Project: Blue Baby

[Blue Baby]

Well I've been on this site for a couple of month's and decided to start my build thread. Here's the story / history of the truck, my uncle, and myself:

When I was a kid, I would go spend the summers on my aunt and uncle's farm. I remember when we first passed this truck at a local gas station and it was for sale. My uncle laughed at how "Blue" it was and also how clean it was. This was in the early 1980's. It had recently been re-done... not restored!!! Anyway it was very clean and with my uncle owning his business as well as running a large farming operation he thought it would be perfect for a second truck for his hired hand to use as both operations grew. He always called it "Blue Baby"...

When I was about 9 or 10... we were getting ready to head out for the day and my uncle told me to go to the barn, get "Blue Baby", load up blah,blah blah tools for the day etc... I looked at him and said " I don't know how to drive"... Being the old school farmer he was he said " You mean to tell me your 10 years old and don't know how to drive???" Well anyway, he went and got the truck from the barn and I loaded the needed tools ( I did know what tools were by then and how to use, just didn't know how to drive). Hahaha!!!

That evening after dinner, the old school farmer as he was, he took me out that evening and taught me how to drive... with a 6 cylinder, 3 on the tree no less!!! Every summer after that as I grew up, I spent a lot of time driving "Blue Baby" around.

Fast forward 25 years... My uncle's heath was not so good. He passed away this spring. My aunt knowing the connection that we had and the good times we spent driving around in that old ugly blue truck. She asked me if I would be interested in "Blue Baby"??? My answer was uummmm...... Yes.

Anyway, this is why I have such a special connection to this truck. I have a son 12 and a daughter 9, who I plan to teach how to drive in "Blue Baby" just how I was taught many, many years ago by a very special person in my life.

The first pic is where it was and how it sat since 2005. The second pic is with the new wheels and tires I put on it to bring it home and start the rest of the project.