Hello all, assuming it is allowed on the forum, I would like to share how it is that I am managing to become the proud owner of one of these trucks. I know, hard to believe that a 17 year old kid would have any interest in this ancient technology.

Anyway, this story starts in 2003, the year my grandfather purchased a 1977 F-100 Custom 2wd 300 I-6 3 speed on tree as a light duty wood hauler for his wood shop and to maintain the woods on his property. For the last 17 years, I have made the 5 hour trip to their house and spent a couple weeks there in the heat of summer, doing what kids are supposed to do, that being play with power tools and vehicles. My first memory of this truck takes place in '07 ish. I don't remember anything about it, it was just another truck to 7 year old me.

He was also fond of Tonka trucks, and had hundreds of them on display in the wood shop. One day he took my brother and I into the shop and let us each pick a Tonka to take home. My brother took a dump truck and I picked this slightly rusty, beat up blue pickup truck and took it with me. Little did I know, the matching real truck was just 50 feet away. At least, I didn't make the connection until years later.

Fast forward to last summer, i'm 17, have a ravenous interest in all things with an engine, and I remembered that grandpa Jack has an old truck stowed away with the tractors under an overhang attached to the barn. So, I did what anyone would do, I fired up the 1939 Ford 9N tractor, grabbed a chain, and made my way back to it. When I got there, challenge number one was getting into it. Driver's door latch is broken, and passenger door is pinched and only opens about 8 inches. I wrestled with that door until I could reach the window crank, rolled the window, climbed in through said window, and opened the driver’s door from inside. Shifted it into neutral and hooked onto the rear bumper. I put the tractor into low gear and gave it the whole 9. Pulled it out and began looking over it.

Now, my grandfather is one of those guys that whistles Battle Hymn of the Republic" all day and speaks maybe 200 words per day, except to me. I am his 2nd in command and the closest person to him except for grandma. Naturally, when he sees me "flying" through the yard with his tractor he knows i'm up to something. He came around the edge of the barn and found me slithering all over this truck and I assume he knew what was going on. He let me put a battery in it and tow it around with the tractor while my younger brother put it in gear and we tried to get it to cough a little. But alas it was not to be that day. Didn't matter to me, I was already hooked.

My grandfather has a fancy for the art of the deal, When I offered him a couple hundred for it, he counter offered that I had to apply to 5 ivy league schools (he could have gone but had a kid on the way and a farm to look after.) He doesn't want me to make the same mistake. I've since whittled him down to applying to one, making my purchase price about 75-80 dollars.

Long story short, I have plans to make this truck mine, get it to run, and show it off to all the boys back home. Figured that maybe this forum would like to hear that there are a select few of the new generation that care for "aged" toys and are willing to learn how to get dirty. I'll attach some photos once I get off of the schools internet (Don't tell them, they've already blocked every other site known to man. No freedom anymore let me tell you.) Thanks for reading.

 

sweet dude glad to see another yougin like me getting in to these old trucks

Im not even sixteen yet and i own 3 1/2 of these old trucks and drive them everywhere dont tell the cops

whats your plans for it?

 

Gonna try to keep it low budget, mechanic stuff first, then maybe some basic body work. I'm a fan of keeping things original unless it absolutely needs help

Good luck on your trucks, sounds like you are pretty well invested in them.

 

yeah i worked my *** off when i turned 10 i got a job during the summer and worked 16 hour days for 3 1/2 months straight and mad a **** pot of money and when i got back home i bought a supercab and then bought more trucks

 

Looks like a decent truck. Are you going to find a bed for it?

 

It would be a goal of mine, but for now I just want it to run so I know that it would be worth it to refinish body, etc

 

Jacob welcome to FTE for sure. Awesome story, your Grandfather sounds like one cool dude. I like the way this story is going, stay motivated!

 

Great read! You can learn a lot from grampas. One thing that always happens: After you own your first truck, you are never without a truck from then on.

 

Enjoyed the story, like the way you write. Looking forward to more chapters!

David

 

Welcome aboard, cool story and good to see you still have the original Tonka version as well!

Nothing wrong with the older technology at all; clean the points, change the oil, make sure it's getting fuel and it'll probably fire up. Very simple stuff. My truck had been sitting since '93 and it fired up first go once I remembered to clean and gap the points.

Again, welcome to the wonderful world of aged iron. Enjoy!

- boingk

 

Loved the story. The other half loved the white walls on the Tonka.

 

Is it worth something? I tried to find more about it but couldn't find any model number or etc. but its just as likely I don't know the proper way to search for info...

 

Yea it has monetary value. But you got it from grandpa, I couldn't put value on that. As far as research on it you'll probably need to find a collector to help you.

 

Of course, my master plan is to keep it on the dash as the inspiration for the project.

 

Good story, best part is you will know the history on the truck and what its been through. I got invested in these trucks young too, and the addiction will continue to grow See if you can find any old pictures of your grandfather and the truck from back in the day!