks and maybe a drivers side arm rest and sun visors. I think everything else was optional, even a chrome bumper and grill. The doors on a custom cab have a bunch of holes for the panel fasteners, so does the kick panel area. The windshield and grill were probably switched due to damage. Oh yea you got "custom cab" door emblems too

 

Vin is F10JK43733. Color code F which matches the current paint. I thought they used the same grill for v8 and v6 but just added the emblem? I removed the four seat covers and the mouse infested foam and replaced with a nice reupholstry kit from lmc. I plan on replacing the windshield due to a large crack and playing with the idea of covering the door and kit panels with the same vinyl. I have a copy of the title going back to '72 and was able to find one surviving owner but I'm not sure if I want to call an 88 year old woman and ask her about her dead husband's truck. I also have the names of the owners before them and it has been in the same small city in Nebraska until I took it home. I am planning on going to the Midwest truck nationals in KC second week in September. Hopefully someone there more educated than me can give me some info.

 

I forgot to add. It did have the 5" foam in the seat that was outrageous to replace. The botom seat cover which im assuming was the original was red with gold trim and driver and passenger panels. It looked like it came straight out of the fifties. I wish i could have reused it but it was shot. It has sun visors that are made out of a similar crappy material to the door panels and it has the driver side armrest.

 

My opinion. The more stock, original the better. Very nice truck. Lose those side reflectors if you can......