Re: How do you get out of it!?

Posted by Buzzman72 on November 09, 2003 at 08:26:30 from (207.69.140.55):

In Reply to: How do you get out of it!? posted by 49 Cubber! on November 08, 2003 at 06:03:07:

Cubber, by now you've seen a ton of responses, and most of 'em are telling you to hang in there. THOSE are the ones to listen to; the ones telling you to take a little time off and regain your perspective are pretty much on the mark, too. I haven't started on my rebuild/restoration/whatever on dad's old '44 H yet, but let me relate my perspective from my experiences with old trucks.

In 1988, I bought a '52 International pickup, a 1/2-ton long bed, similar to the one Dad and grand-dad used for a service truck/parts chaser throughout the '50's and '60's at their Farmall garage. After using it as a daily driver for a couple of years, I took it to dad's so he and I could begin the process of restoring it. While it was parked outside there, vandals came along and stole the radio and broke every piece of glass in it. Sreious damage, but not enough to meet dad's garage deductible. Then, in '91, dad (age 61) died unexpectedly; 15 months later, my wife (age 36) also died, from the same type of heart problems. I was devastated, and I just couldn't bring myself to deal with the truck again.

Finally, I decided that all the good memories I had of hunting and fishing and parts runs and service calls with dad in his old '52 were just too much a part of me to ignore. But I was also torn between restoration and street rodding it, as I know those old drivetrain parts can be a battle to find. Then last October I ran across a '51 pickup, nearly identical to my '52 in equipment, and I drove 8 hours (one way) in a borrowed rig to pick it up. Now I have one I'm trying to restore, and one to build a rod out of...the best of BOTH worlds.

Parts availability isn't exactly good; I robbed the gas tank off the '52 to have one for the '51, and now I'm gonna have to either find or build one for the '52 (since it's now the rod candidate, I'm considering dual tanks so fabrication won't be out of the question anyway). The grille on the '51 has been altered, bent, and only partially straightened, and NOBODY makes a replacement grille for one of these yet...but I'm still looking.

My point is, the guys with $$ signs in their eyes have made a lot of the stuff relatively unaffordable. I can't say they're wrong, because I probably would've done the same thing in their shoes. But I also realize that I won't be building EITHER of my trucks to show...because Internationals aren't "politically correct" with show judges, and neither are some of my possible engine choices for the rod truck...so rather than go to a show and come away mad because something with less quality and workmanship and USABILITY beat me, I'm just gonna build 'em for my OWN enjoyment, and maybe my kids can develop the same appreciation for 'em that I have...or, if the $$$ folks keep driving the prices up, maybe my grandkids--if/when I have any--can use 'em to pay for Harvard Law School when the time comes.

Keep your sense of humor about things, and do it because it makes YOU feel good...don't feel obligated to go to shows, etc; just display 'em when and where YOU want (parades, etc.) and don't worry about competition. Just like my trucks... I don't have any competition because nobody else knows what memories I'm building them to honor.

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