So a friend of a friend of a friend calls me today and says hey, there is a guy throwing out an old truck body down the street from me.... Sends me a photo (see below). Guy got evicted and this cab was apparently in his living room! So, I run over and look and sure enough, a fairly solid 55-57 big back window cab! I'm not sure exactly how this works... there is a vin on it, a VERY early vin "10019" but it IS thrown in the trash. So I'm wondering what are the legalities here..... Then the scrap metal guy pulls up with his trailer and I had to take some action. The cab was on a dolly but only two wheels were on it so I got a guy to help me pull it over to his house across the street for $20. At least it was safe from the scrap guy..... and then I looked beside the garage!!!
Beside the garage was the full frame all sandblasted and painted nice with a late model 12 bolt rear axle, front disc brakes, 5x4.75 bolt pattern hubs, a completely rebuilt 383 stroker that was brand new inside with tape still over the carb, headers, trans all installed....... AND A CAMEO BED!! The friggin thing was a CAMEO! The thing had been covered by a water proof tarp and was in pretty good shape. Now, I needed the WHOLE truck, not just the cab. I could not tell what was there in the house or the garage so I started asking neighbors who the owner was. After about an hour of asking and calling this guy and that guy, I finally got a hold of the owner. The truck had been in his family since 1975 and was his dad's. He planned on restoring it, but this was as far as he got and all worked stopped about 7 years ago. He also said he had the title, registration and even the original owner's manual, the receipt where his dad bought it for $600 back in 1975 and everything. So I ask, how much for me to get it out of here right now before there is nothing left of it. $1,500. He said most of the parts were in the shed, but someone had stolen the doors from the curb earlier that morning and he did not have a hood for it. I said I'd take it for $1,500, ran over and got the title and went back and looked through the garage for what was there. Fortunately it looks like ALL the rare Cameo stuff was still there and accounted for. All of the chrome, trim, special rear bumpers, brackets, two tailgates, latches, two tailgate emblems, fenders, two of the hidden spare tire compartments, all of the taillights, latches, dash parts, just about everything! Good thing too because original Cameo parts are EXPENSIVE to replace. Like he said, the only thing missing was the hood and now both doors, but the regulators and door trim were all in the garage. So here we have the "Trash Picked Cameo" now saved and safe at my shop!
Great score! Timing is everything. Run a wanted ad for doors, the guy who grabbed them might just answer your ad.
What flowmeister said. Priority #1 is get the doors reunited with all the other stuff before they hit the scrapper. Great weekend for you.
Unbelievable, who throws away a perfectly good Cameo? I can see if it was just a TaskForce, but.... Dude, play the lottery, soon & often, while that horseshoe is still up yur...pooper. Dunno where your at, but I'd RUN to the local scrapyard(s) and offer good cash money for any of the missing parts that show up in the future, + lunch!
Unreal score! Sucks for the evicted guy. Often there's a good reason people have problems. Sometimes self inflicted. Who doesn't love a Cameo? Style, easy to see out of. Looking forward to this build!
You are truly blessed and the money helped the owner! Did you have to take the dryer?! Post some more pics when you get a chance.
Like was said, run a craigslist ad and go to the local scrap yards, some even let you put up wanted ads, all looking for the missing hood and doors. Offer a reward, so someone who knows where they went may tell you, so they can collect some cash. What a great find. Better buy your friend who told you about it some beer, and not the cheap stuff either!
Yes! A "Reward" with the name of the street they were picked up from and a picture of what the doors look like. Printed pictures of the doors with your contact info to all the local scrap yards. It may be awhile before they are taken to the scrap yard. Most scrappers have a huge trailer in their yard where they stack their pickup loads and then periodically tow the trailer to the scrap yard once it's full. What a great save. And to think some scavenger scrapper would have thought nothing of scrapping that cab for $20 worth of scrap weight!
Now that is what I would call a steal of a deal! The damn engine is worth what you paid for the whole deal!
Where I live there re literally dozens of scrap yard to drop steel off at. I am going to be watching craigslist though. I saw a complete rear bumper and hidden spare tire compartment sell for more than what I paid for the whole truck! And it came with TWO hidden spare compartments. I do feel lucky. Especially being able to track the owner down and get an actual title.
The doors on those trucks are slightly different in the way they fit, don’t know if it was different factories or a years thing. Yes the non original doors fit, just not as well. Restored a truck 30 years ago and replaced the original door with a nice replacement- does not fit right. Nice find!
Had a similar experience but you score was much better. The 57 I brought back had been hacked on by everyone that had owned a torch, welder, or twisted two wires together. Had a 440 Chrysler engine that the right side exhaust run through where the passengers feet would normally be and the center of the dash chiseled out so the center of a Ford dash (with a modern radio) could be pop riveted back in, etc. etc. Bed was cracked and broken but like yours had all the (very pitted) Cameo specific parts. Took a good amount of time and even more money to do but unlike most projects it actually brought back what was spent when sold several years later cause people really LIKE Cameos
The Jalopy Journal
