1952 L-162 project truck

The idea behind CA non-op is that you don't pay the registration fees as long as the vehicle is not on public roads. Dead storage or private land use only and no back fees when the vehicle is returned to regular registration. $2k for registration alone sounds totally off. Registration is based on the value of the vehicle and is .65% of value. The Use Tax is 7.25% to 10.25% of value, and there are a bunch of little fees for all the sticky fingers. So rough it in with $2k registration at 12% of value and that is one valuable rig!!

I used to live in CA...

You have to look at the details of the non-op. If the prior owner never non-op'ed the vehicle the current non-op fee will have several years of fines which could very easily reach 2K. I would get updated info from the DMV. I don't know what your choices would be any more, they can tell you. Keep in mind (I have never done this) but if it is really 2K, it might be worth the trouble to transfer the title to a neighboring state, then back to CA because it would wipe out the fines.

Truck looks great by the way

I have one if that doesn't work out that hasn't been cracked previously...... I think the one Mike has was the one I welded a couple of years ago( It was cracked when I purchased the engine that I eventually sold to Mike), I put a lot of time into it, heating it up before welding then allowing it to cool slowly to prevent stress cracks. I would be interested to see if my time was wasted....PM me if you can't find one closer to you and I'll send pictures of the one that I have.

Terrell
Columbia, Mo.

It is the one you included with the motor and I have a feeling that it would work just fine. I had another manifold that was good as is and used that one for your motor that went into my truck. I just felt hesitant to offer up the repaired one to Astro without being 100% sure of it.

Yeah, the numbers all match. It has a spot on the DMV form where you can change the registered GVWR. It really is set at 80k. It probably didn't matter as far as price is concerned last time this thing was actually registered. It's been on non-op for 40 years. California DMV is actually attaching people's paychecks for registration fees now. They are worse than the tax collector, or the same I guess.

I may be interested in your welded manifold. I am going to attempt the same thing you did but if it does not work out... this thing looks like it got hot. The metal where it meets up with the intake is sagging. Was this just a manufacture issue? If I get a replacement that is not cracked, will it crack with use?

. this thing looks like it got hot. Exhaust manifolds get very hot
Was this just a manufacture issue? Maybe more than just a little. Estimate the number of heat cycles on that manifold since 1952. This could be over 8000 times.
If I get a replacement that is not cracked, will it crack with use? I would bet 100% of this happening again.
Sometimes a glass beading may relieve the tensions in the castiron. I like to have my exhaust systems ceramic coated. This is a good heat control. The ceramic protects the castiron while sending the heat along the system.
You should be aware that you are playing with really old machinery.
If you are going to have the manifold welded, you may be well advised to have an experienced professional do the repair. I used to brass weld these manifolds. It is really important to preheat the manifold before welding. A 400* to 500* preheat should be OK. After the welding the manifold should be covered in dry sand or a heat resistant blanket and left to slowly cool for 24 hours.
The manifold may be distorted from 67 years of heat-cycling. Rather than stressing the manifold, to get it to fit, by tightening the bolts to take up any gaps, The manifold should be planed flat by a professional.
If this were my truck, I would build a tube exhaust manifold. This is expensive and time consuming. If I like you and more importantly, if I am in the mood, I would charge about $1000.
There are after-market manifolds for the IH V8 engines. You might want to Google for someone making a header for the IH straight six.
I would make a dual three into one system. I would make the manifold with 1,5,6 into one and 3,2,4 into the other header. Then, go two into one for the final.

I know that manifolds get hot, but not hot enough to cause the metal to sag. That makes me feel that it happend during the casting process. Not sure though. I'll upload a pic.

I really like your idea of ceramic coating the parts. You cannot get better durability, but my concern is keeping it stock.

Will such an upgrade reduce the trucks stock appeal?

I personally think I may go for that option anyway since it should not affect the way the truck performs, only add to the durability.

It may sound funny, but I dont want to do anything that might take away from the experience of driving the stock truck. There is nothing like driving my 1965 perfectly stock chevelle deluxe 4 door. It was my grandmother's car and the only car my grandparents purchased off the showroom floor. It feels so different then modern cars in a good way. It taught me the value of keeping a machine totally stock.

Appriciate your recommendations and those pics are amazing!

but my concern is keeping it stock. Will such an upgrade reduce the trucks stock appeal?
This truck has very little appeal to anyone other than yourself. I do not think you will find one of these in a museum or at Jay Leno's Garage. It is just a collection of old iron that you and maybe a few others will like.
You should concern yourself with getting the truck running reliably. If you continue to focus on the BS that does not matter to anyone other than yourself, the truck may never see the road again. There is no added numbers-matching value in a truck like this. It has been my experience that the owner may be the only person who knows anything about the non-OEM.
Keep the windshield and hood shinny and the truck will be a peoples choice winner every time.
I drove a 1953 R120 for 225,000 miles in 20 years of everyday use. The engine was an Diesel IH 6.9 V8. I converted the R120 to 4X4. I told hundreds of persons the truck was a one-off IHC factory concept truck. I may have been questioned on this less than ten times.
I had years of good and reliable fun with my "R". If I were worried about the BS that does not matter, the "R" might have gone into recycling or still taking up space in my garage, likely under a ton of junk.
I have a very rare IHC 1953 crewcab. It will not be stock in any way. I bought a Cummins 24 valve, NVG 4500 transmission and an NVG 241dld transfercase. The axles I bought for this truck are from Ford, they are disc brake DANA 60s.
I can guarantee you will have more fun if you can get over this notion of matching numbers being important on this Binder.
Try and find a Cummins 4bta to power your truck. It fits and matches up perfectly. Suddenly you will have power, reliability and economy. NO, you will not get anywhere any faster. I can guarantee your truck will get much more positive attention because of the Diesel engine.

Wow! Thanks for the options and the pictures.

I'm sure I'll have more questions.

Well, I got the manifold welded up. I did NOT go all in and keep it hot for 24 hours and all that. I figured this is only temporary anyway. It took me all day working on it as it was. I used a propane torch to keep it warm and let it cool over a slightly longer period. I know it will likely crack again. But for now it is working quite well. Especially for having been cracked completely in half! I am not uploading any pics of the finished product because I am not proud of this work... lol and I dont want to be excoriated. This will at least let me ge the rest of the kinks worked out while I work on getting a non-cracked manifold.

Also, I was able to get ALL the gauges working including the oil pressure and temp gauge. I repaired the fuel gauge sending unit float also. It had pin holes in it and had filled with old stinky fuel. I drilled a tiny hole in the end, got all the old fuel out and then soldered up all the holes. Works like a champ now!

Are the optional heaters easy to come by??? I think I would like to add a cabin light too.

Let me know what you think!

I found one in my surplus parts shelves, Casting number 125889-R1-1. Has heat flapper valve on it. Not sure if this will fit.