So, Lots of stuff accomplished. I don't have any of me driving it, but last weekend, it was backed in, and didn't even look drivable. This evening, however, is a completely different story. Here you go. Many more in my photo bucket page. The link's in my sig....

Last weekend:



Today:

 

You be fast.

 

that looks amazing!!..

Whats going on the back?

sam

 

No, just determined. Besides, I promised my youngest two that when they get back from Grandpas house in Nevada, at the beginning of August, I'll have the truck ready for them to take a drive down the road. The oldest got to take a spin with me today, even though it was only a few hundred feet. He didn't get to go to Nevada this year because of summer school. He's got a delayed learning problem, and they just about got him to grade level, and we're not gonna miss any opportunity to provide the kids the best we can in education. So, I'll be rolling it 10 wheel style pretty soon. Gonna park my dually and enjoy the Big Job ASAP. Just doing my part to help global warming, been too cold lately......lol. I plan on selling it after enjoying it for a little while. I actually want to build a bigger one. The next one will be longer, and have a Cummins, or Cat turbo diesel, and a sleeper, and air ride, but this one is just going to look like a factory "should of" rig.

 

Actually Sam, I'm going to plate in the rear frame and mount a gooseneck, and 5th wheel hitch for RVs and a receiver hidden in the rear bumper plate I'll be adding. I had a big commercial 5th wheel, but I didn't have a desire to register this as a commercial rig. I'll be able to register it antique, or even as a regular motor vehicle, and won't need a CDL. I am, however, going to take it down to the weigh stations, and let them inspect it, that way I know if it "would" pass or not.

 

I bet your neighbors love you. My dad was a truck driver for about 40 years so I grew up arount the trucking industry. We had a few neighbors complain he would let his Pete run in the driveway all night. They stopped gripping after a few times of having to listen to the accy drive on a Cumminis rattle all night.

The youngster in the picts reminds me of myself about 35 years ago, it brought a tear to my eye when I saw him standing there.


Cool truck, Mike

 

Looking good, now you will be pullling that RV in style.....love to hear that long air horn, I have one off an old military truck that will raise my wife about a foot off the riding mower seat. Git R Done
later Mike

 

You must be refering to the one of my youngest facing the rear ends of the truck. He loves my big truck. He'll sit in the seat and pretend smokies on his tail, and would just sit there for hours on end, if I'd let him. He's gonna be tickled pink when he gets back from Nevada, and gets to take a trip around town in dads Big Job Ford. Yeah, the air horn assembly came off a "City Of Prineville" train. It's got a very distinct high and low note. I don't care what any one says, I'll take a twin trumpet Grover over any other air horn on the market, even Hadley. They just sound too good. I was going to un twin 5" stacks on this one, but decided against it. I think, with it looking so stock, that a single 5" chrome pipe up the rear passenger side of the cab would look more authentic. I decided against full tandem fenders too, but will be replacing the stainless quarters, since one is damaged. I still have to wire in the light bulbs, and install the turn signal switch. I need to get a pair of electric fans....Jegs has a 2500 CFM 16" electric for about $80, so I'll be mounting a pair of those, unless I can find a hub to install a clutch fan on the front of the water pump. It's getting closer. Pretty soon, I'll be cruising the town in one of a kind style.

 

And I thought my 600 was huge! Thats insane!

 

Well thank you. We take that as a compliment......All BS aside, it is a big truck. The fenders are huge, the steering wheel is bigger, the running boards are bigger, etc., etc. It fills the driveway quite nicely though. My '01 Dodge Ram dually is a big truck. It's difficult to trek through a Wal-Mart parking lot, with out worry of swiping a rig when parking. This old '53 makes the Dodge look like a mini truck (well, almost). I was raised driving dads '55 F-350. When it comes to full size trucks, and by full size, I mean 1 ton and larger, I'm right at home. Was taught to drive with out power steering, no power brakes, and double clutching when need be. Used the gears to hold the speed down while descending a grade, and down gear at just the right time when ascending. I can pull heavy loads, and can set one of these beasts side ways if I had to. I learned the tricks of the trucking trade. I've successfully used the "lock em up and throw her in reverse to straighten it out of a spin" trick. I've put a 2.5 ton rig sideways in the snow, and locked it up to let it "plow" the snow pack sideways to avoid running off into a rocky canal. There's just things you can't do with a little city truck, or a car, and the bigger the truck, the better.

 

Looking good Joe, keep the pics coming!

 

This one is a good shot:



Gonna have to clean off the tire overspray later though. Rattle cans don't work too good when there's a slight wind.

 

[quote=wmjoe1953;7710759]You must be refering to the one of my youngest facing the rear ends of the truck. He loves my big truck. He'll sit in the seat and pretend smokies on his tail, and would just sit there for hours on end, if I'd let him. He's gonna be tickled pink when he gets back from Nevada, and gets to take a trip around town in dads Big Job Ford. quote]


That was the picture, My dad bought a new Astro 95 in 74 for one of my uncles to drive (don't know why he was a Pete or Freightshaker guy) and by 76 that thing had broken so much he junked it. He cut the cab off of it and set it next to the shop that is where I learned (in my mind) to drive a truck. I must have run a million miles in it without ever leaving the shop. Before we had video games to turn our minds into mush. I went with him every summer from the time I was 3 or so and let me tell you the Baptist school I went to after 2 summers in truckstops did not think my language was as interesting as the truck drivers did. We went as far as Alaska one summer from Illinois, long ride when you are 6. Bring him up with a love for big truck and he will love life like I have. I learned how to wash Cummins engine parts in the vat by 5 and was never more than 20 feet from the oldman at any given time. Just get him away from them old yellow Cats, get him something with one of those beautiful tan Cummins NTC's in it.

Mike

 

OUCH. I do got to admit though, there is no other sound like a Cummins sound. That's what I have in mind for the next one. For a first time build of a truck like this though, I chose the Cat V-8, because dimensionally, it's not much bigger than a 460, or a 454. It's taller, that's for sure, but the top half is about the same size. No, this one will be enjoyed for alittle while, and then it will get sold. I really want to build a long wheel base air ride truck with a Cummins, and a sleeper. I know that, even though times are hard, people will buy something like this as toy hauler. That's the goal for now. Build it, drive it, sell it, and then use that money to invest in more old Ford trucks, and get well under way on building the next one. I may not get rich doing it, but I've always wanted to build special custom trucks like this as a business. I do like that picture of my son too. When they get back from Grandpas, I am planning a small photo shoot of the chitlens driving daddies truck (well, pretend driving). The look on my youngests face is one of absolute perfection when he gets up in the seat of the Big Job. It's just as perfect watching him climb into it, especially having to heave himself up onto the running board first. It's almost post card perfect. My daughter is not as excided about it, but she loosens up when the boys aren't around, and my oldest is a wild man behind the wheel.....gonna have to invest in upper column bearings when he's behind the wheel.....

 

Plans for a sleeper?