Dad jsut sent me a picture of our '55 F-350 Express. She's 100% original, except for the wheathered and aged look. I learned how to drive this old beast. I have many stories of my family riding this old girl when I was young. She's hauled many tons of stuff, and had never let us down. Plans for the old girl are a complete ground up, body off, concours perfect restoration.

 

That looks like a great project! You just can't beat a family history project.

Keep us updated.

 

Well, there's good news and bad news.

The old trucks can be brought back to "like new" status. Unfortunately, owners can't. Looks like there will be some extra gratification in restoring this one!

 

Boy that is cruel.

 

That sounds like a good thing, to me. What's the sad part? Sounds like it will be around for your grandchildren to drive, now.

 

The last time I saw this old truck, back in '99, it was still mostly one color, and had an undamaged windshield. Though the timing chain had jumped, it would still fire up, just make a little noise, and pop a bit. The '55 used to sit proud, like the crest over a noble mans throne, right in front of our gate. Now, it looks like it's got one foot in the grave. It's not so much sad, as in it's gone, but sad that the old truck used to be a beautiful piece of machinery. I mean the old beast is still a beautiful example of a well used old work truck, but in serious need of some cosmetic surgery. It will be returned to its former glory. Capable of hauling 9 CU. YDS. of wet pea gravel down the road at 55. Should be able to haul 10K #'s of scrap to the yards again. I remember we used to haul 2 cord of wet tan oak out of the hills for the next seasons fire wood in the old beast. It hauled us to Nevada, with a loaded down 1951 24' Silver Streak trailer behind it, and it had a plywood box (with full 4x8 sheets on end, so it was 8' high above the bed sides) with all but a 4x8 storage unit of our stuff in it. That was all from a 4 bed room house, with full basement, seperate garage/apartment, and lots of truck stuff. It never bucked or snorted, and pulled the hills with no problems. I guess, all in all, this old trucks not in too bad a condition, considering over 200K original miles, and literally tons, and tons of stuff hauled. Never been overhauled, nothing more than brakes, tune-ups, oil, water pump (once), a hose or two, and a few sets of tires. The only problem I'm gonna have, is that the wheels are Widow-Makers.

 

That makes sense, now...from an outsider, it still looks good to me.

 

Nothing there to be sad about. It's in better shape then most projects. Be nice when done.