You may be able to infer from my user name, airplanes are my p***ion. I build airplane parts for a living, I fly them for fun and I build them at home in my barn. So what does that have to do with hot rods? In the process of building airplanes, one finds the need for access to various tools and equipment for manufacturing parts. As a machine shop owner, one would surmise that the conditions would be perfect for fabricating the various components required but for some reason the motivation to make a living in a growing business overtakes the desire to pursue a hobby. I had to find a way to build airplanes at home. Tim the Tool Man is my hero and to be honest, I've never seen a tool I could live without. eBay and I became good fiends back in 99 and I've been chasing around the country ever since picking up deals I've found. I've ac***ulated what most would consider a very extensive home machine shop but there are still some pieces I would like to acquire that are beyond my current transport equipment capabilities. Anyone can be boring and pick up a newer truck capable of accomplishing my mission but where's the fun in that? Then there's the fact that if you look like a commercial operation, the cop's are going to constantly h***le you. So the goal is to build a truck that doesn't require a CDL that can carry a minimum of 12,000 lbs and do 80 on the highway while looking like a hobbyist because the reality is, I am in this capacity. My current rig is a 1/2 ton GMC with a tilt bed equipment trailer. The trailer is nice but it has its limitations transporting machine tools. It's pictured here getting ready to move an antique metal planer. 15 years ago I picked up a 1945 1-1/2 ton Chevy grain truck. Anyone who's ever driven one of these knows they like to go about 45 mph. That's fine for the farm but not for a 500 mile trip. I may fix it up one day but for now it's earning it's living in it's original configuration. What I want is a sweet old truck with the drive line upgraded enough to keep up with traffic and the capacity to haul what my forklift will lift. I started collecting parts a while back with this bus. Other than the transmission, it has the ch***is parts I want to use in my project and enough s**** to recover most of my investment. I had my eye on another truck when I found this at an auction. It's a 1955 Ford C800 with a 24,000 lb gross on the ID tag. There's not much there but it's enough to get it registered. The next day I picked up a 1955 C600 which was the first truck I looked at that got me reading the COE thread here. It took days to read through that thread! I was originally looking for a complete C800. Because of the auction C800, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on this. It's fresh from the farm and the grill and lights are in the cab. I have my work cut out for me but it should be a fun project. And so it begins.
Welcome from another wingnut that enjoys all transportation hobbies from land, sea and air! Many of these interests cross paths often because of the mul***ude of skills, tools, and parts to complete a project. I'm sure you'll find many of us airheads on this site!
Welcome, You remind me of Jim in Julesburg, CO. Great guy, has a John Deere dealership converted into storage and shop for airplane and car and boat work. Dreamin' keeps us young and alive .... Jim
Welcome from Ontario ( the cold one, Canada) good luck on the project and if you can't find it here then you don't need it.
The Jalopy Journal
