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Stovebolt Sagas

2 Guys in search of a Truck   Episode 1 -- Nobody's '60 Flatbed

Meet Candidate #2

        Now that you know everyone, let's meet our second candidate. We're starting with our second candidate because JC forget the camera on the first candidate. But there wasn't much to take a picture of with that one, anyway -- it was a '48 in Western Kentucky that had been sitting out in the cattle field since 1963 or so and about the only thing salvageable on it was the frame and engine block. Anyway...

        During half-time of the '98 Army/Navy Game, Johnhancock, Galadriel and I hopped in Dodgezilla for a little back country banging around to go find this gem. John had first seen it a year or so ago. At that time, there was a 1/2-ton of similar vintage and condition sitting next to it. When we got there, we found the big truck and a bare patch in the weeds where the pickup had been until fairly recently. Hopefully, the pickup has been whisked away to enjoy a 100-point, frame-off restoration. Sadly, though, the more probable future for it includes the crusher in a few years after the teenager who has his greasy little uncaloused hands on it now fails in his "hotrod" attempt and ends up with a butcherjob his daddy has to sell for scrap to get it out of the yard.

        Please excuse the previous meanderings of my troubled imagination.

        So, there we were, stopped in the middle of the road ... at this point, I have to stop and laugh, thinking about the appearance we made. Here we are, sitting in a big Dodge dually (still sporting Hawaii tags) on a very rural back road in Kentucky, taking pictures of an (apparently) abandoned truck. It's a wonder we didn't get shot...

        So, anyway, there we were, stopped in the middle of the road (on this road, you can't stop anywhere but in the middle), looking at a very forlorn looking '60 60. Personally, after the '39/'40, the '60/'61 has to be my favorite styling -- those hood pods for the turn indicators are just the cat's butt. Styling so overdone, you can't help but find it appealing. The roof of the cab looks like a Queen Anne-style table top, with overhang and beveled edge -- Just too cool. I'm sure the GM executives said, "You MUST be joking, but we like it," when the Fisher folks brought those drawings in...

        The truck appears to be complete. It has a 6-cylinder in it (which disappointed John, but delights me). The bed looks like it is completely shot (the wood part, that is), but all six tires are there and seem to be holding air -- although duals can deceive you as only one per side needs to hold air for both to appear fine. Looking under it, it appeared greasy and oily -- a good sight to see for the restorer. The more oil and grease on everything, the better your chances are of finding things preserved under it.

        Sheet-metal-wise, there are a few rust spots. The driver's side fender has pop-riveted patch panels (and I thought my dad was the only one who ever did that!) holding the other rust-through spots together. Other than that, the cab and hood appear to be pretty good -- just a few rust throughs in the cab corners, as you would expect.

        We'll let you know if this is the one! 'Til next time ... JC

• Episode 1 -- Nobody's '60 Flatbed -- Roadside Sculpture
• Episode 2 -- Detour to Distraction -- "Hey, do you hear banjo music??"
• Episode 3 -- As Brunnehilde Sleeps -- (soon to be a) Towering Inferno
• Episode 4 -- Jack Kerouac would be so proud... -- "It ran when I parked it there..."
• Episode 5 -- A (MT.) Stirling Example -- Not necessarily the Holy Grail
• Episode 6 -- The Men Take the Month Off -- It's Me, Margret
• Episode 7 -- An Afternoon At Billy Ray's -- The Two Guys start their own country...