Over due introduction
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 1,994
Likes: 3
From: Morgan Hill, CA
Over due introduction
Well,
Tazcliff made me think that I’m lacking in the introductions department.
I also happened into a project truck, and now it seems to have some sentimental value. Twelve years ago, my oldest son (who was eleven at the time) declared that he really liked old trucks. Our neighbor has several classics, including a 56 F-100. Charlie loved that 56 pickup. My response was that the kids in our family are required to rebuild a vehicle if they want to drive it….and we’d better start right away if you want to finish by the time you’re 16. Charlie started looking. While he was on a summer visit to my mom’s up in Graeagle California, they went to the Railroad Museum in Portola. Charlie spotted an old truck behind the museum. When I went to pick my kids up at the end of the week, Charlie couldn’t stop talking about the truck. At my mom’s urging, we went to the museum and inquired. The response from the all-volunteer staff is that..”that truck belongs to Hap, who is an active volunteer here, and we’d love to see Hap get some of his stuff out of here”. They called Hap for us! Charlie negotiated with Hap and bought the 1952 F2 for $125. We brought the F2 home, but Charlie’s interests changed a little, and we did a VW project, and a 66 Mustang project. In the mean time my other three kids all had to rebuild other project cars to meet their rebuild-to-drive requirement, so the F2 sat behind my barn.
Shift forward a few years, and I traded with Charlie & became the official owner of the F2…and I let it sit for a few more years. I am now ready to take this on….in the last 12 years I’ve done 3 complete restorations with my three sons, and a vehicle rebuild with my daughter….and I don’t have a classic of my own to drive around. I have finally motivated myself to take on the truck. Oddly, I met Ilya (aka 51panelman) from a local Craigslist ad. He somehow inspired me to buy his F1 chassis in order to convert my F2 into an F2 with a short-bed (and IFS). I decided on drivability, so I’m rebuilding a 351w with a C6 behind it to power this beast.
One of my goals is to do this and drive the “short” F2 to the Railroad Museum at Portola!!
By the way….the advice and technical information that I’ve picked up from FTE has been amazing!!
Sorry for the long-winded intro, but I figured that it was time!
Dan
Tazcliff made me think that I’m lacking in the introductions department.
I also happened into a project truck, and now it seems to have some sentimental value. Twelve years ago, my oldest son (who was eleven at the time) declared that he really liked old trucks. Our neighbor has several classics, including a 56 F-100. Charlie loved that 56 pickup. My response was that the kids in our family are required to rebuild a vehicle if they want to drive it….and we’d better start right away if you want to finish by the time you’re 16. Charlie started looking. While he was on a summer visit to my mom’s up in Graeagle California, they went to the Railroad Museum in Portola. Charlie spotted an old truck behind the museum. When I went to pick my kids up at the end of the week, Charlie couldn’t stop talking about the truck. At my mom’s urging, we went to the museum and inquired. The response from the all-volunteer staff is that..”that truck belongs to Hap, who is an active volunteer here, and we’d love to see Hap get some of his stuff out of here”. They called Hap for us! Charlie negotiated with Hap and bought the 1952 F2 for $125. We brought the F2 home, but Charlie’s interests changed a little, and we did a VW project, and a 66 Mustang project. In the mean time my other three kids all had to rebuild other project cars to meet their rebuild-to-drive requirement, so the F2 sat behind my barn.
Shift forward a few years, and I traded with Charlie & became the official owner of the F2…and I let it sit for a few more years. I am now ready to take this on….in the last 12 years I’ve done 3 complete restorations with my three sons, and a vehicle rebuild with my daughter….and I don’t have a classic of my own to drive around. I have finally motivated myself to take on the truck. Oddly, I met Ilya (aka 51panelman) from a local Craigslist ad. He somehow inspired me to buy his F1 chassis in order to convert my F2 into an F2 with a short-bed (and IFS). I decided on drivability, so I’m rebuilding a 351w with a C6 behind it to power this beast.
One of my goals is to do this and drive the “short” F2 to the Railroad Museum at Portola!!
By the way….the advice and technical information that I’ve picked up from FTE has been amazing!!
Sorry for the long-winded intro, but I figured that it was time!
Dan
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 8,813
Likes: 13
From: Littleton, New Hampshire
Welcome aboard! If you're going the conversion route you can start looking for F-1 front and rear fenders, running boards, and a bed. Just about everything else from the F-2 will work. 
Roast em' if you got 'em
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 22,017
Likes: 9,975
From: Rio Rancho, NM
Dan,
Nice intro, nice story. Lets see, a handful of kids all driving older cars......you know, I can see it now, everytime you get ankle deep in your truck trying get something done you're gonna get called off to help one of the kids fix this or that and your poor old truck will get pushed to the back burner.....LOL
Have fun with the truck
Bobby
Nice intro, nice story. Lets see, a handful of kids all driving older cars......you know, I can see it now, everytime you get ankle deep in your truck trying get something done you're gonna get called off to help one of the kids fix this or that and your poor old truck will get pushed to the back burner.....LOL
Have fun with the truck
Bobby
Logistics Pro
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,577
Likes: 29
From: Pekin, IL
old_dan great story! I am doing sort of the same but Im gonna use the F3 bed/chassis. I have a bad case of cabin fever cause it cold here!
I noticed you are from california...send some heat this way!
Welcome to the board! I have already posted with ya a time or two.
I hope to pay attention to your build cause its similar to mine.
If you have any questions or comments please PM me or whatever.
I am certainly no expert but, I am really enjoying this build. Its hard to imagine this project EVER being done but it will happen!
Jeff
I noticed you are from california...send some heat this way!
Welcome to the board! I have already posted with ya a time or two.
I hope to pay attention to your build cause its similar to mine.
If you have any questions or comments please PM me or whatever.
I am certainly no expert but, I am really enjoying this build. Its hard to imagine this project EVER being done but it will happen!
Jeff
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