The old girl finally roared to life after a decade or more! It sure is a wonderful sound! It would not have been possible without all the help and encouragement from the people on this fine website.
Ever since I can remember(30+ years)I used to play in my father's old '41 truck with a home made camper on the back. My brother and I would turn the crank on the front, imagine it started and quick hit the road for miles of entertainment. During high school we begged dad to let us take it to the school shop and get it going with the help of the shop instructor. But it never happenned and the truck has since mostly rotted away. I looked at it this Thanksgiving and see that the frame and maybe the block are all that may be salvageable. I still keep an eye out for those trucks and anytime I see one, I take a picture of it.
Then this spring, I noticed an old vintage truck barely visable from the road behind a service garage. Dare I ask if it could be had? The next day I snuck around back and took lots of pictures of it. Back home, I studied the pictures, decoded the vin, and tried to figure out what I should offer. Would the owner even part with it?
The following day I talked to the garage owner and asked about it. The guy gave me the owners # and said it had to be moved from the lot in a week and the owner may sell it. So far, so good. As it was, a few days later the owner calls and offers it to me for the fair price of $75. I wasn't about to tell him I would have paid upwards of a grand for it.
So now I'm the proud owner of a '46 Chevrolet 3/4 ton truck, just like the one in my childhood memmories. Like their father, my kids love to play in/on the old truck, except this time we'll actually get to take that "trip", even if its just around the yard.
Thanks again for all the expertise and knowledge from my fellow stovebolters! It couldn't happen without you. I look forward to seeking more advice as I gradually get it all in good running order.
Kyle
