Brent Schmidt's A pair of 1963 GMC's

07 May 2007 Update
# 1124

From Brent :

         Hello Bolters! Here are the latest shots of Stella! The resto finally begins -- oh yaaaah! This is the fast and fun part. Since these pics, the frame has been blasted and painted, new springs (three inch arch lift), bushings, shackles, diffs are rebuilt and painted and awaiting install.

         Light that torch! Whatcha heading for? Nothing like a skid-steer as an helpful assistant! Pulling off the bed.

Brent Schmidt
"BENT"
Bolter # 7364
Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Canada

17 June 2005
# 1124

From Brent: 

       These are my old trucks they are both 1963 GMC's. Here are some pix and a short story on the two trucks.

The Short Box

       The short box was owned by my wife before we met.

       She sold it to a guy before we met and when we did meet, it had alot to do with our trucks. Her's was a '63 turquoise and white and she had a black lab. Mine was a '65 same color and I also had a black lab. So she tells me she had the same truck but had to sell it because of storage and I'm thinking, "Yea right. Let's see a picture." And wham! Out it came -- her standing in front of her '63 holding a black lab pup .

       I couldn't believe it. So now let's track down the old short box. We kinda knew were the guy lived so we took a little trip to a place called Holberg. There are only about 50 people there so we found him and asked if he would sell it back. "No way. I've got big plans for that little baby." (He had crashed it shortly after he bought it from her.) So he had crashed it and had it in quarantine somewhere but wouldn't even tell us.

       We then asked if we could at least see her to give him an estimate on the damage. Not a chance.

       So we left upset. But oh well, we had to move north to Fort St. John for three years for work. Ya see, my wife is a helicopter pilot which would really come in handy in the future. We moved back to the coast and one day she was flying in the area of Holberg and she noticed a white roof just at the edge of a tree. "That's my truck!" she says. So she lands beside it and yes it was! One of her passengers says, "This is Stan Webb's place" (the landlord of the idiot that trashed his place and left the truck behind, so Stan took possession of it. We contacted him and told him our story and he sold it back to us for $300!

The 4 x 4

       I found an original GMC 4 x 4 in the Old Car Trader in 2000 but when I went to buy it, the guy changed his mind. So I said to him, "My gal has an uncle in your town. His name is Eric Wykes." "Eric Wykes" he said, "is my next store neighbor."

       Well, now I gotta have this truck! So old Eric took a look at it and he says, "Well, I don't know what you would want with that old thing. It still has the original tires." The truck was from Pacific Coach Lines bus station were it served as their plow and yard truck.

       Ha! I called Mr. Stover every year on the same day in November to see if he was ready to part with her. Each year I could tell he was getting closer and the price was getting cheaper. Finally, he said "It needs a bodyman." Well that's me!

       So me and my gal flew back to Kenora and bought her sight unseen (well, we had a few pix). Just two weeks ago, we drove 3,000 miles across Canada (Ontario). Fun trip - coil wire, two universals, fuel pump, muffler and a flat on the freeway. Missed the ferry by five minutes.

       That's me hoisting the cool refreshing beverage in Nelson B.C. with my new friend f#@$%&* Pete. We made a pit stop at an old freind's body shop and did a little sheet metal work to keep the D.o.T. off our backs, plus we installed new e-brake cables for a little piece of mind through the mountain passes.

       Although the body is rotten, she's only got 50,000 miles. Frame-off restoration starting at the end of fishing season -- in about one month! Can't wait to start rippin' the NAPCO apart. I will keep you posted!

       Should I change the box to a Fleetside? -- Any thoughts?

A new proud Stovebolter!

Brent Schmidt
"Bent"
Port McNeill
British Columbia, Canada

Port McNeil (were the salt air just eats up vehicles) is a small town of 3,000 people on the west coast of Vancouver Island in B.C. CANADA.