I found out that a car-guy friend and long time '53-'56 Ford truck dismantler/builder had passed about a week ago.

I was waking my '56 F100 from a 20 year sleep in 2010 when I needed some obscure parts(dome light, heater defrost vents/*****) when I discovered a rough plot of land near a local freeway that was CRAMMED with '56's and others and a faded sign with a phone number. I figured that the number had been disconnected for years but called it anyways—and it worked!

Steve answered, and after about 2-3 years we eventually became friends and he ended up helping me a lot, mostly with invaluable knowledge of how these trucks worked and what parts came from certain trucks.



Steve provided me with something that I later realized is not often found by many people on this site or in this country: a very affordable and close parts source for good original parts for these old trucks.

A am deeply saddened by not only losing a friend, but losing a database of information.



He and I were not best friends and I knew very little about his personal life; but I, as a Ford truck guy, have never felt quite as alone as I do today. How will I ever finish my future builds without him around?







I grew up without any knowledgeable mechanical people in my life. When I was a teen, almost nobody I knew could help with my new found love of cars and mechanics. Now I have even fewer friends to rely on. A sad day indeed; gonna miss ya Steve.

Here are some pics of his yard as I knew it. The yellow truck in first pic was taken in January 2011 and just a few weeks earlier it was inside his yard; now it was placed on the sidewalk to be gotten rid of. The dome light(until 2017) and defroster vents in my truck are from this truck.

 

Sorry about losing your Ford truck buddy. Like my friend Morry, who did last Sunday, these guys take with them a lifetime of knowledge and skills. Morry converted his two 56 trucks into 4 wheel drive in the 70's. He put a new tranny in my 54 from a truck that was sitting in his yard. I bought a spare tire hanger from him that was on a frame he had in his yard. Several years ago something in my three speed remote shifter broke in the column. He had the piece on a column he had lying around.

Can our generation take their places?

 

Dang it I could use that windshield stainless molding. I am however really sorry about the loss of your friend..

 

If you'd like I can see about finding some of that trim laying around. I am going to buy as much stuff as I can afford and store.

 

If you do let me know please..

 

Those that pass with all that information are invaluable as we all know...We need to post what we learn from them to pass it on. Once it is here on FTE as a post it should be available so when we pass the next group of guys that will seek similar if not the exact same info can have it....we have an obligation to do what we can record all this info to pass on the things we learn so these trucks can go on....if not us then the info will most certainly be gone.I think we are all doing our part now...dont underestimate the importance of taking that 15 minutes to post what you learned today or to share your experience with someone asking to have help with a particular repair they need....like mine in a post a few minutes earlier...Im sorry for everyones loss with the info this man had...we all lost may he rest in peace.

 

You forget, this is FTE and every once in awhile they sweep off the shelves and throw everything away. When the eliminated the galleries they destroyed all kinds of information..

 

Thinking about his family , where do you start to clean that place up . We know all that stuff is gold , but to a widow it has to be unbearable , to even think what to do .

 

Sometimes it feels like we are the last of the Mohicans, doesn't it?
I wish I had a Steve or a Morry near by and I'm glad you guys had that for a season.
Sorry for you guys' losses.
JML

 

Well there's a bitter sweet answer for you: to the best of my knowledge he never had kids or was married(for very long...??). His sister, nephew, and long time friends are doing the clean up.
There is a caretaker on the grounds that said they were in that yard pointing and "laying claim" to this and that the next day after he died...

I hope they take care of his life's work.
I do feel very fortunate to have had someone help me make my truck a little bit better.

 

I'm not sure what Morry's family will do with his stuff. His son Scott has his custom exhaust shop there and Morry's wife still lives in the house so they will not be in a hurry to "clean it up."