As most of you know,I have a whole lot of BIG TRUCK PARTS and PIECES!! Now you may also know that I have alot of physical health problems,and latest hospital stay got me to wonder----should I sell and buy 1 nice 56 driver and be done with all this!! When ksmith sold his wrecker---I could not believe he could sell it! Now I see that he is building another---I am jealous!! Now 50,and still not enjoying my trucks as I should.
I just got a 71 F100 from Virginia,and with a few new items will be a great driver.
BUT!!!!!!! I still want a nice 56 meadow green f100 to drive. Wife is concerned that next time I will be paralyzed,and Drs.,are in question too.......sooooooo what should I do????
I am a great admirer of NUMBER DUMMY(Bill) and asked his opinion,and he is smart as a whip!!! I should sell of what I do not need and go from there!!
So here we have it. I love my 56 F600 VANBODY and worked like a dog to finish it. I also have a 56 f600 cab and chassis complete and also a truck load of fenders,hoods and everything under the sun!!!
I think driving and maintaining a 56 everyday and keeping the 71 will be enough for now. Wife is afraid I will keep buying and eventually hurt myself beyond repair.
Please be thoughtfull---this is a tender subject!!!! thanks........Bill----oh I almost forgot,--in my travels yesterday I found a nice 56 cab and tailgate,not 25 miles from my cottage-----see my point!!!!

 

Bill,

LOL...I understand where you are coming from. I'm a collector also (if I had more room I'd probably be divorced...LOL). In your situation it makes alot of sense to sell off some of the extra and maybe put together a decent driver.
Some guys are real good at moving parts around, buying, selling, and even making a dollar or two in the process. I can't seem to stay that organized and end up just collecting. There is definately a thrill to the chase! I love scouring the country side looking for old car and truck parts. Sometimes I just have to force myself to stay away from Craigslist, Ebay, etc adn focus on the projects that I already have because it never fails...you always spot something that you just can't resist when you are broke or have no time, place, etc for it

I wish you luck in your decision
Bobby

 

Do whatever makes you happy, that tends to lead to good health

 

Thanks Bobby! I almost forgot--I even have a 56 F100 IN Progress,and would consider selling it also or trade for a running and driving 56. I sold my ever-day truck and need to start driving the 71 soon. I almost drove the 56 vanbody to the store-LOWES, and ended up having wife pick up the stuff. Hate to drive them in salt!!! If I end up keeping them,I will transport most to my Florida home,and have big storage there and it would get them out of yhis weather,and underfoot.
I will always be a wheeler-dealer and will probably score that 56 cab and parts I spoke of Saturday,if wife helps me. Still not able to walk real good---if I ever did!! LOL..Bill

 

Bill, I went thru a similar phase back when I was in my 30's and 40's. When I relocated to Maine I narrowed my collection AND stopped going to Hershey and many other swap meets. I have been pretty steady now just finishing up what I have and maintaining those that are on the road. The thrill of the hunt is very infectious. I go on ebay but do not really look at the cars/trucks but just parts needed to complete what I have. All that said I have managed to keep the number of collector cars/trucks constant but then there are the boats!

 

ahhh collecting is infectious!!! I know that is true!
Doing what makes me happy--is not the problem----my problem is--I should NOT be as happy as I am,and I should be DRIVING a 56 f100 ,instead of building all of them. I do not need more show-cars. I have a 63 stude avanti that only gets driven 1/twice a year. I want a driver and will sacrifice . I guess this way I will stay alive!! haha!! Bill

 

I saw the other day in Hemmings that a 1966 N500 (hope that's right) that was owned by Carroll Shelby race team sold at auction for $66,000. So, I would get in touch with Carroll Shelby, pay him a $1,000 each to have each of your trucks transferred to him and then back to you. You could advertise as "once owned by Carroll Shelby" , sell them for a ridiculous price and then retire with enough to buy your dream 56.

 

I don't know your specific health issues. I cannot say what you should do in your situation. I can only speak for me.

I was going to buy a "project" 56. Everyone here (and friends in the car clubs) told me not to do it. They advised me to find a driver. A project that was mostly complete that I could drive and enjoy. They all knew I was not in a position to physically (and financially!!) take a basket case and ever get it on the road.

Had I bought the project...it would have ended up sitting behind my parents house in pieces and rusting down. That is a hard thing to admit at my age (41), but it is the honest truth.

Fortunately, for me, Tacson knew where this truck was. Thanks Buddy!

I know mine is not pretty (and never will be), but I am getting the privilege of driving it any time I want to. It gets so much attention going down the road. it gets surrounded anywhere I stop (grocery stores, gas, hardware stores, etc.). I go to a lot of local cruises and cruise ins. It actually gets as much attention as the high dollar hot rods (like old corvettes, T-birds, tri-five chevies, etc.). I love driving it to work and dialysis.

I would imagine that collecting, trading, selling might be fun, but I am not able to do that. Truthfully, I cannot afford the one truck I have, but I own it (long story there!). That is partially why it is not painted and everything too. Even if I could do all the work physically...I cannot afford it. Maybe, maybe...over the years it will slowly get done. If not....I have it to enjoy. For me, that is the point.

