I love old pickup trucks. Nostalgic memory..

[desi2358]

HA!

Yea, don't get T-boned with an 18 gallon gas tank sitting behind you either, almost happened to me two weeks ago at a 4-way stop intersection.

On the bright side, you won't have to worry about any cremation fees upon your death.

Definitely not a perfect world.

One of my cousins got T-boned from the passenger side while driving his pickup back in the early 70's. It was an old Chevy with that tank behind the seat. It burst open and he barely made it out the driver door ahead of the fireball when it lit off. Truck burned to the ground before the Fire Dept. got there. He was lucky to get out of it okay!

 

[rwsmith]

Apololgies to Deep Purple....

For messing with their lyrics. I just changed a few words.


Highway Star


Nobody gonna take my truck
I'm gonna race it to the ground
Nobody gonna beat my truck
It's gonna break the speed of sound
Ooh, it's a killing machine
It's got everything
Like a straight six power
Vent window A/C and everything
I love it and I need it
I bleed it
Yeah, it's a wild hurricane
Alright, hold tight
I'm a highway star

Nobody gonna take my girl
I'm gonna keep her to the end
Nobody gonna have my girl
She stays close by me on the benchseat
Ooh, she's a killing machine
She got everything
Like a moving mouth
Body control and everything
I love her, I need her, I seed her
Yeah, she turns me on
Alright, hold on tight
I'm a highway star

Nobody gonna take my head
I got speed inside my brain
Nobody gonna steal my head
Now that I'm on the road again
Ooh, I'm in heaven again
I've got everything
Like a moving ground
A long dirt road and everything
I love it and I need it, I seed it
Six cylnders all mine
Alright, hold on tight
I'm a highway star

Nobody gonna take my truck
I'm gonna race it to the ground
Nobody gonna beat my truck
It's gonna break the speed of sound
Ooh, it's a killing machine
It's got everything
Like AM radio
Three on the tree and everything
I love it and I need it, I bleed it
Yeah, it's a mad hurricane
Alright, hold on tight
I'm a highway star
I'm a highway star
I'm a highway star

Oh, here's the original:

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2BO3UTOhZ8[/ame]

 

[lihpster]

Problem is, nobody knows who owns it. It is a derelict with not tires or engine and trees growing up through it. I also looked at the photo again and it isn't a 1957 model but appears to be a 1954 model.

If nobody claims it and it has been there for that long, you might be able to get title to it as an abandoned vehicle. Not exactly sure how it works, but here in Oregon I knew a guy that did that. If owning it interests you, you might see how your state handles it.

 

[Kinman]

When you talk about old trucks I know all about old trucks, old meaning anything before 1968 Emission engines came out. I drove nothing but old trucks for most of my life. I might have a nice car but I always had an old truck. Old trucks I have owned and maintained usually out of a wrecking yard were 1955 1/2T Chevy, 1947 1/2T Dodge, 1947 1/2T Chevy (that although it had the new cab still had the fuel tank under the pickup box and had a WWII GMC straight six), 1949 1/2T Ford F1 with 8BA Flathead V8, 1955 Chevy Sedan Delivery, 1969 Ford 3/4T Camper Special w/'86 460, and one that doesn't really count in my book 1970 3/4T GMC. The '69 Ford was my last pickup, I had it the longest and probably used it the most hauling a camper and boats for a number of years, it sat alot and I eventually sold it to a friend who still uses it to haul stuff to the dump. Friends ask me if I miss my trucks, the old one were always the most satisfying to operate and work on, straight forward, no frills. I never had a working speedometer in most of them nor a radio. They were what got me to work in the dead of winter or pulled firewood out of the woods to warm the house. I still love old trucks but if I could have another one it would be something on the order of a AA Model A 1 Ton.

