Rod & Custom Dream Truck?

I have this book & its awesome. In the back of the book it gives a list of every magazine that the truck was in. I now have almost all of them.

Dam this book! its cost me to much $$ trying to find them all.

 

Some were I read that Gene Winfield started it as a shop truck.
But thats about all I think I know.

 

Update went to rik hovings fotki web site and saw the history on it. Well it was started in the 50s buy guys who worked for barris and winfield at the time the dream truck was built and wanted to build a replica but i dont think the fenders are origionals.

 

My 39 ford IS same car I have had since 1966 I have changed lots of things this rebuild ,but as it is MY CAR and MY MONEY the only opinion I that matters is MINE. Your body is constantly growing new cells does it become another person?

 

update again i did more reasearch and found out the fenders are origionals because when the fin job was done the fenders were hauled back to barris.

 

To quote Bruce Glasscock at the Chevy/GMC Truckin Nationals in Ogden, Utah in 1982 the truck at that time had never been shown in competition, always as "display only". I even tried to talk him into entering the competition as It would have been worth more bragging rights to come in second to the "Dream truck". Than take first.

I have a bunch of photos of the truck I took during that show somewhere. It was a bit rough around the edges but was definetly the original but repaired/restored truck.

It has probably inspired more of us to build the 48/54 Chev trucks than any one particular truck.

 

Is the book still available?? I have been facinated with the truck since the first "resto" articles published in the 70's when I was a kid...used to reread it over and over again ,its not so much the restyle done to the truck that i love its the whole story. I have always wanted to buy your book but never "got around to it"...if its still being published I would love to get a copy...finally!!

Steve

 

Greetings from Long Branch,NJ,Americas first seashore resort and 7 time U.S.summer capital....Always liked the R&C dream truck and after reading this thread I left work and stopped by the local service station where the hot rod - custom car guys gas up and hang aound for awhile on Satuday and I asked the question about original and when is it not the original car....well the conversation went back and forth and got so heated that I was sorry I brought it up!....each time something with one opinion about original would leave....somebody would say ''he's nuts'' and the conversation would heat up all over again....Geez....if you ever want to start trouble just throw out the question about when is original not original.
Lee

 

Thanks for the kind words. The Dream Truck restoration was one of the greatest honors of my career. When I was a kid growing up in Russell, Kansas I used to go to Jake's drug store read every issue of Rod and Custom to keep up on the original build, never dreaming that some day I would have the opportunity to 'retouch' the work of those famous original builders. I did my best to preserve the original custom work of each of the builders. I see the Dream Truck in magazines all the time, possibly over 100 since I restored it but I am rarely mentioned. I don't know why, sometime things like that just happen. Like I said earlier, it was the greatest honor of my career to 'touch' the vehicle that had been 'touched' by so many talented guys. Some I have come to know as best friends and have had the privilage to work with them on numerous projects.
Thanks again for the kind words.
Carl Green

 

Check the VIN number on it,that'll yield the original.

 

Thanks for your efforts, Carl. It has another generation dreaming. My son is sitting behind me and has a '54 Chevy 3100. Got his permit today. Won't be long and he'll be driving his own Dream Truck thanks to your efforts.

I'll give you credit, even if the mags don't!

 

Does any one have specs on the truck? How much it was chopped and sectioned?
I thought I had pictures some where of the chop and section but I cant find them.

 

I have photos and magazine articles collected on my website.
The magazine articles are not the complete story. I think I have more but need to scan them.. but I also know I'm missing a few issues with the info in it.

Click on the photo for the folder link.

 

Truck was chopped 4" and sectioned 5 1/4" as my clone was.

 

I've collected all but one of the origional issues of the Dream Truck construction. I actually liked it more before it had the fins and stuff, just with the chop, lower and section. It's one of my future shop truck projects. I am totally amazed that the craftsmen back then could gas weld up a door that full of wrinkles and shrink it out that straight. Stunning.

Almost afraid to post this, fearing reprisal for something I've said!

 

it got smashed in a wreak. i think barris was pulling it when it went down...

dont know if thats been posted yet. i aint reading this whole thread my attention span is pret........

 

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the rebuild/restoration of the Dream Truck and those doors would blow your mind....dime size lead on each end of the weld, right through the middle of the door, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was an incredible honor to work on that truck and see first hand what had been accomplished by those guys. My hats off to them.

 

Ok, my question regarding the truck is it had "front air suspension" ?

How was that set up? Any pics of that?

 

Hey all you guys..gals. I've heard from a good source that the Danbury Mint will make the R&C Dream Truck after the Kookie car has its run......NOW, you all can have one....LOL

Murph

 

Spence was towing it with his 58 Chevy pickup to a car show when his truck blew a tire and both went over.
I had the thrill of Spence Murray sitting in my living room in San Diego and showing his movies he took at the crash site and as it was taken away and some of the last movies taken of it before it dropped out of site for so long. So glad it is back and in good hands.
I also got to see it during the start of the rebuild process, what a thrill that was. That was in Bruce Glasscocks driveway and Carl Green was just starting to work on it and that was in 1979.

 

I love the Dream truck! It warped my mind as a kid and I aint been right since

 

I was lucky enough to get the last one from Danbury Mint according to them. Their production stopped Dec.2010 and they said only one left in stock so I got it. Sorry guys.

 

no offense dickjwa,

but everyone does an intro on the hamb, that would include you.

 

Dickjwa needs to post some photos

 

Pic's pulled off the H.A.M.B.

 

Opps forgot the pic's lol

 

I was there at Bruce Glasscock's house and saw and even sat in the truck as Carl Green was working on it in Bruce's driveway.
It was later loaded up in a transport truck and taken back to Carl's shop where he could do the job right.
Some of the original people that worked on the truck were involved in it's restoration as well as I understand. Met a couple of them there that day but now so many years later can't remember who they were. I think one was who did the last interior before it was wrecked.
This was a very exciting day for me to spend all day with Carl and various people coming and going. Hands on the Dream truck. Bruce's wife kept bringing out these very large stuffed mushrooms and kept us fed. It was a car guys dream come true.

 

You guys need to take your medication before someone strokes out...

 

Yes I met Car Green while he was working in the Dream Truck and he is an artist and he sure does deserve a lot of credit. He is a very gifted man. Thanks Carl if you are reading this for helping save a part of history. Very nice man too.