Usually on mission impossible you have a choice of whether or not to accept the mission.... Well as many of you that know me can attest. I dont have a choice when it comes to these matters since im old truck crazy and especially a COE nut (or maybe just a nut) I just have no other choice but to accept by default. I must not fail.! This will be my most challenging rescue to date.

Back story; my friend\coworker called me a few weeks ago and said guess what I found you a cabover on the site we were to be working on. I thought he was just teasing since i had only a few days earlier found a really nice 51 gmc coe and adopted it for a couple days until i found it an adoptive family. Anyway i stopped and snapped this picture.

Have yet to work out the removal strategy. It is not going to be easy. Future pictures will tell the tale.

Im standing on a wall on the edge of the freeway looking down. The ground in front of truck drops down quite a bit then there is the retaining wall of freeway with narrow access ( may be only possible option?). The rear of box on truck has concrete poured up level with the box. Yes the truck is in a hole.

To be continued.... I can not fail.....

 

Ok. Here is the rear of the truck. Even if it gets lifted out of the hole and pulled backwards there are more obstacles to tackle.


Aerial view of mission parameters to follow tommorrow.
Oiling up the ****** blocks.... I have a feeling i'll need them.

Also if anyone has a wench they can spare for an afternoon i could use the help...

 

If you get done with that wench, send her my way please, preferably for more than an afternoon.

 

That wench might be asked to include her four brothers and their boom trucks. When Josh shared this below pic with me a few weeks ago I replied that there are sure to be some great parts to pick from the trapped carcass. No, no, he said, rescuing it intact was the plan. Yikes, I thought, how on earth? Guess we sit back and watch.

Edit - looking more closely I see that it's a '52 5 Star Extra. Stu

 

Never underestimate the power of a good wench. You'll need it as that COE appears well planted.

 

Not impossible, but difficult.....a backhoe would come in handy there. And a wench of course!
If I were closer I'd give you a hand. Looks well worth saving...
Keep us posted

 

I gotta see this. Where's that popcorn eating guy emoticon? Best of luck, Josh!

Will be interesting to see what comes out of the hole. I see a monkey face grille with a '52 hood.

And I may have found you a good wench....

 

Oops, my bad Wayne. Fenders and grille are 48-50, hood is 52. I think a good sized rubber tired loader, or dozer, might be the better tool to move the surrounding clutter. Then a winch truck once it's free. Stu

 

Good eye on the grill,& and the Wench.....
Ill take it..

Yes. I havent figured out the grill / front clip yet. The dash has 51 52 guages. But a 48 grill/fenders. I havent actually touched or seen the truck any closer than that first picture yet. The closer pics are from my parnter in this mission during recon
Not 100% sure what we are into yet. No TBR date set as of yet

 

aerial view, names, places and time may have been changed to protect the innocent..




I also went to inspect the situation in person last night, it's not going to be easy! maybe I should give up now before starting...

 

I would get a full size backhoe, dig out some space to get in there and cut the frame behind the cab, and then use the loader to lift the front half out of there. The box can stay!
The loader on my backhoe is rated to lift 5000 pounds, so it could be done.

 

I say ashes to ashes, dust to dust. looks like a good final resting place for it

 

Stand by my original viewpoint. Gotta be plenty of parts that can be liberated. Stu

 

That I agree with, but I would remove parts where it sits and leave the hulk

 

I can think of a few parts I'd want from it.
A good class 8 wrecker could yard that thing out of there with no problem. I'd leave the box though.