Hello. I've been registered and looking around the site for a while and figured I should introduce myself before I start posting in the specific forums.
My Forester Green '50 3600 pickup has been in the family since January 2, 1953 when my Grandpa paid $850 for it from a refinery. (My uncle found the receipt for it when he cleaned out my Grandpa's desk.) Grandpa had a plumbing business and a Skelly garage and used the truck extensively for picking up supplies.
My Dad took his driver's test with the truck in 1957. The brake lights didn't work so when it came time for the pre-test inspection, and the fellow giving the test told Dad to step on the brake, he just turned on the parking lights. The man yelled "Okay!" and Dad proceeded to pass his test.
The truck was last licensed in 1978 but Grandpa still used it occasionally around his farm. In the late '80s, I took it to high school to replace the master cylinder. not long after that, it was parked in the shed and wouldn't move under it's own power again.
In the fall of 2001 when I pulled the truck out of the shed to get ready for Grandpa's auction, I discovered the engine had seized. That didn't discourage me so I bought it, squirted a bunch of penetrating oil in the spark plug holes, and put it in storage.
Like most Minnesota trucks, the body suffered badly from the effects of salted winter roads. So I started buying parts a couple years ago and now have all of the fenders and running boards. This fall I figured the engine would be a good winter project so I pulled it out and brought it in the shop to see what was in store. I was relieved when I pulled the head and didn't find any real problems in the cylinders. After putting some tension on the flywheel and rapping the pistons with a hammer and block of wood, the cylinders moved and eventually rolled over nice and smooth. I think it was just "varnish".
So, now I'm ready fo the fun to begin. I restored a '66 Charger when I was in high school and also have a '59 Ford so I have some exposure to working with old iron. But I've already learned enough from this fine site to know I still have a lot to learn and plan on bouncing some things off of you guys who've "been there" and "done that". Sorry if my post was a little long winded.
Best regards, Shawn
