Projects The george shull special 33 ford pickup

Hi all a friend of mine passed away in january his name was George Shull he had a 33 pickup that was built in the early70's as a street rod, it had been sitting in his shop since 08 just collecting dust. after his passing his bride Nancy called me up and told me she wanted me to buy the truck I couldnt say no so I brought it home and started getting it up and running, Its got a 327 chevy ,powerglide tranny and a dana 30 rear out of a 70's jeep, radar wheels and a bunch of nice old 70's street rod stuff I cleaned and rebuilt the gas tank, fresh plugs,and fuel pump and she fired right up. It need king pins so i tore apart the front end and found out it has 46 front brakes and spindles on a 33 axle so I gave richard and dennis lacy at early v8 garage a call, along with greg at ansons to have the axle trued and dropped then shipped to richards to have the arms bend and maybe get a set of 32 spindles thats about where im at as far as now so here are some pictures. oh ya for those who are in the san diego area this truck won at the very first streak car show put on in 73-74 by over the hill gang

 

Nice older build. Reading you say steetrod, I was thinking the worst , but the truck looks pretty dang old timey for the most part. The outside views are really old time.

Looks like fun

 

thanks f&j my goal for the truck is maybe 16x4 1/2 steelies up front and 18x4 1/2 in back all under fenders, some commercial headlights on a lowered bar and correct mirrors maybe darker ford green and black fenders running boards similar to dennis lacy's truck with fenders?

 

That's a pretty cool truck, bit of a time capsule.
Sorry about your friend, sounds like the truck is in the right
hands now though.
Only thing i'd be changing is the oil.
At least for a year or two

 

Man that thing is all sorts of cool already! - please buck the expected and just get it safe and cleaned up and back on the street. It's a time capsule of a great time in hot rodding, looks like it's right out of one of the first street rod nats.

PS. Sorry about your friend - sounds like a cool guy, it's touching that his wife wanted you to get the truck.

 

What a great time capsule, why change it, just clean it up and drive it. If you change the wheels, headlights etc, it'll just look like all of the other 32-34 pick-ups out there. I like those headers also.

 

Nice truck, good luck getting it back on the road so you can enjoy it.

 

Nice truck. Good luck with it. Nice that your friends wife offered it to you. Hope you enjoy it for many years.

 

I like it, the rear bumper looks a little older, more of a Hamb friendly style, and not so much street rod.
Whatever you do, it's a great looking truck.

 

George was a friend and club member with me all those years ago. I was sorry to hear of his passing.
Enjoy the truck as he did.

 

Great looking truck,your friend had a vision and it appears you will fulfill his ideas.

I agree with the big commercial headlights. HRP

 

Hi John...I really....really.. like the wheels it has now, but I guess it is because I came from that era in time. LOL

 

I like it as is and would drive it just like that. The dropped axle won't hurt it a bit though.

As for the repaint and all, it doesn't need that. Appreciate the wheels and paint that's on it now for a year and see how you feel then. I bet it will grow on you. The early 70's style is the next big thing! Mark my words!

 

[QUOTE="john dioli, post: 11702934, member: 20055416x4 1/2 steelies up front and 18x4 1/2 in back all under fenders, some commercial headlights on a lowered bar and correct mirrors maybe darker ford green and black fenders running boards similar to dennis lacy's truck with fenders?[/QUOTE]


cannot resist, must......CONFORM!!

 

Congrats on your "new" ride - always tough for everyone on how to deal with selling/buying ride of friend that has passed away. he would be proud to know that it is being well taken care of.

 

Sure will at some point; say late 60s to just before the resto-rod of later 70s. Lots of cool stuff was put together back then. Guys are already saving some T buckets that have that age of parts...that's pretty cool to see happening.

 

I'd leave the wheels etc. alone (Agree with the headlights though) - It's a great time capsule and tribute to your freind!

 

Consider this. As is, or cleaned up but basically kept as-is, if I were walking along at a show, and spotted this truck, I would immediately recognize it as a sixties survivor, and spend a lot of time pouring over it.

