Hi guys! So sorry it took so long to post here - I'm on FTE every day it seems like but I missed this thread somehow, my apologies.

I've also been following the BS thread but I haven't posted anything yet, just getting a feel for who everyone is, etc... Guys, I'm not sure I'll be able to post good morning every day! I can hardly remember to brush my teeth every day.

But anyway here I am. My name is Luke, I'm from Kansas originally, but I've lived in Oregon for about the last eight years. Pretty nice out here, don't think I'll be leaving anytime soon. I work for the state as a data analyst and my wife is a grad student at OSU.

As for the trucks - I found FTE forums only recently after I purchased the F250 you see below. I have been wanting an early 80s Ford pickup for about as long as I can remember. I've been looking for just the right one for about the last four years, as I wanted something rather specific and these are not that common anymore still in good shape. Finally came across this one last month for sale out in La Pine and I snatched it up. It's rough around the edges and needs a lot of work but for the age it's in great shape. I plan to do a full restoration but presently I live in an apartment so there are limits as to how far I can go just now. The truck has 160k miles on it, a 460 V8 (which must have been swapped in at some point because the VIN shows it came from the factory with a 351). It was used to haul wood and given that it was out in eastern Oregon was more full of dust than any vehicle I have ever seen in my life. I am in the process now of completely re-doing the interior.

Behind the F250 you can see a red Ranger, that is also ours. It's two wheel drive and I hardly count it as a truck in the real sense but it has been a very handy vehicle for us in many ways. But it was always a disappointment on rougher terrain and I have gotten it stuck in a ditch more times than I care to remember. I'm glad to finally have something a bit bigger and with four wheel drive.

For the longest time I thought I'd never find my dream truck in real life so I'm also posting some photos of a model I built once as "the next best thing." Aside from working on cars, building models is my other hobby (yes, it's RC).

I really gotta change the grill on my full size, I want the stock look, but it came with that aftermarket billet thing. I'm pacing myself though, for the sake of my wallet, so for now it stays on there.


Luke