I came home one day when I was about 10 years old and there was a 1945 5 window Chevy pickup in the driveway. My dad had bought it from a co-worker, my mom hated it. It was running and fine to drive every day, however over the next year we would work on it in the spring and summer on Saturdays. We would add a metal bed (we were not top tier mechanics, just back yard ones), we added carpet to the floors and did some light engine work. I loved that truck and the time spent working on it with my dad, my friends loved to ride in the back around the neighborhood. I came home one day and the truck was gone, dad said he sold it to another co-worker, I was sad but not really to upset.
Next Summer I came home one day to find a 1965 Army green C-10 Chevy short-bed in the drive way, I saw my dad outside standing next to it, he looked at me coming up the driveway and said "ready for a new project"? I grinned and say "oh yeah". We did about the same amount of work on the C-10 as we did on the 45, however we keep this truck for a few years and by that time I was allowed to drive it on the back roads of Tennessee. I learned to drive on that straight six, three on the tree old pick-up.
When I turned sixteen in 1981 (we have moved to Florida) the only vehicle I would consider was a pre 1065 pick up, and yes it needed to be one that needed some work. I got a 1965 C-10 short bed - step-side Chevy, very similar to the last one dad and I had worked on. Someone had dropped a 327 small block in, it was a strong motor but it needed everything else. My dad and me fixed body rust, striped the paint down to the metal, and as sixteen year olds will do I add what I thought was a great sound system. we added new headers and muffler system, had it painted and I was ready.
I sold that truck when we moved to Texas a year later and through the last 30 some odd years I almost always had a modern truck as my main automobile I always wanted to get back to owning a classic truck. Last year with my wife's blessing I bought my current 1958 Apache 3100. I has a solid body, and I believe from VIN searches I am the third owner of this truck. It has had a 350 small block switched for the original engine and the original 3-speed transmission has been replaced with an automatic one, and it has been converted to a 12-volt system, other than that it is pretty much as it was in 1958.
To date I have completed the following (well the local mechanic in my town has completed - as I am out of practice)
•New King Pins
•All new hoses
•New wiring harness
•Replaced Instrument Cluster
•Replaced Steering column
•Replaced fuel pump
Next up
•Replace gas tank (this will get it to a daily driver)
•Tune Up
Wish List
•New Paint
•New Tires
•New Edelbrock create motor
Here's the link to Photobucket to see some pictures.
Thanks
