So not sure of how many think my build is interesting enough to follow, but for the sake of the story of the truck, I figured Id write a few memories that have made me a fan of these old trucks.
There wont be a whole lot of organization to these, just a bunch of random memories maybe.
1.
It Starts back about 1990 or so. My dad managed to get a hold of a 1964 long bed step side 4x4. It was on old Forrest service truck at one point and had a few modifications that eventually led to other issues.
We lived just outside of Spokane Wa. near Elk Wa. He had just gotten out of the Navy and my parents struggled to make ends meet so he ended up with this truck very inexpensively I'm sure. He has always been a great mechanic and it very obviously where I picked up my love and many skills from.
We had bounced around a while for his random jobs and landed in Ritzville Wa. where he worked as a farm hand and mechanic. I learned a lot there at that farm. I learned to drive in that old truck. We occasionally used it on the farm when the farm trucks were down. I remember learning to drive it one morning very unexpectedly.
My dad needed me to drive the truck through the field as he and anther farm hand loaded "hand line" (irrigation pipe) onto the trailer from the field. So out on the dirt road he showed me how to let the clucth out on the old 4 speed in 1st gear with out stalling it. After a few minutes of them laughing at a 12 year old learning to drive that monster, I had it pretty well under control and he sent me out in to the field. That old truck worked my leg for sure! That clutch was tough on my skinny little leg!
Because we were in a field that was recently irrigated there were low spots that were pretty muddy. I remember getting quite a kick out of having to "give her hell" as my dad said..... I had gotten into a low and really muddy spot and the old bias ply's slipping and I was damn near stuck. I heard him yell from behind the trailer "GIVE HER HELL!!!!" "GO...go...go!" So I probably damn near popped that little 283 v8 as she was in 1st gear screaming and slinging mud all over the trailer, the irrigation pipe, and both my dad and the other guy! I made it out and of course it was violent looking because I didnt know to ease off the throttle, so I just let up and the works came to a very abrupt and jerky crawl before I thought to push the clutch in.
2.
We acquired an 8' camper from one of my uncles for that old truck. Thats actually the first time we realized we had a problem with some modifications the Forrest service dept had done years before.
Someone along the lines had installed some seriously heavy leaf springs and it basically never had enough weight in it to make the suspension flex much if at all. Long story short, our theory was that the ridiculously stiff suspension was beating the hell out of the outer axle bearings. We seemed to go through outer bearings about twice a tear.
Two times we lost and axle in that truck while on the road. The first time, we had just gotten on the interstate and were moving roughly 50 mph and as we entered the road, the left rear axle started to work its way out of the housing. By the time my dad had realized what was happening in the drivers side mirror, he noticed a guy racing up beside us to pass the wheel and axle that is now hanging about a foot outside of the rear fender. He realized what was happening just as he was beside us. Fortunately he slowed just in time and that axle tore the damn fender off the truck! It then went across I-90 and into the median. It would have destroyed that Fiero for sure!
The second time we lost and axle was with the camper in the bed. I was actually in the bed above the cab when we were cruising along an old highway between Ritzville and Moses Lake. We lost the same axle and of course the truck dropped and sparks went everywhere. He managed to keep the old truck stable enough that it was pretty uneventful coming to a stop. It was soon after this that we decided we were going to get 3/4 ton running gear and install it all in the truck.
Thats enough for now I suppose.
Its amusing to think back on these moments.
Oh and here is an old truck that my Grandfather owned (my dads father) So we have all owned one!
I just now realized that!!!
