That panel looks almost exactly like mine. Mine was an old Shell service station truck. Where and how did you get yours ?
Was hoping to have a little fun and I've been attempting to post this for awhile now.... It was the early 80's and I was getting a little tired of the muscle car crowd - I owned at the time most of the makes big block cars along with some of my favorite small blocks cars....440's - 427 - 396 - 390 -383 - 350 - 340 - down to a 283 - 273...think I had about 15 or so cars at the time....soooo I was on the look for an early car...always liked the flatheads and 40 Fords....our one good swimming hole was down at a quarry close to - Waxahaichie,Tx - which was a close beer run and where I found this old Ford panel. She lived in a small house which was being over taken by businesses. You could see the panel from the front side yard and the alley. Wish I had taken a picture of Mrs. Usher's daily driver - a 1955 Ford 4 door - all black - she had to be the sweetest lady's on earth. The funny is I didn't buy it - I earned it - working with her son that came in town to supervise my work.
It is rare to have an opportunity to earn something nowadays. I met a young guy who needed a frame for his 1937 Dodge Truck. I own a pristine frame. I offered him an opportunity to trade me the parts he wasn't going to use in exchange for some labor. Otherwise he could give me $1000.00 for it(the local junkyard's ask $1500 for truck frames). He turned me down.... Kids nowadays... Sent from my XT1585 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Went hunting for some of the pictures as found - it was sitting on all four hubs - the rear end was dropped and removed from the frame - maybe for a clutch ? But the motor was missing as well so - but a deal was made BUT !
There was a year or so delay due to a load of dirt she bought - it was suppose to be clean fill dirt she could easily spread around her yard - instead it had the big clups of dirt clods - right in the middle of our plans - it was still there just over to the right of this picture when I finally got to load 'er up. She wanted the dirt company to come back and hall the **** off !
It was a job just to get her rolling again - we got it off the blocks - the rear end attached - all the drums free'd up and some good tires - this was about a 45 minute drive from my house - so we made many trips....after about 5 yrs it was on the trailer and headed home !
You got a great truck from the sweat of your brow. I bet getting to know Mrs. Usher was probably the best part of the whole experience. Rock solid people such as herself are leaving the planet. Finding a good deal on our cars is getting tougher too... I truly appreciate you sharing your awesome adventure with us! Sent from my XT1585 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Okay maybe someone might be guessing - it's been in just about every picture. You see she had been using the old Ford for storage - see the lock on the back door ? She didn't really like the old Ford - yes it was her husbands old work truck and later her boys play house but now she just used for a little storage shed - AND it didn't leak. We had made a deal and I would work with her son to complete the transaction. Sadly the fill dirt she had bought would delay it again as she battled with them to remove it.
In what city was the Shell station? We got a pickup bed that came from Sam Schneider in Hutchinson. Our pickup story: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/33-reo-speedwagon-build-w-a-twist.799746/page-6
For those waiting patiently - here it is - Sears finest in about 1983 - a 10X10 on a nicely poured 12x12 concrete pad ! Her son - who was pretty cool - wanted to supervise the pad build - which was fine - the big delay was she wanted it in the middle of the yard - where they dropped that pile of dirt clods ! Anyway it was fun stuff for a 20 something kid ! It's what she wanted - a nice storage shed - and remember - she was pretty adamant - that old Ford don't leak - at least not at the back - the front windshield had been out a looooong time - so much the dash would need to be replaced.
I put one of those up 20 years ago in Colorado Springs. It is standing today. Sent from my XT1585 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
thanks....although she's gone for sure - I'd like to make a drive by.....it was just a little house.....with the little white picket fence down the front....it sat by itself on the street which was going commercial at the time.
It is amazing how fast time p***es us by.... I wish that I could experience Groundhog Day! Sent from my XT1585 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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