 

[hemiram]

I've had 3 trucks, the first was the worst, in every way. 1977 Dodge Power Wagon, a twin to this one:

First mistake was buying it in the first place. A Vegas truck without A/C? What the hell was I thinking? I had a deal on a Chevy, but the dealer pulled one of their infamously weaseley moves and I walked. I should have just gone to AZ and bought a Chevy anyway, but the yellow and black hooked me. 360 2 barrel, auto, 3.55 gears, fulltime 4WD. The seat was a bench, and it was, well, perfect. Best seat I have ever sat on in a vehicle, period. I replaced the bus sized steering wheel with the factory "Tuff" wheel, made by Grant.

The first real complaint was that it was really slow. Like driving a tank slow. First time it went in for warranty work, it had decided to eat a blower motor, it would be the first of many many warranty claims that first year. When the warranty was up, I immediately bought a 4 barrel intake manifold, a Weiand, I think, and a Carter AFB carb. Not knowing much about the "kickdown linkage", I made one myself, and soon discovered that I had messed it up and the transmission was going to die, and about 2 weeks later, it did. $425 later, a rebuilt one, with a shift kit in it, was installed. No further trans issues, but everything else seemed to go bad on it. By the time I had enough of it, 4 years and over $4000 worth of parts had been put into it. I don't remember what finally pushed me over the edge, but I punched the steering wheel hard enough to break it. About 2 weeks later, it was gone. A few years back, the dealer down the street from work had one just like mine in their used lot. I was sure tempted, as I figured it had to have all the bugs worked out 40+ years later, right? I have talked to the owner and have driven it, and I wish I had bought it, it has been perfect so far.

Later trucks were a 2000 Sierra extended cab Z71. Great truck until it got wrecked, and was never right again. After that one, I had a 2003 Ram 1500 Quad Cab with a Hemi in it. Great truck, one single issue in the 4 years and 60K miles I had it, a pin had been left out of the rear end, and at 7K, it self destructed. Fixed the same day, and no other issues. I loved it. I almost had it paid for when I had to get rid of it after a series of serious injuries from falls made it unsafe for me to climb into. I see it once in a while, really rusty and sad looking at this point.

 

[Sistema1927]

My first was a 50 Chevy, all original with 6 volt, vacuum wipers, three on the tree, and tube tires.

Then a 66 F100, also a three speed.

Then a 63 C10, another three on the tree, but had enough slop in the linkage that you had to shift carefully to keep from jamming it up. Kept a large screwdriver under the hood for that possibility.

Even my 98 F150 had a bench seat and manual windows, but with a fours speed on the floor.

Now everything is automatic, electric windows/seats, and no soul.

 

[Skeet 028]

Lst two older P/Us 51 Chebby one ton. had 89,000 miles on it with a new engine installed 6 monthsfore the ole farmer passed. Sat for 8 years. New battery put new gas in it...freedup the bendix and she started up with in 10 minutes of trying her out. Kept it on the farm for chores. My daughter and all her friends learned to drive in that truck. Didn't put a lot of miles on it cause it had a low rear in it to carry loads. Had a contractor put a pond in on the farm as trade for that truck...but I paid for fuel for the equipment. Added a whole lot of value to the farm as the pond kept about 5000 geese in it over the winters. The other P/U was my fun truck..
1975 paid 650 dollars for a 1950 F-1 Ford...Red had a radio that worked and a flathead V-8 that ran great. Everybody that came up to my gun shop on the farm wanted it. A fellow came up there one day when I was a little down cause I had looked at a Kreighoff K-80 skeet gun with tubes...but 4500 was just too much...Well that fellow offered me 4 grand for the truck...and just like that...it was gone. Still got the gun though. Replacement on it these days is about 40,000 dollars so I guess I did alright. But I still miss that old truck. Don't know what the truck is worth. It gets driven in parades these days though

 

[NYlakesider]

My first was a 50 Chevy, all original with 6 volt, vacuum wipers, three on the tree, and tube tires.

Then a 66 F100, also a three speed.

Then a 63 C10, another three on the tree, but had enough slop in the linkage that you had to shift carefully to keep from jamming it up. Kept a large screwdriver under the hood for that possibility.

