My wife recently found these photos of my 55 F100 back in 1987 right after I first got it. I had just installed a redneck A/C system.





Actually I had just started the top chop. I had gotten the truck with intentions of just driving it, but found it had so many issues that I decided to do things to it that I had always wanted to do. After starting and finishing numerous other projects, here I am 24 years later still working on the F100. If my wife hadn't taken such a fancy to this truck, I would have probably jumped ship on it years ago. I've certainly had some interesting trade offers over the years.

 

You just made my day, I've had mine 12 years now and kick myself for taking so long and you do much better work than I do. Cool photos, thanks for sharing.

 

I'm not really proud of the fact that this project has gone on so long, but things like that item sitting behind my truck, a boat, another boat, motorcycles, other custom cars, campers, raising kids, raising cattle, building stuff for other people............you get the picture.... the F100 gathered a lot of dust waiting on other projects to get done. Thankfully I kept it pushed back in the garage. It is the "only" automotive project that I have going now and I can say that, for probably the first time in my adult life. Now other projects.....that's another story.....gotta finish that kitchen remodel, start that bathroom remodel, re-roof the garage. That's life.

 

Holy crap has it come a long way! Any pictures of it when you got it or before the chop?

 

Taken right after I drove it home.





It took me a few days to realize how screwed up it really was. The way the frame was put together was a wreck waiting to happen.

 

LOL, at least you have excuses,and legiamate ones at that, for me it's just lack of knowledge,lol. Curious, what year Trans Am is that sitting beside your truck in that one photo, early 70's?

 

Nice pictures!! I feel kinda the same way, sad i`m not working on my project but life throws you curve *****, money is always an issue, raising kids, one full time job +2 part time side businesses, right now i decided to focuss on finishing all my yard landscaping before my neighbours shoot me! I`m the type of guy that does everthing himself, make my own concrete, curbing, leveling ect, its cheeper this way but sure takes alot of time! Anyway now i finished babling, do a bit on the truck every winter and hopefully she`l be done within 10 years!!

 

The Trans Am was a 1977 WS6 car with the deluxe interior. I bought that T/A in 86 for $1,000. It had a crushed 1/4 and the engine had a flat lobe on the cam, otherwise was nearly perfect.(except for that horrid factory yellow paint.) I put a 260 comp cam in it, fixed the body and painted it Porche India Red and we were on our way to the street machine nationals 2 weeks after it rolled into my shop.



I was considerably younger with a heck of a lot more "get-up-and-go".

 

My first car was a 75 Trans Am I bought new and for some reason wish I still had it. It was a fun car to drive and I've never owned anything sporty since. I'm looking forward to the day I can drive my sporty panel

 

I love the way it looked when you got it, really cool.

Can I make one more request please? Can you post as many pics of that 77 T/A, from around that same time that you got it and how it looked before and after? I'd love to see it, and I love older pictures too.
Believe it or not, I'm a big 2nd gen Trans Am fan.

 

I'll have to look through my albums to see if I have any before pics. I did find one after photo.



This car was a pleasure to drive. Great handling, smooth and got great fuel mileage at 75 mph for a car that didn't have an overdrive trans.

 

WOW !!!i read this like it came from my mouth! I am your missing twin!
well...except for the side business stuff. I use to do some side job auto work but i dont have room for that anymore..
Im kinda dead in the water right now....

 

Still got those wheels that were on the truck?

 

Wow thanks so much for posting your T/A pick, I love it!. More more more!!!

Oh, what happened to it?

 

We drove it daily for the next couple years, sold it for a nice profit, used money to finish another project I had going. The guy that bought it, backed it into a utility pole at about 80 mph. The impact drove the pole almost to the back of the driver's seat. Never heard how badly the driver was hurt.

The wheels that were on the truck when I first got it were in really bad condition and were heavily reversed but not very wide. The wheels that are on it in the picture with the top off, are wheels and tires that I use as rollers for projects while I'm working on them.