Hi all,
I used to frequent this site several years ago when I began the frame-up restoration of my 53 F-100. Work on the truck slowed down (to my dissapointment) but it looks like I'll be able to get back to spending some quality time with my project this winter. So, I'm back here looking around on the FTE forum and I realize that I don't recognize many of the names of the current site users. I see AXRACER and IMLOWER are still around. What happened to FENDERS? I'm also wondering whatever happened to Kevin Kessler and his 53 restoration. Also, someone (whose name I forget, but used to moderate this page) was also doing a total restoration. Does anyone know who I'm talking about? The last I saw he was casting resin grill ornaments. Lastly, there never were alot of folks out there doing stock restorations, but now it seems like there are even fewer. Is there another site out there that stock rebuilders are going to?

 

Welcome back.... guess I'm new since you were here... I'm doing a frame off resto on my 53 F100.

 

I have not been around that long so I cannot answer everything.

Earl (George) our moderator has some health issues. Some of the members hear from him occasionally, but I have not talked to him in quite a while.

There are becoming less and less stock trucks out there. At the 06 supernats I saw 2 flat heads and 4 Y-blocks. At the recent Ozarks run, there was 1 flat head and 2 Y-blocks.

It seems most people are swapping in IFS and other drivetrains now. Mine is no where near restored, but it is relatively stock. I did add halogen headlights and (under floor) power brakes though. It is a driver and not a show truck.

272 Y-block and 3 on the tree!

 

While I have been here an even shorter time than Brian has, I too have noticed that most of the users that were here when I started do no post any more. I hope it is because they are too busy working on their trucks, or lurking in the shadows, letting the "new blood" hash out the problems they have already covered. I too am working on a 53, but it is to be resto-modded. Clean, unmolested trucks are getting hard to find, therefore restored trucks are getting hard to build. My parts truck might have been a good candidate for resto, as it had only had an engine transplant, but the truck I am building had been hacked and modded beyond what I wanted to try to bring back to stock.

 

Yeah...3 months. Look at the dates. I just talk too much.

Then again...I didn't have a truck or know what a Y-block was until I came here. I came here looking for advice on what to look for (rusty places) because I was looking at a local 56.

 

Welcome back. I remember your username. I guess you have a heated garage in order to be able to spend quality time on your truck during the winter in Vermont. Mine sits from about Thanksgiving until May. We still hear from 'fenders occasionally but not from Earl in some time.

You might as well bite the bullet and convert your truck to a rod...the dark side is calling. Come on over...we have cookies!

 

I'd say most of the stockers are still around here, but most of the posted questions usually cover mods/rods. Nice to see you back in the neighborhood. No there isn't any other site for stockers.

A couple of the guys have done a tour of duty with Uncle Sam while you've been gone. Serious illness has hit a couple of families and that takes guys off for awhile. College and careers, etc. Just the usual things of life.

 

Welcome back. I also remember you if that makes a difference.

 

You are correct that much of this forum is devoted to non-stock modifications, vs. restoration.

I don't think there are nearly as many questions or topics to discuss if you are doing stock restos, mostly where to find a part or such. What's the correct color to paint shift linkages, etc... While I prefer stock stuff, I don't like those kind of forums as much as this one. Besides, here I can steer the hackers back toward the godliness which is Stock!!!

PS -- modded trucks just make the stockers all the more valuable $$$$$$

 

Good to see you back online; I too have taken time away from site on occasion due to work commitments.

The site has changed over the last couple years; miss the input from Fenders, George, etc but there is still a lot of activity on FTE.

I would have preferred a restore but my project had no drive train so it was a no brainer to go with rebuild.

Tom

 

Welcome back I remember you also. There are still alot of stock restorers around. It's been my experience that many of the people that go the stock route are older than I am (44) and don't get along with computers. Many do beutiful work but refuse to learn how to use a digital camera and the associated software to share their efforts to more than the local cruise night scene. Rich.

 

JVMCC, I new here but have been lurking in the shadows for a while. I'm doing something different more rod but done the way a truck would be in oh say 57. You know Y-block, tri-power and chrome. Glad to see some one else sticking basicly stock. Kurt G. Y-blocks rule.

 

I ran everyone off with my wicked humor, except myself.

George/Earl covered above.
Fenders, Nolion, Ferguson, Kevin and a few oters are all Lurkers, when they do appear it's ghostly.
We have a real good Moderator, For a Canadian.

 

Hi JVMCC, thanks for mentioning my name as one of the old timers here, I'm honored you remembered me. I miss the way this website was in the past with Fenders, Earl and the rest of the gang. There are several of us who post here like Himmelberg, Jiolon, Randy Jack to name a few. Not as often as before, but I see occasional posts popping up from the old gang. The website just doesn't have the spark it used to. It's still informative and still has a bunch of great people but for whatever reason, people faded away and are no longer posting. I know Fenders went overseas to do his military duty and others seemed to drift off when he did. This site wasn't just for restorers, or for the wild customizers (known as "darksiders"). It took me quite a while and plenty of laughs to figure out I had a "girlie" engine (small block Ford). We had our own language here and it took a while to catch what people were talking about, or who they were talking about. In fact, some posts went on for quite a while with the same subject before someone figured out the punch line or what the heck they were talking about. In otherwords, there was a lot of humor going on, in addition to people who really knew these old trucks, had plenty of experience working on them and had a passion for them. I miss the creativity here and the excellent ideas that the basic garage monkey could do at home on new projects along with people sharing what they did and how they did it with tons of great pics showing how it was done. It was like a tight family here. I don't post like I use to, maybe because of the subject matter, or just lack of interest? Don't know? I'm not giving up on the old timers coming back, I know and hope there out there. Meanwhile, I make the best of this site and try to help some the newbies and stubborn oldtimers here with stuff the "original oldtimers" taught me. Stick around buddy... It's still a great site with lots of great people.

 

guess I'm one of the grandfathers here.

Haven't seen Kevin in a long while
Fenders is still catching up on chores since his return from the sandlot
I'm actually here every day but don't have a lot to add... time is my enemy of late...

welcome back John good to see your name again..

later
John