Frustration...

[au03z71]

OK, I don't post much because I enjoy the wealth of knowledge that I get from this website and I don't feel the need to dilute the pot with pointless meanderings, but I just had to get this off my chest.

To add a little background: I first saw one of these trucks when I was 14. I was playing baseball and saw it drive by; it was a 69 short-step, black... I couldn't keep my eyes off it. The first one I drove was a 1972 short fleet with a 400 small block (I was going to get a 67-72 when I was 16 but I couldn't find one they were willing to buy). From that point on, I've been in love with these trucks.

I'm now 26, I have a good job (mechanical engineer), and I'm looking for one of these trucks again (nothing special, just an old swb beater that I can tear to the frame and build to my liking), however, I have run into quite a quandry. I live in southeast Alabama and I see these trucks sitting on farms, lots, and back yards just wasting away. Their owners no more willing to sell them than they are willing to restore them. Although, you wouldn't know it by talking to them. I've heard lines like "Yeah, I was going to restore it but I haven't had the time so I'm going to hold onto it" or "I'm holding onto it for my kids"... you get the picture.

This frustrates me to no end. Even if these people had the slightest clue on how to rebuild a truck, the amount of work and money that would have to go into it would be so daunting due to the amount of degradation that has accumulated over the years that it would probably stop them dead in their tracks.

Why don't these people pass on the torch and give someone else a chance?

Sorry if this turned into a rant, I'm just wondering if anyone else has had the same luck (or lack thereof) as me.