The way I see it is it belongs to you, what becomes of it is your decision. Question is do you want to look at it or do you want to drive and have fun? Cause just looking at it will only be fun for so long. That being said my opinion is restore it , and enjoy it. Keep the pics coming though cause I'm having fun looking at it.
Thanks Codeman,I think most people believe that if I restore it I wont drive it. My plans are to restore it then run the shit out of it. Within reason of course. The last thing you want to do is lose it in the wall. Losing the truck and getting hurt or worse is not worth it. Either way this will not be a "look at only" piece.
I wish I knew. I believe it is Lynchburg, Va but not sure. Thenext tim I see Mr. Morris I will ask him.
Lucky , Lucky , Luck, I have a AAFUEL /altered bantam still in 1960-70 paint , don't change it just overhaul the mechanials. Brushy
Hmmm, A coffee table. Now we're getting somewhere! Sorry Chopper but this thing will never be street legal. This restoration will be accurate right down to the bolts.
I think the only time you need to leave it original is because it's nice enough that you have that luxury or because you don't have any documentation at all and no one will believe that you didn't just build it. In your case, you've got documentation galore and the truck NEEDS to be fixed for fear of rotting away. I wouldn't feel a bit bad about fixing her up to the former glory.
Thank you, Thats exactly the way I look at it. Hopefully before spring I can start posting pictures of the restoration.
Check it out in the new issue of Traditional Rod and Kulture. No resto. Will be moving next month so im still waiting to move into my new garage. Then Ill start.
While we are at the business of not "being a lazy ass", let's paint a proper smile on the Mona Lisa, get some modern clothes on the Statue of Liberty, and finish Mt. Rushmore. Geez, folks, everything doesn't have to be shiney. Original with history is worth more than restored. Folks could fake a replica of this car or any other neat survivor, but it would be might hard to fake what cars like this are. Restored it is just a shiney car that has had the tangible proof of its history erased. Restored it will be ignored at rod get-togethers. This make it look fresh thing sucks. Look at the original shows like "Mickey Mouse Club", "The Flintstones", movies like "Miracle on 34th Street", etc, that have been ruined by making them look shiney and new. Can't you see the original Bonnie and Clyde death car restored to newness? Ha! God preserve us from such butcheries. I see the thread is old. Restoration started? Ya know, rubbing motor oil on the paint puts life back into it. You'd be surprised how good it could look. Try a small spot and see how it looks. I won't deteriorate any more if it isn't parked outside. Make it safe...make it reliable....but the only things I restore have no paint left at all. If restored, the day will come when folks will wonder why it was done that way. If you want shiney, why not build a glass car? I'm a die hard preservationist because there are almost no survivors like this left, most have been destroyed, restored, re-worked and history lost, etc.
Wow, thats a pretty amazing story and history. I see your going to restore it. Good luck. I have to say patina is best though. - Jon
For the Love-of-God DO NOT RESTORE IT ! Make it operational, but DO NOT change or paint ANYTHING ! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Hear my CRY !
Awesome find. Any current updates or have you fired it off yet. Still waitinf for a cool old barn find. Closest thing I got is a 76 hondo vdrive boat that was a famous SDBAd racer, which I am restoring.
I don't know how I missed this thead! It's yours and you should do what you want (and probably have already), buuut... Man, that's the ORIGINAL, REAL LIVE ORIGINAL paint job! It'll be like puttin' a new face on Raquel Welch... don't need it! Just my lousy 2c. Oh, yeah, frickin' love your truck and your luck!
Awesome find... do what you want with it. thanks for sharing all of the pictures and history, this has been very entertaining and interesting. -W
Glad too hear your just planning on freshing it. The "restore it" crowd reminds me of the woman I saw on "The Antiques Roadshow" once with her freshly "restored" 18th century highboy chest. The appraiser looks it over then tells her that it is very nice and worth about $20,000-30,000, but if she had left it as it was it would have sold for something north of $250,000+. The moral of the store is: shiny is not always better!
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