Kevin,

If Detroit thinks the new modern ugly designs sell why is it when they make a vehicle with old styling, read "retro", they sell like crazy and they usually only make a limited number of them? I just don't get it. I personally can't find anything appealing about a truck that has plastic wheel flares and huge bump out fenders, plastic removable roof panels that are going to break, lose parts and warp and not fit. Bumpers that are 18" high with plastic end pieces. I want a truck with an 8' bed that can hold something and with a design that doesn't look like it just rolled out of the studio of Pimp My Ride. I just want a plain old working truck that I can modify to my preferences and not be afraid to use as a work truck.

Some people don't seem to get the message we don't want a bunch of light weight, sun powered econo crates that aren't going to do what we want. The winning car company is going to be the one that builds what we want.

Another thing, what about the high end yuppie trucks that are no more than the low end trucks with added trim and plush interiors? The add the extra junk, double the price and the yuppies drive around like they're some kind of tough guy. Those truck will never see a job site or farm field.

Kevin, like you, and others on the board, I have strong opinions of what is going on.

 

Can you imagine trying to restore (or maintain) anything being made now, in 50 yrs? I think the aftermarket money will be made custom-casting plastic parts, or making repro's out of actual steel. How much will a turn signal switch that has wiper controls, washer controls, high/low beam switch, etc. cost to repro? Probably so much that these '09 trucks will simply be scrapped when they need what we consider a simple part on our '50's trucks.

I really feel sorry for today's farmers and tradesmen who need a truck for work, and have to pay for all the bling that the Concrete Cowboys demand.

 

Politics aside, it’s entertaining to see how a thread that started about the rarity of old vehicle tires/wheels transcend into a discussion of “the good old days”.
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Although I have one foot firmly planted in Geezerville, my career in the computer industry demanded that I embrace technological change for survival. I guess that’s why I’m a “Darksider”; an old truck allows me to cling to my youth while the upgrades provide for a more pleasurable/safe ride.
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Like the Neanderthal that gave way to the Cro-Magnon man, more refined models take over. So it is with bias-ply tires, mechanical ignitions, and carburetors. Simpler is not always better.
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How many of you are familiar with the old “buzz” box ignition systems or acetylene headlamps? The youth of today are no different. There is little/no need to embrace an old technology unless of course it’s your passion.
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In the future, fuel cells will be the rage and the word “ethyl” will only be in the lexicon of a few. And tomorrow’s geezers will be reminiscing about “the good old days”. The cycle repeats itself.
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Ain't that the truth. Which is why I believe, when I was looking for a '95-97 F350, the prices were still way high.

Now the bigger question: What IS Traditional? What IS Nostalgic? Ask that 50 years from now, lol.

 

traditional and nostalgic depend upon the individual and their opinion . i , although born in the 60's , had a dad , uncles , grandfathers who were dirt track racers , and hot rodders , and also had many of the then new " muscle cars . so in my mind that is the time / era i base my opinions on , with obvious influences of my own from my experiences .

 

My opinion of bias plys is from when that was all that you COULD buy, then radials coming along. Bias ply flat spot from sitting which gets worse and takes longer to recover the longer they sit, not good for a vehicle that isn't driven every day. They tend to go out of round and out of balance regularly. You'd swear you had a flat tire on cold AMs. Rebalancing was usually a twice a year or more ritual, and most tire stores offered "shaving" to round them back up. Bias ply also like to follow all the cracks and seams in the road. If you are having trouble finding tires at Tire Rack, try widening (pun unintended) your size search a bit. When you get a hit, then look at the specs for those tires to see what other sizes they come in and their rolling diameter and width. (TR doesn't carry bias ply tho as far as I know) If you still can't find something you can use, give them a call, their sales staff are very knowlegable and helpful and are not commissioned, so they will tell it like it is. Ask for Trent or Woody and tell them Chuck Frank, the Autocross racer sent you, and that they should take good care of you!

 

tires bias/poly:
Lucas Classic & Vintage Tires
http://www.kelseytire.com/flash/flash.html
LONGSTONE TYRES: VINTAGE TYRES---CLASSIC TYRES: +44 (0)1302 711123 (uk guys)
Universal Vintage Tire
Coker Tire - Coker Tire

tires radial:
Radial Tires- Wide White Walls- www.WhiteWallTires.com
Classic White Wall Tires - Vintage Tires - Redline & Redline Radial Tires for Antique and Classic Cars
Coker Tire - Coker Tire
Kelly Tire
BigO Tires of the Western United States
Discount Tire, Custom Wheels, Truck & Car Rims | Discount Tire
Welcome To Just Tires

 

I went to autozone to get a alternator bracket for my 78 mercury, cause ford desided to use cast aluminum bracket that bolts to the block that the alternator bolt to they were very prone to break. Ford dealership said they can get it but it would cost me $350 for the part and they cant say that this aluminum one wont break also. So Iwent to autozone they said they could get it waited a day for it to come in went over there and the bracket they ordered is a replacement chrome one that bolts to the water pump and the front of the alterator on the other side of the main support bracket.

