I joined in May and acquired my 58 1/2 ton short stepside from California shortly after that. I have been mostly lurking and learning since, but I'm now actively working on the restoration, so a million questions will result.
My formative years were during the 50's and 60's living in a small city close to my extended family. My grandfather was a large animal vet who was one of the very first licensed vets in Texas. He had a 58 Chevy 1/2 ton short stepside in which he taught me to drive at the somewhat tender age of 10.
I'm fighting to keep this as short as possible , but I have so many fond memories connected to that truck making it very difficult to be brief. There were quite a few "firsts" in that truck.......first vehicle I drove, first accidental contact with an immovable object, first accidental contact with a movable object, first successful hit and run (see previous item), first unsuccessful speed shift, first successful speed shift, first intentional significant contact with the opposite sex......well, you get the idea.
When my grandfather died, the truck was sold and gone forever. It would have made a great story if I could have located THE truck, but the truth is there wasn't much left of it by the time he and I were done with it. It's probably been part of someone's fridge for a long time now.
Any way, when granddad died, I resolved to have another 58 some day. The truck I bought is an original unrestored truck that due to its California life has very little rust to deal with. As we take it apart, there is evidence that it has not been apart before now. There are the usual scrapes and a few small dents, but nothing major.
This is my first attempt at anything like this, so I'm looking for all the help I can get. My thanks to all the members here for all you do. I look forward to learning from the masters. When finished I hope it looks just like the truck of my "firsts"!
