What were they thinking?

[azsnow]

While pulling your truck apart, did you find something that made you shake your head? So far with the Cameo, I found about 15 toggle switches...have no idea what they were for, as they all ended up in the trash bin, an alt meter under the dash, and 5 original alt guages in the glove box...perhaps all that crappy wiring had something to do with the guage not reading correctly?
A rotted grant steering wheel, and a ton of other crap.

Body related, someone filled in the holes for the mirror and fender emblem on the passenger side, but left them on the drivers side, spray painted/primered the whole truck black over the original paint, and then sanded it down and lord knows what else, giving it a horrible look (see avatar).

The worst so far is holes in the front apron where they mounted fog lights, and a hole in the roof where I imagine they had a spotlight. They attached eye hooks to the front of the bed for tiedowns I guess, and bought a braqnd new front bumper...

What in the hell were they doing? I want to find the guy who thought, "Hey, I want a spotlight and foglights on this truck, its going to look awesome."

[Dan in Pasadena]

I've noticed too that old trucks and LOTS of holes drilled all over them seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Toggle switches? Well, it was the 60's when these were getting older. Maybe they wanted to be astronauts and thought clicking a bunch of toggles was cool! LOL.

[mr48chev]

The fake patina with the sanded primer is just because some clown wanted to be one of "the cool guys with a patina truck".

No telling how many owners that the truck has survived over the years and most likely each added to the collection of things that you just listed.
The fog lights are understandable especially if the truck grew up in an area with dense fog. The hooks may mean that at one time it was a farm truck or one owner may have used it as his "huntin rig". Lots of guys find a need for a spot light and many stick them right up in the middle of the roof, especially farmers, ranchers and contractors. and some guys just like toggle switches and extra gauges.

I counted on my 71 GMC 3/4 ton one day and there are 25+ holes drilled in the tops of the bed rails that I need to fill, four holes in each fender where J hooks were fastened to it and my uncle was really proud of the little tool box he made and bolted in the bed with a bolt long enough to go through the inside and outside of the bed. it has the hole dead center in the middle of the roof for the CB antenna (Sagebrush Pete) was his handle along with a half dozen holes drilled in each door for various mirrors that were on the truck. It also has a 1/2 inch plate welded on top of the step bumper to strengthen it for towing a horse trailer. The amp meter was wired from the + post of the battery to the - post of the battery and still sits under the dash because I haven't taken it out yet. These old trucks were bought to work and work hard and very few of then were bought just to run back and forth to work in and not expected to do serious work like a lot of the new trucks get to do these days.

[cleanshaven84]

I had to add a pic of my "WTF?" moment. I think it speaks for itself.



That's a one of a kind, self made "sun roof". Needless to say, this will be one of the first panels fixed in the future.

[OrrieG]

I know what they were thinking but my rear bed corners and cross sill were cut up for a lift gate. And there was the 12 tie downs (two holes to weld each) on the bed sides. Funnest one was finding the drivers side seat springs reinforced with 4x4's, always wondered why it rode so rough.

[1959 Apache 3600]

Nice sunroof... <NOT>
You'da thunk the PO would have put an aftermarket window in that whole, but now that I think about it, Saran Wrap was probably used instead..

[mr48chev]

Cleanshaven84 wins by default. We can't top that unless someone has a burb with the roof cut off and a homemade camper nailed to the the body.

[BigBlocksRule]

These trucks were bought to be used. They weren't build in the days of leather seats, climate control and electric windows. For the biggest part of them, they never saw the lights of town after the day they were driven home. I'm betting that thousands never saw pavement again. The folks that used 'em - farmers, builders, haulers - used hell out of 'em and fitted 'em to their uses.
What were they thinking? "I have a truck. I will use it for all it's worth. If it doesn't fit, I will make changes."

[Russell Ashley]

I have so many of those "what was he thinking" things that I couldn't list them all, but here's one I like. For some reason he put the antenna right in the drivers line of sight. Then he drilled a 1/2 inch hole directly below the antenna in the floor of the cowl for the lead. I guess he thought rain water would avoid the hole, but I wonder if he had any idea why his left shoe got wet when he drove in the rain LOL.

[azsnow]

BigBlick, I understand that the truck was a different animal back in the day, but I doubt there was any farmer who thought "Hey I bet that shortbed truck with those fiberglass bedsides that costs more and hauls less than than a longbed stepside would make a great addition to my fleet."

[BigBlocksRule]

^ I'm sure you're right, but when somebody offered it to swap it for a cord of wood, it quickly became a farm rig!
And Cleanshaven, I have a 5-window cab top, cut off just below the "bubble" that you're welcome to, just come and get it!

[FFredo]

I don't have any pics but for some reason the PO disconected all of the stock gauges and replaced them with after market gauges. I guess they felt it gave the truck a "race look" That will be corrected when I place the new cab on the truck.

[55metalmonkey]

I could list 100's of WWTT's on mine, these were not done by farmer John back in the day but by a previous attempt at restoring it, not the previous owner but someone before him

Cab mount supports replaced with angle iron and tack welded with very poor welds
1/2 inch coat of bondo to cover hack work on the doors
center brace removed from door for some reason
front bumper fixed with 1" of bondo instead of making it sort of straight first
seat belts bolted through sheetmetal (no reinforcement)

patch work done on almost all the sheetmetal was done very wrong and welded by a blind man then covered with lots of bondo since the guy didn't have a grinder or a hammer and dolly........... or a clue

on the bright side I don't have a 'Hillbilly sun roof'

[cleanshaven84]

Originally Posted by FFredo

I don't have any pics but for some reason the PO disconected all of the stock gauges and replaced them with after market gauges. I guess they felt it gave the truck a "race look" That will be corrected when I place the new cab on the truck.

I may have to hit you up on that Fred. A new one is around $400.

I asked the guy once what he did when it rained. His reply,"Well, you got wet." lol
Posted via Mobile Device

[cleanshaven84]

Oops, that was supposed to be for BigBlock, lol. I posted from my phone so it was kinda hard to see and now it won't let me delete. I'll send you a pm about the roof skin BigBlock.

[Maximus]

I really wish i had pictures of it, but I think it was an eBay truck about a year ago. The 56' big window pickup was sitting on a 1985'ish el camino frame...
you might be thinking to yourself.. an El Camino frame is too wide for a Task Force Truck... Oh Contrair! Not if you just CUT OUT the steps. When you open the door you get to see the neat frame too!! again, I wish i had pictures ill have to look for some!

[azsnow]

So I figured out that the hole in my roof isn't for a spotlight.....It was for a CB antenna...makes more sence, but still dumb.