I went to napa to try and track down some Type A transmisison fluid for my ford-o-matic (could use Type F but heard it will cause the transmission to wear out quicker) and one guy never heard of it but I told him I have seen alot of people online looking for it that convertible top hydraulic systems uses Type A transmission fluid on cars from the mid 90`s. Another guy who was older said that they havent seen Type A in the store since the 80`s or 90`s. But he said I coud try with Jone`s Oil here in Houston that they might be able to know where to get it or they might carry it. I never checked with them cause I got alink from here to a place that sells 5 gallon pail of the stuff for $80 or so which is $1 more per quart than the Type F.

But Napa is the best at knowing their stuff. Advance Auto is a close second, I went to get a caliper rebuild kit for my 78 mercury and the guy was trying to sell me on the whole new caliper which was $30 the kit was only $5 telling me that the kit doesnt come with all the rubber seals and gaskets. I didnt tell him but I should have told him the kit comes with a square cut seal and a dust boot thats all there is to this caliper. Oreilly's is a third and I say that cause the manager in his 50`s aruged with me telling me an Receiver Drier and a Accumulator are the same thing cause on their computer it says Receiver Drier/Accumulator. I had to take him out to my 78 mercury and point out the receiver drier before the evaporator and the accumulator after the evaportor showing him that they are two different things located in two different places but does simmiliar jobs.

But Autozone is the worse. They never have 10w30 oil when I go there all they got is this 0w30 or 20w50 or 5-40 diesel oil. Not to mention they never have the airfilter and oil filters you need. If you need a part they might have it in stock but they probably dont.

I learned from a tech instructor at the college auto tech training courses I took that to go online find the exact prt I need write the part number down the store part number and the manufactuers part number then give them the number and say this is what I need. I have done that and only had one problem the number was right but he gave me one with the R suffix instead of the B on the swaybar end links. The R was for red polyurethane bushings the B was for black. I wanted black so they would look like stock rubber.



The best part I ever asked for was for a flashing bulb. My 63 has a BRAKE indicator for the parking brake that when the brake is engaged the light flashes. Well it doesnt have a flasher unit but the bulb itself is the flasher. The bulb burned out but they told me you need a flasher to make the bulb flash

I mean I hate to say it but I feel like I know more about the old stuff than these kids my age working at the stores. They keep trying to sell me fuel injector cleaner and I keep telling them I have a carb not fuel injectors they say i will work with a carb. They dont understand it just says Fuel Injector cleaner. Its not like the other products they have on the shelf that says Fuel Injector and Carburetor Cleaner or Carburetor Cleaner.

 

The day I walked into Kragen after getting out of my truck, and the guy behind the counter said "hey nice Chevy" I'd had it. It's worse when you're a girl. I mean do they send these guys to "How to Sell the Stupid Girl Muffler Bearings 101" or something. I just let them "sell me" and pull it all down off the shelves, then we talk about reality. It kind of pisses them off to have to put it all back.

I miss my dad too Bob. If he was working on the truck, he'd ignore youif you said anything, then try to blame it on "bad hearing from flying so many years." But that man could hear a lifter that needed adjusting, or a squeek or kink that no one else could hear.

I'll never forget the day he got impatient with the young guy behind the counter at The Pep Boys. This kid was scrolling through the computer asking all the "surf questions" to try and get to the right page. My dad said "Hold on" walked around behind the counter, got into the books, opened one of them to the right page and pulled the kid over and said "you need to learn how to read a book."

Well, the manager at the other end of the counter got a little peaved and walked over and ask my Dad in a kind of snide tone (wrong thing to do) "Can I help you Sir?" My Dad said: "I doubt it since I'm the only person in this 'house of fools' who knows what the hell he's doing."

I don't think we ever did get the part.

I CAN'T IMAGINE what he would be like with Washington the way it is at the moment! WOW.

 

Good one, I was already upset cause I couldnt find Type A transmission fluid even at advance auto parts (there website goes back to like 1900 on cars they sellstuff for) and the woman at the register said can I help you as I was walking towards the door to leave. I simply said "nope, cant help me when you dont have what is needed".

 

i usually end up just ordering parts online anymore as with the exception of a couple of guys it's as we've said many times before , tuner kids who dont have a clue , and or the part is no longer avialable even though it was used on x amount of vehicles for x amount of years . ax i know all about the flat spotting etc. i did grow up with them ! i have seen the radials coker and lucas has , but in my mind's eye the pie crust sidewall is what looks right , and anyway everything we do to our trucks is in some way a trade off for one thing or another .

 

I agree, Radir makes reproduction early to mid 60`s white wall slicks the wide white wall but if you turn them inside their black wall with the small M/T in white on the other side. It is biasply slicks but has the vintage pie crust edging. I was going to slap a pair of those on my 63 along with vintage biasply tires up front in black walls also. Only thing is I was going to upgrade from 14 to 15 inch rims but luckily in 63 theres a tire alittle shorter than the stock ones but in 15" so I will get that.

I think it would be better to have the rake formed from 26 1/2" tires up front and 29" tires in the back over having 27 1/2" tires front and rear and using the air shocks to raise the back. I found out the hard way the panhard rod slides the rear axle over to the driverside putting the tire closer to the wheel well.