I drew this up while in the Vietnam War, sent pictures home to the folks; built it when I got home. Here it is in 1969, still driving it today. Found/purchased the chopped cab at a barn down 3rd St S.F. Picked up the ch***is on my Grandmother's block in SF. I initially installed a 301 Chevy with a single Holley and a 3-speed. Here's a few shots from 1969 for starters, Mick
I made some rear wheels for it at work, welded some Chevy centers to barrel rims, balanced out perfect. Here's another shot of in Golden Gate Park SF on it's first outing. Fred Sanderson made the headers and collectors for me [out the back door/small cash]. Glad you fellas like it so far, hard to believe I've been driving from March 15th 1969 to now, Mick
Very Cool! It's got that perfect stance. Had a buddy of mine build one like that and mounted the bed a couple of inches higher in the back and gave it a raked look without raking the suspension.
What's not to love about that truck. It looks absolutely *****in, stance is perfect. the history of you having it so long, and the origin of its idea out in the jungle. Glad you made it back to build it!
I have admired your truck since the first pictures you posted of it when you joined us here Mick, but the pictures from when you built it are really cool. Glad you kept it all these years, great hot rod truck in all it's glory.
Thanks for all the "likes" fellas and I really appreciate the "welcome home" that we didn't hear back then. I'd like to show the progress shots, all the changes I made to it before I post how it looks today but I will soon, Mick
I used a PSI kit for the rear suspension, similar to solid radius rods from the Chevy rear end to the frame. 40 Ford steering box, Ford 40 front drum brakes, axle, tried a new intake manifold. Pretty funny seeing that old generator again, rear bench seat out of an old Jag, Mick
I gt a call from a friend of mine saying that if we drove down to LA at midnight to get there at 8:00 am we could buy as many Cragar mags as we wanted for $15 each from the factory...off we went. I like Cragars!
This was in 1970, my parent's driveway in Daly City [a couple miles south of SF]. Very close to Champion Speed Shop, Gotelli's Speed Shop, the Daly City Auto Wreckers right up the street and a ga s station right next door where I hung out, perfect! I was 23 years old, jeez...
Mick from one viet nam vet to another welcome home brother. what unit were you in? Do you still have the drawings from nam
WELCOME HOME to you as well bother, I didn't have it nearly as bad as you did. I was a welder on an ammunition ship over there, USS Mauna Loa AE8, that was scary enough for me. I've got some friends that weren't so fortunate. Drawings, nah, my folks p***ed away 10 years ago and the drawings got lost in the shuffle, Mick Thanks Mike, enjoying another thread.
Great story and awesome truck. Thank you for sharing. And more importantly thank you for your service. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Then I installed a new motor, a 1965 365 hp 327 now with tunnel ram and sold the 301. Also picked up a 4-speed out of an older Corvette. The PSI kit on the rear end was OK for cruisin' but I was more into street racing and drag racing. So...with the help of Dave Adams [Mr. Blue Thunderbolt clone] and Donny from Narlock and Worthy [Lil He****] we were able to install a 69 Mustang rear end and suspension that I picked up at the wreckers for $100...wheel to wheel. We cut the frame off behind the cab, extended it for the leaf springs, used Maverick shocks. We copied the lift bars from Mr. Blue because they worked so well. 427 Ford, 4-speed top loader, 457 gears; drag car. In fact I ran it at Fremont in 1971 10.35 at 135mph. What a blast, low et for those days. Ramlin Dan said his buddy raised the bed...I did too at this point. Had Bill Joyce make new sheet metal below the bed and a spacer between the cab and bed for the new suspension. Notice leaf springs out back. Now the little pickup launches!
So I bought my own house in 1972 in San Mateo, Ca. Now I had my own garage so time to pull the body off , get it painted, chrome a ton of parts, clean the ch***is up, try a tricked TH400, pull the motor and have Al Baca [behind Champion Speed Shop] do some fancy head work, new Engle cam 500 lift/305 duration...can't believe I remembered that, have it balanced and whatever else. So, went blue to purple with gold leaf flames, I know...sign of the times. A friend of mine upholstered it in black spider webs, Mick
Here's a few shots of the lift bars I had mentioned, similar to a Thunderbolt suspension. The TH400 trial lasted a week, back to a 4-speed, glad I kept the pedal ***embly. Tried some monster slicks after purchasing 543 gears with a spool just for kicks. Went through two pair of wheelie bars, would have been a great photo-op had I thought of it at the time. Can't believe the 4-speed stood up to this but because the car is so light it did well. Eventually I went through two cluster gears so had to rebuild it twice though. Also dumped the front 40 Ford drums brakes to disc brakes. Hard to see the lift bars in these shots, Mick
Then my neighbor/friend Mike D. made a cool three piece firewall for me, I had mentioned the distributor clearance issue so the next day he hands me this. I had it chromed of course [that makes it go a lot faster, right]. I've got some good friends, Mick
Great story. Thanks for sharing it. That chrome rear end has held up nicely. I'll bet running around Daly City in a hot rod or on a motorcycle you'd meet some pretty wild characters, especially in 1970.
The Jalopy Journal
