The saga starts on Thanks giving Day 2005, my truck gets totaled by a moron turning left in front of me on my way home after T'Day dinner. Pushed him across teherest of the intersection and a toyota on the far side of him across the sidewalk! The grille end up pushed back a FOOT! Forward to a moth and a half ago, Rape Farm finally settles. Off goes the money to Steve at Industrial Chassis. Him and his crew get the truck stripped down and over to Frank and Howard at the body shop. The frame was pushed 3 inches out of line! Got it on the frame table and got it straight in record time. Back to Ind. Chassis for partial reassembly. A really big thank to the crew there for all the hard work! Fixing the cracks in the chassis, realigning the K-member, rebuilding the trailing arm rear suspension mounts, new motor mounts, new trans mount, mount front sheet metal,. 2 weeks before the LSRU I get the truck to a friends house. Thanks Chip. I had no room to work on it at home so he volunteered some space. Only having time after work I rewired the truck, mounted the radiator, after having a new one built, drove to Tucson for about the only hood I could get hold of. Thank you Joe! This hood is so nice! Looks like it came from the factory last week! Finally got the truck to my house to finish on the Friday before the LSRU. The following Sat had to attend the local nostalgia drags, being honored with an Arizona Hotrod Pioneers award! Worked all day Sunday, half the night Mon and Tues and Wed morning getting everything done. Mounting the wiring harness, headlights mounted, running board on, the long list of what needs to be done. At 10:30 Wed morning I was doing the front end alignment and installing the grill and aligning the hood! Finally got it on the road at 11:30 Wed morning and drove over to Steve's shop to leave for the LSRU at noon and started out for the drive to Texas! The trucks been off the road for 16 months and its first drive is 1000 mile shake down! Lost the retaining nuts to the clutch slave coming into Tucson. Fix it on the side of the freeway! Lost it again coming thru New Mexico. Fixed it at a truck stop. The last of the retaining nuts. Coming into El Paso lose the retaining nut again AND break off the bellcrank at the clutch pedal arm! End up driving to the motel thru town with no clutch. Again drive to MSD in the am, thanks Todd! Get the royal treatment there, tour and all. Get the bellcrank fixed there and back on the road! Rolled into Austin about 10:thursday nite! Of course down to Congress st to see who was in yet. I don't know how sane it is to take a truck that got mostly finished on a 2000 mile plus round trip shake down run! I had set a goal of driving my truck to the LSRU this year after having to drive a rental last year! Thank you Kontinentals for all the inspiration. I had to send in the registration before the truck was even out of the shop! Talk about inspiration! Still didn't get everything doone that I wanted to, red hood, bare metal fenders, break downs. Was it worth it? HELL YES!!!! jerry
No pics, but it had the red hood and bare metal front fenders. It was in front of Zen all friday nite. And next to the continental on sat nite. jerry
Too Cool, hear it at the Roundup and was just as cool hearing it again, Glad yall made it back safely. See you at the Drags Rusty
Jerry, it was great to meet you at the crawl and see ya around all weekend. I like your truck - it has a great stance. Glad to hear you made it home safe. See ya at the HAMB Drags?? Malcolm
You are a ruler and one swell cat. The breakdowns, the agony, the dineros flying out of yer wallet are what make memories, people tooling down 1-40 in rental, civilian Tauruses will never know such joys, and they won't pass these stories down to their kin. We are blessed.
Good story, man. Great seeing you again. We REALLY needed to hookup Satruday night, but never saw your ass. Look forward to MoKan already. cya man - killer truck.
It's the mostly black 50 chevy 5 window pick up with the red hood and bare metal front fenders. It's not done looks wise but mechanically it's there. Looking forward to the H.A.M.B.drags in Mokan! Thanks for all the positive comments guys! Really good to see everyone again, and good to meet friends that I haven't met before. jerry
Jerry, You are a "nutcase" to go thru all that just to make LSRU .....Oh, hold it, look who's talking!!! Enjoyed checking out all the "room" in your truck, the way you have it set up. Skot
i hope that when i'm old and gray, that i'll still love the last minute thrash. actually, i think that's the best part, beside the drive. see you in joplin!
Good hanging out with ya Jerry, glad to hear the truck made it back again. *maybe* see ya again at the Drags.
Right on Jerry, I knew you would make it, sounds like an awesome road trip. I need to make it next year.
one of the most memorable moments for me was driving towards austin on 35 on friday, we had just left reggie's garage crawl. we were passing all these nice rods on the back of trailers, then out of no where there's this lil 5window with no wipers!!!! we must have been doing about 70 (my speedometer doesnt' work),passing everybody, it seemed that the faster we drove the better we could see. it was very cool meeting you jerry, i'm the guy in the 55 chevy pu. hope to see you again next year!
Great story Jerry! I enjoyed setting in the truck and remembering traveling country roads with my PaPa in his 55. I bet you were putting that Tequilla in the gas tank-weren't you?? See you next year or at the drags (maybe)! Kathy
I'm so glad you did make it to the RoundUp. It just wouldn't be the same with out ya. Loved seeing the truck as well and thanks again for hauling us and all our stuff into the show. Much apprecaited. xoxox