I have an old wrecker that has something wrote under several layers of paint and rust on the dOor but can't tell what it is.. I know it's the old company name but how can I finess this thing to get the info but not loose it forever.. I'll take some close pics in a minute and throw em up.. No history, this is a scrapyard save.. The helps greatly appreaciated and I know some of you have had to have dealt with this before!! Thanks again!!
I don't know the answer to your question, but was curious about what type of Wrecker you have. Is it a Factory unit, or Home-made? Got any pictures of the entire truck?
Try wetsanding an area with something like 600 grit. Might cut through the layers of paint over the lettering. It works well if the letters were painted thick. Its pretty far gone.
a piece of carbon paper overlayed with a piece of paper then rub with a pencil kinda with the lead on its side. has worked for me before. sanding u might lose it forever
Here ya go spankster.. 3600 and the bed is completely home made.. Had the 235 but it smoked horribly, everywhere and had almost no compression so I implanted a 60's 250 Thanks fellas!! I think I'll try redroadsogs way then go chemical, then sandpaper.. I appreciate it and I'll post back up what I find! Btw I can already make out this Wrecker service ....... City 9005 ...TH AVE NO. 886 5081 I know it's hard to see anything from pictures
It looks like Missouri as the state on the pictures There is a historical society in Columbia, Mo that has microfilm of old phone books http://shs.umsystem.edu/research/microfilm/directory.html On the bottom you can email them for info What is the best guess on what you think it says? Edit - you posted more while I was typing - it is No. Rather than Mo.
Might be able to do it photographically, take the photos and mess with the contrast and so on to pull the lettering out.
I found this on Zabasearch - it is probably your guy from back in the day Leon Craig 9005 7th Ave n Birmingham, Al 205-836-5081 See the attachment
Heck we had an old truckers name on the door of a 28 pickup and had it acid dipped for rust and lo and beHold th old truckers name was still there. On the other hand yours seems indecipherable. With out stripping.
the first pic i can see wrecker service. on the bottom after the numbers i see looks like south ave.mo.
Rustynewyorker, I'm working on that now! Chum, thanks man, that's AWESOME! What's the chance they answer? Haha Kiwi, that's neat! Unfortunately, I think this was painted on the truck after 20 years or so.. I'm gonna try my best to make somethin out of it.. Edweird, that's what I'm making out of it so far..
Chum, you are 100% right on with the numbers.. I can make out 7th now.. I called and gave the woman a good laugh.. She knew nothing about it and didn't know what a wrecker was lol..
I looked through some 1950s and 1960s Birmingham phone books that are online and didn't see the truck listed with the info. Google 1950s Birmingham phone book and a link comes up that you can look through (see below). It would have been über cool if your truck was in one of the old ads. There are ones close but I didn't see it - it is under automobile wrecker. There are also garages that had wreckers also. You can search via the numbers but I struck out finding it https://sites.google.com/site/onlinedirectorysite/Home/usa/al/jefferson
I was googling birmingham wreckers and such yesterday and couldnt find anything.. That would just be too cool to find it out there in action in a black and white.. I'm gonna keep checking around and pressuring the guy who scrapped it.. Thanks again for the help!! .....the search continues.... Here's another thread of mine on the ol gal http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=716312
Found this, but it's a LOOOOONG shot... p and m wrecker service ardmore ardmore Cooper | Find p and m ... yellowpages.ardmoreite.com/.../p+and+m+wrecker+service+ardmore...Results 1 - 15 of 80 – p and m wrecker service ardmore ardmore for Cooper, TX. ... Cooper p and m wrecker service ardmore ardmore ... (903) 886-5081 ... That's what came up on Google, but when you click the link it just gives you a bunch of white pages listings, and I didn't see P and M anywhere in it.
Holy shit! I just looked at the photo again, and I believe I can make out the "COO" in Cooper, as in Cooper TX...
Cooper TX is 9.5 hours from Thomasville AL, Ardmore is 14.5 hours from Thomasville. Not entirely out of the realm of possibility I guess.
hey chum, ragtop... I just deciphered Zion city on the door.. There is a Zion city right outside of Birmingham with that adress!! I called a wrecker service a mile or so from it and the guy said there was a place over there but the whole area has been abandoned for some time.. I'm gonna take a ride over there and see if there's any remnants of a wrecker service.. Zion city 'outlined in marker'
Wow!! I completely see that too.. U kno the style lettering is different side to side.. Could have been a long hauler! But topping out at 50Mph idk I really should focus on that door too.. Honestly I haven't even looked at it but to snap a pic
Maybe could have needed a donor door at one time or another? I guess anything's possible. Just seems very coincidental that The COO, and the phone number matched. I thought I was onto something, LOL.
I take no credit for finding this, iv been looking at it for a year.. Thanks guys! Thats just half the work, now I gotta find someone who drove it.. Then I'll b happy!
Lol, I felt bad When it was something else because u were on a roll!! Lol.. I'm gonna go study the passenger door and make sure.. Hell, it could hav come from Texas to bham back when! Yea the woman probably thought she was talkin to a crazy white man lol.. I did not know that about the numbers.. That is neat stuff! Makes sence too, at least compared to today's backwards ways! Haha
No worries, man! Don't feel bad. The only thing I love as much as an old car/truck is a good mystery involving some history. I can't wait to hear the known history of this beauty, and I'm looking forward to the rebirth of a really awesome rig.
Thank you sir! With the help here it's definately coming along.. I haven't been able to find motivation around home but with all the help from u fellas on the hamb it's better than paid help! Haha.. hopefully I can find some info, an if I do, it'll b posted here!
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