You want to work on your truck, but can't cuz of work, life, family etc? I've been itching to do SOMETHING to my '42 but I just don't have the time.

One of these days....One of these days......

 

Nope, never. I do what I feel like doing every day. It took me 50 plus years to figure that out.

 

Yep, quite often as a matter of fact. I try to strike a balance between the truck and all the other stuff I have to attend to. I guess it's a good problem to have.

 

I'm right where U R pns; not enough time- too much work. Everyone tells me I'm not allowed to complain… but they aren't stricken with the Ol Ford sickness...

 

Do not leave me out of the roll call, I have a feeling that is related with old age in my case I can do anything that I could thirty years ago, but it take four times as long to do it. By the time I get everything done that pertains to my making a living,, the day is gone and so is my stamina. I try to spend a few hours a week on the truck and keep my expectations low of what I can get done in a day. When I stress myself out about it, soon it becomes labor, and not a labor of fun.

 

I struggle with giving a dang about my work, but I need to keep it going. It's a business I have built for over 30 years. I have a good employee of 16 years and he carries me through when I can work on a truck during the weekday sometimes. I still have a lot of overhead and bills. At work we have eleven projects in the works right now and I just got back from 3 days with family and I would love to work on the woodie but that's pretty much from 4:30 after work til my wife gets home at 6:30. Still that's 2 hours a day and some weekend full days. I have the energy at 62 because I love the truck work so much. My triple bypass last year was incentive to lose 25 lbs and walk every day. I feel more energy than at 60, so who knows?

 

I haven't spent too much time on the truck. I foolishly bought a house from 1868 that is taking all of my time and money. Insulation, wiring, some plumbing not done well, fencing for the mutts and tons of yard work, plus still working shifts has left me no desire to also putz with the truck. I have stuff in boxes waiting installs and wiring to finish from 3 years ago. I have tried to set myself some sort of deadline for October and the local car show, but we'll see. And it's way too cold!!!

 

A lot of what I do to produce income is so intertwined with my hobby as to be indistinguishable. My biggest problem this time of year is waiting for favorable conditions to get at vehicles I've bought. Hopefully I can get the 47 COE and the 40 truck snagged out this week. Then I have to get on that Federal truck, maybe a 46 Chevy coupe from the same place if I can bundle. I lost one of my cash cows, a property I do maintenance on is closing today. I've spent a week cleaning it out and have 2 trailers loaded that have to be hauled 100 miles. One trailer is a nice 69 Z28 and the other has 2 old outhouses he wanted to save. Stacked projects include a 62 Ranchero I need to get running, put some floor pans in and get sold, see if the 76 Scout, I bought to use the axles in my panel, runs so I know if I want to save the engine, my 56 Pathfinder camper needs a little lovin, 2 different trailer projects including one pretty simple small trailer that's mostly done and a 22 foot steel deck tilt I want to build and all the iron, axles and everything is already here.
All that should hold me for a while with my three fives work week.
Oh, and I forgot the 56 Caddy that still needs a water pump, exhaust and how ever much attention I want to throw at it.

 

Willowbilly, is the Federal from the yard in Mandan?

 

wb3, any pics of the 69 z28? or the Federal?

 

Like you WB I have intertwined the woodwork and the trucks, but not enough for my liking yet. I don't think I will ever actually retire in the old way. Lord willing, I will collect SS at 66 and continue to build the interesting furniture pieces that come my way, saw old beams into lumber on the sawmill, sell reclaimed lumber and trucks/ parts to the local public when they happen by, but Danny will handle the whole kitchen cabinet side of things on HIS license, bond, labor and industries, SS payments, Fica pmts, all paperwork and work out the bidding on them and go to the meetings with the architects..... You know what I'm sayin'. I'll be over in Eastern Wa or Montana, winching some rolling hulk onto my tilt trailer or maybe working on woodie #3 in the lower shop if I'm lucky. I have thought maybe I'd take up golf someday but then I remembered I was gonna be busy eating ground glass that day instead......

 

No pics. It is local, about 25 miles from here. I do want to get back up there soon though, that 41 truck is calling my name, and the other 2. What day of the week is best for you to go over there? Do I have your ph#? I might do that before I go after the Federal.

 

....My wife says to me one day ... "either those old cars go, or I go" .. ...... We don't bother to keep in touch. .............
Stan. .............

 

It can be a struggle to find time to work on the old rigs. When I started working on my 43 I spend many nights working to 1 or 2 in the morning only to get up and go to school the next day. I did that more times than I could count but I got a lot done. Sometimes I do find the work to be more work and not fun sometimes. But I just picture what it'll be when it's done and I push on. Many times I've gotten through long hours of what feels like life sapping work but I feel accomplished when its done with and I get to move onto more fun parts of the build.

 

if theres a disease called old ford sickness, i hope they never find a cure for it!!