Old Timer

[skipjack]

Howdy - I joined this forum years ago (how many ..... ?) and just got active again this week. I've been looking over the current builds, questions and so forth and came to the conclusion that the love of older 'Bowtie' trucks has not diminished, rather, it has increased. I also noticed that much of the resto work exhibited is beyond what we did or could do 'back then'. Keep the faith, boys ....... you're doing a fine job!

My '69 K20 is still working everyday with some 'chore' that needs doing - going for firewood, pulling a hay trailer, rescuing an over-zealous 'desert-rat' or going for groceries in a foot of snow; he does it all, as he has for the 38 years since I bought him off a farm in Illinois. The upkeep costs have been: 2 water pumps, 1 starter, and a clutch disc (hub spring broke - old age I reckon) and a bunch of batteries. All I've done that can be considered 'major' besides the clutch was swap the 4:56 R&Ps for 4:11s. He still runs the 292 & 4-speed Clark. Still 'turns my crank' to hear that six pulling a grade or torque-ing thru a bog-hole.

I got into a bumper to bumper pull-off with a friend's late 70s 3/4 ton Chevy about 1980 in front of some of the local 'kid-truckers' of the time and after seeing the show one of them hung the moniker 'ELEPHANT' on my truck. He's been known as 'The Elephant' around these parts ever since.

Well, boys, time to take care of some nags so I guess I'll catch y'all later and remember - 'Take it easy but TAKE IT!'.