Every man should own an old truck

Ricci · Jul 2, 2022

Nice truck!

Dr. Marneaus · Jul 3, 2022

8 hours today buffing and polishing. still haven’t don’t the drivers door, drivers bed side, tailgate, or roof.

Before:

After:

Poena238 · Jul 3, 2022

Cleaned up nicely!

Dr. Marneaus · Jul 3, 2022

Poena238 said:

It’s getting there, I’ve got a ways to go

titanNV · Jul 3, 2022

Beautiful!

What products do you use?

I been thinking about bringing the shiny white back in a vehicle that sat in the sun for 20 years - never polished or waxed. Been reading a bit about that Turtle Wax Hybrid ceramic spray you do every 6 months. Have a new buffer I've never tried, and that looks much better than clay bar.

Grumpyoldretiredcop · Jul 3, 2022

Every man *should* have an old truck. For me, it was a 1964 International 1200 that I purchased from the estate of an old time gunsmith in San Rafael. He had been the original owner and the original "build list" that he used to order the truck (they were all special order at the time AFAIK) was in the glove box. Armstrong steering, no power brakes, big V-8 coupled to a 4 speed manual gearbox with a granny gear so low that in compound low, I literally could walk faster. Manual hubs, of course. It had custom bumpers; the front mounted a PTO winch that could haul the thing up a wall - if you could keep the engine running at that angle - and a rear bumper that was a water tank for extra traction. Good thing as all of the tires I could get at the time weren't exactly off-road capable. It had the original paint in decent shape inside and out. The seat was shot and the passenger floor had some rust but that was the worst of it.

It was big, loud and uncouth, a straightforward workhorse of a truck. My Sergeant said, after I passed him on the freeway one day, that it sounded like a Russian tank going down the road. Yup, it did. It got the same gas mileage as a Russian tank, too... "fuel economy" was not a phrase anywhere in that truck's lexicon!

There were some big down sides, though. Tires were almost impossible as it still had the original split rims and there were just no wheels out there for it. While mechanical parts could still be ordered from International, things like door seals were a challenge in the days before the Internet. I finally sold it to the Chief Engineer of the Red and White Fleet in SF, he bought it for his son if I remember. Raising a family just didn't leave room in the budget or anywhere else for a restoration project.

Dang it, now I miss that truck! I wish I'd even thought to take a photo of it.

Dr. Marneaus · Jul 3, 2022

titanNV said:

Since this is garbage single stage paint I’m using garbage products. Just turtle wax rubbing compound and nufinish polish.

Dr. Marneaus · Jul 4, 2022

(lov)in done

Harley · Jul 4, 2022

Dr. Marneaus said:

Missed a spot!

You know as well as I do some bird is eyeballing it at this very moment. That or a random cloud will pass dropping just enough sprinkles to (lov) it up!

Harley · Jul 4, 2022

Dr. Marneaus · Jul 4, 2022

Harley said:

That’s fine, I can wash that off.

But having to cut through 30 years of oxidation…..not fun

Bonez · Jul 9, 2022

If anyone is looking.. today I came across this ’57 Chevy for sale (it’s not actively being advertised for sale) at Doc’s Saddlery on the corner of Elkhorn @ Maverick in NW LV. Sorry for the crappy pics, I didn’t think to take any until I was on the way out to the vehicle to leave. It is filthy right now, he says it will fire up but the battery is dead at the moment. He’s done some really neat leather accent pieces on the interior as well. Its a flatbed dually and at least one of the rear tires still had new nubs on it. He said he’s got about $12K into it (it is not worth that much IMO) and he is open to offers. If I had the space I woulda probably taken a harder look and jump started it for a spin around the block and made a reasonable offer.
Either way, he’s a cool guy and I will probably head over for some leather work in the near future since he is around the corner from me.

