Such an offer! Why should I trade my fridge box for yours? Fighting a tranny shift lever gasket leak 3 yrs running now.

Gotta keep this quiet now, wife likes black !

 

Please take your truck with that great patina that tells a story to your local car show or get together. Your truck does not have to be shiny to show it off. I have gone to car shows with my unrestored 56 f600 and had a good time talking to other like minded people.
I found this picture on the net and it made me smile It was from billitproof car show in Antioch Ca. 2011 Nice row of hotrods but the gathering of people were checking out the Rustyrelic (56 f600)

 

Sam, I wasn't saying anything bad. I meant you are not just a guy who bought a nice truck. I don't really know you, but from being on here and experiencing your posts, you started at ground level an worked your way up to the top. I see you as an inspiration, I hope someday I get to the level you are at. I mentioned stages of satisfaction, or something like that. I am sorta being to deep about this to explain in typing right now.
But I admire you and your truck is a compliment to your personality. Sorry for the mis-interpret. I am not patient enough to type sometimes. But what you are all about...means good stuff. you know your truck, you know the build you are working on now. I would have a trailer queen too, if mine was as cool as your truck! I have nothing but respect for you.

 

thanks, I got your note as well. I misunderstood that comment..

back to your regularly scheduled discussion of cars shows.

Sam

 

We have a great show happening on 7/13/12. It is off of 80 in the small town of Auburn. It's free and very popular. Cars/trucks start showing up at about 2:30 even though it officially starts at 5:00. They shut down the old town portion and put about 200 cars/trucks in there. Last month there was an all original Stanley Steamer! There are venders and the local restaurants have show specials. There are 1000's of people that show up and gawk. It looks like the main street at Disneyland Jag

 

Car shows around Chicago or in Chicago are typically free as its usually a gathering in a parking lot of some sort. I'm all for going and attending. Granted any of my past cars weren't show winners but I have fun seeing what's out there and you never know who you'll bump into or what you'll learn that you'll apply to your own ride. Or at least that's how I feel being a younger guy.

As for the shows you have to pay for they're alright. If its for charity I'm always happy to pay as its for a good cause but if it's to see some cars and that's about it I'm happy going to a cruise night at a local joint. One day my pink machine will be show ready in my mind and will be driven there and home.

 

Car shows are very similar to gun shows in a way. Some like to go and enjoy the whole day while they meticulously look at pretty much every single thing there. Others like to walk in, cruise the whole circuit in about 20 or 30 minutes, and then go back and re-investigate the points of interest before they leave in about 1-2 hours. It's just a matter of personal preference and the ability to sit still it seems. I think another thing that REALLY determines whether or not you are an "all-day" guy or just passing through is whether or not you have children. The little guys don't tolerate that very much.

 

I love to go and look at the cars and trucks, but I don't think that I would like to show one even if I did have one as nice as Sam's or others here. I like to drive mine and don't keep them perfect. I get to go to a private collectors place every year here near Houston. Charlie Thomas, who used to own quite a few car dealerships, collects cars and trucks now. He is a very nice guy, and my father in law is one of his best friends. A few times a year he has a huge BBQ for friends at his ranch where he has about 30,000 sq ft of buildings filled with his cars. He has two guys full time keeping them running, with fresh gas and battery, and the keys in them. My father in law gets to drive them, but I am not up to that stature yet (maybe never). The rich friends come to the ranch in their 120K$ Mercedes or helicopters, and I drive there in my work truck. I walk around and there and am able to get in the cars, open the hoods, and drool all without anybody watching me. Here a a few pics of the cars and trucks that I have taken over the years going there. He had many, many more cars and truck then I am showing here, but a good taste of what he has. I didn't even post the muscle car building pics...

 

Nice Pix! Jag

 

WOW!!!! That is a collection. I would like to have just one of those lifts, let alone any of those beautiful cars....

 

Hey Topper,
That's just beyond sick - incredible. I hope he wasn't down near Bastrop
as they all got burned out last year - some car collector lost everything but his Ford F150 he drove off in. More pics if you have them!

Ben in Austin

 

Ben, He was a long way away, near Columbus on I-10. A lot of these cars are completely stock, and a lot are hot rodded. The 57 Chevy you see part of has a 427, and some of the older ones have OV V8's. The purpleish 40 ford PU above has a 351 and AOD, and a really nice interior. And, yes this guy is sick. So is my Father in-law, a Harris County Judge for 30 years, goes there with a buddy and they go out and race the cars on the small highway in front of the ranch before the BBQ's (and Charlie loves it!). The last one he told me about was he was in a Shelby GT500 racing the 57 Chevy with the 427. He won. Here are a few more pics:

 

Speaking of collections, my wife's brother owns several car dealerships in our area (plus strip plaza's, commercial real estate, etc.) and he has a pretty cool car collection. He's a self made guy, grew up middle class but can only sit still for about a minute before he's out doing something (I don't think he ever sleeps!). He's a pretty stingy guy and money is literally his God (I wouldn't want to work for him since he can be pretty cutting and even though we keep it cordial as family, we don't really hang out with him and his wife) but I do admire his ambition, drive, and what he's accomplished. Below are some pics of his "barn" he has across the street from his lake house. The "barn" is unbelievable. It has a full length vintage bar in the front of the building (that would put most restaurants to shame with tin ceiling tiles and stamped concrete floors, pool table) and collections of various items displayed in glass cases everywhere (from antique toys, to guns, to vintage guitars), and just tons of vintage memorabilia. He also has a "game room" with a 3/4 bowling alley in it. But the coolest room in the house is his car collection room. Collectable signs on the walls and auto memorabilia all around the perimeter of the room (from oil can collections to antique/vintage bicycles, gas pumps, video arcade games, etc.) and the cars are all pristine. Theres' also a giant garage (off of that room) for his "overflow" cars and items. Here are a few pics of the cars and one of the game room. Too bad it's incomplete, not ONE Ford F1 or early F100 in the bunch!

Wally

1951 F1 - "Lucille"

 

Wally, your brother in law sounds similar to Charlie Thomas. He started out in the car business in the parts department at an auto dealer. He was from a working class family. He eventually worked his way to the parts dept head, saved his money, and started his own small auto business. He made enough money to buy a new car dealership and made it big, eventually owning 40 dealerships. He owned the Houston Rockets for years, including their back to back NBA championship years. A very nice guy, married to the same woman for 50+ years. His ranch has a malibu grand prix race track, a small chapel and one room school house from a small central Texas town, a movie theater, two old railroad cars made into guest houses, and an exact copy of the Luckenbach Tx dance hall/bar. Last October he sold off 150 cars (RM auctions) to downsize his collection. He still has at least 300.
Here are a few more pictures.

 

If you think about it, that's a pretty good way to hide taxable income. If a guy (or gal) owns a profitable business and can squirrel a few bucks out of the company (specifically cash) and buy a collectable car or two (or 300), they can sell them down the line, keep the untaxed income, and the buyer has to pay the sales tax on them. Now I'm not implying my brother-in-law would EVER do something like this to avoid paying more in taxes, (impossible in fact, he's an upstanding businessman and humanitarian who would never display unscrupulous tax manipulation even under the persuasion of extensive waterboarding!)... I'm just saying that it COULD be a way to avoid paying taxes on their income.

Wally

1951 F1 - "Lucille"