Picked up my new toy

I have been looking for a truck for what seems like forever and I finally found the one I wanted. I picked up a 57 D100 with a 318 and 727. It was listed as having a 340 but after checking the engine stamp it was the 318, wasn't a deal breaker but still disappointing. Disk brakes, hopefully power steering (hopefully) and new gauges are the first few things I have in mind to start. I'm sure I'll be searching this forum and picking your brains.

Sweet! Nice looking truck, arguably the best looking truck of that era.

Nice!!!

I'm digging it. Love the lines.

Nice looking year , needs a altitude drop and proper sized tires to improve its attitude ..

Like mine

Looks like a really nice starting point. Don't let my next comments distract you, after all these years, I tend to look at things from a different perspective then most do. I was the guy most would expect to correct things that were not what the buyer expected a purchase from someone else to be.

It looks like it may still have the original beam front axle, adding power steering is a pain to do without redoing the entire front suspension.

I would be concerned about a seller insisting a 318 is a 340 up to the point you have to prove its a 318. I would be concerned about everything else he may have told you. I hope the metal under that recent paint is still good, finding sheet metal for that truck will be a challenge. Gene

A Dakota frame fits pretty nicely under those trucks. Back around 1980, I had a big back window 57 like that with a 440/727 in it. I had L60-15's all the way around. The steering box was about as big as your fist, and it was a bear to steer at very low speed!

Very nice.

Great looking 57 which as you know is a one-year only body design. You've received some good replies from the others. For the discs you have a few options like "ScareBird" or "theramman". I would think that "possibly" one of the CPP (Classic Performance Products) power steering boxes may fit or be adaptable. For the power steering pump, use a GM Type II. For lowering their are a lot of options from basic pulling a leaf or 2 in the front and reversing the spring eyes to going the independent suspension route like BigDad did. On the rear there are lowering "shackles" or spring hangers along with pulling leaves and changing the front spring mounting point to flipping spring mounting to the bottom of the rear end. Above all, Have fun.

- EM

Gene, No worries at all because I would rather be told what I need to hear instead of what I want to hear. I was concerned when the engine was different as well. I spent a lot of time crawling all over the truck after that. I took a magnet to the fenders, hood, doors, door panels, floor boards and the entire bed. The was a small amount of bondo work on the bottom of the passenger side door but that was about it. I'm sure there will be some surprises along the way but I'm hoping they are not huge ones. we worked out a 1500 lower price because of the engine, so over all I'm still happy so far.

Super cool! Those trucks are cool Bulldogs. At least you already have it setup for V8 and 727! That's great.

Don't lower it!

If anything it just needs bigger tires to fill out those wheel wells.

That's what I think. I'm not a big fan of those rims but too each his own. But bigger tires are the key IMO.

I had a lowered 54 Dodge pickup. I can tell you they can be a pain to drive, you always have to watch for things on the road that could cause a problem. Entering driveways is nearly always a challenge. It does take away some of the fun of driving them, but I still managed to put nearly 10,000 miles a year on that truck.
The wheels on the truck look like a set of the modern 17" or 18" wheels. If that is the case, tires with a larger sidewall may not be available.
I think lowering the front a couple inches would do wonders for the looks department, and not make it a problem to drive. I would not lower it be removing leafs, I'd do a dropped axle, or modify the spring perches instead. That might be more costly, but its a better method of lowering the truck. You will want to keep an eye on oil pan to axle clearance if you lower the front end, some oil pan sumps are directly above the front axle.
When you do the disc brake conversion, look for a kit that uses off the shelf parts for calipers, rotors, and brake hoses, not modified parts you need to buy from the kit supplier. Gene

agreed, but not my truck, so do it to make you happy. I'd slap some Cragar SS and some bigger tires on it myself. Beautiful truck!