Just got back from what was supposed to be a easy going 5 day weekend of seeing the inlaws and picking up 2 days of sking with the wife and kids. Trip is seven hours each direction. I left with a simple throw the suit cases under the canopy plan and came back with a wife that wonders why she puts up with a car guy. (Check out pictures in my gallery). Two days before we left I found a 56 cab for sale on the internet and guess what?, it was only 45 minutes from the inlaws and we were passing only 2 minutes away from it on the way there.
You can tell by the story that yes I looked at it and yes I bought it and then had to figure out how to get it back, or leave it at the inlaws. Didn't find a trailer right away so I dumped my canopy and now me and the guy with the help of my "rolling her eyes" wife loaded it into the back of my truck.
Great, I got the cab, but what about my canopy? Well I finally found a trailer at U-haul the night before we are supposed to return and made my wife help load the canopy on the trailer, and straped it down at 7pm in the dark. Lost a strap about an hour into the return and almost lost the canopy, had to throw the bags and misc in the 56 cab in the back hoping the predicted rain wouldn't show up, but I got it all home in one piece and dry.
The comment from my wife: "I always say this will be the last time....".
I survived one more time, I guess I should cool it..........

At least I got a nice 56 cab. The floors like usual are rusty along with one rocker panel, but every thing from the floor up is absolutely rust free and only has a few minor dents. Beautiful dash and fire wall all totally unmolested. Looks like mostly original paint on the surface.
Paid $350 cnd and cost about $140 to get it home. I think $500 cnd for a decent cab is not bad.
By the way, does anyone know if the info plate tells you anything about the truck?
Style D83A...Body No. 1252C.......02....100

Hagen

 

great story!! I forwarded it to my wife in the hope that it will make me look more house-broken (her term, not mine) Thanks for sharing!

 

So, let me see if I got this right. You were on your way to her relatives, stopped to buy half a truck, made her help load it, spent the rest of the vacation working on how to get it home, had a dicey ride home...and you're still married.

Wow. That is a great story. Kind of like Miracle on 34th Street.

I'll bet she cooks too. You dog!

Oh yeah...congrats on the cab.

 

I had a similar situation. I found a guy selling an F5 front clip with some shorth running boards from a 48-50 truck. It was on eBay with a bid of $50. The guy was up in WA. I contacted the seller and offered just to buy the running boards for $50 since I needed them for my Panel truck. However, we discussed that if does't sell the front clip, which was in excellent condition, I would get it from him.

The clip didn't sell, so now I had to figure out how to get it home to CA. As it turns out my fiancee's grandmother, that lives not too far away from the guy in WA, came down to visit. She ended up buying a new car here and my dilemma was solved. I told her that we'd trailer her new car up to her in WA. This way I'd be able to haul back the front clip and the running boards on the trailer. We did this over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Problem solved and everyone was happy (eventhough I heard my fiancee badgering me all the way home that I "planned" this to my advantage). So what if I did....

Now I don't know what to do with the clip. I don't need it. I just got it because the guy was going to crush it.

Ilya

 

I must admit that I don't think I could have pulled that one off. An understanding wife I do have, but she does draw the line, and I think it's just short of your adventure!

 

merc, your wife sounds like a dream come true, does she drink beer out of the can too?

 

Pretty good story. And great price on a cab. Wish I could find a GOOD 54 cab somewhere between Calgary and Ottawa for around $500. CDN

Getting back to your story.....Wife # 2 wasn't too impressed when I bought Euphemia on the way home from picking up '48 5 window Ch*vy p.u. that I had just bought. Managed to sell the Ch8vy in record time so she cooled off....

 

Yes she drinks beer, but from a bottle and it has to be good stuff, not el cheapo brand. She also cooks wonderfully. I better watch out, there might be a line up at the door with flowers for her...
Yes I owe her big time for putting up with the stuff I drag home.
She probably wouldn't mind so much if I would get working on the 73 triump Spitfire I bought for her 2 years ago (in pieces) and havn't been working on in the last 8 months.
Hagen

 

merc, she sounds a lot like my wife, you are a lucky man. there must be some DNA thing that allows them to put up with us