Ok so you make the changes you suggest, and conform with the current version of "HAMB cool" in terms of paint and wheels, right?
Now the old time hot rod guys like me have lost interest, and walk on by. Ok, so who gives a shit, we are a bunch of elistist, purist dickheads who don't get it, right? Works for me, I can live with that.
The "HAMB cool" types will stop briefly because of the wheels and colour combo, then see the small-block and say "too bad about the belly button small-block , poser streetrod, if only it had a flatty and '39 toploader..." and THEY will walk on by...
Of course I realize the fact that your planned visual makeover conforms almost perfectly with the current HAMB history revisionist formula is a total coincidence, and you have been wanting to build a '33/'34 pickup with milk-truck wheels and original ford colours and big headlights since the late sixties, and you don't give a rats ass what ANYONE thinks, and you are a rugged individualist and its your truck and you will do it however you please and all that, so just disregard all of the above...

 

George, calm down

You cannot change trends. Trends fuel the masses like they always have. Caveman one saw what caveman two was wearing...a bear skin, so he had to have one too. Then soon, everyone had one....... Nobody could recognize anybody anymore. he.he

Best solution on the old builds if we are just arguing mainly? about the wheels? ....simple....just find a place that you can store that rare set of five....just in case..

George, read my oldest posts when I got my wrecked 32 body. You will see that I too, was following the sheeple trail. WTH was I thinking...16's with a mid 50s OHV, highboy in New England?...I kept swapping things when I found them at swaps, because it just never looked even close to right, from my memories long ago. I'm glad nobody bought my rear fenders when I took them to one show. So that is what I mean about saving that set of 5 rare wheels....irreplaceable, and the money would just go to groceries or cable bill. LOL

 

Frank, honestly, I find the whole thing pretty amusing, I was hoping that came across in my last post. If it was 1978 and the OP found this truck, he would be painting it Porsche India red and adding Zenith wires and a jag rear. If this were 1982, he would be tubbing it and put a narrowed 9" in it, painting it pepto-bismal pink, and adding a blower. If it were 1988, he would be painting it monochrome mint greet and adding smoothies, and so on. I'm just glad I'm not cool anymore.
I am actually pretty sure this car got some ink in the early seventies, I recall seeing it at that time. Neat truck, too bad it wont be recognizable soon.

 

Stone cold fact. Its already started, Steve Grimes latest, from Chips "Full Fendered T" thread. And the restored Texas T was in the latest Rodders Journal, its not coming, its HERE.

 

Slow thinker I am.."Trends" I just now realized, that if kids in the mid to late 50s didn't come up with their new trends, I would never have seen them, and been unable to fall in love with them. he,he

I got white running boards to clean right now, so 10-4

 

I have a buddy in Brookville PA that bought a T -Touring from California. 60's time warp, wire wheels, Jag rear , all the trinkets !!! You are right, the trend IS here !!!

 

you are right george I already have a truck that was modernized a 55 ford
http://www.hotrod.com/articles/1012clt-1955-ford-f100/
and I think goerge would have appreciated it more if i left as is its not the most favorite color but it does have history and i've never had a 70's period correct car, that being said the tires I need to check into if I can get 14's but I am sending axle to greg to have it straightened and dropped ,hopefully will narrow the axle a bit to get the tire in more and keep the 46 brakes , I will be getting commercial headlights but thats about it for the changes plus a good spit and shine. Heres a few more pictures




GUESS WHAT THIS CAME OFF OF

 

That's pretty cool. I know I saw this car in a magazine, I will try to find it. I think it was in PHR. I am really serious about late sixties/early seventies style hot rods being the next style to have a big resurgence.

 

Thank you I plan on keeping it the same not changing it all the people are right it will only look like this once so i will keep it the same and putting it on the grass at the next streak in honor of george and bring nancy down to the show to see it

 

thanks for all the advise its greatly appreciated

 

Dear John... NOT gonna start with "Oh, do this, do that"... I'm a friend of Bill Franks, whose Dad was a member of the Early Times...
Notice you have a passenger side well fender...PLEASE don't 'fill it in'...
Great chance to relive times with George. Glad a good friend like you exists.
All my friends are snakes...

 

you know magazines it seems... Not saying I know this truck you saw...but do you recall a magazine-owned, monthly project truck...maybe called "project 33" or 34? (40-45 years back). Not sure the name of the project, but was a really simple low cost build. They sent it out to a bodyshop for a couple of fender cracks and pinholes in stake pockets. And the shop still gas welded and in this case, some brazing. It was So Cal for sure.