 

Leckart---funny!!! LOL Do you know Carroll and how about his phone number? lol
I do not want a 40k plus show stopper. I would be happy with a bone stock 56,and I have a truck in mind---but it is tooooo nice. Robert Clark had 1 at the NAT'S and that is exactly what I want. His is tooo nice though!! I have no intention on completely stopping renivating vehicles any time soon.....it is just these big trucks are too much for me to handle,and heck, I've got plenty of them. I hope that you can enjoy your 56 for a long time,BRIAN--and it does not have to be a show--stopper. I would be pleased to have yours!!! My dream truck is meadow-green and stock--not pure stock,but enough to make me feel as I am driving a 50 plus year old truck!! I have enough pieces to build a fleet-----but you cannot cruise with pieces!!! LOL Bill

 

Bill, I am 54 YO, had a heart attack last year, the day after Super Bowl Sunday - I'm dreading this weekend! I got my truck this last fall, and have been working on it daily. Some days it's getting a LOT done, some days it's only getting some research done, but it's STILL working on the truck, as far as I am concerned. My back's bad, ticker's tocked once, but the truck is keeping me young and alive. I do what I can, when I can. I collected Scripto Vu lighters for years, and recently sold the last of the collection, to concentrate on the truck. Also sold my '82 motorhome, and am seriously thinking about selling my RC airplanes - probably about 50 of them in kits and finished. Needless to say, I am concentrating on the truck! I have passd over the idea of getting any sort of "parts truck" because I know then I would have two things - 1) a "collection", and 2) another project truck!

I've never been one to take ANY kind of shortcut, but I was going to strip to frame, media-blast, paint perfectly, restore everything, etc, etc. Make it look like a brand new truck - I did British sports cars in my earlier years, 10 point resto's. Now, I have bought a flathead (mine's DEFINITELY rebuildable!), going through every inch of the tranny, getting the brakes finished, and going to leave all the cab/bed paint for now, but paint the fenders and runningboards a "weathered" black, and drive the sucker!! As I told my wife, I don't want to die, with a 1/2 finished PERFECT truck in my shop! I want to drive it, and if I constantly improve it as I get to drive it, all the better!

The collections WERE nice, but I'm basically down to two, and heading towards one. MY recommendation, is that based on MY experience, if you got rid of all the "projects" hanging over you, (you must be thinking about it, or you wouldn't have asked for opinions) and get ONE that you will enjoy at LEAST as much as all the others, and probably a lot more! Take lots of pictures of your current trucks, have them blown up, and put them around the shop, just to remind yourself of how much the new one means to you, and how much the old ones meant to you.

I've regretted selling every sports car I've ever owned....for a while. Now, they are all fond memories, but THIS truck is what's keeping me alive!!

The decision is yours. I'm just here to say, you won't necessarily regret going to one great truck project, I don't think.

Just my $.02 worth...well, 1/2 that, anyway!

R

 

Bill

Collecting is a funny thing. The collecting behavior is self fulfilling... another one for the collection... that will look great along side the others... this one is different, got to have it. And it gets easier after you find our where to look and what to look for. And you get more efficient at the search, find, deal, and haul home. But the thirst is never quenched. And then one day you realize... What have i done? Do I have more that I can manage in the foreseeable future? And which truck to spend time with... ... here I am talking about my self again.

Anyway- it sounds like you kinda know what you want to do. If you are worried about loosing the hard fought finds you currently have, you could put them in storage. It sounds like you have the room. Then change your search behavior to include only those trucks that match your dream truck or real close. It might take longer to find. But it will be sweet when you find it. Then, after you have driven it a while and you are back up to speed, you can decide what to do with your projects.

I dont get paid to give advice haha
Frank

 

All the rest of the great info and relies aside, this is the most important. If you knew me well, you would trust that is is true. And is what I went thru but a few years back due to the health. Now that the my future is now, I am ever so glad that I liquidated 40 years of collection and even cried ( yes tears) over some of it. Feel your own body and soul, what does it tell you.
In my case, I have a lot less concerns over the material stuff and what the wife/kids might have gone through trying to liquidate it. I had a big party, guys took stuff home, they loaded the rest in trailer to swap meet, we ate and had a wonderful time, and the $$ went to the piggy bank for fun times. I have a luxo-liner truck for daily year round comfort and a nice driving 56 for kix. I am now in the wax on-wax off mode. I really believe I mooched a few extra years of enjoyment in life after the decision was made. No regrets.

Sincerely, Jon
1 foot in the grave, the other on a banana peel.

 

Jon, I've never heard it spoken (written??) so eloquently.

I must add that after $10,000 of Scripto lighters, and as Jon said, always looking for the next one, Some @-hole in SF, started taking the original inserts out, putting some kind of c--p that would fit in them, and selling them, NOT telling people they weren't originals. Sure, they were "unique", but they were frauds, in my eyes. That was 4 years before I sold my collection, but in that 4 years, I only bought one or two. But the enjoyment was gone, even though I liked looking at them. I wish I had gotten rid of the collection 4 years earlier, by the time I DID, I basically gave them away, I was so bitter. I would have made a LOT more money, and wouldn't have wasted 4 years wondering, and fuming.

Here's the last ones to go:

http://www.crbest.com/lighters/

Follow your heart...that's MOST important. Come summer, I'm going to be driving my truck, even if it's only in and out of the shop. Hopefully, by fall, I'll be driving to the car shows....with a BIC in my pocket!!

R

 

I've personally never been in the situation where I have a bunch of project vehicles at one time, but I have had up to 4 motorcycles at once, all runners. Maybe that experience will help you decide! I don't know your plans for your collection, but suppose you got to where they all ran? In my case, all 4 had to be insured and registered, which didn't used to be a lot of money, but nowadays would be... So with 4 bikes to choose from, about 3 months into one riding season, I realized I was riding one of them 90% of the time, and riding the rest of them about equally, and mostly just because I needed to keep them charged up and exercised. So what was the point of having them?! I took a bunch of pictures of them and sold off all but the one.

 

Bill just drop them off at my house and I will work on them for you. I need some more projects. Hell, I will even come and get them. I will write more later have to go for now.