I've been on the board since it was "small," but never really said a whole lot. I gave advice when I could, tried to sell a few items here and there, bought a car from a member (Noah324's old Chrysler)... but have mostly hung back and enjoyed countless hours of inspiration and education... big thanks to Ryan and the rest of you. I recently quit my job at a rod shop here in L.A. and am moving back home to Phoenix over the next few weeks, but before I pack up the computer and leave the HAMB for a while, I wanted to post some pics of my '55 F100. I bought this truck as my first vehicle when I was 15 with some cash I made selling a dirt bike and mowing lawns for three years. For $1500 bucks I got a non-running, black widow-infested, methhead mobile of my dreams. My dad and I spent a quick year getting it rolling with new wires, bearings, and rebuilding the C4 and 9"; everything but the tired Cleveland that was in place. It smoked like a tug boat, but it ran pretty well considering. For ten years I ran it in that same condition; thoughout high school, college in L.A., and three years after my graduation to the real world. I had an itch to learn as much hands-on car building while I was still young, so ignoring my degree, I got a job in Orange County doing fabrication on concept cars for the industry... which was fun until I got layed off at build season's end. Feeling that I still lacked the skills to do the type of work I wanted, I searched my back issues of "Rod & Custom" certain I had read somewhere about a hot rod shop in Venice (near where I live.) I found Jerry's Rodworks in the yellow pages and had a job one day later as the second in a two-man garage. Some of you guys may know the place, but to those who never saw it, it was a ****ing time warp back to a time that has mostly been erased in the constantly resanitized west side of Los Angeles. I busted my *** for half of my old pay but it was worth it... you know what I mean? Well, one day I get to feeling like I've proven myself a good worker and ask for a raise. The boss man says he can't do it, but that he might be able to a swing me a deal on a new (to me) motor and ****** for that poor truck of mine. I jumped at it and soon hauled home another 351C/C6 combo out of a customer's '56 big window we dropped a 450-horse Windsor/AOD in. I knew the motor ran strong in the other truck but it had a weird vibration at 1500 RPM. I stripped the mill down to the timing chain and sure enough, there was more play in the thing than in all the "House Party" movies combined! After a new Comp double roller came a new balancer, alternator, MSD distibutor, Holley carb, old Cal Custom valve covers, O'Brien Truckers filter cover... etc. I knew this mill wouldn't look right just plunked into my ****ty engine bay, so I whipped up a stainless firewall at work and sanded and painted everything else I could. I also purchased a new cut-to-width crossmember for the engine from Speedway as well as a new trans. crossmember. I'll take a break and post some pics before this thing gets too far out of control...
It was at about this point last year that I had to take some time away from my project as my father's health began to fail due to bladder cancer. I had been prepared for such a thing since I was young because of his relative age (not many kids in the 80's had dads who were in WW2) but it was a life altering experience spending his last few days together until he finally went in late September of last year. My father was my greatest hot-rodding influence, and I knew that with his memory as my new inspiration there was no way I couldn't finish the truck. I collected myself and began working on it again in the early part of this year. With all I had already done, I decided to take a few more steps and get some items I had always wanted, like a dropped axle and a full complement of gauges in the dash. As though he had heard my cries for an affordable drop, HAMB brother Loudpedal began posting his axle services for those in need. A few new kingpins later, I had stance. For gauges, I bought a set of of VDO ****pit ****ogs (simple, 60's looking) and built my own cluster from some s**** aluminum plate for the tach and speedo, laying the remaining four out along the center of the dash. This put me on the path of rewiring the majority of my truck (did you get a load of that first pic?) which was fairly easy given my need for only four basic fuses.
From there, it was kind of a dash to the finish... shortened the driveshaft, bracketed the firewall, ****oned up the engine wiring, installed new 2 1/2" exhaust with 12" (LOUD) gl*** packs out the back, ditched the '53 Ford car hubcaps I was running for chrome lugs, dust covers and stainless rings... One morning last month I rolled it out of my 1 car hole for the first time in ten months. Running on a mix of anticipation and adrenaline I got the front sheetmetal on in what seemed like ten minutes and had it fired up as soon as the bowls on the carb filled... not one hiccup or backfire... just a snap of the throttle and she settled into a nice lopey idle. I was ****ing stoked! I've got about five hundred miles on the pick-up since then, and the arrival of my HAMB decal pack yesterday gave me reason enough to break out the camera and get some shots for you guys to hopefully enjoy. At least once a day on here I find myself yelling at my room mate to get in here and check out some bad-*** coupe or early truck... I nod and smile at the beautiful customs... wish I could hear some of the engines dudes are putting together on here. I hope some of you truck guys like my old beater. Thanks for reading this way too long ramble.
Since seein the Wizzard of Oz ,I always hoped there was a Tinman....Welcome back! Lil F100 looks great man!
lol wow, hope you know that image just burnt itself into my mind pushing even further the want for an old truck just like yours enjoy it man it looks great!
Thanks everyone... it's not nearly done but I'm loving it right now. Driving it now is just as fun as those first few trips around the block in high school. Thanks again for everything Ryan, and thanks to Kris for the drop. -Tinman
I've seen the truck in person, and thought it was at night and in the middle of the nowhere, I could tell it was a kicka** truck. You can always tell when a car guy really puts his heart and soul into his ride. Great ride, Tinman. Have fun in Austin!!
Great read! I've owned a coulple F100s. First top I ever chopped was a '54. Truck looks great. Congrats on staying with it to this point. Enjoy. GV
The Jalopy Journal
