BTW, here is the spot where the paint had bubbled and then was sanded and clear coated... we felt this scar was worth displaying. Below that is Smokey's best portrait.

 

 

Cool article and awesome picture!

 

Your paint bubbling sure looks legit. Might be lucky that one survived the fire.

That F350 in the article has the 19.5 inch wheels. Those being a 6-lug variation they are especially unique. Cool truck.

Chad

 

That is a cool Power Wagon. Did your dad work with the Forestry Service and get to drive it or similar?

 

Yes, Dad had been in the Navy during the Korean War as a DC2 (Damage Controlman 2) aboard an oil tanker. There was also a Fire Controlman that you might think was in charge of fire-fighting but instead they were in charge of weapons firing mechanisms and the DC crew were the ship fire-fighters. So he had some Government training in fire-fighting already. He would have driven the Power Wagon and he owned one also that was a tan color.

Dad was always doing something fun or having fun and he was fearless. He is a bit more sedate these days but still has a great humor and likes to eat at McDonalds.

Here's some pictures of him goofing around over camping. Back in the day there were really no offroad motorcycles so they would take these Honda 305 Scamblers and strip off all of the steet lights and put different gearing and knobby tires on them. That was their version of an off-road bike and they went everywhere with them. Dad got his first Harley-Davidson when he was just 16 years old. I do have a lot of pictures of him in his teenage years on that motorcycle, too.

I'll keep this Ford related by including some Ford trucks in the background of some pictures. Can you spot the Ford trucks? Lol

Oh, and no helmet at the moment.











On New Years Day they would often go out to Lake Tapps and do a little water skiing. Here's Dad getting ready for a run with Bob Freilinger (RIP) helping him get suited up.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/HeraldNet/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=14194271




Here's a pic of Dad in the boat driving it to take Bob for a run.



And finally a picture of Bob skiing. You can see the snow and a few houses on the far bank.



And a picture of Dads truck with the American Eagle



And the Eagle by itself.



Chad

 

 

You have a VERY keen eye there my friend. That was owned by another friend of my Dad's named Larry Rowe. I believe they called that one a Super Camper Special. About a 1974 or so.

If you get to a larger computer screen you should see others. A 1966 F250 4x4 (blurred) in the background of one with my dad going by doing a wheelie. That's the same Arcadian Blue 66 that I've shown other pictures of.



And then a 1965 F250 Camper Special that belonged to Bob Bostwick.

Then the Super Camper Special with the Cougar behind it - and the same 1965 F250 in front of it.

Then my dad's 1970 F250 4x4 Crew - not really a background shot.

Chad

 

 

Here's a couple more just for fun - of me at about 6-7 years old. About the same timeframe as the picture of the 4x4 above.

We had been over camping and I was showing my own spirit for riding motorcycles and had crashed my Honda 50 and bent the forks on it.



We were starting to load up to go home and they took a couple of me next to it. I remember putting the Bardahl sticker on the gas tank, too. Dad's 4x4 Crew Cab just behind me. Our old dog Tippy in front of our trailer. Ah, the memories....



Chad

 

Pictures are pretty cool Chad. I've had 4 305s years ago ,used for the same reasons. Course most ended up as parts to keep at least one of them running .parts for them started drying up after some years. Used to race the HDs. 900 sporters - circle track, hill climb and eventually transitioned into fuel drag bikes. That was a rush every time I got on one. Eventually moved into fuel dragsters but no real $$$$$ to stay in that game.

The pic of the powerwagen is also pretty cool. Front reminds me of my 1959 Jeepster 2dr convertible. Even has the original gutless 4 banger and rear fender steps. Yellow - pretty hard to miss it driving down the road. :-)))))

Old pics of toys that are/were in our lives are something that should be passed on to other 'old iron' lovers. MAYBE there should be a thread started with pics of our old and still burning love affairs. Machines guys and gals Maybe the thread could be put at the top of this site so it doesn't get lost with all the other post .Just a thought.

 

The wheelies, especially standing on the seat, were a seriously fun thing to watch. Pretty advanced for the time. Dad was an amazing motorcycle rider.

He would also ride bicycles by sitting on the handlebars looking backward and pedal around the yard, glancing over his shoulder to see where he was going. No helmet, of course.

He was practically a daredevil.

Chad

 

The 305s were one good option. Here's a photo from Summer of 1968 that you might enjoy, if nobody else. My Dad would have taken this one while my Mom was in the tent in the background cleaning up after breakfast. Getting ready to go for the morning ride. My Dad's green 1966 International 4x4, then Buzz's 1967 F250 4x4 in Arcadian Blue, then Don's 1966 F250 4x4 in Arcadian Blue that he had bought from Buzz when he "traded up" to the new model.

My sister, then me on the tricycle, and my brother standing behind my Dads 305 Scrambler. Then Larry on the BSA Victor next to his wife on the Bridgestone. They are opposite my Dad when he is putting on the wet suit in the picture above. Then Buzz on his Greeves. That thing was sort of a pig and he was always working on it to keep it running right. And his wife on a Bridgestone. Then Don on his Honda 305 Scrambler and his wife on a Bridgestone.

I'd take my afternoon nap riding in front of my Dad - he'd take off his belt and put it through the front two loops of his pants and around me and his arms on the handlebars would keep we from tipping off.



Chad

 

While were looking back. My 66 International 1100A 4x4 304 4sp factory power ram assist steering. I traded a dirt bike for it in the 80's. Worked camped and wheeled it for 20+ yrs and 345k mi. I loved that truck and sure do miss it.

 

I am on a larger screen now. I did see the obvious trucks earlier this morning but was only looking for the not so obvious trucks. In the second pic of your dad doing wheelies I see a truck to the right that is a dark colour but when I zoom in it blurs too much. I suspect a dentside, possibly the same Super Camper Special but it also sort of looks like a maroon slick?

Christmas that is a nice looking Cornbinder especially with the "step" box. International is the only one I cannot think of the trade name for the box of right now.

Chad you definitely had cooler parents than I. I remember trying to convert the old baby carriage my parents used into a peddle go cart complete with rope steering as a tiller. I explained all my plans to my mom who had zero mechanical aptitude so she said it was impossible to do and I should stop dreaming. She told my dad who promtly took it to work with him and.... hucked it in the dumpster. I am THE ONLY one in my entire family with any desire to tinker with stuff. I also came along during all the oil crisis crap so any pics from my youth would just give you old timers bad memory syndrome to talk with your phsych about lol.

My dad did have a 1966 Plymouth Satellite with a stripper 318 that he sold in 1980 to buy a Plymouth Horizon 5dr hatchback with a Puegot/Volkswagen 4 banger.... more bad memories for me. He did however, have a 1973 Volkswagen Westfalia in pumpkin orange that I loved and was kept mint. Sold it in 1991 with 73,000 miles for $5600. If he had it today in the same condition it would be a Barrett Jackson $50,000 plus dollar vehicle.