Ron_O · Jul 13, 2022

Bonez said:

If anyone is looking.. today I came across this ’57 Chevy for sale (it’s not actively being advertised for sale) at Doc’s Saddlery on the corner of Elkhorn @ Maverick in NW LV. Sorry for the crappy pics, I didn’t think to take any until I was on the way out to the vehicle to leave. It is filthy right now, he says it will fire up but the battery is dead at the moment. He’s done some really neat leather accent pieces on the interior as well. Its a flatbed dually and at least one of the rear tires still had new nubs on it. He said he’s got about $12K into it (it is not worth that much IMO) and he is open to offers. If I had the space I woulda probably taken a harder look and jump started it for a spin around the block and made a reasonable offer.
Either way, he’s a cool guy and I will probably head over for some leather work in the near future since he is around the corner from me.

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View attachment 140690

Love that truck!

Now you've got me thinking about buying something that I wasn't even thinking about owning! Same way I ended up owning my motorcycle and Polaris 6x6...

Bonez · Jul 13, 2022

Ron_O said:

Me too! I wish I had the space for it, that’s really the only thing that is keeping me from trying to snag it.

Ron_O · Jul 13, 2022

Bonez said:

I wonder what he'd take for it. Seems like if it was cleaned up and running, it'd fetch a pretty good price. Wonder how road-worthy it is? Only way I'd want it would be if I could actually use it to tow a trailer and the like; maybe my Jeep. My Jeep's been a project, upgrade after upgrade, that I've yet to seriously get on the road (or offroad), which is wearing on me...

Nice to have as a 'looker' to draw attention or cruise town occasionally, but without disc brakes, for example, I'm not sure whether it's worth more than as a looker. Still nice to have though!

Maybe it's time for me to clean a few things out of the inventory, just to free up some cash and make some more room....

Thanks for posting this. Hope he doesn't get in any real hurry to see it go away!

Dr. Marneaus · Jul 13, 2022

Ron_O said:

That truck is likely PEGGED at 55mph, so without some drivetrain work its not gonna be a super fun tow rig.

Dr. Marneaus · Jul 13, 2022

Bonez said:

If anyone is looking.. today I came across this ’57 Chevy for sale (it’s not actively being advertised for sale) at Doc’s Saddlery on the corner of Elkhorn @ Maverick in NW LV. Sorry for the crappy pics, I didn’t think to take any until I was on the way out to the vehicle to leave. It is filthy right now, he says it will fire up but the battery is dead at the moment. He’s done some really neat leather accent pieces on the interior as well. Its a flatbed dually and at least one of the rear tires still had new nubs on it. He said he’s got about $12K into it (it is not worth that much IMO) and he is open to offers. If I had the space I woulda probably taken a harder look and jump started it for a spin around the block and made a reasonable offer.
Either way, he’s a cool guy and I will probably head over for some leather work in the near future since he is around the corner from me.

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Still rocking the FJ I see?

Bonez · Jul 13, 2022

Yep! Thats the wife’s grocery getter and we are quite fond of it so we have no plans of letting it go even though we wish it had 4 full size doors

vegasplinker · Jul 14, 2022

Bonez said:

If anyone is looking.. today I came across this ’57 Chevy for sale (it’s not actively being advertised for sale) at Doc’s Saddlery on the corner of Elkhorn @ Maverick in NW LV. Sorry for the crappy pics, I didn’t think to take any until I was on the way out to the vehicle to leave. It is filthy right now, he says it will fire up but the battery is dead at the moment. He’s done some really neat leather accent pieces on the interior as well. Its a flatbed dually and at least one of the rear tires still had new nubs on it. He said he’s got about $12K into it (it is not worth that much IMO) and he is open to offers. If I had the space I woulda probably taken a harder look and jump started it for a spin around the block and made a reasonable offer.
Either way, he’s a cool guy and I will probably head over for some leather work in the near future since he is around the corner from me.

View attachment 140689
View attachment 140690

Isn’t that a 58 or 59 Apache? Looks to be 1 ton or bigger. The cab and dog house is the same as 1/2 ton. The quote about speed is right. 55mph pegged.

Bonez · Jul 14, 2022

vegasplinker said:

I am with you, it looks like an Apache but as far as the year he said it was a '57. I didn't peek under the hood or look underneath too closely because I didn't want to love it even more

Every man should own an old truck

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