Even my 98 F150 had a bench seat and manual windows, but with a fours speed on the floor.

Now everything is automatic, electric windows/seats, and no soul.

I had one of those, it was a common problem for that era. If I got lucky I could free the linkage from just popping the hood and making a readjustment. If a bad day had to get under the truck with a tire iron. Solution was to put in a floor shift!

 

[Hair Trigger]

The nice thing about the older pickups was that they were lower. Then the manufacturers got the idea that everyone wanted to go off-road or wanted that look. For somebody who doesn't use a truck for work in the boonies or live on a farm, the extra ride height is unnecessary, kills gas mileage and makes getting anything out of the bed a proper pain.

I don't mind some height; in a 4WD truck it's not really that necessary unless you plan to do a lot of heavy off-roading. The 4WD pickups of the 80's and 90's weren't too bad, but after that, it seemed to be a big trend in a higher "beltline" rather than in suspension height, and the trucks got taller without increasing ground clearance. Today you need sideboards at the doors and built-in steps or one of those fancy tailgates to get in and out. and I don't think the newer trucks look as good, either.

But I do love the older classic models from the 50's through the 70's especially. I was surfing youtube a few nights ago and came upon this video. Man, what a nice truck.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3O_v0FwicA[/ame]

 

[Bald1]

I remember as a kid visiting my grandparents on their farm in WVa. My dad was building an addition onto the woodshed. My dad sent Paw Paw and me down off the mountain to the Southern States for nails and a few other things. I don’t remember why but we took my dads truck. It was a mid 70s Chevy 1 ton camper special. Big block with automatic. Well , Paw Paws truck was a 70 f150 with straight six and three on the tree. We idled down the driveway without incident. As we accelerated down the road, out of habit he went to stomp on the clutch to grab second gear. You guessed it, he stomped on brake. We both about went through windshield. Scared the hell out of me. I thought something ran out in front of us. He just looked at me and shook his head and laughed.

 

[Hair Trigger]

I remember as a kid visiting my grandparents on their farm in WVa. My dad was building an addition onto the woodshed. My dad sent Paw Paw and me down off the mountain to the Southern States for nails and a few other things. I don’t remember why but we took my dads truck. It was a mid 70s Chevy 1 ton camper special. Big block with automatic. Well , Paw Paws truck was a 70 f150 with straight six and three on the tree. We idled down the driveway without incident. As we accelerated down the road, out of habit he went to stomp on the clutch to grab second gear. You guessed it, he stomped on brake. We both about went through windshield. Scared the hell out of me. I thought something ran out in front of us. He just looked at me and shook his head and laughed.

Good thing he didn't get around to "grabbing 2nd", might have needed a tranny rebuild.

 

[Kanewpadle]

My dad had one exactly like this one when I was a kid. Learned how to drive with it. Man I miss that truck.

 

[stu1ritter]

Not a very good photo but at least I took it. In 1975 the Denver skyline was pretty barren and parked across the street from my shop in downtown was my shop truck, a 1951 Ford with a 239 flathead V-8 and 3 speed on the column. Looks like it was piled up with tires to take to the dump (at the time). I had the truck for about 10 years and replaced it with a 78 F150 with a 400 Cleveland motor, which was also a great truck. Towed the race car all over the West and is still in use at my old shop. (Pardon the photo's, they are quite old).

Stu

 

[Breakaway500]

I was at Oreillys yesterday and pulled in next to this old timer. I thought it was a 1959 but when I got home and checked my book (the Ford truck bible) I determined it was a 1960 (by the hood emblems mostly)

Truck looked to be a daily driver and certainly not in any level of "restoration" with rear bumper missing,tailgate and bed pretty banged up...cracked glass and a few rot holes here and there.Got to love the bubba headache rack. But...still working hard....at 63 years of age.

It would be an excellent candidate for a restoration..but then it probably would not be out on the streets in mid December in salt country if it were restored.