I apologize for this post being long but maybe it will motivate another father & son to build something together. My dad and I have never built anything together, for various reasons I was into other things at that time, now I'm a thousand miles away and its tougher to get together on projects. I've been printing and mailing my dad posts from the HAMB for a couple years and that "fire" finally lit, we went to a couple Hotrodaramas, he met the guys at Amocat, went to the traditional ch***is cl*** in Lynwood and now he spends hours reading up on what he wants, etc.. (Thanks Mischief Makers, Steve Glucoft and the Amocat guys, Mark from SRV, Eric VAPHEAD, for the material and motivation) He is flying out in May to spend a week with me thrashing on his "pile of parts" pickup. We may not get a huge amount done, but thats not the only point, I am excited. A little history - My dad is a hot rodder/biker from back in the day in Seattle (more specifically he ran with the White Center Red Feathers), he has owned a couple dozen hotrods and customs over the years but sold them all long before I was born. Like many I would guess, my dad and I did not seen eye to eye when I was a teenager living under his roof (I was a punk). Now I'm a married father in my 40's with a little perspective. My dad took me to my first ever car show, the Bellevue Ford Picnic and he spent the whole damn time walking around drooling on a 32 pickup at that show (I was only interested in the shelby mustangs, panteras and sports cars). When I was in my 20's my dad had a m***ive heart attack which slowed him down, I was busy starting my family and moved to Montana. Years ago I started scrounging a mix of 32-34 Ford truck/pickup parts to build for my dad as a way of saying thanks for putting up with my ****. He kicks in cash when he can but its a typical low budget build, it should being as "finished" as it will ever be for $6000. I have $2365 in it now, still missing the rear fenders, running boards, grill radiator, etc. I've scrounged a runner 292 Y-block and th350, 33 cab, 32 doors, bed off an old 32 show truck with a million tonneau snap holes, old fibergl*** front fenders, a dropped axle, spindles, front disks, heavy truck ch***is (to shorten), 56 ford rear end, etc.. This will make a few of you laugh - I was a FNG and got all excited and purchased the cab without doors years ago thinking "how hard can it be to find a set of doors", but after several years I eventually scrounged a set. Here are a few pics of the "parts pile".
Hey that's cool... when your dad gets to your place make sure that you take alot of pictures of him with the truck as you work on it... have someone take some of both of you doing things together.... someday dad may not be around and you will always have those memories....
HR33, I'll be sure and post project/progress pics during the week. I've been trying to talk him into spending a "build" week out here for along time. I've got the week off work, got a couple local hot rod builders lined up to help out so we should get something done. My mom is a bit torqued about this "juvenile" project. They live in a nice quiet "old" catholic neighborhood in Seattle, he wants loud exhaust for the sole purpose of rattling the windows and ******* off their yuppy neighbors. She knows he will raise hell in the neighborhood just for entertainment value. She told me "He pulled this **** with his biker friends back in the 60's in West Seattle, but this is a nice neighborhood these neighbors won't understand". I just laughed and told her he really needs this and she better save her money for bail.
Hell, you guys get the truck running and If he is out getting in trouble in it have him get ahold of me.... I'll post bail... my 33 was my Dad's old truck that he got in 1953.... I wish he was still here to get into some trouble with it....
Dads are most important when it comes time for a father / son project! Make the most of it.......That project would be Cool as a Loooong box , Ya don't see many................. Ol Deuce
Depends on the dad! If dad's only tool is a credit card that may not be the best advice. You wouldn't be leading a dumb *** astray would you? There is an asthetic reason there aren't many looooong boxes running around. You know I already have the box set aside, so what are you getting at? You just make sure you are healthy and hanging around the shop that week.
If I hung out at the shop, your Dad wouldn't be able to use the card! Nothing would get done ,So no reason to spend Money..........LOL. so best to stay away.........Or work On my Pole Barn! Ol Deuce
My Dad and I restored this one so my mom could drive it with 5 kids in the back. He's gone now and the first thing mom said was the truck is yours. It was our first project together and now 40 plus years later sittin in my garage, it brings back many memories of projects we worked on over the years. Father and son (or daughter) projects are the best.
I've asked some of you guys with 32-34 trucks to send me pictures - thank you. I've forwarded them to my dad back in Seattle, to date I think I've sent him easily over 100 pictures. He's been making notes on what he really likes. My mom called and in the middle of the conversation said "there is truck **** all over the house", I get the feeling from her tone she prefers him "well behaved" and not distracted with Juvenile projects. I asked her if he was well behaved when she married him? (His Red Feather MC Days) She said "NO but he was younger then". Here is to all the guys that prefer to misbehave and not act their age. Life is too short to be "well behaved" all the time.
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