Money has been kind of tight lately and my wife gets all depressed, I'm telling you this for pity, please don't take it that way. I just want to offer our cure.

Last week she was in a funk and was whining about being stuck at home so I suggested we go visit my sister who lives about 50 miles away. We walk out to the garage and I head for her car, the most economical one we have. the wife asks, "Aren't we taking a truck?" I remind her that the my daily driver is a gas guzzling 4X4 and we should take her car to save gas. She say, "No, that truck, the panel truck." I remind her that the sky looks a little iffy and the panel truck wipers are non existent. She says she wants to use the panel. Off we go on a noisy, old truck smelly ride. We come home kind of late and it's raining. I have Rain X on the windshield so the rain is running off the window but the defroster isn't hooked up so we wipe the fog off of the inside of the windows every 10 minutes. ( I must say if I knew my kids would do a trip like this I'd blow my top but I'm an old goat now). We had a great "together" time, just the two of us, no kids.

Yesterday, we went for another drive, this time in the F-2. She wanted to go in the F-2 this time. It was also a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, temps in the upper '70s. This trip was about the same distance as last weeks and we stayed on all the back roads. What a great time!

My cure for depression is to hop in the old truck and drive. It doesn't have to be far, just a mile or two, hopefully in an area with people. Nothing will raise your spirits like the thumbs up as you're driving down the road. If you don't have your truck on the road yet go out to the garage and sit in the cab and make "Vroom, vroom" noises, believe me, it'll help.

 

Bob,
We could not agree more! Since we have had our F1 since '75, we have great times whenever we take it for a ride. Took the F3 the other day to the local farmers market and the reaction from all the people makes all the hours spent on these trucks worth every minute! Brian

 

The wife is out of town this weekend for a weeding in Atlanta so I've been crusing in Homade, loving it. The neighbor down the street always has a big party on labor day weekend and I was planning on going, the phone rang, it's Dave down the street asking if I was coming to the party and I said I was just leaving and he says for me to drive Homade because everyone wanted to see this old truck they'd been hearing about for years. Well it was like going to a truck show, I pulled in and everyone dropped whatever they were doing and was all over Homade, asking a hundred questions then there was one little guy said mister would you take me for a ride so I spent the next hour taking kids and a lot of old farts even women for a spin around the neighborhood,all of them said they loved the ride, ofcourse I was all smiles and the party was real good also, Garry

 

Right on! Took the '53 out on some errands yesterday. Makes shopping trips palatable (did I mention how much I hate shopping). Hauled some garbage to the dump, got some gas, got some things at Home Depot, etc... Got some thumbs up (my wife is embarrased by this BTW). Also bought a Browning 20 gauge, going to take the dogs out for some upland birds today. The fall colors up here are fantastic this weekend and the temps are still in the 70's!

 

<o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com<img src=" http:="" images.ford-trucks.com="" forums="" images="" smilies="" redface.gif="" border="0" alt="" title="Embarrassment" smilieid="3" class="inlineimg"></o:smarttagtype><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <wontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>******** classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui>*********> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> Driving my turquoise ’56 amongst the red rocks and land of the Apache does something to one’s spirit. There are vistas where I can see over 100 miles and the landscape has not changed for millions of years. The Prickly Pear and the Purple Sage are now my brothers.
<o></o>
Next weekend I will heed the Call of the Canyon (<st1>Oak Creek</st1><st1> Canyon</st1>) and cruise up to <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Flagstaff</st1></st1:city> for Route 66 days.

 

EDZAKORY, you lucky dog.

 

I just got back and read this thread, and thanks for the stories. I'd like to be where you guys are at, but alas mine is in a gazillion pieces, and that believe it or not frustrates me to no end. However my fix is simple: This morning while my wife was away, I turned the tv off, and everything else (she's always got some noise going on, lol). Not wanting to be interrupted of the peace and quiet, I decided to take a ride up the road to my family's hunting shack. I walked the trailway which is on a surrounding maple ridge, and colors are just turning. It was logged this Summer, so walking is easy. Days like today allow me to put things into perspective and realize my truck will wait another day, and that it's ok. I was up there a week ago with the camera and snapped these.

 

Bob,

The wifey is setting you up for something. Keep a wide eye open for sure.

Glad you got the trucks out. For a minute there, I thought your thread was gunna say got the ole Buick up and running and out on the street already.

 

Yeah, right. It's going to be a long time before it sees the road. Right now I'm doing everything I can that doesn't cost any money. Dismantling doesn't cost much, just a can of penetrate.

Dimantling is fun too, almost as much fun as driving them. Nothing like rusty bolts and dirt in you mouth and eyes

 

This is one of them threads you love to come across to read.
I did spend two hours in the garage today till the heat got to me. Not as hot has its been but still in the upper eightys.

 

Flowers are in order

She wants the Buick

She Wants a ride in the Panel

She wants a ride in the F2

A bunch (A Lot) of flowers are in order.

 

Either flowers are in order, or she is prepping you for wanting another kid.

 

Or maybe a little reverse psychology. Keep asking for rides in the Fords, and you'll get tired of it, so you hurry up and finish the Buick. And she gets her car done fast.

 

I guess I'm the bad guy here ,I drove the green coe yesterday, the orange coe about 50 miles today to no where and then can home and jumped in to my 1949 stack truck to Paula daughter home just because I could ...its the only why to go...

 

Bob, if you didn't have two teenagers already, I'd say that she's probably buttering you up to have another baby.

I just looked at the license plate on my 52 Panel and the last year it was registered was in 2005. It's been sitting ever since. I know, what a shame. Just a few months ago, I dropped the stock 215 in her, but haven't had the money to finish it. I've got a guy who'll do it for me, but that costs money and at this time, I think that I'll try to come up with some cash to get her running again.

I've been driving the Airflow every chance I get. What you said is absolutely true. We, as well, are tight in our budget, but finding $20 to fill up the gas tank of the Airflow and go cruising for a day is a lot of fun. I don't even have to drive the Airflow. I simply just stand in the garage, look at the car, and think of how much fun, joy and memories the car has brought to me and my family. My son was about 1 years old when he first took a ride in that car two years ago. He could barely walk, but he knew how to hold the steering wheel.

Your post is inspiring me to get the 52 back on the road.